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Tuesday 5 May 2026
Florida Man Sentenced for Threatening to Kill Newspaper Reporter, Muslims, and PoliticiansRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Peter Daniel Ring, 31, of Bell, Florida, was sentenced to 27 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to sending multiple threatening interstate communications to kill or cause physical injuries. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “With threats and acts of violence directed at public figures becoming alarmingly more frequent, my office is committed to aggressively prosecuting cases like this to send a clear message: we have zero-tolerance for criminality in the Northern District of Florida. Threats of violence by deranged individuals can quickly lead to actual violence. Vigilant investigative work by our federal law enforcement partners and aggressive prosecutions can prevent tragedy from striking.”
Court documents reveal that in June 2025 the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) received a complaint that a threat to kill a reporter had been received. The defendant was identified as the source of the threat, and when contacted by the FBI he said he would not make any more threats. However, two months later, the FBI received another tip that the defendant was posting religiously and politically motivated threats of violence against Muslim people, members of the media, and prominent politicians. Between May and September 2025, the defendant made threats to kill or cause physical injury to at least fourteen victims.
“Threats of violence are never taken lightly,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “This person’s actions caused fear and disruption, and the sentencing reflects the serious consequences of threatening to take innocent lives. The FBI will not tolerate individuals who use intimidation to terrorize our communities.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt 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.
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.
Florida Certified Public Accountant and Attorney Indicted for Embezzling More than $890,000Read the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Melissia Gauthreaux has been charged by federal indictment with six counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Gauthreaux faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Gauthreaux that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $894,274.26, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Gauthreaux was the founder, president, and managing member of Accounting Resources and Management Services, LLC. From 2017 through 2021, Gauthreaux used her business to steal more than $890,000 from one of her clients, a public figure who lived in the Middle District of Florida. Gauthreaux had signatory authority on her client’s bank accounts and was able to remove the funds without the client’s knowledge or consent.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Merrilyn Hoenemeyer.
IndictmentFentanyl Distributors Sentenced to 33 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Four men who sold fentanyl in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia were sentenced to a combined 33 and half years in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Kentrel Anthony Rollins, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 138 months in federal prison for possessing fentanyl and a firearm during a drug trafficking crime. Rollins, also known as “T-Rock,” was the leader of a drug trafficking organization that spanned from Baltimore to Hampshire County, West Virginia. Investigators seized fentanyl, two firearms, rounds of various ammunition, and more than $17,000. Eleven other defendants in this case were convicted and sentenced to a combined 40 years in prison. Read more about the case here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/baltimore-fentanyl-organizations-shut-down-federal-indictments
Jwan Martine Smith, 40, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 120 months in prison. Matthew James Elsea, 43, of Stephenson, Virginia, was sentenced to 87 months. Smith and Elsea were a part of a drug trafficking operation, led by Delano Butler, that distributed large amounts of fentanyl in the Eastern Panhandle. Investigators watched Smith, Elsea, and others transfer items from a stash apartment into vehicles. Officers conducted multiple traffic stops and seized 14 firearms and 30,000-40,000 pressed fentanyl pills. Subsequent searches of other vehicles and properties yielded more fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and drug paraphernalia. Total drug weight is nearly 8 pounds of fentanyl and 4.5 grams of methamphetamine. Smith has prior drug and home invasion convictions and was under parole supervision for several prior offenses during the commission of this crime. Butler was convicted of his role in April 2026. He is awaiting sentencing. Read more about this case: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndwv/pr/twenty-five-charged-drug-trafficking-eastern-panhandle
Tyler Lantz Gordon, 34, of Rawlings, Maryland, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for selling fentanyl near a protected location. Gordon sold fentanyl-laced capsules near West Virginia University Potomac State College. The fentanyl totaled 37 grams, equaling more than 18,000 potentially deadly doses. Gordon has prior drug convictions.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lara Omps-Botteicher and Kyle Kane prosecuted the cases on behalf of the United States.
Investigative agencies include the Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force and the Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, both HIDTA-funded initiatives, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Federal grand jury indicts 2 Cincinnati men for possessing machinegunsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury indicted two Cincinnati men for illegally possessing machineguns due to firearm conversion devices.
Michael Goss, 18, and Felix Burnette, 22, are each charged in separate indictments with one count of illegally possessing a machinegun. They appeared in federal court in Cincinnati this afternoon and their cases were unsealed at that time.
“The two cases announced today demonstrate our continuing commitment to bring federal firearms charges whenever we can,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Public safety in Cincinnati is top priority. If you possess a firearm equipped with a Glock switch, you will be subject to federal prosecution regardless of age or criminal history.”
According to their indictments and local arrest information, each of the men possessed a firearm equipped with a Glock switch device. These devices convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic firearms or machineguns.
On March 12, Goss and Burnette were arrested near the Valley Shopping Center on Reading Road. The defendants were together in a vehicle that was stopped by Cincinnati police officers for having illegal window tint.
The federal charges announced today will supersede the local ones.
Illegal possession of a machinegun is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) and Cincinnati Police Interim Chief Adam Hennie announced the charges.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Allison B. Oswall from Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Office is representing the United States in these cases. Oswall was designated this spring as a special prosecutor at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to help bring federal gun cases as part of the federal, state and local violent crime reduction initiative.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Federal agents arrest Highland County man for sexual exploitation crimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Highland County man was arrested today and is charged federally with sexually exploiting minors from California, Texas and Michigan. Mark A. Chandler, 37, of Mount Orab, Ohio, appeared in federal court in Cincinnati this afternoon. He faces charges of sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement, and receipt of child pornography.
According to charging documents, the Highland County Sheriff’s Office received a tip regarding Chandler in November 2025. The resulting investigation revealed that Chandler allegedly paid at least five girls he met online to engage in sexually explicit acts on video.
Chandler used multiple social media apps to connect with the victims, who were all approximately 14 years old. The criminal complaint affidavit details that Chandler groomed victims online for up to two years and allegedly paid the victims through Visa gift cards in exchange for sexual videos and images.
Screen recordings and messages on Chandler’s electronic devices allegedly show that he threatened to kill at least one of the victims if she “tattled” on him. Chandler referred to drowning the victim or using knives to cut the victim’s throat.
Chandler was originally arrested on local charges in Highland County.
Sexual exploitation of children is a federal crime punishable by at least 15 and up to 30 years in prison. Coercion and enticement carries a potential penalty of at least 10 years and up to life in prison. Receipt of child pornography is punishable by five to 20 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Highland County Sheriff Randy Sanders and Highland County Prosecuting Attorney Anneka P. Collins announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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FBI Undercover Operation Results in Three Men Charged After Travelling for the Purpose of Engaging in Illicit Sexual Conduct with MinorsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – RICHARD JACKSON WHITE, age 46, from Purvis, Mississippi, NICHOLAS JOHN ENGOLIA, age 32, from Slidell, Louisiana, and DUSTIN LEE SEITZ, age 40, from Gulfport, Mississippi, were charged between March 27, 2026 and April 28, 2026, as the result of an Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) undercover operation concerning individuals seeking to engage in illicit sexual conduct with minors, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. All three men were previously charged at the time of their apprehension by criminal complaints.
According to one indictment, beginning on or about January 28, 2026, until on or about March 3, 2026, ENGOLIA corresponded online with an individual he believed to be a fifteen-year-old female for the purpose of attempting to persuade the fifteen-year-old to engage in criminal sexual activity. The correspondence culminated with ENGOLIA traveling by car from Slidell, Louisiana, to Covington, Louisiana, to engage in sexual conduct with someone he believed to be a fifteen-year-old female. During the correspondence, ENGOLIA attempted to transfer obscene matter to the person he believed to be a minor. ENGOLIA was charged in a two-count indictment with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2422(b) (Count 1), and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1470 (Count 2).
According to a bill of information, on or about February 24, 2026, WHITE travelled from Mississippi to Louisiana for the purpose of engaging in sexual conduct with an individual he believed to be a fifteen-year-old female. WHITE has been charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b).
According to a bill of information, beginning on or about March 2, 2026, and culminating on or about March 4, 2026, SEITZ travelled from Gulfport, Mississippi, to Mandeville, Louisiana, by car to engage in sexual conduct with an individual SEITZ believed to be a fifteen-year-old female. SEITZ has been charged with travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b).
If convicted, ENGOLIA faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years up to life in prison as to Count 1 and up to ten (10) years in prison as to Count 2. SEITZ and WHITE each face a maximum term of imprisonment of not more than thirty (30) years. Each defendant also faces at least five (5) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee per count. Additionally, each defendant may also be required to register as a sex offender.
U. S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that indictments and bills of information are merely charges and that the guilt of each defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Special Assistant United States Attorney Mary Anne Flippo is in charge of the prosecution of ENGOLIA, Assistant United States Attorney Tracey Knight is in charge of the prosecution of WHITE, and Assistant United States Attorney Kathryn McHugh is in charge of the prosecution of SEITZ.
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Eugene Man Charged with Damaging Federal PropertyRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Eugene, Oregon, man made his first appearance in federal court today after allegedly destroying federal property while attempting to breach the Eugene federal building.
Soren Emery Polzin, 18, has been charged by criminal complaint with depredation of federal property.
“The harm in this case goes beyond the thousands of dollars’ worth of damage to the federal building on January 30, 2026,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “Federal employees were trapped inside, terrified of what would happen if the building were fully breached. This was a riot, not a lawful protest.”
“This arrest marks a huge step forward in our investigation of the damage to the Eugene federal building on January 30, 2026,” said FBI Portland Special Agent in Charge Doug Olson. “Violence and destruction of property jeopardize the rights and safety of all citizens. The FBI will continue to pursue individuals who exploit a situation to pursue violent, extremist agendas—anarchists and other agitators who set out to sow discord and upheaval.”
According to court documents, on the evening of January 30, 2026, a group of individuals, including Polzin, damaged the exterior windows and doors and attempted to gain access to the Eugene federal building while federal civilian employees were inside. Polzin repeatedly banged on and kicked the lobby window, eventually shattering the window with his lower body.
Polzin made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. magistrate judge. He was ordered released pending further court proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Protective Service are investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Eugene Man Charged with Assault on a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Ryan Bruce Gaither Jr., 37, with assault on a federal employee involving physical contact and aggravated assault on a federal employee causing bodily injury.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 27, 2026, Gaither spit on a U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Special Response Team officer and bit a second officer.
Gaither made his initial appearance in federal court today before a U.S. magistrate. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered released pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on October 5, 2026.
If convicted, Gaither faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford for the District of Oregon made the announcement.
Federal Protective Service is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Chicago Police Sergeant Charged in Federal Court with Fraudulently Obtaining Covid-Relief LoansRead the Press Release
CHICAGO – A Chicago Police sergeant has been charged in federal court with fraudulently obtaining more than $41,000 in small business loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. Under the leadership of U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros and consistent with the Administration’s priorities to identify, investigate, and prosecute criminal fraud in the federal government entitlement and benefit programs, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois is taking a fresh look at Covid-19 fraud. This prosecution reflects those efforts.
BRANDI WRIGHT engaged in fraud related to the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), one of the sources of relief under the CARES Act, according to a criminal information filed Monday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The information alleges that Wright submitted two applications for PPP loans in 2021 on behalf of a bakery business she claimed to own but that did not actually exist. The applications contained materially false statements and misrepresentations about Wright’s purported business, including gross revenue, payroll needs, and operational expenses, the information states.
Wright fraudulently obtained two loans totaling $41,662, which she intended to use for her personal benefit, the information states.
Wright, 44, is a Chicago Police sergeant who resides in Chicago. The information charges her with wire fraud, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. Arraignment in federal court has not yet been scheduled.
U.S. Attorney Boutros announced the charge along with Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Richard M. Rothblatt and Sheri Mecklenburg.
The public is reminded that an information contains only charges and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
wright_information.pdfCharlotte County Coach Sentenced to 60 Years for Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Dagoberto Miguel Pena (37, Punta Gorda) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to 60 years in federal prison for producing, receiving, possessing, and accessing with intent to view images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Pena was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. Pena pleaded guilty on January 23, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, from October 2024 through February 2026, Pena used and persuaded two minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of their sexual abuse.
In April 2025, law enforcement launched an investigation into Pena, a physical education teacher and a coach, after a parent discovered his inappropriate communications with a minor. Search warrants executed on Pena’s cellphone and online storage account revealed text messages with minors. In some text messages, Pena received images of a minor nude and engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Additionally, images and videos that Pena had taken during his sexual abuse of two minors were located. The investigation further identified a third minor that Pena possessed images and videos of engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, and with assistance from the Punta Gorda Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case 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.justice.gov/psc.
Canadian Man Sentenced to More Than 15-and-a-Half Years in Prison for Lead Role in Multi-Million Dollar International Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A Canadian citizen extradited from Panama has been sentenced in federal court to 188 months of imprisonment, to be followed by one day of supervised release, and ordered to pay a fine of $35,000 and restitution of $780,870 on his convictions of conspiracy to commit both wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Stefano Zanetti, 44, on May 4, 2026.
“Zanetti and his co-conspirators inflicted severe financial and emotional injury upon numerous elderly victims and their families through this scheme,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “This prosecution and the sentence imposed confirm that the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will use all of the resources at our disposal to investigate, identify, and bring to justice those who prey upon vulnerable members of our community, whether these predators are located in the United States or abroad.”
“Preying on seniors by exploiting their love for family—through false claims of emergencies involving their grandchildren—is a particularly cruel form of fraud,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel of Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia. “HSI, working alongside the Pennsylvania State Police, the Bethel Park Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, will track down and disrupt these transnational schemes and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.”
According to information presented to the Court, Zanetti was the leader of a scheme to defraud elderly victims in Pittsburgh and across the United States. Members of the conspiracy contacted victims and falsely claimed that a family member of the victim, usually a grandchild, had been detained in connection with a legal proceeding and needed money for bail. The victims were directed to withdraw cash and provide it to a “courier” who would visit them at their homes. In reality, the victims’ family members had not been detained, and the courier was actually a member of the conspiracy. Through his plea agreement, Zanetti accepted responsibility for $1.5 million to $3.5 million in losses to victims as a result of the scheme.
In September 2021 and again in February 2022, three-man crews reporting to Zanetti traveled to Pittsburgh to execute the fraud and collect money directly from its victims. All six of those individuals—Roderick Feurtado, Tarek Bouanane, Roberto Gutierrez, Hector Enrique Escorihuela Gil, Yhonlester Wuiler Manuel Da Silva Quintero, and Adrian Orozco Perez—have been convicted and sentenced to terms of imprisonment. Samuel David Ferrer Avila and Cesar Javier Chourio Morante, who helped Zanetti execute the scheme to defraud from abroad, were also convicted and sentenced after having been extradited from Panama. A separate indictment returned in the District of Vermont also charged 25 Canadian nationals for their connection to the call centers that targeted victims as part of Zanetti’s conspiracy.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Ranjan noted that Zanetti played an important role in the complicated fraud with “perfect knowledge” about its various parts. Judge Ranjan also emphasized the emotional toll and financial losses that Zanetti’s scheme imposed upon the victims.
Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey R. Bengel prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs secured the arrest and extradition from Panama of Zanetti, Ferrer Avila, and Chourio Morante.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Bethel Park Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Zanetti and his co-conspirators.
California Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Returns and Fraudulently Obtaining COVID Benefits; Caused More than $25 Million in Losses to the GovernmentRead the Press Release
A California tax preparer pleaded guilty yesterday to fraudulently including false information on federal income tax returns to get substantial refunds for his clients – and cause large tax losses to the U.S. Treasury – and COVID-19 business-relief loan applications to obtain money he used for unauthorized purposes.
Kerwin Aldric Jordan, 71, of Castaic, California and formerly of Pebble Beach, California, pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding in the preparation of false federal income tax returns and one count of wire fraud.
According to his plea agreement, Jordan was the president of The Jordan Corporation, a tax preparation business, and also owned and operated a business called Jordan and Jordan A Financial Conquest. Jordan held himself out as a tax attorney and certified public accountant, neither of which he was. Jordan prepared federal tax returns for his clients which fraudulently reduced his taxpayer-clients’ taxable income.
Jordan falsely reported that the taxpayer-clients had one or more businesses, even though he knew the businesses did not exist. He also reported losses for these non-existent businesses and used those losses to reduce the taxpayer-clients’ taxable income.
For example, Jordan reduced a married couple’s $2 million income with fraudulent expenses of more than $1 million for non-existent businesses, eliminating additional taxes the couple would have owed and generating a tax refund of almost $25,000. The couple paid Jordan nearly $28,000 for the preparation of their return.
From 2018 to 2023, Jordan filed more than 1,370 federal tax returns for clients, which reported total business losses over $73 million. Prosecutors contend that the tax returns Jordan prepared resulted in more than $25 million in losses to the United States Treasury.
Jordan also lied on loan applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), two programs Congress created in March 2020 to help businesses weather the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jordan applied for PPP loans for his companies and received a total of $188,667. He also applied for EIDL loans for Jordan and Jordan; Euphrates Wealth Asset Management, of which he was the owner; and Lifestyles of the Rich in Faith Church, a non-profit organization of which he was the principal, receiving a total of $276,600. To obtain these loans, Jordan falsely reported that the companies had employees when, in fact, they had none.
U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson for the Central District of California scheduled an Oct. 5 sentencing hearing, at which time Jordan will face a maximum sentence of 32 years in prison.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ranee A. Katzenstein for the Central District of California and Matthew R. Hoffman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Tax Section, are prosecuting this 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.
Bakersfield Man Sentenced to over 21 years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — David Garcia, 39, of Bakersfield, was sentenced Monday by Chief U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 21 years and 10 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Oct. 17, 2022, law enforcement officers stopped an SUV for traffic violations. Garcia, the driver and sole occupant of the vehicle, had an active parole warrant for his arrest. Garcia is also a documented former member of the Varrio Fillmore Trece Sureño criminal street gang. A search of Garcia’s SUV revealed a Glock 29, 9 mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with eight rounds. This firearm was later determined to be stolen. Garcia’s criminal history dates back approximately 20 years. Garcia is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because of a prior felony conviction in 2016 for robbery.
Garcia pleaded guilty on Feb. 24, 2025.
In a black backpack on the front passenger seat, officers found one plastic bag containing 343.5 grams of methamphetamine, one plastic bag containing 11.2 grams of cocaine, and one plastic bag containing 8.5 grams of a mixture containing cocaine and methamphetamine. Officers also discovered three digital scales and a box of sandwich bags.
The Bakersfield Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Karp prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Aurora Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Robbery, Brandishing A FirearmRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Euriah Hymes, 23, of Aurora, Colorado, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, and two counts of brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
According to the plea agreement, between January 17 and February 14, 2024, Hymes committed 12 armed robberies of convenience stores in three different counties across the Denver Metro area. In each of these robberies, workers in the convenience stores were threatened with a gun as Hymes demanded cash and stole tobacco products.
“Euriah Hymes’s robbery spree spanned three counties and victimized more than a dozen people,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “This strong sentence will keep a violent criminal off of our streets for a significant time.”
“Those who commit brazen, violent crimes targeting our community will be identified, pursued, and held accountable,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Amanda Koldjeski. “Clerks in 12 convenience stores were held at gunpoint and traumatized. Partnerships like the Rocky Mountain Safe Streets Task Force continue to be a force multiplier in our work and our success in crushing violent crime.”
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the sentencing.
The case was investigated by the FBI Denver Field Office, the Safe Streets Task Force, Broomfield Police Department, Westminster Police Department, Federal Heights Police Department, Thornton Police Department, Denver Police Department, and Aurora Police Department.
The prosecution was handled by the Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Case Number: 25-cr-00204-GPG
Monday 4 May 2026
Woman Convicted in Multi-State Check Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A North Carolina woman who engaged in a multi-state check fraud scheme pled guilty today, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Inspector in Charge Felicia George of the Postal Inspection Service’s Detroit Division, and Jared Murphey, acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations Detroit.
Shannon Kurrie, age 61, originally from North Carolina, was convicted of conspiracy to commit bank fraud for a scheme where she was responsible for over $250,000 in losses.
At the hearing, Kurrie admitted to using stolen personally identifiable information provided to her by the leaders of the conspiracy, opening bank accounts in the names of victims, and fraudulently depositing their personal and United States Department of Treasury checks on behalf of the conspiracy. Kurrie impersonated numerous individuals by presenting fictitious identification to banks around the country, including in Grosse Pointe and Dearborn, Michigan, as well as Fort Wayne, Indiana. In each instance, Kurrie presented false documents and opened accounts before depositing large checks.
Sentencing before United States District Judge Mark A. Goldsmith will occur after a presentence report is prepared. Kurrie faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 30 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of not more than $1,000,00, and up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, TSA Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Dorval Norwood, K. Craig Welkener, and Jasmine Moore.
Westmoreland County Resident Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Producing and Possessing Images of Minor Engaged in Sexually Explicit ConductRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. - A resident of Avonmore, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 420 months in prison, to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, on his convictions of production and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Kenneth Bee, 55.
According to information presented to the Court, over a period of several years, Bee produced images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Further, in and around September 2022, Bee possessed images of prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania State Police, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Bee.
This case was brought as a 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.justice.gov/psc.
Two Sentenced to Prison for St. Louis CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two men have been sentenced to prison for two carjackings in St. Louis in 2024.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced Davion Pruitt, 19, of St. Louis, to nine years in prison in prison. Tywone Calvin, 20, of Pine Lawn, was sentenced on April 27 to nine and one-half years in prison.
The pair stole a 2011 Cadillac Escalade at gunpoint on Dec. 23, 2024. Three days later, they carjacked a 2017 Chevrolet Trax.
The Escalade’s driver had met a woman, Mya Reagan, on Facebook. Pruitt and Calvin told Reagan to find someone to rob, and she arranged to meet with the victim on Dec. 23, 2024. Reagan had the victim stop at a gas station for cigars near South Broadway and Interstate 55. When the victim exited the store, he was confronted by two armed men, who stole his SUV. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers found the SUV later that day with three men who said they bought the vehicle from someone matching Reagan’s description.
On Dec. 26, 2024, at about 3:35 a.m., the second victim received an alert from his key fob about his Chevrolet Trax. He went outside to find two armed men by his SUV who demanded the keys and drove away. Later that day, St. Louis County Police Department officers spotted the stolen Trax with Pruitt and Calvin inside. Calvin crashed after letting Pruitt out, and then got out of the vehicle and ran, dropping a handgun. Pruitt was arrested by St. Louis police on Feb. 14, 2025. Officers found a 9mm handgun with a laser sight.
Calvin and Pruitt both pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Reagan pleaded guilty to the carjacking charge on April 10 and is scheduled to be sentenced in July.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie J. Schneider is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Two Sentenced to Prison for $522M Genetic Testing Fraud and Illegal Kickback Scheme Targeting Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
Two men were sentenced today for their roles in a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid, and private health insurance companies by submitting over $522 million in fraudulent claims for medically unnecessary genetic tests that were obtained through the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes.
Reyad Salahaldeen, 57, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced to 151 months in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. Mohamad Mustafa, 28, of Duluth, Georgia, was sentenced to three years in prison after pleading guilty to paying health care kickbacks.
“Under the guise of health care, these two fraudsters attempted to steal more than half a billion dollars from taxpayers through a web of sham contracts, lies, and bribes,” said Colin M. McDonald, Assistant Attorney for the National Fraud Enforcement Division. “These schemes deplete America’s pocketbook and destroy the trust in medicine that patients deserve and demand. The Department of Justice will remain vigilant in our efforts to deter those defrauding the American people in the name of health care. I thank the prosecutors and our law enforcement partners at FBI and HHS-OIG who worked tirelessly for this just outcome.”
According to court documents, Salahaldeen controlled four laboratories, Express Diagnostics, LLC, in New Jersey (Express); BioConfirm Laboratory USA, LLC and BioConfirm Laboratories, LLC, in Georgia (BioConfirm); and Tox Management, LLC and Tri-State Toxicology, LLC, both in Texas. From 2018 through August 2020, Salahaldeen and co-conspirators paid kickbacks and bribes to a network of purported “marketers” who targeted individuals covered by Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurance and induced them to provide their health insurance information and DNA samples in order to obtain costly genetic tests designed to predict the risk of cancer, adverse drug reactions, and other conditions. The marketers obtained DNA samples through telemarketing, door-to-door solicitation, appearances at health fairs, and other methods of in-person solicitation. Further, the marketers, at the direction of Salahaldeen and co-conspirators and in exchange for kickbacks and bribes, obtained fraudulent laboratory requisition forms for the tests from medical providers who had not treated or consulted with the beneficiaries, and did not use the test results in treatment. As part of the scheme, Salahaldeen falsified laboratory requisition forms, letters of medical necessity, and other medical records to make the tests appear legitimate.
After the indictment was returned and he learned of the warrant for his arrest, Salahaldeen sought to evade law enforcement by traveling from North Carolina to Texas, where he attempted to enter Mexico. Salahaldeen was apprehended at the border when he falsely presented another person’s identification in a further attempt to evade arrest and prosecution.
Mustafa, who controlled Express and BioConfirm with Salahaldeen, participated in the scheme by paying kickbacks and bribes to various marketers to induce them to obtain DNA samples and fraudulent test requisition forms from medical providers. To conceal the scheme, Mustafa and Salahaldeen created sham contracts, invoices, and other documentation that disguised the illegal kickbacks and bribes as payments for purported marketing services.
The four laboratories billed approximately $522 million in false and fraudulent claims, of which Medicare, Medicaid, and private insurers paid approximately $84 million.
In addition to the prison sentences, Salahaldeen was ordered to pay $84,594,165 in restitution and to forfeit $3,044,866 from two bank accounts, a 2019 GMC Yukon, and properties in Texas and Georgia. Mustafa was ordered to pay $64,301,569 in restitution.
Eleven of Salahaldeen and Mustafa’s co-conspirators previously pleaded guilty in connection with this fraud scheme and were sentenced as follows:
- Travores Wills, a marketer, was sentenced to 46 months in prison
- Elijua Watson, a marketer, was sentenced to 27 months in prison
- Diego Pancha Valencia, a marketer, was sentenced to 26 months in prison
- Shauntae Walker, a nurse practitioner, was sentenced to 24 months in prison
- Cassandra Latham, a nurse practitioner, was sentenced to 21 months in prison
- LaTosha McCune, a marketer, was sentenced to 18 months in prison
- Vinit Patel, a medical doctor, was sentenced to 12 months in prison
- Jose Rodriguez Ospina, a medical doctor, was sentenced to 12 months in prison
- Edward Giles, a marketer, was sentenced to 12 months in prison
- Derek McCune, a marketer, was sentenced to 12 months in prison
- Nelson Giraldo, a medical doctor, was sentenced to 6 months of house arrest and 3 years of probation
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis of the FBI’s Atlanta Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Acting Principal Assistant Chief Rebecca Yuan and Acting Assistant Chief Gary A. Winters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Three people arrested by Homeland Security Task Force and four charged with multi-state burglary and drug trafficking conspiracy targeting local pharmaciesRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – Four individuals from California are facing charges in a multi-defendant conspiracy accused of burglarizing pharmacies and distributing multiple controlled substances throughout southern Illinois and across the country. Three of the four Defendants are in custody.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging the following individuals with one count of conspiracy to commit burglary involving controlled substances and one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance: hydrocodone, methadone, morphine, and oxycodone:
- Anthony Ellison, 25, of Morneo Valley, California,
- Tyrus Crew, Jr., 35, of Eastvale, California,
- James Robinson, 36, of Chino, California, and
- Idani Johnson, 34, of Compton, California.
Ellison, Crew, and Robinson are in custody. In February 2026, Ellison and Crew were arrested in Ohio for related burglary charges. Robinson is in state custody in Ohio for conduct unrelated to this prosecution. An arrest warrant has been issued for Johnson.
“The Department of Justice is committed to dismantling criminal organizations, especially those which target our local businesses and distribute stolen drugs in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure dangerous criminal organizations are held accountable.”
According to the indictment, from April 2024 until February 2026, the four are accused of traveling from California to Ohio where they then targeted pharmacies across the United States, including pharmacies located in Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Idaho with the intent to steal any material or compound containing any quantity of controlled substance. The conspiracy is accused of committing a series of burglaries in the Southern District of Illinois from July 16-17, 2024. These burglaries occurred at pharmacies in Bethalto, Maryville, Lebanon, Breese, and Neoga.
“Pharmacies across the nation, from rural communities to metropolitan cities, are registered with the Drug Enforcement Administration,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “This is done to protect our communities and ensure that pharmaceuticals are safely and accurately accounted for. The DEA will aggressively pursue any individual who has the audacity to steal controlled substance medications from a DEA Registered facility. The theft of controlled substances is a felony under federal law and will not be tolerated.”
An indictment is merely a formal charge against a defendant. Under the law, a defendant is presumed to be innocent of a charge until proved guilty beyond a reasonable doubt to the satisfaction of a jury.
Agents with DEA, Ada County Sheriff’s Office (Idaho), and West Chester Township Police Department (Ohio) contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Hudson is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Chicago comprises agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, USPIS, IRS-CI, HIDTA, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois.
Three from Sioux City Sentenced to Federal Prison for Participation in Methamphetamine Conspiracy and DistributionRead the Press Release
Paulette Allen, age 64, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced March 3, 2026, to more than 3 years in federal prison, after an October 9, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, and two counts of distribution of controlled substances.
Donald Most, age 61, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced April 29, 2026, to 4 years in federal prison, after an October 14, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Martin Godbersen, age 65, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced April 7, 2026, to 17 years in federal prison, after a jury found him guilty on October 29, 2025, of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, after having been previously convicted of a serious drug felony. Godbersen was found not guilty of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
Evidence in the case and at trial showed between July 2023 and June 2025, Allen, Most and Godbersen knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Most and Allen admitted that Most was providing Allen with methamphetamine on a weekly basis. In April 2025, law enforcement utilized a confidential source to purchase methamphetamine from Allen and Most on two occasions. Allen took the confidential source to Most’s home, where Godbersen later arrived and provided them with methamphetamine.
On April 22, 2025, Godbersen was subject to a traffic stop where law enforcement located a baggie of over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine in Godbersen’s pocket, as well as additional methamphetamine in the center console of his vehicle.
Allen, Most, and Godbersen were sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Allen was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Most was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Godbersen was sentenced to 204 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 10-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Allen, Most, and Godbersen are being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until they can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4031.
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Three Venezuelans arrested, 1,418 pounds of cocaine seized on marine interdiction in southeast of Puerto Rico as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF)Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 29, 2026, Air and Marine Operations, an operational component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, interdicted a vessel, arrested three Venezuelan nationals, and seized 1,418 pounds (643.3 kilograms) of cocaine southeast of Puerto Rico.
“The U.S. Attorney’s office remains committed to the investigation and prosecution of transnational drug traffickers,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “We will find them and bring them before the courts to face Justice.”
“Our teams demonstrated exceptional coordination and vigilance in intercepting this vessel and preventing a significant amount of dangerous contraband from reaching our shores,” said Christopher Hunter, Director of the Caribbean Air and Marine Branch. “This operation underscores our commitment to protecting the people of Puerto Rico and maintaining the integrity of our borders.”
At approximately 10:52 p.m. on April 28, 2026, an AMO Caribbean Air and Marine Branch Multi-Role Enforcement Aircraft detected a vessel of interest about 35 nautical miles southeast of Puerto Rico. The vessel, a 30-foot yola-type boat with two outboard engines, was observed with multiple fuel containers and suspected contraband aboard.
An AMO UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter kept surveillance while AMO Coastal Interceptor Vessels from Ponce and Fajardo moved to interdict the suspect vessel.
At approximately 12:58 a.m. April 29, 2026, AMO marine interdiction agents intercepted the vessel after agents fired two warning rounds that prompted the vessel operator to stop his vessel.
Charlie G. Marval-Henriquez, Jhoan A. Rodríguez-Núñez, and Josué A. Rodríguez-Núñez, Venezuelan nationals on board the vessel were taken into custody. Agents discovered multiple bricks of cocaine concealed within 20 black fuel containers. All three persons on board the vessel were charged pursuant to a criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute and importing cocaine.
The Homeland Security Task Force leads the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney (AUSA) Camille García is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, and the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
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Texas Man Found Guilty in HSTF Case Involving Large-Scale Cartel Firearm TraffickingRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A federal jury in Del Rio convicted a Dale man on two counts of firearms trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Bobby Brandon Galvan aka “Puravidarecia,” 30, was affiliated with the La Nueva Familia Michoacana (LNFM) cartel and straw purchased numerous weapons, to include an AK-47 rifle that was recovered after it was used in a shootout between cartel members and Mexican law enforcement. On Feb. 20, 2025, LNFM was officially designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization and a Specially Designated Global Terrorist entity by the U.S. Department of State.
An investigation led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives found that, between Sept. 16, 2023, and April 14, 2024, Galvan had purchased 24 AK-47 styled firearms, all of which ended up in Toluca, Mexico for use by Mexican cartels. At trial, the leaders of criminal conspiracy were identified as Johnny Hurtado Olascoaga aka “El Pez,” and Jose Alfredo Hurtado Olascoaga aka “El Fresa.”
U.S. v. Sealed Case #2:25cr2061Galvan’s straw purchasing activity was part of a larger criminal operation carried out by LNFM, a transnational criminal organization. In his role, Galvan would purchase the firearms, attempt to obliterate their serial numbers, and transfer the firearms to co-conspirators who would then traffic them to Mexico.
Galvan was arrested July 29, 2025, and indicted on Aug. 20 for one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms and one count of straw purchase of firearms. Galvan is one of 26 defendants indicted for charges ranging from firearms trafficking to illegal alien smuggling to money laundering.
Galvan faces up to 40 years in federal prison for each of the two counts. 18 of the indicted co-conspirators have pleaded guilty and await their sentencing hearings. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case.
“This trial is significant in that, not only did it trace two dozen rifles from a Texas town to a Mexican cartel, but it is one of the first trials in the nation to involve a conspiracy to traffic firearms under the relatively new firearms trafficking statute,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “I want to extend my congratulations and gratitude to our federal prosecutors and all of our law enforcement partners who contributed to this well-deserved result. I also want to thank the members of the jury for fulfilling their honorable duty as Americans. Let this verdict show that the Western District of Texas and the American People will not stand idly by and allow anyone to arm our adversaries in violation of federal law."
“This conviction underscores ATF and our law enforcement partners’ unwavering commitment to stopping the flow of illegal firearms from our communities into the hands of violent cartel organizations” said ATF Houston Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. “The defendant’s actions directly fueled armed violence in Mexico, and we will not allow our communities to be exploited as a source of weapons for transnational criminal groups. ATF and our partners will continue to identify, investigate, and dismantle these trafficking networks at every level.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to dismantling the networks that supply weapons to violent transnational criminal organizations,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge John A Pasciucco, HSI San Antonio. “This conviction demonstrates the impact of coordinated federal law enforcement efforts to disrupt the flow of firearms fueling cartel violence in Mexico. HSI will continue to aggressively pursue those who threaten the safety of our communities and our national security by trafficking firearms across our borders.”
“I would like to highlight the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ critical role in our Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) efforts, bringing specialized expertise to the firearms trafficking component of this case,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “Through the HSTF framework, and working alongside FBI Kansas City, FBI’s Law Enforcement Attache Office in Mexico City, and Homeland Security Investigations, we leveraged actionable intelligence and combined our respective expertise to disrupt weapons trafficking networks tied to La Nueva Familia Michoacana. HSTF collaboration remains central to our mission as we work to identify and dismantle transnational criminal organizations—wherever they operate—and hold them accountable.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Warsame Galaydh and Brett Miner are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Texas Doctor Convicted for Illegally Distributing More than a Million PillsRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the Southern District of Texas convicted a Texas physician yesterday for unlawfully distributing more than a million pills of opioids and other dangerous controlled substances.
“Medical physicians who exploit their prescribing authority for profit over patient care break an inherent trust with their patients and we will hold them accountable,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “The Department of Justice remains committed to protecting the public from dangerous and unlawful distribution of controlled substances, especially when the drug dealer is a doctor.”
“Patients put their trust and their lives into the hands of our medical and health care professionals,” said DEA Assistant Administrator Cheri Oz. “The highly addictive, dangerous misused drugs in this case – oxycodone and hydrocodone – are meant to treat pain, not cause it. DEA remains relentless in our pursuit of those who poison our communities and exploit our health care system, all to line their own pockets with the profit from other’s pain.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Barbara Marino, M.D., 65, of Tomball, was the sole prescribing physician at Angels Clinica. From Angels Clinica, Marino prescribed the highly dangerous, addictive, and commonly abused opioids oxycodone and hydrocodone and the muscle relaxer carisoprodol. Marino prescribed these drugs from a clinic hiding in plain sight, behind mirrored windows, in a Houston strip mall:
Image of Clinic Where Marino Prescribed Drugs (Gov’t Trial Ex. No. 301)
Many of the patients who received prescriptions from Marino were brought to Angels Clinica by street-level drug dealers, often called “crew leaders” or “runners.” These crew leaders and runners brought patients to Marino for prescriptions, filled those prescriptions at Houston-area pharmacies, and then sold the pills on the street. Angels Clinica was a cash-only clinic, charging people based on what drug Marino would prescribe them. In less than a year, Marino received more than $400,000 from Angels Clinica’s owners for writing prescriptions that lacked a legitimate medical purpose and were outside the usual course of professional medical practice.
Marino’s prescribing exhibited many of the red flags of a pill mill, as published in the Texas State Board of Pharmacies “YOU MIGHT BE A PILL MILL IF…” checklist. The evidence at trial showed that Marino intentionally disregarded all the red flags and prescribed almost every patient she saw the dangerous combination of an opioid, like oxycodone or hydrocodone, and the muscle relaxer carisoprodol. More than 99% of the time, Marino prescribed only the strongest short-acting versions of oxycodone, hydrocodone, and carisoprodol.
Among Marino’s patients was a woman in her third trimester of pregnancy. Marino prescribed this pregnant patient the dangerous drug cocktail of hydrocodone and carisoprodol. The patient’s OB/GYN testified at trial about how dangerous that drug cocktail was for both the woman and her unborn child, and that the patient missed an important follow-up visit with the OB/GYN. As the prosecutor said in her closing arguments, this patient “didn’t go to her doctor, she went to her drug dealer.”
Another of Dr. Marino’s patients was a man who had been diagnosed as bipolar and schizophrenic. The patient’s mother testified that he often claimed to be former President Richard Nixon. Nonetheless, Dr. Marino prescribed him the hydrocodone and soma cocktail at least three times.
The jury convicted Marino of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and four counts of distributing a controlled substance. Marino faces a maximum of 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
DEA investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Yael Mash of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the Texas Attorney General’s Office Medicaid Fraud Control Unit 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.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to Prison for a Series of FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday sentenced a man who committed identity theft, check fraud and pandemic fraud to 42 months in prison and ordered him to repay $77,360 to his victims.
For over three years, Darryon M. Sutherlin, now 29, engaged in a series of frauds and financial crimes, including filing a fraudulent application for COVID-19 pandemic relief funds, check fraud and the use of stolen identities to obtain loans and credit. His crimes continued even after he was indicted.
On May 26, 2022, Sutherlin used the stolen identity of a New Jersey resident to finance a $25,850 loan for a 2016 BMW. Sutherlin also used the New Jersey man’s name, Social Security number and a fake ID to obtain a personal loan of $8,500 and two credit cards.
On Dec. 7, 2022, Sutherlin deposited two stolen and altered U.S. Treasury checks, totaling $10,436, into his personal bank account.
On Jan. 31, 2023, Sutherlin’s property manager contacted the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department after seeing pounds of marijuana and driver’s licenses in different names but with Sutherlin’s photo in his apartment. Officers caught Sutherlin with stolen personal and U.S. Treasury checks and unauthorized bank cards and false driver’s licenses, including the New Jersey victim’s license. They found more bank cards, false driver’s licenses, bank paperwork and a large trash bag containing stolen, opened U.S. mail in his apartment. In total, officers recovered roughly 23 unauthorized debit and credit cards, 13 false driver’s licenses and 2 false Social Security cards, all of which bore the information of more than 10 different identity theft victims.
Sutherlin sought a Paycheck Protection Program loan on March 23, 2021, by falsely claiming that he ran a construction business and by submitting a false Form 1040 Schedule C showing bogus gross earnings. After receiving a $20,833 PPP loan, Sutherlin immediately withdrew a large portion of the loan funds in cash and spent the remainder on personal expenses.
After he was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on May 15, 2024, Sutherlin obtained a loan of $8,500 from a credit union branch in Collinsville, Ill. by using the identity of a Massachusetts man whose name appeared on one of the licenses found in his apartment in 2023. Sutherlin’s bond was revoked, and he has been in jail since the new offense was discovered.
Sutherlin pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of identity theft.
“The sentencing in this case illustrates that individuals who engage in mail theft will be held accountable for their actions,” stated Acting Inspector in Charge, Nicholas Bucciarelli, who leads the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes the St. Louis Domicile. “The Postal Inspection Service is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to bring mail theft perpetrators to justice and prevent financial crimes targeting local citizens, postal customers, and financial institutions.”
“This sentencing represents the hard work and dedication by USPS OIG Special Agents working with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring charges on this significant mail theft investigation,” said Special Agent in Charge Dennus Bishop, U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, Central Area Field Office. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, remain committed to safeguarding the U.S. Mail and ensuring the accountability and integrity of U.S. Postal Service employees.”
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the Glen Carbon Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Felon Admits Possessing Machine Gun in Stolen Car After ChaseRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man on supervised release from a prior carjacking case on Monday admitted being caught with a fully automatic handgun after fleeing from police in a stolen car.
Davell A. Horton, 29, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on July 15, 2024, St. Louis County Police Department officers spotted an Infiniti G37 with no license plates that matched the description of a stolen car. Horton was driving, ignored police attempts to pull him over and instead sped away on a circuitous route around north St. Louis County.
Eventually, Horton crashed the car into a light pole. His passenger fled, dropping a handgun. Horton also ran, leaving behind a .45-caliber Glock equipped with a high-capacity magazine and a “switch,” or auto sear, that modified it into a fully automatic weapon.
Horton was on supervised release at the time, having been sentenced in January of 2021 to 70 months in prison for carjacking.
He now faces up to 15 years in prison at his sentencing, scheduled for August 10.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
St. Francois County Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Monday sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of two underage girls to 50 years in prison.
“You’re not going to get out again,” Judge Schelp told Richard James Miller. “You’re not going to get an opportunity to victimize someone else.”
Miller, 41, recorded his sexual abuse of the two juveniles between Jan. 1, 2022, and May 24, 2024. One victim told investigators that her abuse began when she was 15. The other said she began spending time in Miller’s apartment when she was 8 or 9 years old. Miller initially told her to undress so that he could take pictures of her and send them to friends.
In statements read to Judge Schelp Monday, both victims said Miller threatened to kill their relatives. One said he threatened to make her watch as he killed her two dogs.
In court, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman told Judge Schelp that although a third juvenile victim was not presenting a statement, she was abused in the same way.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations learned of Miller in 2024, when the court-approved search of a New Jersey man’s home uncovered Kik messenger chats with Miller. Images constituting child sexual abuse material were found in the chats. Investigators located and interviewed Miller, who admitted engaging in sex acts with young girls at his home in the past. He also admitted distributing photos of one of the victims in a Kik group chat.
Miller, of St. Francois County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in February to two counts of production of child pornography.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Park Hills Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol’s Division of Drug and Crime Control investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman 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. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
South Carolina Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill the PresidentRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Secret Service arrested Daniel R. Swain, 41, of Summerville, South Carolina, on a Federal warrant in Apex. The Secret Service obtained the warrant pursuant to a Federal criminal complaint signed by a U.S. Magistrate Judge which accuses Swain of threatening to take the life of the President of the United States. According to the complaint, concerned citizens contacted the Apex Police Department when they observed the message “HEADED TO WSH TO KILL THE PRES” written in white marker on the driver side window of Swain’s car.
Swain is charged with making Threats Against the President in violation of Title 18, United States Code Section 871(a) and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison if convicted.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The USSS and Apex Police Department are investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:26-MJ-1682-JG.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on May 4, 2026.
Omot Musa Karlo, 25, was sentenced to one year and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Karlo was indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 12, 2026.
According to court documents, on August 6, 2024, Karlo was a passenger in a vehicle that fled from law enforcement in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The pursuit ended when a tire on the vehicle went flat, causing the vehicle to travel into a ditch near South Southeastern Avenue. As the vehicle was going into the ditch, Karlo exited the passenger door and fled on foot. While fleeing on foot and before being apprehended, Karlo discarded a firearm in the tall grass along the path from which he left the vehicle.
Karlo was prohibited from possessing a firearm as a result of prior felony convictions, including offenses involving firearms. He was on federal supervised release for a prior conviction at the time of this offense.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Karlo was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Seventh Defendant Charged as Part of Federal Investigation into Violent Home Invasion in Winnetka, Ill.Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — A seventh defendant has been charged in federal court with robbery and kidnapping offenses for allegedly participating in a violent home invasion in Winnetka, Ill. The defendant, TYRESE FENTON-WATSON, 23, of Chicago, was arrested on April 28, 2026, and has been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond.
Fenton-Watson is charged with conspiracy to commit robbery and kidnapping in connection with the alleged home invasion, which occurred on the afternoon of March 8, 2026, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court. Six other defendants were previously arrested and charged with the same offenses in a superseding indictment unsealed last week in U.S. District Court. Those defendants have also been ordered to remain detained in federal custody without bond. For one of those defendants, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully appealed a U.S. Magistrate judge’s order of release on bond to a U.S. District judge, who ordered the defendant to remain detained without bond.
According to the charges, DASHUN BROWN posed as a food delivery driver to cause an individual in the residence to open the front door. Armed with loaded firearms, Brown, Fenton-Watson, DAVID FRANKLIN, JALEN CHAMBERS, and another co-conspirator then forcibly entered the residence. Brown, Fenton-Watson, Franklin, Chambers, and the co-conspirator kept an individual in the residence captive for approximately an hour and used firearms to physically restrain the victim, the charges alleged. The perpetrators also restrained a child who arrived home while the violent home invasion was in progress, the charges alleged. The captors allegedly demanded access to a safe, computer, and online accounts holding cryptocurrency.
The conspirators fled the residence after about an hour, later meeting up with ISAIAH DUKES, KHIELL DUKES, ANTHONY RAMSEY, and other co-conspirators who were waiting nearby and had been communicating with the captors while they were inside the residence, the charges alleged.
Fenton-Watson’s complaint and arrest were 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, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Brian O’Connell, Chief of the Winnetka Police Department. Valuable assistance has been provided by the Chicago Police Department, Northbrook, Ill. Police Department, Glencoe, Ill. Police Department, and Orland Park, Ill. Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Jessica Ecker. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.
Brown, 24, of Chicago, Franklin, 24, of Chicago, Ramsey, 22, of Chicago, Isaiah Dukes, 28, of Los Angeles, Calif., Khiell Dukes, 30, of Elgin, Ill., and Chambers, 24, of Bourbonnais, Ill., have pleaded not guilty to the charges against them in the superseding indictment. Kidnapping conspiracy is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, while robbery conspiracy is punishable by up to 20 years. The public is reminded that indictments and complaints are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
fenton-watson_complaint.pdfSanta Clarita Valley Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to Filing False Returns and Fraudulently Obtaining COVID BenefitsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Santa Clarita Valley tax preparer pleaded guilty today to fraudulently including false information on federal income tax returns to get substantial refunds for his clients – and cause large tax losses to the U.S. Treasury – and COVID-19 business-relief loan applications to obtain money he used for unauthorized purposes.
Kerwin Aldric Jordan, 71, of Castaic and formerly of Pebble Beach, pleaded guilty to four counts of aiding in the preparation of false federal income tax returns and one count of wire fraud.
According to his plea agreement, Jordan was the president of The Jordan Corporation, a tax preparation business, and also owned and operated a business called Jordan and Jordan A Financial Conquest. Jordan held himself out as a tax attorney and certified public accountant, neither of which he was. Jordan prepared federal tax returns for his clients which fraudulently reduced his taxpayer-clients’ taxable income.
Jordan falsely reported that the taxpayer-clients had one or more businesses, even though he knew the businesses did not exist. He also reported losses for these non-existent businesses and used those losses to reduce the taxpayer-clients’ taxable income.
For example, Jordan reduced a married couple’s $2 million income with fraudulent expenses of more than $1 million for non-existent businesses, eliminating additional taxes the couple would have owed and generating a tax refund of almost $25,000. The couple paid Jordan nearly $28,000 for the preparation of their return.
From 2018 to 2023, Jordan filed more than 1,370 federal tax returns for clients, which reported total business losses over $73 million. Prosecutors contend that the tax returns Jordan prepared resulted in more than $25 million in losses to the United States Treasury.
Jordan also lied on loan applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), two programs Congress created in March 2020 to help businesses weather the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jordan applied for PPP loans for his companies and received a total of $188,667. He also applied for EIDL loans for Jordan and Jordan; Euphrates Wealth Asset Management, of which he was the owner; and Lifestyles of the Rich in Faith Church, a non-profit organization of which he was the principal, receiving a total of $276,600. To obtain these loans, Jordan falsely reported that the companies had employees when, in fact, they had none.
United States District Judge Stephen V. Wilson scheduled an October 5 sentencing hearing, at which time Jordan will face a statutory maximum sentence of 32 years in federal prison.
The IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorney Ranee A. Katzenstein, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Matthew R. Hoffman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Tax Section, are prosecuting this case.
Roxbury Man Sentenced for Role in Fraudulent CDL SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Roxbury man was sentenced on May 1, 2026 in federal court in Boston for surreptitiously providing an individual with the answers to exam questions for a Commercial Learners’ Permit. In the state of Massachusetts, you must have a CLP before obtaining a commercial driver’s license.
Frank Castro, 53, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to time served (approximately 23 months in prison). In January 2025, Castro was convicted of unlawful production of an identification document. Castro was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2024.
On or about Oct. 18, 2021, Castro told an undercover agent that he could help him obtain a CLP in Massachusetts for $3,000. On or about Dec. 10, 2021, Castro explained to the undercover agent that the agent would need to sneak a Bluetooth device into the testing area at a Massachusetts RMV, surreptitiously place the device into his ear, then cover it with headphones used during the exam. Castro said that he would be connected with the undercover agent via the Bluetooth device such that he could hear the audio questions and provide the undercover agent with the correct answers.
On or about Dec. 22, 2021, the undercover agent deposited $3,000 into Castro’s bank account before proceeding to the Danvers RMV to take the CLP exam. The undercover agent connected with Castro using the Bluetooth device, and Castro provided the exam answers to the undercover agent in real time during the exam. The undercover agent passed the exam with Castro’s unlawful assistance and received a Massachusetts CLP.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Brian C. Gallagher, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and David G. Tobin of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Romanian National Appears in Federal Court Following Extradition from Romania on Bank Fraud Charges Stemming from “Vishing” SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Romanian national appeared in court today to face bank fraud charges for his role in a “vishing” scheme, following his extradition from Romania, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
On November 14, 2017, a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment charging Gavril Sandu, 53, with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of bank fraud. Sandu was arrested in Romania on January 9, 2026. He was extradited to the United States on April 30, 2026.
“Greed crosses borders, but so does our relentless pursuit of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Scams originating outside of our country are out of control. Wherever scammers operate – here or abroad – we will use every tool available to bring them to justice.”
“Today’s digital age provides greater opportunity to steal your identity and your money. That unfortunate reality has allowed cyber criminals to use and exploit stolen information for their own profit. The FBI remains committed to holding international cyber fraudsters accountable and ensuring there is no place they can hide, and justice has no timeline,” said Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina.
According to allegations in the indictment, Sandu was part of a conspiracy that carried out an extensive “vishing” bank fraud scheme. “Vishing” or “voice phishing,” is a form of criminal cyber fraud that uses seemingly legitimate phone calls or voicemails to trick victims into revealing sensitive personal, financial, or login information. Cyber criminals then use this information to gain unauthorized access to victims’ financial accounts to steal funds and carry out fraudulent transactions.
According to the indictment, from May 2009 to October 2010, Sandu and his co-conspirators executed the scheme by hacking into small businesses’ Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) systems and then deploying a script to contact financial institution customers and to defraud them in providing their personal debit card and PIN numbers.
The indictment alleges that Sandu assisted in the conspiracy by obtaining victims’ debit card numbers and PINs from his co-conspirators, which he then used to make magnetic stripe cards with the victims’ fraudulently obtained debit card numbers. Sandu also allegedly operated as a money mule, traveling to ATMs to withdraw money and funds from the banks and credit union accounts of the victims of the scheme. Sandu then allegedly provided his co-conspirators with a percentage of the fraudulently obtained victims’ money and kept a portion for himself.
Sandu was placed in federal custody after the hearing. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI in Charlotte led the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, FBI's Bucharest Law Enforcement Attaché Office, and Romanian authorities provided significant assistance in securing Sandu’s arrest and extradition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Warren with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Previously Deported Nicaraguan National Receives 15-Year Sentence for $29 Million Bank Impersonation SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A previously deported Nicaraguan national was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for his role in a cyber-enabled international bank impersonation scheme that resulted in more than $29 million in losses to victims across the United States.
U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom sentenced Ernesto Ortega Padgett, 41, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to transport stolen property.
“Ortega built a sophisticated international fraud scheme on deception, stolen trust, and technology, draining more than $29 million from victims across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He impersonated banks, exploited fear and urgency, and used an international laundering network and cryptocurrency to move and conceal the proceeds. Today’s 15-year sentence sends a clear message: if you steal from Americans through fraud and hide behind borders, technology, or shell accounts, we will find you, extradite you, and hold you accountable. And you will not keep the proceeds of your crimes.”
“Ortega believed his sophistication, his use of technology, and the distance between him and his victims would allow him to operate without consequence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Townsend of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office. “He was wrong. As criminals evolve their methods, the U.S. Secret Service is evolving faster, working alongside our law enforcement and international partners to strengthen our intelligence and investigative capabilities to identify, track, and apprehend those who exploit innocent people. This case shows that no level of deception or complexity will shield criminals from accountability. The Secret Service will continue to protect hardworking Americans and go to great lengths to bring those responsible to justice. I want to commend our agents, our partners, and our prosecutors for their exceptional work in bringing this case to a successful conclusion.”
Beginning in 2020, Ortega and his co-conspirators posed as bank representatives and used a combination of technology and social engineering to trick victims into disclosing sensitive financial information. Ortega then used that information to access victims’ accounts and initiate unauthorized wire transfers.
To conceal and move the stolen funds, Ortega relied on an international network of money launderers who withdrew proceeds in cash and transferred funds to accounts under his control, often converting them into cryptocurrency. The scheme also involved threats and coercion to force certain individuals to participate in laundering activities.
Ortega used the proceeds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including renting luxury apartments in Madrid and beach homes in Marbella, Spain, spending up to $30,000 per month, and purchasing high-end watches, jewelry, electronics, and designer goods.
The scheme spanned multiple countries and continents and resulted in losses exceeding $29 million. Several co-conspirators have already been sentenced for their roles.
Ortega had been charged in Spain for related criminal conduct and had pending charges in Panama. After his arrest in Spain, Ortega violated the conditions of his release and remained a fugitive for nearly a year. In December 2023, law enforcement learned he planned to travel to Paris, France. Authorities apprehended Ortega at Charles de Gaulle International Airport, and he was later extradited to the U.S. on June 13, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Jason Scalzo of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Electronic Crimes Unit; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Townsend of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
The FDIC-OIG Electronic Crimes Unit and the USSS Miami Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing Ortega’s arrest and extradition. Law enforcement partners in Spain and France, as well as the USSS offices in Madrid and Paris and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Panama City, provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Moore prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gabrielle Raemy Charest-Turken is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-20049.
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Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Drug and Firearms Offenses While Out on ParoleRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A Summit County man with a history of criminal conduct has been sentenced to prison again for violating several federal drug and firearms laws while out on parole for a previous offense.
Darron Portis, 36, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison after pleading guilty to:
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; prior convictions include Aggravated Robbery in 2008, Abduction in 2012, Burglary in 2015, and being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm in 2021.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine).
- Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
He was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. U.S. District Court Judge Benita Y. Pearson imposed the sentence April 30.
According to court documents, investigations into suspected drug trafficking activity in Akron led federal agents to identify Portis. During the execution of a search warrant in Akron where Portis was staying in January 2025, agents found Portis in possession of a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver and a bag of a white powdery substance, which was later confirmed to be cocaine. Hidden inside the home’s duct work, agents also located a lock box containing purple and white substances and a digital scale. The purple substance was confirmed to be a mixture of tramadol, xylazine, fluorofentanyl, and fentanyl. The white substance tested positive for methamphetamine. Other items seized from the residence included a 12-gauge shotgun and about $1,400 in cash.
This case was investigated by the DEA Cleveland District Office and the Akron Police Department.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Wojtasik and James P. Lewis for the Northern District of Ohio.
Previously Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty in Connection with Armed Robberies of Five RestaurantsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - David Andrew Williams, 32, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in connection with the armed robberies of five restaurants in Southeast and Northwest Washington, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Over a series of robberies, this defendant used a firearm to terrorize restaurant workers and undermine the safety of our neighborhoods. Today’s guilty plea holds him accountable and brings a measure of justice to the victims,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect our communities and prosecute violent offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
Williams pleaded guilty before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to interference with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery), to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and to carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. Judge Boasberg scheduled sentencing for Sept. 1, 2026.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, at about 6 p.m., Williams entered a Subway restaurant on the 3200 block of Pennsylvania Ave. SE. He approached an employee at the cash register, pulled a handgun out of his bag and ordered the employee to “open the drawer.” Another employee opened the register and handed Williams approximately $100 in cash. Williams then grabbed the till from the employees and poured the loose coins into a Subway cookie bag before leaving the restaurant.
On Dec. 29, 2024, about 2:17 p.m., Williams returned to the same Subway restaurant. As he approached the cash register, he reached into a bag slung over his shoulder and drew a handgun. An employee handed Williams a box with cash. The employee poured out some change, but Williams put the firearm back into his bag and left without taking the change.
On Dec. 30, 2024, Williams was wearing a surgical mask when he entered Manny & Olga’s Pizza, drew his handgun and demanded cash. Williams took all of the money from the cash register and walked out of the store.
On Jan. 14, 2025, he struck the Chipotle restaurant on the 3200 block of Pennsylvania Ave. SE. Williams pointed the pistol at an employee while stating, “You need to open the cash register.” Another employee came to the register and opened it for Williams, who grabbed money and fled out of the restaurant.
On Feb. 3, 2025, Williams robbed the Dunkin Donuts on the 800 block of Quincy St. NW. He entered the restaurant, drew a gun, and demanded money from the register. Williams took money from the register tray and left the store. Later that evening, Metro Transit Police officers arrested Williams on a Largo-bound Blue Line train. Officers recovered a black 9 mm ghost gun, with ammunition loaded in the magazine, from the bag Williams carried.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the Metro Transit Police, and the FBI Washington Field Office.
The matter is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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New Smyrna Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Obtaining Stolen Veteran Disability CompensationRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Jerry Smith (73, New Smyrna Beach) has pleaded guilty to one count of receiving stolen government money. Smith faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, Smith falsely represented to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (“VA”) that he was legally blind and that his vision conditions prevented him from driving, working, and performing various daily functions. As a result, Smith received $244,953.70 in VA disability compensation and benefits between 2017 and 2021. In reality, Smith’s vision was significantly better than what he had represented during eye examinations and in his statements to the VA, as he could drive, read, navigate around people and obstacles in stores, conduct transactions at cash registers and drive-through ATMs, and worked as a firearms specialist and school guardian.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane S. Hu.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Drug and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On April 23, 2026, DAVID SCOTT (“SCOTT”), was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Barry W. Ashe to 60 months imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, after SCOTT previously pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
On August 3, 2023, the New Orleans Police Department conducted surveillance at the East Side Cash and Carry gas station due to increased reports of crime at the location. Officers witnessed a man, later identified as SCOTT, wearing a black hoodie with a large bulge in his waistband. When officers approached and ordered SCOTT to exit the vehicle in which he was seated, they observed, in plain view on the driver’s side, a handgun with a drum magazine containing 23 live rounds. Officers secured the gun and arrested SCOTT. A search incident to arrest revealed 15 packs of Tapentadol, totaling 148 pills, and $1,315 in U.S. currency.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
Muskogee Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Clifford Lamont Driskell, age 45, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, and one count of Simple Possession of Phencyclidine, punishable by up to three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on July 1, 2025, Driskell knowingly possessed one semi-automatic pistol and 14 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year and knowing of such conviction.
The Indictment further alleged that on July 1, 2025, Driskell knowingly and intentionally possessed phencyclidine, a Schedule III controlled substance, after having been previously convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Cocaine Base and Possession with Intent to Distribute and Distribution of Phencyclidine in the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance—Marijuana in Oklahoma County.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Muskogee County Sheriff’s Office, the Muskogee Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Driskell will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States.
Mercer Island man who was arrested with drugs and an arsenal including Glock “switches” and 3D printed guns sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 27-year-old Mercer Island, Washington resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to six years in prison for his role in a drug trafficking scheme that involved a large amount of drugs, hundreds of thousands of dollars in illicit proceeds, and a stockpile of firearms, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Michael Janisch pleaded guilty on January 20, 2026, to possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “The involvement of firearms (with the drugs) compounds the risk to the community.”
“This case demonstrates that even those from an advantaged background can be lured into the drug trade and the gun violence that goes with it,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This defendant used social media and his suburban rental house to prepare drug shipments that he mailed to drug customers across the country. Janisch engaged in his drug trafficking while armed with an arsenal of more than thirty weapons, Glock switches (used to convert Glock-style firearms to fire automatically), and scores of high-capacity magazines, and thousands of rounds of ammunition.”
According to records filed in the case, Michael Janisch was arrested along with 13 other people in October 2024, following a yearslong investigation. Text messages obtained from Janisch’s Snapchat account reflected Janisch and associate Bryce Hill discussing how much money each was making in the drug trade. Hill was arrested on an indictment out of the Western District of Pennsylvania the day after those communications, and is now serving a 35 year sentence for drug trafficking.
Despite being aware of that arrest, Janisch continued his drug dealing.
Various communications via Snapchat detail his trafficking in cocaine, MDMA and firearms. Even as his coconspirator Amir “Lethal” Osman was gunned down outside a drug house in the University District of Seattle on June 24, 2024, Janisch continued his drug trafficking. Janisch seemed comfortable with drug related violence. In Snapchat text messages he sought firearms from his drug contacts and even attempted to hire someone to conduct a “hit” on a former drug distributor in another state.
When Janisch was arrested on October 30, 2024, his home contained more than 4 kilos of cocaine, 60 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms and/or marijuana, as well as dealer amounts of MDMA, ketamine, and LSD. Stored near the drugs were 30 firearms: assault-type semiautomatic weapons, thousands of rounds of ammunition, firearm suppressors, and numerous Glock “switches,” used to convert a semiautomatic Glock-style handgun into a machine pistol.
Defense counsel argued that Janisch had firearms because he was a “collector.” Judge Chun countered, “I find these dangerous weapons alarming…. If he’s just a collector, why did he need the thousands of rounds of ammunition?”
A room used as an office at the home appeared to have all the equipment for mailing drug packages across the country.
In asking for an eight-year sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Janisch engaged in the trafficking of MDMA, ketamine, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana on such a scale that it netted him hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds…. Janisch’s scheme was more sophisticated than many as he largely took drug orders via social media, packaged the drugs for shipment at his house, and coopted the U.S. mail service, and other parcel services, to deliver his product. Plus, Janisch did not just traffic drugs. He did so while possessing an arsenal of semiautomatic rifles and pistols…”
Judge Chun ordered three years of supervised release to follow the prison term.
This investigation 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. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
This investigation was led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with significant participation by Seattle Police Department (SPD), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Patrol (WSP), FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Office of Field Operations, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations, U.S. Border Patrol, the King County Sheriff’s Office, the Bellevue Police Department, U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), Everett Police Department, Renton Police Department, U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Washington State National Guard, Washington State Gambling Commission, Yakima County Law Enforcement Against Drugs (L.E.A.D) Narcotics and Gang Task Force, and Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle Jensen and Joseph Silvio.
Member of Prolific Russian Ransomware Group Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A Latvian national was sentenced today to 102 months in prison for his role in a major Russian ransomware organization that stole from and extorted over 54 companies.
“With this sentence, a cruel, ruthless, and dangerous international cybercriminal is now behind bars,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Deniss Zolotarjovs helped his ransomware gang profit from hacks of dozens of companies, and even on a government entity whose 911 system was forced offline. He also used stolen children’s health information to increase his leverage to extort victim payments. The Criminal Division will continue to investigate and prosecute international hackers and extortionists from around the world, no matter where they live or operate.”
“Ransomware groups disrupt victims’ lives, cruelly extracting money through psychological manipulation and fear. And they create lingering security issues,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “Cybercriminals might think they are invulnerable by hiding behind anonymizing tools and complex cryptocurrency patterns while they attack American victims from non-extradition countries. But Zolotarjovs’s prosecution shows that federal law enforcement also has a global reach, and we will hold accountable bad actors like Zolotarjovs, who will now spend significant time in prison.”
“Today’s sentencing reflects the FBI’s global reach and our commitment to dismantle the ransomware ecosystem and hold cyber criminals accountable,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI’s Cyber Division. “Deniss Zolotarjovs acted as a negotiator for a major Russian ransomware group responsible for victim losses likely totaling hundreds of millions of dollars. His role in escalating pressure on victims and weaponizing sensitive data — especially stolen children’s health information — is a stark reminder of the devastating human impact of cybercrime. The FBI is grateful to the Government of Georgia and our partners at the Department of Justice for securing today’s outcome.”
“Cybercriminals like Deniss Zolotarjovs may try to hide in the shadows, but the FBI will find them,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of the FBI Cincinnati Field Office. “This case demonstrates the relentless pursuit by our FBI special agents, working with partners across the globe, to hold this criminal accountable for the millions of dollars he extorted from U.S. organizations.”
According to court documents, Deniss Zolotarjovs (Денисс Золотарёвс), 35, of Moscow, Russia, was a member of a ransomware organization led by former leaders of the Conti ransomware group. Brands used to identify the organization in ransom notes to their victims during the time of his involvement include Conti, Karakurt, Royal, TommyLeaks, SchoolBoys Ransomware, and Akira, among others.
During the time of Zolotarjovs’s active participation in the organization, approximately June 2021 to August 2023, the organization stole data from over 54 companies, including many in the United States.
Zolotarjovs was primarily responsible for escalating pressure on victims who initially resisted prompt payment of the organization’s ransom demands. Zolotarjovs analyzed stolen data, researched victim companies, and exploited his access to particularly sensitive and extremely personal information.
In one attack on a pediatric healthcare company, Zolotarjovs deliberately leveraged children’s health information for extortion. When he failed in extracting a ransom from this victim, he urged coconspirators to be “DESTROYERS” and to leak or sell copies of these pediatric health records to sow fear among future victims. When one of his co-conspirators suggested sending each pediatric patient their own data, Zolotarjovs instead sent a “general pack” of sensitive data to “hundreds of patients,” noting that taking the time to send each victim only their own data would be “routine work” that he had no time for.
Of the more than 54 companies attacked, attacks on just 13 of those companies resulted in over $56 million in losses, including approximately $2.8 million in ransom payments. This loss estimate only includes known victim companies and does not include an additional 41 victim companies that made $13 million in ransom payments during that same period but for whom the government does not yet have detailed loss statements. Due to widespread underreporting of ransomware attacks, true loss numbers are uncertain, but, extrapolating from the known victims and known losses, the government estimates total losses for the period of Zolotarjovs’s participation to likely be in the hundreds of millions of dollars.
These loss estimates omit the cost, both psychological and financial, to tens of thousands of individual clients whose data was stolen from these victim companies. Attacks during this period resulted in the theft and exposure of Social Security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, home addresses, healthcare information and the shutdown of a government entity’s 911 system, placing lives at risk.
Members of the organization were Russian or based in Russia and operated for a time out of an office building on Lakhtinskaya Street in St. Petersburg, Russia. The organization relied on a hierarchical management structure and divided the work into separate teams, using a network of companies registered throughout Russia, Europe, and the United States to obfuscate its operations. In Russia, the organization fueled corruption and abused Russian public resources in pursuit of personal financial gain. Members of the organization included multiple former Russian law enforcement officers. These connections allowed members of the group to co-opt Russian government databases and law enforcement connections to intimidate and harass personal detractors, and to identify and evaluate potential new recruits to the organization. Corruption also ensured special treatment for members of the organization. Leaders avoided Russian taxes and regularly paid bribes to exempt members — draft-age men — from compulsory military service in Russia.
Zolotarjovs was arrested in the country of Georgia in December 2023 and transferred to U.S. custody in August 2024 after contesting extradition. In July 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit both money laundering and wire fraud.
The FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office investigated the case. Law enforcement leaders commended the FBI offices in Cleveland, San Diego, Salt Lake City, and Richmond, Virginia, for their vital roles in the investigation and officials in Georgia for their role in the extradition.
Trial Attorney Benjamin A. Bleiberg and Senior Counsel Bryce B. Rosenbower of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant Deputy Criminal Chief Timothy S. Mangan for the Southern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Georgia to secure Zolotarjovs’s arrest and extradition from Georgia. The United States thanks the Government of Georgia for its assistance extraditing Zolotarjovs to the United States.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Charges in Connection with Death of Teenage GirlRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Gaithersburg, Maryland, man pled guilty in federal court today, to a drug-trafficking offense that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old girl.
Kelvin Reyes, 27, is charged with distribution of controlled substances after selling narcotics to the victim who contacted him on a social media platform.
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, and Chief Marc R. Yamada, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
According to the guilty plea, on January 14, 2023, Reyes distributed fentanyl to the teenaged victim. The victim later used the substance and subsequently died.
“As a result of Reyes’s callous actions and disregard for human life, a 15-year-old girl is dead. Now, he will have to pay the hefty price that he deserves,” Hayes said. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to holding those accountable who endanger our children and neighborhoods by dealing poison in our communities.”
“We are dedicated to protecting our community, especially our most vulnerable, from the harmful effects of drug trafficking,” Goumenis said. “Individuals like Kelvin Reyes who disregard the sanctity of our schools and prey on our children must be held accountable. We are utilizing every resource to ensure justice is served and to prevent further tragedies. Together, we can create a safer America for our children to thrive.”
Evidence shows that late in the evening of January 13, the victim contacted Reyes on Instagram about purchasing fentanyl. Reyes agreed to sell fentanyl to the victim, so he requested an address for delivery. The victim then instructed Reyes to meet her at an elementary school near her residence in Montgomery County.
The investigation revealed that Reyes’s phone was located at the school where he agreed to meet the victim in the early morning hours of January 14. Ring camera footage from the victim’s residence also confirms she left her residence around the same timeframe and returned home approximately three minutes later. Reyes then posted an Instagram story advertising he was driving around in his car selling fentanyl after he met the victim.
The victim’s mother reported that around 7 a.m., she found her daughter in her room in a fetal position with fluid coming out of her mouth and nose area. She also saw a burnt piece of aluminum foil with fentanyl residue next to the victim. An autopsy later revealed that the victim’s cause of death was fentanyl and despropionyl fentanyl intoxication.
On January 24, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Reyes’s residence where they found a digital scale; clear plastic bags; a plastic zip-top bag, containing $5.13 in U.S. coins; and numerous orange zip-top bags, foil, and straws with residue.
Reyes faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for distribution of controlled substances. If the court accepts the plea, the court agrees to sentence Reyes to no less than 12, but no more than 17 years in prison. U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman set sentencing for Thursday, September 17, at 10 a.m.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA and MCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Sarma who is prosecuting this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Manchester Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOSE C. RIVERA, 37, of Manchester, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 66 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for narcotics trafficking and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2024, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and New Britain Police Department investigated a drug trafficking organization, headed by Wilfredo Ortiz, that was operating out of Supreme Automotive, a car dealership located on Main Street in New Britain. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, and several controlled purchases of narcotics, primarily cocaine, from Ortiz and other members of the conspiracy.
During the investigation, law enforcement identified Nelson Alejandro-Capo as a supplier of cocaine to Ortiz. Alejandro-Capo, using co-conspirator Eli Samuel O’Farrill-Fernandez as a middleman, supplied Ortiz with approximately six kilograms of cocaine. On October 10, 2024, Alejandro-Capo met with Rivera at Rivera’s former residence in Rocky Hill. On October 26, 2024, Rivera was intercepted over a wiretap talking with O’Farrill-Fernandez and discussing the purchase of 100 grams of cocaine.
Rivera, Ortiz, O’Farrill-Fernandez, and several other members of the drug trafficking organization were arrested on November 14, 2024. In association with the arrests, investigators conducted court authorized searches of Supreme Automotive and residences and other locations connected to the organization and seized more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 200 grams of fentanyl, approximately 30 grams of heroin, a kilogram press, seven firearms, ammunition, approximately $75,000 in cash, and 26 vehicles. A search of Rivera’s Rocky Hill residence revealed approximately 206 grams of fentanyl, approximately 278 grams of cocaine, drug processing materials, a loaded handgun and an additional gun magazine, and $13,364 in cash.
On November 25, 2025, Rivera pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Released on a $150,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on July 6.
Ortiz, Alejandro-Capo, and O-Farrill-Fernandez pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison terms of 135 months, 144 months, and 120 months, respectively.
This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Police, and the New Britain, Hartford, West Hartford, Waterbury, Naugatuck, East Hartford, Brookfield, Milford, Norwich, Orange, North Haven, Meriden, Berlin, and Manchester Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth, Reed Durham, and David Nelson.
Man Selling Counterfeit Pills Containing Fentanyl on Social Media Receives 21-Year SentenceRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jayden Isaiah Stephon Gill, 22, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced today to 260 months in prison for selling fentanyl-laced pills online, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Officers in Frederick, Maryland, responded to a suspected overdose of two juvenile females and located blue pills imprinted to mimic Oxycodone prescription medication. The pills were analyzed and were found to contain fentanyl. The investigation led to Gill who traveled from Martinsburg, West Virginia to Frederick, Maryland, to sell the pills which the females believed to be Percocet and ordered from Gill’s social media accounts. Gill, along with others, operated a sophisticated drug trafficking business in the tristate area. Gill utilized Telegram, Instagram, Snapchat, Signal, and Linktree to mass market fentanyl disguised as Oxycodone, along with other drugs. Orders could be placed online through these platforms, and Gill and his associates would travel to distribute the orders.
Investigators searched Gill’s home and seized more than 20 grams of fentanyl, nearly 4 pounds of methamphetamine, 146 grams of cocaine, two firearms, and nearly $50,000 in cash.
“Americans are too often being killed by counterfeit pills that contain fentanyl,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “We will not allow dealers to prey upon our youth by selling these dangerous drugs on social media. If you try to make a quick dollar this way, you will face severe consequences.”
Christion Sayyid Gill, 27, also of Hagerstown, pled guilty to his role in the scheme in January 2026. He will be sentenced in August 2026. A third defendant, Jamil Nicholas Gardner, 33, of Baltimore, Maryland, has also been charged and will stand trial after his release from custody in Maryland. Gardner is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Kane prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Investigative agencies include the United States Postal Inspection Service; Homeland Security Investigations; the Brunswick Police Department, Maryland; Frederick City Police, Maryland; Maryland State Police; Hagerstown Police Department, Maryland; the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland; and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Kissimmee Man Sentenced to over Three Years for Filing A False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Gilmar Pereira Da Silva, Jr. has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Katherine K. Mizelle to 37 months in federal prison for filing a false tax return. The court also ordered Pereira Da Silva to pay $103,646 in restitution to the United States Department of the Treasury associated with false IRS Forms 1040 filed by him for tax years 2019 and 2020. Pereira Da Silva pleaded guilty on February 9, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Pereira Da Silva filed a false Form 1040 tax return with the IRS for tax year 2021, wherein he claimed a refund of taxes in the amount of $3,413,844, based upon false and fictitious claimed fuel tax credits to which he was not entitled. The 2021 Form 1040 was not processed by the IRS. Previously, Pereira Da Silva had likewise filed false Forms 1040 for tax years 2019 and 2020, claiming refunds in the amount of approximately $20,699 (for tax year 2019) and $82,947 (for tax year 2020), which were largely based upon false and fictitious fuel tax credits. Those false 2019 and 2020 Forms 1040 were processed by the IRS, and the resulting refunds were paid into accounts controlled by Pereira Da Silva.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay G. Trezevant.
Keene, New Hampshire Man Caught in FBI Sting, Charged with Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Michael Healey, Jr., 49, of Keene, New Hampshire, has been charged by criminal complaint with traveling in interstate commerce to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
On May 1, 2026, Healey appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle for an initial appearance. On May 4, 2026, Healey appeared for a detention hearing, and the Court ordered Healey released on conditions pending trial.
According to court records, Healey allegedly messaged an undercover law enforcement officer, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl. Healey later agreed to pay the fictitious 14-year-old girl $200 for sex at a hotel in Brattleboro, Vermont. He arrived at the hotel on the evening of April 30, 2026. Law enforcement took Healy into custody after he approached the room where he was expecting to meet the fictitious 14-year-old girl. Law enforcement found $200 in cash on Healey’s person during Healey’s arrest.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the criminal complaint contains allegations only and that Healey is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Healey faces up to 30 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI and thanked the Vermont Drug Task Force for their assistance during the law enforcement sting operation.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Healey is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
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.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in California Fire Insurance CaseRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice announced that it has filed a Statement of Interest in the case of Ferrier v. State Farm Fire and Casualty Company, which is currently pending in the state Superior Court of Los Angeles County, California. This case was brought by 60 homeowners who lost their homes in the devastating wildfires that occurred in southern California in January 2025. The homeowners allege that the defendants, 16 homeowner insurance companies, jointly conspired to cancel the homeowners’ fire insurance policies in the years leading up to the January 2025 fires. As a result, the homeowners claim that they were forced to obtain insurance from a state-run program that offers less protective coverage, resulting in much higher out-of-pocket expenses for rebuilding their homes.
“Nearly 16 months after the Eaton and Palisades Fires, the homeowners who lost everything are still trying to rebuild their lives,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Charlie Beller of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The last thing the fire victims need is the improper use of certain legal doctrines to deprive Angelenos of their day in court. The DOJ Antitrust Division is monitoring insurer conduct across the country to ensure that an improper understanding of federal law does not preclude state or federal antitrust claims.”
While this case was brought under California state antitrust law, the insurance carriers have argued that the homeowners’ claims should be dismissed on the basis of the Noerr-Pennington doctrine, an exemption from antitrust liability under both federal and California antitrust laws that protects petitioning and advocacy directed at government agencies. The Department’s Statement of Interest argues that the Noerr-Pennington doctrine should not apply to the insurers’ alleged group boycott of the homeowner policyholders, as the alleged boycott was separate and distinct — and caused separate and distinct harms — from any government petitioning activity by the insurers.
The Statement of Interest also notes that the McCarran-Ferguson Act, which limits certain federal antitrust claims regarding insurance conduct subject to state oversight, does not necessarily bar group boycott claims of the type alleged by homeowners in this case.
The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal and state courts where doing so helps protect competition and consumers, including by encouraging the sound development of the antitrust laws. A collection of these statements of antitrust and amicus filings is publicly available on the Division’s website.
Justice Department Files Complaint Against Minnesota over Its Attempt to Override Federal LawRead the Press Release
Note: View complaint here.
The Justice Department today filed a complaint against the State of Minnesota over its attempt to regulate global greenhouse gas emissions, which are subject to exclusive federal authority, and override the policy choices of the United States and other states to make energy affordable and reliable. The filing advances President Donald J. Trump’s executive order directing the Justice Department to protect American energy from state overreach. Specifically, the complaint seeks to stop the enforcement of Minnesota’s state court lawsuit that usurps exclusive federal authority and unreasonably burdens domestic energy development.
“President Trump promised to unleash American energy dominance, and Minnesota officials cannot undermine his directive by mandating that their woke climate preferences become the uniform policy of our Nation,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “Minnesota’s attempt to impose a national regulation on global greenhouse gas emissions not only is preempted by federal law, but also undermines affordable and reliable American energy, weakening the national and economic security of the United States.”
“The case we filed against Minnesota today is an attempt to rein in another unconstitutional state effort to invade an area of exclusive federal control,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “It is in America’s interest to have independent and secure sources of energy. Minnesota’s attempted overreach would undermine our economic and national security to advance the climate agenda of politicians and activists.”
According to the complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, the state of Minnesota is attempting to regulate global greenhouse gas emissions by suing energy companies in state court to enjoin global energy production and compel them to disgorge their profits. As Judge Stras of the Eighth Circuit has recognized, such efforts to “set national energy policy” and “change the companies’ behavior on a global scale” are “beyond the limits of state law.”
These efforts are also preempted by the Constitution and the Clean Air Act. Last year, ENRD filed complaints against Hawaii, Michigan, New York, and Vermont to stop those states’ unconstitutional climate actions.
Chief of Staff and Senior Counsel John Adams of ENRD filed the complaint.
US v. MN - Complaint.pdfJamestown woman sentenced on meth chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Kelly Berenguer, 46, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of possession of methamphetamine, was sentenced to time served by U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer.
On October 17, 2024, Kelly Berenguer’s vehicle was stopped by Jamestown Police. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered a quantity of methamphetamine and a digital scale. Berenguer was taken into custody at that time.
This case was part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Jamestown man sentenced for his role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brian Cessna, 66, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
During the course of the conspiracy, Cessna bought and sold heroin and fentanyl, for profit and his own use. He also assisted co-conspirator Holly Berenguer in selling heroin and fentanyl, for profit and her own use, delivering on her behalf and collecting payments. An individual known as “Joey Cracks” (co-defendant Joseph Zaso) was Berenguer’s source of supply. Cessna utilized his Fairview Avenue residence for drug trafficking purposes and also allowed Berenguer to utilize the residence to sell drugs.
Holly Berenguer and Joseph Zaso were previously convicted.
The case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Jamestown man charged with possession and distribution of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Connor J. Higgs, 20, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession and distribution of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years, and a maximum of 20 years.
In August 2025, the New York State Police (NYSP) received a CyberTipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), regarding a Discord account, which contained suspected child pornography. Subsequent investigation traced the account to Higgs. In October 2025, the NYSP executed a search warrant at Higgs’ Jamestown residence, seizing eight electronic devices. Higgs was taken into custody at the scene.
A review of the devices recovered child pornography from two of the devices, including images of a minor victim known to investigators. The images also include prepubescent minors and depictions of violence against children.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen M. McCarthy. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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