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Friday 24 April 2026
Illegal Alien from Guatemala Charged with Assaulting Federal Officer and Illegally Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Marco Antonio Herrera, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of assaulting a federal officer and illegal entry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on April 1, 2026, Herrera was found by Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers in Williamsport, PA. It is also alleged that Herrera is a citizen of Guatemala with no legal basis to be present in the United States. Herrera allegedly refused to comply with the officers’ investigation and impeded them by resisting arrest and striking one of them with his elbow.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Geoffrey W. MacArthur is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 8 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Illegal Alien with Prior Felony Convictions Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced today by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 30 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed on three prior occasions from the country.
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, on April 27, 2025, Cesar Daniel Reyes-Rodriguez was found in the United States after he was previously deported to Mexico on June 25, 2019; October 18, 2019; and On June 23, 2023.
On April 26, 2025, officers with the North Las Vegas Police Department arrested Reyes-Rodriguez for his fourth DUI since 2016. Reyes-Rodriguez was previously convicted of his third DUI, a felony, in 2018. Reyes-Rodriguez also has previous felony convictions for Possession of Controlled Substance with Intent to Sell out of the Eighth Judicial District Court, Clark County, Nevada (2018), and Illegal Reentry after Deportation out of the U.S. District Court, District of Nevada (2021).
Reyes-Rodriguez pleaded guilty to one count of Deported Alien Found in the United States. After serving his prison sentence he will be deported to Mexico for a fourth time.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Ruben Levya made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Illegal Alien Convicted by Jury on Child Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal jury delivered a guilty verdict against a Baltimore man, who is a Honduran citizen unlawfully present in the United States, convicting him of sexually abusing and exploiting three minor victims. The jury found Jose Adan Lopez-Guevara, 39, guilty of 14 counts of sexually exploiting a child and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the verdict with Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP); Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); and State’s Attorney Tara H. Jackson, Prince George’s County State’s Attorney’s Office (PGCSAO).
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2015 and 2024, Lopez-Guevara sexually abused three minors, ranging from 2 to 11 years old at the time of the abuse. Lopez-Guevara produced images and videos of himself, and the victims engaged in sexually explicit conduct, many of which were found on the dark web.
In December 2024, HSI initiated an investigation after its investigators in Portland, Maine, observed previously unseen child sexual abuse material videos on the internet. After identifying Minor Victim 1 in the videos, and determining that he lived in Maryland, investigators quickly referred the matter to HSI Maryland.
Then on December 12, HSI executed several search warrants in Maryland and discovered Lopez-Guevara in possession of two phones. Investigators forensically examined the phones and discovered additional images of Lopez-Guevara sexually abusing Minor Victim 1. Law enforcement also found depictions of Lopez-Guevara abusing Minor Victim 2 and Minor Victim 3. Additionally, law enforcement found hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse material on the phone associated with an encrypted messaging application.
Lopez-Guevara faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison for each count of sexual exploitation of a child, and 20 years in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The Honorable Richard D. Bennett scheduled sentencing for July 28, at 11 a.m.
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 the United States Attorney’s 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 justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower children, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse; explain how to report online enticement and victimization; and offer resources for victims and survivors and their supporters. Learn more about Know2Protect at www.dhs.gov/know2protect.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, MSP, BCPD, PGCSAO, for their work in the investigation, along with the Center for Hope for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Victoria Liu who are prosecuting the 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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Homeland Security Task Force: Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that CARLOS GONZALEZ NAVA, 26, a citizen of Mexico unlawfully residing in the U.S., waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to drug trafficking and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2025, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Narcotics and Bulk Cash Trafficking Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and Homeland Security Investigations began investigating a series of suspicious parcels that were being mailed from southern California to multiple addresses in New London. The investigation revealed that a drug trafficking organization was shipping large quantities of narcotics, primarily heroin and cocaine, through the U.S. Mail to Connecticut, and that Gonzalez Nava was the primary recipient of the drugs. In November 2025, a court-authorized search of one intercepted parcel revealed nearly a kilogram of heroin, and in February 2026, a search of another intercepted parcel revealed approximately 400 grams of cocaine.
Gonzalez Nava was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on March 11, 2026. On that date, a search of his New London residence revealed four firearms, including semi-automatic pistols and a shotgun.
Gonzalez Nava pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and a quantity of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and unlawful possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford on July 16.
Gonzalez Nava has been detained since his arrest.
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 toward 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 New Haven comprises agents and officers from the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, U.S. Department of Labor, and Connecticut State Police, with prosecutions led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Konstantin Lantsman and Natasha M. Freismuth.
Hobbs Man Sentenced for Illegal Firearm Possession After Shooting Security OfficerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Hobbs man was sentenced to 66 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm after he shot a store employee during an attempted liquor theft at an Albuquerque business.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on December 29, 2024, Kevin Metcalf, 37, entered El Rey Liquors in downtown Albuquerque and attempted to steal a bottle of alcohol. When a store employee intervened, Metcalf fled the scene before turning around and firing a shot toward two employees standing in the doorway, striking an employee in the leg.
As the incident unfolded, a nearby officer with the Albuquerque Police Department heard the gunshot and observed a vehicle leaving the area without headlights. After a short attempt to evade, the vehicle was stopped, and Metcalf, who was seated in the front passenger seat, was detained along with the driver. Officers observed a tan firearm protruding from beneath the front passenger seat. A subsequent 911 call reported the shooting, and responding officers reviewed surveillance footage and confirmed Metcalf was the shooter.
Metcalf later admitted that the firearm recovered from the vehicle was the one used during the offense. At the time, Metcalf had prior felony convictions and knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Metcalf pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Metcalf will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Albert Gibes, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico is prosecuting the case.
Fully Suspended Sentence Handed Down for Robbery and Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Gaither, 17, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, for a spree of robberies and carjackings that took place in September 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Gaither, who was sixteen years old at the time of the offenses and who was charged pursuant to Title 16, pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025, to one count of carjacking, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of robbery. At Gaither’s sentencing on April 24, 2026, the United States requested a sentence of twelve years of incarceration, representing a sentence at the top of his sentencing guidelines for each count, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
The Honorable Judge Jennifer DiToro sentenced Gaither to a fully suspended sentences of 48 months for carjacking and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence and 24 months for each count of robbery, with 18 months of supervised probation. The Court’s sentence was entered pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, which permits a sentence beneath the mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration for carjacking and five years of incarceration for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. On March 17, 2026, Gaither’s co-defendant, Derrick West, also received a suspended sentence over the government’s objection.
According to the proffer of facts, on September 19, 2024, at approximately 10:31 p.m., in the 500 block of 48th Place NE, Gaither, his co-defendant Derrick West and two additional suspects, pulled up next to the first victim, while she was parking her car. Two of the suspects exited their vehicle and one pointed a firearm at the victim and ordered her to exit her vehicle. Two of the suspects took the victim’s car, and all four suspects fled the scene.
Separately, on September 20, 2024, at approximately 12:45 a.m., in the 800 block of P Street, NW, Gaither, West, and additional suspects approached the victim, who was sitting in his vehicle with his doors unlocked. One of the suspects opened the driver’s side door and ordered the victim to exit the vehicle, while another suspect assaulted the victim, striking him about the face and body. The victim exited the vehicle and fled in fear of his safety. The suspects fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, taking with them the victim’s wallet, credit cards and phone which were inside the car.
In addition, on September 30, 2024, at approximately 5:21 p.m., in the 100 block of 35th Street, NE, Gaither and West approached a third victim, who was talking on his cell phone as he walked away from his vehicle. One of the defendants grabbed the victim’s phone out of his hand. Both Gaither and West demanded the victim’s car keys. Out of fear for his safety, the victim handed over the keys, but he was still punched in the face several times by both defendants. The defendants took the victim’s cell phone and fled the scene in his vehicle.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Roberts and Ben Helfand, who prosecuted the case.
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Frankfort Man Convicted of Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky.- A Frankfort man, Donald Demil Clay, 50, was convicted on Wednesday by a federal jury in Frankfort for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Clay was convicted of the charges following a two-day trial.
According to testimony at trial, the investigation as to Clay began with numerous tips to law enforcement that Clay was renting a commercial property in Frankfort that he used to store and to distribute cocaine. After several months of surveillance, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant at the property used and maintained by Clay. Police seized approximately 4 ounces of cocaine that was concealed in a box affixed to a custom poker table.
Clay was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in July 2014.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Colin Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Derrick Napier, Frankfort Police Department, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by HSI, DEA, and the Frankfort Police Department. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Bradbury.
Clay will appear for sentencing on July 9. He faces a maximum of 30 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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Former Sober Home Owner and Operator Sentenced for Kickback Conspiracy and Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Charlotte, North Carolina, woman, Delores Jordan, 57, and Ernest Williams, 52, of Lexington, Ky., were sentenced this week to 60 months and five years of probation respectively, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for their roles in a kickback conspiracy and health care fraud.
Serenity Keeper’s, LLC (“Serenity Keepers”), owned by Jordan, was a sober home company based in Fayette County, Ky., that purported to provide mental health and substance abuse treatment services and housing for individuals enrolled in its program. Serenity Keepers allegedly used urine drug tests for their clients for non-medical reasons, such as ensuring sobriety. Beginning in 2019 through February 2022, Williams ran several sober homes operating as Serenity Keepers.
According to her plea agreement, in the fall of 2019, Jordan solicited kickbacks from an individual in exchange for the referral of urine drug testing from Serenity Keepers to various urine drug testing labs. Jordan received these kickbacks in the form of check, cash, and electronic payments for the referral of urine drug testing from Serenity Keepers to three different urine drug testing labs. In October 2021, the kickbacks increased to $5,000 and were paid to Jerome Davis, one of Jordan’s co-defendants, in the form of consulting payments, paid as checks, or ACH payments to Davis’s company X-Tremly for Christ, LLC.
Through the scheme, Jordan and Serenity Keepers caused Medicaid and Medicare to pay three different urine drug testing labs approximately $2,569,946 for urine drug testing referred to them, in exchange for unlawful kickbacks paid to Jordan. Willams performed urine drug testing on the residents of the homes he operated knowing the tests were not ordered by a medical provider and would not be reviewed by a medical provider.
As further part of the scheme, between August 2019 and March 2022, Serenity Keepers billed Medicaid for peer support services that were not provided by licensed peer support specialists. At Jordan’s direction, Williams stated that individuals living in his sober homes received six hours of peer support services per day, knowing that was not true. Over that time frame, Williams received $365,374.72, a percentage of the amount billed to Medicaid for the homes he managed.
Dashawn Dawkins was convicted earlier in April 2026 for his role in the kickback conspiracy and health care fraud conspiracy. Lily Bell, who paid the kickbacks to Dawkins, Jordan, and Davis, and who facilitated the abuse of the Nurse Practitioner’s stolen identifiers, pled guilty to aggravated identity theft. Jerome Davis pled guilty to his role in the kickback conspiracy and was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day of incarceration.
Under federal law, Jordan and Williams must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky Attorney General, Office of Medicaid Fraud and Abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate K. Smith.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs
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Former Primary Health Network CEOs Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Non-Profit Medical Organization of Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - Two former CEOs of Primary Health Network (PHN), a non-profit medical organization headquartered in Sharon, Pennsylvania, have been sentenced in federal court to terms of imprisonment on their convictions for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentences on Drew Pierce, 58, of West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, and Jack Laeng, 72, of Lake Milton, Ohio, sentencing Pierce on April 23, 2026, to 40 months of imprisonment and Laeng on April 16, 2026, to 24 months of imprisonment.
According to information presented to the Court, Pierce engaged in multiple schemes to defraud PHN over the course of almost a decade, with Laeng joining him in two of those schemes. First, Pierce, Laeng, and others agreed to enter into contracts with a developer on behalf of PHN in return for kickback payments of 50% of the funds the developer received from PHN. PHN’s board of directors was not aware of the kickback payments, which ultimately caused a loss to the company of more than $1.5 million. Laeng was the CEO of PHN for the beginning of the scheme, from 2011 to about 2014, at which time Pierce took over as CEO.
Pierce, Laeng, and others also engaged in a scheme in which they inserted a company called TopCoat between PHN and the company’s legitimate vendors. Through the scheme, PHN paid TopCoat, which provided no services other to then pay the true vendors a lesser price. PHN’s board of directors was unaware that TopCoat performed no actual work and was made up entirely of PHN insiders. The TopCoat scheme caused a loss to PHN of more than $400,000. In addition to these schemes, Pierce separately engaged in another kickback scheme, as well as in a scheme to pay his own personal expenses out of PHN accounts and conceal those payments as business expenses.
Another co-defendant in some of the schemes, Mark Marriott, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2026.
Assistant United States Attorneys William B. Guappone and Jeffrey R. Bengel prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of the defendants.
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.
Former Dallas Police Department Sergeant Sentenced to 28 Months in Federal Prison for Selling Stolen Service WeaponsRead the Press Release
A former Dallas Police Department sergeant who sold stolen service weapons was sentenced to 28 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Thomas Fry, 53, of Royse City, Texas, was sentenced on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, by United States District Judge Brantley Starr for possession and sale of a stolen firearm.
“This police officer violated his oath and the public’s trust when he chose to commit a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Our law enforcement partners work day and night to keep us safe and enforce the law, and our trust and faith in them will not waiver. We will work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to root out the few bad apples among their ranks.”
“This case strikes at the core of public trust,” said Brian Garner Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Dallas Field Division. “The very individuals entrusted to safeguard our communities must be held to the highest standard. When that trust is violated through the theft and illegal sale of firearms, it endangers the public and undermines the integrity of law enforcement. This 28-month federal sentence sends a clear message: no one is above the law, and those who abuse their authority will be held accountable. ATF remains committed to working alongside our partners to protect our communities and prevent illegal firearms trafficking.
Court records reveal that Fry, who at the time was a sergeant with the Dallas Police Department, admitted to three separate instances of taking a firearm owned by the Dallas Police Department, knowing that the firearms were stolen, and selling them to an Oklahoma pawn shop in June and July of 2022.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives and the Dallas Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marty Basu prosecuted the case.
Former Bay City Civic Leader Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Non-Profits and Driving Historic Theatre into BankruptcyRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – A former Bay City civic leader was sentenced today in connection with a multi-year scheme that defrauded two Bay City non-profit organizations of more than $750,000 and drove one of them into bankruptcy, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Caleb Rowell, Director, Bay City Department of Public Safety.
Michael Bacigalupo, 64, of Essexville, Michigan, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge David M. Lawson to 24 months in federal prison. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $196,641.17 to the Bay County Historical Society, and $151,000 to the Bay City State Theatre or its successor and to serve a two-year term of supervised release following his incarceration.
According to court records, between June 2020 and November 2023, Bacigalupo simultaneously served as Director of the Bay City Downtown Development Authority, Chief Operating Officer of the Bay City State Theatre (BCST), and Executive Director of the Bay City Historical Society (BCHS). He exploited these positions to fraudulently divert funds to the renovation of the Wenona Park Bandshell, without the authorization of either organization’s board.
In the first phase of the scheme, Bacigalupo approached the Bay County Growth Alliance (BCGA), a local non-profit lender, and obtained an $800,000 loan using the BCST building as collateral. He falsely represented to BCGA that the BCST Board had approved the transaction and provided fabricated board minutes to substantiate that lie. Bacigalupo deposited the loan proceeds into BCST accounts and diverted them to the Bandshell project without the Board’s knowledge. After making partial repayments of $277,000, he ceased payments altogether, leaving an unpaid balance of at least $523,000. Unable to service a debt it never authorized, BCST defaulted and declared bankruptcy.
Separately, from November 2020 through January 2022, Bacigalupo diverted $231,541 from BCHS toward the Bandshell project by manipulating the organization’s accounting records and fabricating contractor invoices. Left without the funds Bacigalupo had misappropriated, BCHS was unable to complete planned renovations to its own museum and was forced to lay off staff.
Bacigalupo also fraudulently obtained approval of a $900,000 federal grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation by misrepresenting the identity of the applicant and the purpose of the funds. When MEDC sought documentation to support an initial $450,000 disbursement, Bacigalupo submitted fabricated invoices and falsified accounting records. MEDC determined the documentation was insufficient and ultimately withheld the grant entirely.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “Fraud in the garb of civic leadership is still fraud. And this man’s fraud hurt cherished Bay City organizations.”
This case was investigated by the Bay City Department of Public Safety. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys William Thomas Orr and Ryan A. Particka
Former 4-H County Extension Agent Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Terence Lorenzo Clemons, 52, was sentenced on Tuesday to 25 years by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for the production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, Clemons was a County Extension Agent that operated 4-H programs in the Bath County School System. In April 2024, Clemons began a romantic “relationship” with a minor victim in the school system. Through extensive conversations via text messaging and various social media platforms, Clemons professed his “love” and asked the victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct via livestreaming and by sending him videos/photos. Clemons used his position as a leader of 4-H programs to gain access to the victim, which included at least one instance of physical touching, during events Clemons attended through the 4-H program.
During the sentencing hearing, the Court noted the seriousness of this type of offense cannot be overstated. The Court also remarked that those with positions of trust need to understand this conduct will not be tolerated.
“This defendant held a position of trust and exploited that position in order to prey on the vulnerability of a child,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “That betrayal strikes at the very core of our communities, where parents and families should be able to trust those entrusted with mentoring and guiding young people. We remain committed to holding accountable anyone who abuses that trust and to working alongside our law enforcement partners to protect children from exploitation and harm.”
Under federal law, Clemons must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 20 years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Colin Jackson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Mike Coyle, Madison County Sheriff’s Office, announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by HSI, KSP, and Madison County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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.
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Florence man sentenced to 30 years in prison for producing and receiving images and videos of child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Florence man who produced child pornography was sentenced today to 360 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Matthew Ray Tack, 41, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of transfer of obscene material to minors, and one count of receipt of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on May 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Matthew Tack’s residence in Florence and seized several phones and a laptop. Law enforcement searched the laptop and found three videos and 20 pictures which depicted minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some of the images and videos had creation dates ranging from December 5, 2023, to May 8, 2024, indicating they were received on the laptop on those dates. Several of the file paths indicated that at least some of the images were shared via applications like WhatsApp and Telegram.
Additionally, forensic analysis of the laptop revealed Tack had engaged in chats with minors on an online chat application, largely between 2021 and 2022. The chats included Tack’s solicitation from multiple minors of images and videos that depicted the minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Tack consistently urged the minors with whom he was talking to send him sexually explicit images and videos. For example, in a 2021 chat with a minor who indicated they were just entering the 10th grade, Tack told the minor that he wanted “lewd pics” of the child and that “I had hopes that later I could get you to send some.” Tack told the child his sexual interest in her was due (at least in part) to her age, saying “… young and hot, definitely my weakness.”
Beginning on April 20, 2021, and continuing through October 9, 2021, Tack engaged in similar chats on the application with Jane Doe 1. At the time of these chats, Jane Doe 1 was 13 years old. Tack began their chat by immediately asking Jane Doe 1 for a picture. He then sent several shirtless photos of himself and asked Jane Doe 1 “Could you take some?” In total during this conversation, Tack sent Jane Doe 1 two pictures of his penis and Jane Doe 1 sent Tack three images of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct, at Tack’s behest.
Law enforcement located Jane Doe 1 and interviewed her. She confirmed she likely sent the above-described images to Tack and identified herself in some the pictures law enforcement recovered from the records of the conversation described above.
Beginning on September 16, 2021, and continuing through February 19, 2022, Tack also engaged in similar chats on the application with Jane Doe 2. At the time of these chats, Jane Doe 2 was 13 years old. During the conversations, Tack exhorted Jane Doe 2 to send him images of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Tack reassured Jane Doe 2 he would not show the images to anyone because of how “bad” the age difference between them was, and that “…we should not be doing this but we are… I could go to prison.”
Law enforcement located Jane Doe 2 and interviewed her. She identified Tack by picture and confirmed she sent Tack the images of herself engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The FBI, State of Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Glasgow Police Department, and Western Australia Police Force conducted the investigation.
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.
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Felon who Possessed a Firearm that was Used in a Robbery Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on April 23, 2026, to 60 months in federal prison.
Blake Allen Ott, age 23, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a December 10, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In October 2024, while searching Ott’s home, law enforcement officers found a loaded gun in his bedroom. They also found cash and marijuana around the home. Evidence showed that Ott was involved in distributing controlled substances. Prior to October 2024, Ott gave the gun to another person who used the gun to rob a home in Dubuque. Ott was aware the gun would be used in a robbery. Ott’s prior convictions include participation in a riot and robbery.
Ott was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ott was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ott is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin and Dan Chatham and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Dubuque Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-01038.
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Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possession of a Firearm Found During Traffic StopRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a felon was sentenced on April 22, 2026, to 24 months in federal prison.
Keontis Dontrell Cunningham, age 29, from Chicago, received the prison term after a November 14, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
In 2024, as he was driving, law enforcement officers stopped Cunningham based on an outstanding warrant. During the traffic stop, officers located a gun in the car. Cunningham was prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior felony convictions, including an aggravated assault conviction from Tennessee.
Cunningham was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Cunningham was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Cunningham was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole L. Nagin and Dan Chatham and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-00062.
Federal Law Enforcement Seizes 22 Firearms and Multiple Kilograms of Narcotics from Chicago Storage Unit; Alleged Drug Trafficker ArrestedRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Federal law enforcement this month arrested an alleged drug trafficker and seized 22 firearms and multiple kilograms of narcotics from his Chicago storage unit.
MARIO NEUSTADTER sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to an undercover law enforcement officer in Chicago on three occasions in January of February of this year, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The complaint charges Neustadter, 47, of Chicago, with distribution of a controlled substance. Neustadter was arrested on April 7, 2026. He has been ordered by U.S. Magistrate Judge Young B. Kim to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.
During a detention hearing, the government advised the Court that federal law enforcement conducted a court-authorized search of Neustadter’s storage unit on the day of his arrest and discovered 22 firearms, approximately 30 kilograms of methamphetamine, 12 kilograms of cocaine, more than two kilograms of suspected fentanyl, and dozens of cell phones, among other items. A photo of the seized items was entered into evidence at the hearing and can be viewed below.
The complaint and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Todd C. Smith, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Police Department and the Cook County Sheriff’s Office. The officials noted that the investigation remains ongoing.
This investigation is part of Operation Fentanyl Free America, a DEA-led initiative to protect the United States from synthetic opioids by disrupting the fentanyl supply chain, reducing its availability, and saving American lives.
“I commend the actions of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners who worked diligently to seize dangerous drugs and an arsenal of high-powered firearms from the defendant before they could flood the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The arrest and substantial seizures in this case are but one example of the outstanding work being done by the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office, the DEA, Chicago Police Department, and Cook County Sheriff’s Office every day to combat drug trafficking and reduce violent crime. Let this case serve as a warning to criminal drug traffickers: There is no hiding place for those who flood our communities with illegal narcotics.”
“Today’s announcement underscores DEA’s commitment to removing fentanyl and other dangerous drugs, as well as illegally possessed firearms, from our communities,” said DEA SAC Smith. “Through Operation Fentanyl Free America and strong partnerships with the Chicago Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Police Department, and all of our law enforcement partners, we remain committed to saving American lives from tragic drug overdoses and poisonings.”
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
neustadter_complaint.pdfFederal Jury finds Arlington Woman Guilty of Retaliatory Stalking of Assistant District AttorneyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On April 23, 2026, after a 3-day trial, a federal jury found Adrienne Rosse, 37, of Arlington, Tennessee, guilty of two counts of cyberstalking for mailing harassing letters about a Shelby County Assistant District Attorney. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today.
According to information presented at the trial, Adrienne Rosse’s husband, Charles Rosse, is being prosecuted by the Shelby County District Attorneys’ Office for charges of rape and sexual battery. A 2023 trial on those charges resulted in a mistrial due to a hung jury. The Assistant District Attorney (ADA) who prosecuted the case attempted to negotiate a settlement of the case, and told Charles Rosse that if they did not reach a plea agreement, she intended to re-try the case. Charles Rosse rejected the plea offer. His case remains pending.
Adrienne Rosse was “filled with rage” about the continued prosecution of her husband. In August 2023, she sent anonymous letters to the Tennessee Attorney General, the Shelby County District Attorney, several local news reporters, the Memphis Bar Association, and the Tennessee Board of Professional Responsibility, falsely accusing the ADA of having a secret career in pornography, which she described in graphic detail and supported with 20 pages of pornographic photos of women who resembled the ADA.
In November 2023, unsatisfied because the ADA had suffered no professional consequences and was continuing to prosecute her husband, Adrienne Rosse sent out another round of anonymous letters, enclosing the same pornographic photos, this time to local defense attorneys. Because of this harassment, the ADA left the Shelby County District Attorney’s office and moved from the Memphis area. Despite Adrienne Rosse’s attempts to destroy her career, the ADA has continued her career as a prosecutor in a new location.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for August 5, 2026 before the Honorable U.S. District Judge Mark S. Norris of the Western District of Tennessee. Adrienne Rosse faces up to five years of incarceration, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Prosecutors seek justice every day without fear or favor on behalf of the public, and no person deserves to be victimized and retaliated against because of their public service occupation. The defendant’s attempt to destroy the distinguished career of an ADA is reprehensible, and we will seek a significant sentence in this case to deliver justice for the victim and hold this offender accountable.”
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).
Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Delery and Raven Icaza prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Federal Jury Convicts Massachusetts Man for Attempting to Sex Traffic a Minor at a Manchester HotelRead the Press Release
Federal Jury Convicts Massachusetts Man for Attempting to Sex Traffic a Minor at a Manchester Hotel
CONCORD – After a 4-day trial, a Haverhill, Massachusetts man was convicted by a federal jury for attempting to sex traffic a 12-year-old in a proactive federal and local law enforcement operation on November 14, 2024, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Ozeias Luiz Guilherme, age 40, was convicted of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. United States District Court Judge Steven McAuliffe ordered Guilherme detained pending sentencing, which is scheduled for August 4, 2026.
On November 14 and November 15, 2024, in a proactive law enforcement operation, agents posted and monitored an advertisement on a website commonly used to advertise commercial sex. The advertisement contained images of what appeared to be two minor females, and a contact phone number. Law enforcement agents monitored this line and used it to communicate with potential sex buyers, including Guilherme. During a text conversation between an undercover agent and Guilherme, the agent stated that she had a 12-year-old girl available to perform sex acts in exchange for money. The agent then provided Guilherme with the address of a hotel in Manchester. Once at the hotel, the defendant met with an undercover agent and confirmed that he was in possession of the agreed upon $100 to pay for the commercial sex act.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Manchester Police Department, the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Office, and the New Hampshire Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Vicinanzo and Matthew Hunter are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Jury Convicts Ecuadorian for Threatening to Murder San Antonio Park RangerRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury in San Antonio convicted an Ecuadorian national for threatening to murder a federal official, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on or about July 24, 2023, Sergio Renato Tapia, 31, called the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park and left a voicemail that included a violent threat to murder a National Park Service ranger. NPS rangers immediately recognized Tapia's voice and worked quickly with the U.S. Marshals Service to apprehend him on July 26.
NPS rangers had previously encountered Tapia on numerous occasions at Mission Concepcion, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and home to an active Catholic church, citing him several times for unlawful possession of a controlled substance. This week, in front of U.S. District Judge Jason Pulliam, the jury unanimously found Tapia had intentionally communicated a threat to murder a federal official, rejecting Tapia's insanity defense after deliberating for one hour.
The NPS and USMS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Mangels is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Federal Indictment Charges Reputed Chicago Gang Member with Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A reputed member of a violent Chicago street gang has been indicted on a federal firearm charge for allegedly unlawfully possessing two firearms.
ALEXANDER MARTINEZ-QUIROZ, 35, of Chicago, possessed a rifle and handgun from December 2025 to April 2026, according to an indictment returned Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago. As a previously convicted felon, Martinez-Quiroz was legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
A criminal complaint filed in the case alleges that Martinez-Quiroz fired three shots from the handgun while standing in front of a Chicago building on Dec. 18, 2025. While firing the shots, Martinez-Quiroz calls out that he is a member of the street gang, the complaint states. Martinez-Quiroz recorded himself firing the shots, and the government played the video at Martinez-Quiroz’s detention hearing in federal court. The video can be viewed here. [Note: You may need to download the video to see it properly. The download button is on the bottom right of the video, next to the volume button.]
Martinez-Quiroz was arrested on April 9, 2026. A U.S. Magistrate judge initially ordered him released from custody on bond, but the U.S. Attorney’s Office appealed to a U.S. District Court judge, who reversed the Magistrate judge’s ruling and granted the government’s motion for pre-trial detention. The defendant is now in federal custody pending trial.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
martinez-quiroz_indictment.pdf martinez-quiroz_complaint.pdfFederal Drug Charge for Gainesville ManRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Trai Williams, 27, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.
Williams appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 27, 2026, at 8:30 a.m. before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
If convicted, Williams faces 10 years to Life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Fayette County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Paul Jeremiah Buckner, 38, of Oak Hill, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 7, 2024, a law enforcement officer in Glade Creek conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Buckner was a passenger. The officer found that Buckner possessed a Taurus TPC .380-caliber pistol during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. As part of his guilty plea, Buckner admitted that he knew he was prohibited from possession the firearm because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Fayette County Circuit Court on January 14, 2014.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the National Park Service.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-58.
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Fayette County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine and Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Lexington man, Osama Omar Qasem, 29, was sentenced on Thursday to 120 months by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, and one count of trafficking in firearms.
According to his plea agreement, from January to March 2025, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to conduct four controlled drug and firearm transactions from Qasem. Through the four transactions, Qasem sold the informant over 700 grams of methamphetamine and three firearms. After the fourth transaction, the informant contacted Qasem to set up a fifth controlled buy. When Qasem showed up for the transaction, law enforcement were waiting. Qasem was found with a loaded firearm in his car, equipped with a large capacity magazine. Law enforcement also located approximately 136. grams of cocaine and 237 grams of methamphetamine that Qasem admitted he was planning on distributing to others.
Under federal law, Qasem must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paco Villalobos is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Fairfield County man faces federal charges after allegedly traveling to North Carolina to kidnap, sexually exploit 12-year-oldRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Federal charges were filed against a Bremen, Ohio, man who allegedly kidnapped a 12-year-old North Carolina girl after meeting the minor online. The defendant was discovered with the victim in Ohio when he crashed his car into a median.
Virgil Larson, 45, is charged with kidnapping a minor and four other child exploitation or pornography crimes. He will appear in federal court today at 1:30pm.
According to charging documents, in early April, the FBI received information regarding a missing 12-year-old from North Carolina. Investigation revealed that Larson had been communicating with the victim on Snapchat and through text messages.
North Carolina law enforcement officials were still at the girl’s home investigating the missing person report when her parents received a call from the Hocking County Sheriff’s Office on the victim’s cell phone. Deputies confirmed that they were with the victim and that she had been in the front passenger seat of a vehicle being driven by Larson.
An affidavit details that Larson crashed his car into the median of Highway 33 near Hocking and Athens counties. Deputies were called to the single-vehicle crash and Larson claimed he had fallen asleep while driving and needed assistance getting his vehicle out of a ditch.
Larson allegedly told law enforcement officials that the victim was “just a friend” and that she was 18 years old. When the victim could not name her birth year, officers separated her from the defendant and learned she was 12 years old.
A forensic review of their online messages revealed that the victim was threatened and told others would be killed if the victim did not send a sexually explicit image.
Larson was arrested in Hocking County on local charges on April 7 and has remained in custody since.
His federal charges will supersede the local ones and include sexual exploitation of a minor, receipt or possession of child pornography, coercion and enticement of a minor, travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor and kidnapping a minor. If convicted as currently charged, Larson would face up to life in prison. Larson is a sex offender with at least two prior related convictions.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Hocking County Sheriff Lanny E. North; and Stokes County, North Carolina, Sheriff Joey Lemons announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer M. Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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.
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Echelon Fitness Multimedia, LLC Agrees to Settle False Claims Act Allegations for $2,100,000Read the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Echelon Fitness Multimedia, LLC (Echelon), a Chattanooga, Tennessee-based company that sells connected fitness equipment, such as smart bikes, treadmills, and rowers and provides digital memberships that offer live and on-demand classes, agreed to settle allegations under the False Claims Act (FCA) that the Company deceptively undervalued fitness equipment imported into the United States to lessen tariff obligations and other import assessments owed to the United States. Under the terms of the settlement, Echelon will pay at least $2,100,000 to resolve the FCA claims.
According to filed documents, it was alleged that from September 2019 through January 2023, Echelon knowingly submitted inaccurate invoices to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that underreported the cost of equipment purchased from a China-based manufacturer-assembler and repeatedly failed to include the cost of computer tablets incorporated into packaged equipment shipped from China to the United States when declaring the total values of the imported equipment to CBP, improperly reducing tariffs and other import assessments.
The civil settlement includes the resolution of a case filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the FCA by a relator, Mr. Greg Dahlstrom. Under the whistleblower provisions a private party, known as a “relator,” can file an action on behalf of the United States and may receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Greg Dahlstrom v. Echelon Fitness Multimedia, LLC et al., Case No. 1:22-CV-222 (E.D. Tenn.) The relator will receive $420,000 of the proceeds from the settlement and possibly additional sums as permitted under the FCA.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alan G. McGonigal and Alexa Ortiz Hadley for the Eastern District of Tennessee represented the United States, with assistance from DHS Office of Inspector General (OIG).
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrate the government’s emphasis on combating waste, fraud, and abuse impacting the United States and its agencies. One of the most powerful tools in this work is the FCA. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to DHS at https://hotline.oig.dhs.gov/#step-1 or 800-323-8603.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Eastern District of Texas highlights child sexual abuse and sex trafficking convictions for National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, 10 offenders sentenced to a total of 270 years in federal prison and one offender sentenced to LIFERead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs joins the Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Executive Office for the United States Attorneys (EOUSA) in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. This year’s theme is, “Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities.”
“The dark web has exploded into an unprecedented underground world of perversion and horror,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “Predators are using the internet to facilitate the abuse of children, as well as adult sex trafficking. The cases below highlight our relentless work to protect children in the Eastern District of Texas and beyond. We are also committed to bringing those who are engaged in sex trafficking in the Eastern District of Texas to justice.”
In April 2026, Kyle Lee Roy Francis, a Northwest ISD teacher, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with receiving and possessing child pornography.
On March 19, 2026, Justin Philip Ciruti was convicted by a jury in Plano of possessing and distributing over 200 images of child pornography. Ciruti faces up to 20 years in federal prison at sentencing.
On January 22, 2026, William McKinnley Garland and Anastasiya Claire Lyons were convicted at trial in a sex trafficking conspiracy that involved recruiting young women on social media sites, convincing them they could make a lot of money as models or escorts, and then forcing them into prostitution, which often included beatings, tasers, shock collars, frigid showers, unwanted tattoos, and acts of humiliation. Garland and Lyons face up to life in federal prison at sentencing.
On December 16, 2025, Rolando Alexis Bravo pleaded guilty to being involved in a conspiracy to transport children from Oklahoma to Texas where they engaged in prostitution with others. Bravo faces life in federal prison at sentencing.
In December 2025, Henry Alberto Calix-Martinez, an illegal alien, was indicted and charged with sexually exploiting a minor by producing and distributing child pornography.
In November 2025, Gavin Rivers Weisenburg and Tanner Christopher Thomas were indicted for an elaborate scheme to lead an expedition to an island in Haiti where they planned to murder the men and turn the women and children into sex slaves.
In November 2025, William Caleb Elliott, a Celina ISD teacher and coach, was indicted and charged with production of child pornography.
On October 21, 2025, John Prentice Robertson was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for paying women in the Philippines to sexually abuse their own children and produce custom-ordered child pornography for him.
On October 21, 2025, Ashley Blaine Brooks, a convicted sex offender, was sentenced to 200 months in federal prison for child pornography violations.
On October 21, 2025, Trinity Snow Cassells was sentenced to 170 months in federal prison for posing online as a teen boy to communicate with minors and distribute child pornography to them.
On August 26, 2025, Traylan Xavier Mosley was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for pretending online to be an attractive teenage girl in order to entice teen boys to send him sexually explicit photos and videos. Mosley then created online child porn packets which he advertised for sale to others.
In August 2025, John Matthew Emerson, a convicted felon on supervised release for a previous child pornography conviction, was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with child pornography violations.
On July 30, 2025, Enrique Adrian Gomez was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for enticing two pre-teen victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct to create child pornography images and videos. At sentencing, U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs said, “The ease with which Gomez was able to communicate with the minor victims here is a reminder of the constant threat that social media applications can pose to children. Under the guise of online friendship, Gomez persuaded these children to engage in adult acts that no child should be doing, let alone be doing online. Our office is committed to stopping criminals like Gomez in their tracks, but the most important tool to stop online predators is an active and engaged parent. Nothing protects children better than a parent who sets and enforces limits on a child’s online activities and actively monitors their social media presence.”
On July 29, 2025, James Richard Rollins, a parolee, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for possessing child pornography at his halfway house.
On July 21, 2025, Tristan Kalobbe Martin was sentenced to over 24 years in federal prison for communicating with a minor while gaming through an on-line game console and convincing the child to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
On June 24, 2025, Sasha Sheree Abshire was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for sexually assaulting a pre-school age child, creating sexually explicit videos and photos of the abuse, and distributing the material online for pay.
On June 24, 2025, Fransisco Gonzalez was sentenced to 55 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a minor girl. Gonzalez isolated the girl from her family under the guise of taking her to church, then used her to produce sexually explicit photos and videos, which he distributed to others.
On June 18, 2025, Desnique Deshawn Herndon was sentenced to life in federal prison for trafficking multiple teen girls, some as young as 13, for commercial prostitution.
On June 5, 2025, Zachary Arzola was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for traveling from Texas to Ohio to have sex with a child.
On May 19, 2025, Corey Lamar Johnson was convicted at trial of sex trafficking violations. Johnson trafficked young women across the United States and forced them into prostitution, often brandishing firearms and violently beating them when they objected. Johnson faces life in federal prison at sentencing.
Achieving justice for victims and protecting their rights is our highest duty, and we are honored to participate in the national observance of this special week to honor victims and victim advocates.
For additional information regarding National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and resources for victims, please visit https://ovc.ojp.gov/.
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Dubuque Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Being a Prohibited Person in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A prohibited person who possessed a gun was sentenced April 23, 2026, to more than three years in federal prison.
Nathan Frazier Stark, age 48, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 29, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by a person convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
On January 24, 2024, officers searched defendant’s home in Dubuque, Iowa. During the search, officers found a revolver that had an obliterated serial number, Stark’s cell phone, and a bag containing approximately 2.35 grams of methamphetamine on a table in the kitchen. At the guilty plea, Stark admitted that he possessed the firearm after having been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
Stark was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Stark was sentenced to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Stark is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by the Dubuque Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1004.
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Driver Sentenced to Prison Term for His Role in the Killing of an Innocent BystanderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Bangura, 22, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for charges stemming from the July 2023 shooting of 46-year-old Donald Childs, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Marks pleaded guilty to second-degree murder while armed on January 13, 2026. Bangura also pleaded guilty on that day to obstruction of justice. The Honorable Danya A. Dayson sentenced Bangura to the 66-month prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release. His co-defendant, Iesha Marks, is scheduled to be sentenced on June 12, 2026.
“Today’s sentencing reflects the serious consequences that come with participating in senseless violence,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The defendant may not have pulled the trigger, but he played an undeniable role in the death of an innocent man standing on his own street.”
According to the government’s evidence, at 2:43 p.m. on July 30, 2023, Bangura drove Marks to the 100 block of Farragut Street, NW. As they rode through a busy intersection, Marks extended her arm out of the front passenger window and fired multiple shots directly into Farragut Street, striking and killing Mr. Childs, who was standing on the sidewalk. Bangura sped away from the scene and drove Marks to Pennsylvania in order to dispose of the murder weapon.
Bangura has been in custody since he was indicted in May of 2025.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasmin Emrani, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF1 005760
District of Arizona Charges 288 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from April 17 through April 24, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 288 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 147 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 113 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 24 cases against 28 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Jesus Jose Alvarez-Ramirez. On April 24, 2026, Jesus Jose Alvarez-Ramirez was charged by criminal complaint with Bringing an Alien to the United States Unlawfully. On April 23, a U.S. Border Patrol Agent responded to a radio call about three individuals traveling near Dateland, Arizona. When the agent approached the group, which included Alvarez-Ramirez, another adult male, and an unaccompanied male juvenile, they were attempting to conceal themselves in brush to avoid detection. Agents determined that Alvarez-Ramirez acted as a foot guide for the group, bringing them from Mexico into the United States. They also learned that Alvarez-Ramirez’s fee for crossing was waived and that he would eventually receive payment for acting as a foot guide. It was determined the three individuals were citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. [Case number: 26-MJ-01328]
These cases are 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).
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-067_April 24, 2026, Immigration Enforcement
(note PR originally sent out as #068 to media)
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Department of Justice Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa join federal, state, and local communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services.
This year’s observance takes place April 19 to 25, 2026, and features the theme “Listen. Act. Advocate. Protect victims, serve communities.”
As part of this observance, the Southern District of Iowa recognizes the courage and bravery of victims, and the outstanding work of law enforcement, victim advocates, and community service partners throughout Iowa. The Southern District of Iowa would like to specifically recognize two individuals for their outstanding service to crime victims:
Award for Excellence in Victim Services
- Brittany Marshall, Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center (CIAC) of Adel, Iowa, nominated by the Ringold County Attorney’s Office.
Law Enforcement Victim Service Award
- Braeden Nielson, Fairfield Police Department, nominated by the Jefferson County Attorney’s Office.
“During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, we highlight that achieving justice includes honoring the dignity and voices of victims. Our office remains committed to listening, advocating, and ensuring victims’ rights are respected at every stage of the process,” said United States Attorney David C. Waterman for the Southern District of Iowa.
The 2026 Award for Excellence in Victim Services recognizes the performance of Victim Services Coordinator Brittany Marshall. As a member of Crisis Intervention & Advocacy Center, Ms. Marshall serves victims across ten counties: Adair, Adams, Clarke, Dallas, Decatur, Guthrie, Madison, Ringgold, Taylor, and Union. Her victim-centered approach is described as widely respected, including a creative and persistent dedication to providing coordinated services in the rural counties she serves. She often provides victims after-hours assistance and consistent support through a variety of investigative steps. Ms. Marshall also provides training to law enforcement and county employees on identifying and assisting crime victims.
The 2026 Law Enforcement Victim Service Award recognizes Fairfield Police Department Officer Braeden Nielsen. Officer Neilsen graduated from the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy in 2023. His work is praised for exhibiting a level of dedication to justice and victim advocacy that far surpasses his tenure in law enforcement and transcendent of the traditional patrol officer responsibilities. Officer Neilsen’s work has had tangible impact on the Fairfield community, including accountability in kidnapping, sexual exploitation, and sex offender registry violation investigations.
The Southern District of Iowa would also like to recognize Charlotte Kovacs, who serves as the Supervisory Victim Witness Coordinator, and Katie Blanchard, who serve as a Victim Witness Specialist, for the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Iowa. Together Charlotte and Katie support victims and witnesses of crimes throughout the federal legal process. Charlotte and Katie are committed to ensuring that victims and witnesses are treated with fairness and respect while ensuring their voices are heard in the criminal Justice System.
For more information about Services and Victim Rights, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdia/victim-witness-assistance.
Defendant Pleads Guilty and Agrees to 20-Year Sentence for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – On April 20, 2026, Antonio D. Jackson, pleaded guilty to a four-count federal superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distributing methamphetamine with a co-defendant, Ivy S. Daniels. Jackson was scheduled for a jury trial that day but instead chose to plead guilty and accept a 20-year prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin W. Jackson of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, U.S. Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the Pittsburgh Division, Sheriff Jon Hayden of the Graves County Sheriff’s Office, and Sheriff Ryan Norman of the McCracken County Sheriff’s Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, federal and state partners began investigating Antonio D. Jackson, 39, of Paducah, Kentucky and others associated with him in March of 2024. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol investigators intercepted a package containing approximately 4 kilograms of methamphetamine in Louisville, Kentucky, addressed to a Mayfield, Kentucky, residence associated with Jackson. U.S. Postal Service employees also verified other shipments being made to the same address during the same time frame. On April 14, 2024, Jackson supplied co-defendant Ivy S. Daniels with approximately 210 grams of methamphetamine that was sold to investigators. Similarly, on April 16, 2024, Jackson supplied Daniels with 211 grams of methamphetamine that was then sold to investigators. Just after this sale, investigators arrested Jackson while he possessed approximately 106 grams of methamphetamine.
Sentencing is set for July 10, 2026. A federal district court judge will decide prior to sentencing whether to accept the parties’ plea agreement of a 20-year sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
The DEA, HSI, USPIS, Graves County Sheriff’s Office, McCracken County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Seth Hancock of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal Cristy Crockett.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Dayton man who allegedly participated in shootout at downtown bus hub arrested by federal agents for possessing machinegunRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – James Thomas Hurt, 25, of Dayton, was arrested by federal agents and charged with a firearms crime in connection with a shooting at the RTA bus hub in downtown Dayton in September 2025. Hurt appeared in federal court here this afternoon.
According to court documents, Hurt possessed a machinegun during the shooting at the bus hub during the morning of Sept. 26, 2025. Surveillance video allegedly showed Hurt being assaulted by other individuals before running and returning fire.
Hurt allegedly discarded his firearm in a trash can in a parking garage near East Fourth Street. Hurt later returned to the trash can, allegedly to locate his weapon, but it had already been seized by Dayton police officers.
Officers subsequently discovered additional evidence, including ammunition and Glock switches, or machinegun conversion devices, buried in an area near the RTA bus hub where Hurt was observed on surveillance digging shortly after the shooting.
At the time of his arrest yesterday evening, Hurt was allegedly in possession of 10 suspected machinegun conversion devices, two of which were swift links made for AR-type firearms.
Hurt is charged with illegal possession of a machinegun, 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 Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Dallas Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Federal Officer with Deadly Weapon and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon and methamphetamine and heroin trafficking, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Angel Flores, 36, of Dallas, was sentenced on April 22, 2026, by United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade for assaulting a federal officer and conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and heroin.
According to court records, Flores, and another individual, Andres Saucedo, Jr., 42, of Dallas, were involved in importing and trafficking large quantities of methamphetamine and heroin obtained from a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization. Court documents reveal that Flores sold undercover agents a kilogram of heroin for $7,200 in the Dallas area in late 2024. Flores, Saucedo, and others working with them continued selling kilogram quantities of methamphetamine to numerous other individuals from that time until Flores was arrested on May 21, 2025. The two even orchestrated the sale of two kilograms of methamphetamine on May 20, 2025, the day before Flores was apprehended by FBI SWAT.
During the investigation, according to court documents, agents discovered that Flores, Saucedo, and others plotted to rob another drug trafficker of 30 to 40 kilograms of methamphetamine on May 19, 2025. While surveilling Flores and Saucedo to prevent this robbery, Flores and Saucedo realized they were being followed and attempted to lure two federal agents to a place where other coconspirators in their group would ambush and shoot them. Before reaching the planned ambush location, Saucedo fired a gun at an undercover FBI Task Force Officer in one of the vehicles. The undercover officer was an FBI Task Force Officer with the Dallas Police Department who was working with the OCDETF North Texas Strike Force, now the Homeland Security Task Force.
“Angel Flores was not only a drug trafficker who poisoned our communities with massive amounts of deadly heroin and methamphetamine, he was also a predator in the violent business of robbing other narco-traffickers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This predator of predators will spend the next 30 years extracted from our community.”
“Combatting violent crime and drug trafficking is the primary focus of the Dallas Homeland Security Task Force. The sentence imposed in this case underscores the seriousness of the defendant’s role in distributing large quantities of narcotics and assaulting a federal law enforcement officer. The FBI will continue working with our partners to dismantle the infrastructure of drug trafficking organizations in our communities,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
“Yesterday’s sentence is an example of the serious consequences of dealing dangerous drugs and committing violent acts in our communities,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of DEA Dallas. “Mr. Flores will spend the next 30 years in federal prison for dealing dangerous drugs and assaulting a federal officer. DEA Dallas is committed to hold the rule of law and protect American lives. DEA and its Homeland Security Task Force law enforcement partners throughout the region will continue to investigate those who prey on the innocent in our communities and bring them to justice.”
This investigation was conducted by the OCDETF North Texas Strike force, now the Homeland Security Task Force, with Special Agents and Task Force Officers from DEA, FBI, HSI, the Dallas Police Department, Grand Prairie Police Department and Coppell Police Department all participating. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney L. Coker prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force 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.
DEA to Host 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25thRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration will host the 30th National Prescription Drug Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at nearly 4,200 locations nationwide.
Twice a year, DEA joins forces with local law enforcement and community groups to host DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, giving the public a safe and anonymous way to dispose of expired and unused prescription medications. By getting rid of unnecessary medications in the home, families can help prevent prescription drug misuse and reduce the potential for accidental poisonings.
“DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is one of the most effective ways we can prevent addiction before it starts,” stated DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. “Too often, unused medications sit in medicine cabinets where they can be misused, stolen, or lead to accidental overdoses. By safely disposing of these medications, we are protecting our families and saving lives.”
DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day has been in effect since 2010, but the program was started in New Jersey in 2009 by the DEA New Jersey Field Division and their partners. This program has provided an easy and accessible way to dispose of medications that could pose a threat if misused. Over the past 16 years, National Prescription Take Back Day has removed more than 20 million pounds of unwanted medications from communities across the United States. New Jersey residents have surrendered more than 444,000 pounds of these medications.
Opioids, such as oxycodone, hydrocodone, codeine, and morphine, are among the most misused prescription pain medications, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA).
DEA and its partners will collect tablets, capsules, patches, and other forms of prescription drugs. Liquid products, such as cough syrup, should be securely sealed in their original container.
Syringes, sharps, or illicit drugs are not collected. To learn how to properly dispose of these items we encourage you to visit FDA.gov.
To find the Take Back Day location nearest you visit www.DEATakeBack.com.
For those unable to participate in this month’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are more than 16,500 pharmacies, hospitals, and businesses that offer safe medication disposal year-round. In addition, many police departments also provide permanent drop boxes to ensure Every Day is Take Back Day.
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DEA National Prescription Drug Take Back DayRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. On Saturday, April 25th, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) will provide the public the opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by ridding their homes of potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs. Location information is available from the DEA, along with items that cannot be accepted. This service is free and anonymous, no questions asked.
This April’s event is DEA’s 29th nationwide event since its inception 16 years ago. Last fall, Americans turned in nearly 571,054 pounds of prescription drugs at nearly 4,317 sites operated by the DEA and 4,263 from its state and local law enforcement partners.
The DEA will now accept vaping devices and cartridges at any of its drop-off locations during National Prescription Drug Take Back Day. It is important to note that DEA cannot accept devices containing lithium-ion batteries. If batteries cannot be removed prior to drop-off, DEA encourages individuals to consult with stores that recycle lithium-ion batteries. Concerns have been raised across the United States over illnesses and deaths caused by vaping and the high youth vaping initiation rates. To support a healthy lifestyle and energetic population, especially among America’s youth, DEA is committed to doing all it can to help safely dispose of vaping devices and substances.
The DEA’s “Take Back” day and “Get Smart About Drugs” initiatives address the vital public safety and public health issue. Medicines that languish in home cabinets are highly susceptible to diversion, misuse, and abuse. Rates of prescription drug abuse in the United States are alarmingly high, as are the number of accidental poisonings and overdoses because of these drugs. Synthetic opioids, such as illicit fentanyl, are the primary driver of the increase in overdose deaths. For information on DEA’s “Take Back” in Spanish, click here, or for more information on the “Get Smart About Drugs” publication, click for English or Spanish.
In addition to DEA’s National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, there are many other ways to dispose of unwanted prescription drugs every day, including the 11,000 authorized collectors that are available all year long. For more information, visit DEA’s year-round collection site locator. Participating in the next DEA Take Back Day on Saturday, April 25th, simply means cleaning out your medicine cabinet or anywhere you keep unused, unwanted, or expired medications and dropping them off at your nearest collection site.
For more information about the disposal of prescription drugs or about the April 26th Take Back day event, go to DEA Drug Take Back eventor by calling 800-882-9539.
The FDA also provides information on how to properly dispose of prescription drugs.
More information is available here: English or Spanish.
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Convicted felon illegal alien convicted for unlawfully being in United StatesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Bryan has been found guilty of unlawfully reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G. E. Marck.
A federal jury deliberated less than three hours before finding Luis Alberto Banda Acosta guilty following a three-day trial.
The jury heard that on Feb. 4, 2024, authorities conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck Banda was driving.
Evidence showed Banda has multiple felony convictions, including failure to identify, possession of a controlled substance and driving while intoxicated. The jury also heard that he had been previously removed from the United States on two occasions.
The defense attempted to convince the jury Banda was involuntarily present in the country under duress, was kidnapped and forced to swim across the border. However, the jury heard evidence that he was freely and voluntarily residing in the United States to include his travel to many places, receiving pay stubs and making purchases at a lingerie store.
The jury did not believe Banda’s claims and found him guilty as charged. They also rejected testimony from a defense expert, disregarding his statements about kidnappings and forced entries into the United States.
U.S. District Judge Andrew S. Hanen presided over trial and set sentencing for June 30. At that time, Banda faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Alum and Lauren Valenti prosecuted the case with research assistance from Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Law and Robin Whitney.
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.
Central District of Illinois Recognizes Crime Victims’ Rights Week and Welcomes New Facility DogRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois is recognizing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 19-25, 2026. This year’s theme is “Listen. Act. Advocate”—reminding us of our ongoing responsibility to provide the highest level of service to victims in our community. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, which serves 46 counties, is proud to join the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and communities throughout the United States in raising awareness of victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and their advocates.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works diligently to prosecute crimes and is equally committed to identifying the needs of victims and advocating for the most effective way to meet those needs. As part of this commitment, we have introduced Maisy, the nation’s first U.S. Attorney’s Office Facility Dog, to enhance the support services available to victims. Maisy works directly with victims coping with trauma, providing support and comfort as they navigate the criminal justice system.
Victims of crime deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. It is essential that we work together to empower survivors. We are grateful for the many law enforcement agencies, social service organizations and community partners who work with us each year to support victims in the Central District of Illinois.
If you would like to learn more about victim services and Maisy, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-cdil. For more information about the Office for Victims of Crime and National Crime Victims’ Rights week you may visit https://ovc.ojp.gov/about.
California Money Launderer Sentenced in D.C. to 70 Months for Role in Scheme that Stole $263 MillionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Evan Tangeman, 22, of Newport Beach, California, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 70 months in prison for laundering millions of dollars generated by an elaborate social engineering scheme orchestrated by a multi-state criminal enterprise that stole more than $263 million in cryptocurrency and used the proceeds to support the criminal enterprise’s fantastically extravagant lifestyles, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“This criminal enterprise was built on greed so brazen it borders on the cartoonish. They stole millions, spent it on half-million-dollar nightclub tabs, Lamborghinis, and Rolexes,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “But Evan Tangeman didn't just launder the money that fueled that lifestyle. When his co-conspirators were arrested, he moved to destroy the evidence. That is consciousness of guilt, and this office and the court have treated that accordingly."
Tangeman pleaded guilty Dec. 8, 2025, to participating in a RICO conspiracy before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly and admitted that he helped to launder at least $3.5 million for members of the enterprise. Tangeman’s admission of guilt was the ninth plea to result from this investigation. In addition to the 70-month prison sentence, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered Tangeman to serve three years of supervised release.
The criminal enterprise began no later than October 2023 and continued through at least May 2025. It grew from friendships developed on online gaming platforms and was comprised of individuals based in California, Connecticut, New York, Florida, and abroad.
Tangeman, aka "E," "Tate," "Evan|Exchanger," was a money launderer for the group that also included database hackers, organizers, target identifiers, callers, and residential burglars targeting hardware virtual currency wallets.
Tangeman not only enabled his co-conspirators to dissipate millions in victim funds but also benefited directly and indirectly from the thefts himself, including receiving exotic automobiles as compensation for his work and using commissions earned for laundering on luxury goods. Finally, when the first members of the criminal enterprise – co-defendants Malone Lam and Jeandiel Serrano – were arrested and the massive scale of their fraud revealed, it was Tangeman who took it upon himself to direct co-defendant Tucker Desmond to destroy digital devices belonging to members of the enterprise.
Members and associates of the social engineering enterprise used stolen virtual currency to purchase, among other things, nightclub services ranging up to $500,000 per evening, luxury handbags valued in the tens of thousands of dollars which were given away at nightclub parties, luxury watches valued between $100,000 up to over $500,000, luxury clothing valued in the tens of thousands of dollars, rental homes in Los Angeles, the Hamptons, and Miami, private jet rentals for travel, a team of private security guards, and a fleet of exotic cars, ranging in value from $100,000 up to $3,800,000.
Tangeman converted the stolen cryptocurrency into fiat cash and worked with real estate agents in Los Angeles to procure large mansions for members of the social engineering enterprise. The members were unemployed young men, often under 20 years old and did not want to draw law enforcement attention for renting homes for $40,000 to $80,000 per month with no legitimate source of income. Some of those homes were valued between $4,000,000 up to nearly $9,000,000. Tangeman also arranged for rental homes in Miami when the group moved to Miami in September 2024.
Tangeman was well rewarded for his criminal conduct. Co-defendant Lam arranged for the purchase of a widebody Lamborghini Urus for Tangeman. At the time of the execution of the search warrant on Tangeman’s residence, law enforcement identified and seized additional vehicles, including one black 2022 Rolls Royce Ghost, valued at more than $300,000. The agents also seized a white and black Porsche GT3 RS.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office. Significant investigative and operational support was provided by the FBI’s Los Angeles and Miami field offices as well as the United States Attorney’s Officers in the Central District of California, Southern District of Florida, and the District of New Jersey.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg provided valuable assistance.
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Businessman and Two Attorneys Sentenced for Their Roles in Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Bribe Hawaii County Public OfficialRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – Three men have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to pay bribes to a public official at the Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) in exchange for his official actions in connection with affordable housing development agreements worth more than $11,000,000. Hawaii (Big Island) attorney, Gary Charles Zamber, 56, of Keaau, Hawaii, was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Former Big Island businessman, Rajesh Pankaj Budhabhatti, 65, of Morro Bay, California, was sentenced to 90 months in prison. Former Big Island attorney, Paul Joseph Sulla, 79, of Hilo, Hawaii, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
On June 4, 2025, a jury in the District of Hawaii convicted Sulla, Zamber, and Budhabhatti on all counts of a superseding indictment. The three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and nine counts of honest services wire fraud for their roles in a scheme to bribe Alan Scott Rudo, a Housing Specialist at the OHCD. Sulla was also convicted of money laundering.
“This wasn’t just corruption – it was a calculated betrayal of the very community the defendants were supposed to serve,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of building homes for struggling families looking for an onramp to a better life, the defendants built a scheme to enrich themselves, paying millions in bribes and kickbacks while pretending to help those in need. That kind of greed doesn’t just break the law – it erodes trust, damages institutions, robs honest businesses of opportunities and harms American citizens. The Criminal Division is committed to pursuing those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.”
“Driven by greed, the defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the Hawaiian community, diverting millions in much needed affordable housing resources intended to benefit Hawaii County’s poor and disadvantaged into the defendants’ own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “Public corruption undermines faith in our institutions and will not be tolerated. We pledge to hold accountable those who seek to victimize the people of Hawaii by compromising our public officials and institutions for their own greed and personal gain.”
“This sentencing marks another step toward accountability for those who pollute the integrity of our government institutions with bribes and kickbacks,” said Special Agent in Charge David Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “The defendants’ criminal schemes amounted to more than bribery and fraud — they stole opportunities from Big Island families and our community as a whole. The FBI, alongside our partners, will never stop working to pursue those who undermine the public’s trust and weaken the foundations of our community through corruption and deceit.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sulla, Zamber, and Budhabhatti conspired to pay bribes and kickbacks to Rudo in exchange for Rudo’s agreement to use his official position to ensure that Hawaii County approved three affordable housing agreements (AHAs) benefitting the defendants’ development companies, Luna Loa Developments, LLC, West View Developments, LLC and Plumeria at Waikoloa, LLC. Although the defendants promised in the AHAs to build affordable housing for the citizens of Hawaii County, their development companies never built a single unit. Through the AHAs, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $11,000,000 worth of land and excess affordable housing credits (AHCs). From that amount, the defendants paid or attempted to pay Rudo approximately $1,931,778 in bribes and kickbacks.
Sulla was sentenced on April 23. Zamber and Budhabhatti were sentenced on January 30 and February 6, respectively. Rudo, who pleaded guilty and testified at trial, will be sentenced at a later date. Zamber’s and Sulla’s law licenses are currently suspended, prohibiting them from practicing law in Hawaii.
The FBI Honolulu Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Margaret Nammar and Trial Attorney William J. Gullotta of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section prosecuted the case.
Businessman and Two Attorneys Sentenced for Their Roles in Multimillion Dollar Scheme to Bribe Hawaii County Public OfficialRead the Press Release
Three men have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to pay bribes to a public official at the Hawaii County Office of Housing and Community Development (OHCD) in exchange for his official actions in connection with affordable housing development agreements worth more than $11,000,000. Hawaii (Big Island) attorney, Gary Charles Zamber, 56, of Keaau, Hawaii, was sentenced to 70 months in prison. Former Big Island businessman, Rajesh Pankaj Budhabhatti, 65, of Morro Bay, California, was sentenced to 90 months in prison. Former Big Island attorney, Paul Joseph Sulla, 79, of Hilo, Hawaii, was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
On June 4, 2025, a jury in the District of Hawaii convicted Sulla, Zamber, and Budhabhatti on all counts of a superseding indictment. The three defendants were charged with conspiracy to commit honest services wire fraud and nine counts of honest services wire fraud for their roles in a scheme to bribe Alan Scott Rudo, a Housing Specialist at the OHCD. Sulla was also convicted of money laundering.
“This wasn’t just corruption – it was a calculated betrayal of the very community the defendants were supposed to serve,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Instead of building homes for struggling families looking for an onramp to a better life, the defendants built a scheme to enrich themselves, paying millions in bribes and kickbacks while pretending to help those in need. That kind of greed doesn’t just break the law – it erodes trust, damages institutions, robs honest businesses of opportunities and harms American citizens. The Criminal Division is committed to pursuing those who abuse positions of trust for personal gain.”
“Driven by greed, the defendants sought to enrich themselves at the expense of the Hawaiian community, diverting millions in much needed affordable housing resources intended to benefit Hawaii County’s poor and disadvantaged into the defendants’ own pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “Public corruption undermines faith in our institutions and will not be tolerated. We pledge to hold accountable those who seek to victimize the people of Hawaii by compromising our public officials and institutions for their own greed and personal gain.”
“This sentencing marks another step toward accountability for those who pollute the integrity of our government institutions with bribes and kickbacks,” said Special Agent in Charge David Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “The defendants’ criminal schemes amounted to more than bribery and fraud — they stole opportunities from Big Island families and our community as a whole. The FBI, alongside our partners, will never stop working to pursue those who undermine the public’s trust and weaken the foundations of our community through corruption and deceit.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Sulla, Zamber, and Budhabhatti conspired to pay bribes and kickbacks to Rudo in exchange for Rudo’s agreement to use his official position to ensure that Hawaii County approved three affordable housing agreements (AHAs) benefitting the defendants’ development companies, Luna Loa Developments LLC, West View Developments, LLC and Plumeria at Waikoloa LLC. Although the defendants promised in the AHAs to build affordable housing for the citizens of Hawaii County, their development companies never built a single unit. Through the AHAs, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $11,000,000 worth of land and excess affordable housing credits (AHCs). From that amount, the defendants paid or attempted to pay Rudo approximately $1,931,778 in bribes and kickbacks.
Sulla was sentenced on April 23. Zamber and Budhabhatti were sentenced on Jan. 30 and Feb. 6, respectively. Rudo, who pleaded guilty and testified at trial, will be sentenced at a later date. Zamber’s and Sulla’s law licenses are currently suspended, prohibiting them from practicing law in Hawaii.
The FBI Honolulu Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney William J. Gullotta of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mohammad Khatib and Margaret Nammar for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Michael Bailey, 37, of Beckley, was sentenced today to one year and 11 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 22, 2024, Bailey sold approximately 57 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $480 to a confidential informant in Beckley.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-66.
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April Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2025-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Roberto Angul-Iribe. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms. Roberto Angulo-Iribe, 55, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jolly is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-152
Kevon Aldair Bautista-Marin. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Bautista-Marin, 29, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being removed in August 2016, November 2020, November 2022, and May 2023. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-144
Leonel Cruz Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Cruz Perez, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being removed in October 2011 and August 2015. Further, Cruz Perez is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Buscemi is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-146
Daniel Estrada. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Estrada, 28, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-145
Michael Emilio Gonzalez. Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute. Emilio Gonzalez, 18, of Catoosa, is charged with knowingly possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-153
Perfecto Alejandro Lopez Carrera; Cristian Bernardo Zamora. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Lopez Carrera, 33, a Guatemalan national, and Bernardo Zamora, 26, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from February 2026 through March 2026. They are additionally charged with knowingly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lopez Carrera is further charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-140
Michael Keith Meeks. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition. Meeks, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore and Valeria Luster are prosecuting the case. 26-CR-154
Kevin Allen Pilon. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Pilon, 31, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-147
Arturo Uribe. Felon in Possession of Firearms and Ammunition; Possession of Stolen Firearms. Uribe, 29, of Commerce, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. Further, he is charged with knowingly being in possession of several stolen firearms. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Quapaw Nation Marshal Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the Miami Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Flynn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-141
Ramiro Vergara Urquiza. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Vergara Urquiza, 52, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. He is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after previously being removed in March 2023. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-142
Charles Alan Walker*. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography. Walker, 41, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is charged with knowingly attempting to coerce a minor child to engage in a sexually explicit activity. He is additionally charged with attempting to receive images of children being sexually abused. Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-143
*Charles Alan Walker was tried by a federal jury in July 2026 and acquitted of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Attempted Receipt of Child Pornography.
Anchorage man sentenced to 7 years for robbing two banks in 24 hoursRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison for robbing two banks last year.
According to court documents, on Sept. 16, 2025, Ezekiel Thomas, 38, was released on bail in several pending state cases, including a bank robbery in Bethel.
In the afternoon of Sept. 18, a man entered a bank in Anchorage and gave a demand note to a bank employee. The note implied people would be hurt if the employee did not provide money. The employee gave him $590, and the man left the bank.
The next day, agents with the FBI Anchorage Field Office received a call from the Palmer Police Department regarding a robbery at a bank in Palmer. Officers detained the bank robber and believed he was the same subject from the Anchorage bank robbery that occurred a day prior. Law enforcement identified the subject as Thomas.
According to court documents, the day of the robbery, Thomas entered the Palmer bank and gave an intimidating note to a bank employee. The employee gave Thomas roughly $2,270 and he left the bank before being detained by Palmer law enforcement.
“Mr. Thomas is a career criminal that chose to brazenly rob two banks while out on state bail over a span of 24-hours,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Thank you to Palmer Police Department for their swift response that resulted in Mr. Thomas’ arrest, and to the FBI for their diligent investigation that brought this reoffender to justice.”
“Spanning multiple communities in Alaska, Mr. Thomas carried out these bank robberies while he was already on state probation for a prior bank robbery conviction. His crimes demonstrate a blatant disregard for the law and for the safety of others,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Schlegel of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Following a collaborative investigation with local law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, this sentence reflects our shared commitment to public safety and holding repeat offenders like Mr. Thomas accountable.”
The FBI Anchorage Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from Palmer Police Department and the Anchorage Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley prosecuted the case.
Thursday 23 April 2026
York County Man Sentenced to 12 Months' Probation for Filing False Income Tax Returns That Omitted More Than $13 Million in Income from Digital Artwork SalesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Waylon Wilcox, age 46, of Dillsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 12 months' probation and a fine of $150,000 by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for filing false individual income tax returns. Previously, in 2025, Wilcox paid the IRS $3,305,238 in tax due and owing to the United States plus $981,583.30 in interest.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Wilcox filed a false individual income tax return for tax year 2021 that underreported his income for tax year 2021 by approximately $8,511,238 and reduced Wilcox’s tax then due and owing by approximately $2,180,452. On October 10, 2023, in Cumberland County, Wilcox filed a false individual income tax return for tax year 2022 that underreported Wilcox’s income for tax year 2022 by approximately $4,599,532 and reduced Wilcox’s tax then due and owing by approximately $1,098,623.
Wilcox obtained most of this unreported income after acquiring and selling 97 pieces of digital artwork from the “CryptoPunks” collection of 10,000 unique art characters. Individual pieces from the digital artwork collection were referred to as “Punks.”
Each Punk was unique and contained digital proof of ownership that could be tracked on a blockchain, a digitally distributed, decentralized, public ledger. Two Punks from the same blockchain could look identical but were not interchangeable, meaning they were non-fungible. These so-called “non-fungible tokens” (or NFTs) could be traded and sold for money or cryptocurrency.
In 2021, Wilcox sold approximately 62 Punks for a total of approximately $7,402,935. In 2022, Wilcox sold approximately 35 Punks for a total of approximately $4,899,180. When a taxpayer sells an NFT, including a Punk, then the taxpayer must report sales proceeds and any gains or losses from the sale of the NFT on their tax return.
“When a U.S. taxpayer deliberately falsifies a tax return, it undermines the integrity of our tax system and contributes to the tax gap that impacts every American,” stated Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office. “In this case, Wilcox made millions from the sale of NFTs but willfully evaded paying the taxes he owed. Working alongside our partners at the Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement, we are able to uncover complex schemes involving digital assets and hold offenders accountable. Let this case serve as a warning – whether income is earned through traditional employment or the sale of digital assets, all taxpayers are required to report their earnings and pay their fair share.”
The J5 is an international coalition that includes the Australian Taxation Office, the Canada Revenue Agency, the Dutch Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service, His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs from the United Kingdom, and IRS-CI from the United States. The investigation stemmed from a lead generated during the J5’s 2022 Cyber Challenge, which focused on NFTs. The J5 Cyber Challenge is an annual exercise where member agencies collaborate with partners to identify and develop investigative leads, analyze complex financial and cryptocurrency-related threats, and enhance joint operational capabilities to combat transnational financial crimes.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph J. Terz prosecuted the case.
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West Hartford Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that NELSON ALEJANDRO-CAPO, 37, of West Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 144 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for trafficking cocaine.
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.
Investigators identified 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 two kilograms of cocaine on September 24, 2024, and approximately four kilograms of cocaine on October 12, 2024.
Ortiz and several other members of this 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.
Alejandro-Capo was arrested on November 22, 2024. On December 17, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Alejandro-Capo has been detained since February 6, 2026, when his bond was revoked.
Ortiz and O-Farrill-Fernandez pleaded guilty and are currently serving prison terms of 135 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.
Viva Grocery Store Owner and Former Sacramento City Councilmember Pleads Guilty for His Role in Multiple Fraudulent SchemesRead the Press Release
loloee_plea_agreement.pdfSACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shahriar “Sean” Loloee, 55, of Granite Bay, pleaded guilty today to three fraud schemes he perpetrated as the owner and operator of Viva Supermarket, a Sacramento-area supermarket chain, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to the plea agreement, Loloee pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to obstruct a Department of Labor investigation, one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, three counts of filing false tax returns, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering.
Obstruction of Department of Labor Investigation: On three occasions between 2008 and 2020, the U.S. Department of Labor investigated Viva Supermarket stores for labor practices. Loloee and other co-conspirators were aware that many of the supermarket staff did not have authorization to work legally in the United States. Loloee and others took steps to discourage employees from complying with the investigations, including by directing them to lie about aspects of their employment. Additionally, to avoid revealing the extent of the undocumented staff, and in an effort to reduce the amount of back wages Viva Supermarket owed those workers, Loloee provided an employee list to DOL, knowing that many of the hire dates on the list were falsified to a later date. He also gave false statements to DOL about the company’s history of paying employees off the books.
Defrauding the IRS: Loloee used irregular payment methods that allowed him to underreport both his federal payroll tax and his own personal income tax. He, together with his co-conspirators, maintained two sets of books—one that was used to submit filings to the IRS and one that was dubbed “Excess Payroll” and used internally to track hidden payments to undocumented workers and others including to himself. Over time, the form of theses hidden payments included cash and an in-house check system called “Green Checks” that were redeemable only at the Viva stores. By using the second set of books, Loloee and his co-conspirators caused a tax loss of approximately $200,000 to the IRS. Loloee also avoided an individual tax liability of approximately $32,103 by not reporting wages he paid himself.
Fraudulent SBA Loans and Money Laundering: In the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Small Business Administration offered a relief program, the Restaurant Revitalization Fund. In May 2021 Loloee fraudulently applied for $2.2 million in COVID-19 relief from the Fund and received $1.2 million. After receiving the $1.2 million, Loloee initiated the laundering of funds with 10 checks all bearing the same issue date of June 18, 2021, and then moving the money through multiple accounts he controlled. Loloee completed the laundering with three bank transfers totaling $949,900 to a trust account in the name of one of his family members. Loloee’s purpose in undertaking this movement of money was to hide that the source of the funds was the pandemic relief fraud scheme he had executed.
This case is the product of an investigation by the IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath, Matthew Thuesen, and Sam Stefanki are prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated with the assistance of the Tax Recovery in the Underground Economy (TRUE) Task Force includes the California Department of Justice, the California Employment Development Department, the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, the Franchise Tax Board, the IRS Criminal Investigation and HSI. The TRUE Task Force was created to ensure multi-agency collaboration and to combat wage theft, tax evasion, and other crimes in the underground economy.
Loloee is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 15, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley. Loloee faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for conspiracy to defraud the Department of Labor, to commit immigration document fraud, and to obstruct justice; 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for conspiracy to defraud the IRS; three years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000 for a filing a false tax return; 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for wire fraud; 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 for money laundering. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Sacramento residents Karla Montoya, Mirwais Shams, and Ahmad “Shah” Shams are scheduled to go to trial on Sept. 28, 2026. Montoya is charged with conspiracy to defraud the DOL, possession of false immigration documents, and obstruction of agency proceeding. Mirwais Shams and Ahmad Shams are charged with conspiracy to defraud the IRS and filing false tax returns. Ahmad Shams is additionally charged with perjury. The charges against them are only allegations; they are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Vinita Man Convicted by Federal Jury for Raping a 16-Year-OldRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – After a three-day jury trial, a federal jury returned a guilty verdict convicting a Vinita man after he raped a 16-year-old in November 2025.
Garret Lee Monroe, 37, of Vinita and a member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe of Wyoming, was convicted of Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force in Indian Country.
On November 30, 2025, Vinita Police officers were dispatched to a fight in progress. When officers arrived, they broke up a fight between Monroe and another man. Officers spoke with the man, who stated that he was contacted by the 16-year-old minor victim, who asked him to come home as soon as possible, because something bad had happened. The man explained that the minor victim told him that Monroe had strangled and raped her and threatened to kill her. The man confronted Monroe for raping the minor victim and a fight ensued.
Officers then spoke with the 16-year-old minor victim. She told officers that Monroe woke her up in the middle of the night by covering her mouth and strangling her. When the minor victim testified, she explained to the jury that while Monroe was strangling her, she could not breathe and thought she was going to die. She began screaming and Monroe put a knife to her throat and threatened to kill her. Monroe then proceeded to rape the minor victim. After he was finished, Monroe told the victim he was afraid he was “gonna go to prison” and offered to pay the victim $500 a week not to tell anyone.
When the SANE nurse testified, she went through her detailed reports and explained to the jury what the minor victim
stated at the hospital. The nurse took DNA swabs and photographed the 16-year-old’s injuries. The photographs were shown to the jury, including photos of bruises and abrasions to her neck and of the petechiae in the victim’s eyes and on her face caused by the strangulation.During the trial, a DNA expert with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation confirmed that the swabs taken from the minor victim matched the victim and Monroe’s DNA.
Court dockets show that Monroe is a prior felon and was previously convicted of serious offenses, including assault and battery on an officer, assault and battery with a deadly weapon, and robbery. When Monroe was sentenced in 2007 for robbery, he was sentenced to 20 years in the Department of Corrections, with 16 years suspended. Monroe did not comply with the terms of his release. His suspended sentence was revoked. The court docket shows that he was released seven months prior to the rape.
The FBI, the Vinita Police Department, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stacey Todd and Blithe Cravens prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted 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 U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal 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.
United States Attorney’s Office Announces Recipients of Victims Services AwardsRead the Press Release
As part of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 19–25, 2026, United States Attorney Leif Olson announced the recipients of awards for outstanding work in service to victims of crime.
Receiving the Victim Services Award is Sarah Harms, victim-witness coordinator of the Statewide Prosecution Section of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Receiving the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award are Deputy Erin Bennett, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Holly Witt, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; and Detective Christopher Wuebker, Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office.
The Award for Victim Services honors individuals or groups working in a victim-service role. The Law Enforcement Victim Services Award is the highest federal honor for victim services presented to law-enforcement officers in Iowa.
“These recipients are heroes,” said Olson. “Victims and their families don’t ask to be made part of our criminal-justice system, but the system can’t succeed without their help. Ensuring that they are safe, respected, and understood throughout investigation and trial is crucial to making sure that justice is done. Deputy Wuebker, Deputy Bennett, Special Agent Witt, and Ms. Harms are role models, going above and beyond even the high standards of the local, state, and federal law-enforcement and victim-services teams serving Iowans every day.”
Detective Christopher Wuebker, Winneshiek County Sheriff’s Office. Detective Wuebker receives the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award for his work investigating a cold case involving a missing 15-year-old victim, Jade Colvin. Detective Wuebker coordinated a multi-agency investigation that spent countless hours putting together a case that resulted in a second-degree murder conviction.
Detective Wuebker’s investigation began after the U.S. Marshal’s Service determined that Jade had last been seen in Winneshiek County in 2017. She was in Winneshiek County for only five days and was never seen again. Detective Wuebker worked with the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to conduct interviews all over the country after identifying a suspect who was living in Georgia, James David Bachmurski, Sr, and finding evidence linking him to Jade. Bachmurski had moved from Winneshiek County and left behind a cell phone that was recovered during the investigation. Information from that cell phone put Jade at Bachmurski’s home and provided photos and text messages that showed her last few days were spent with Bachmurski. Deputy Wuebker did not just organize and analyze a tremendous amount of information to make the case against Bachmurski. He also connected with Jade’s family members, who were spread across the country, doing so even before charges were filed and keeping them updated on the status of the case. His communication with the family facilitated not only their cooperation, but also their commitment to pursuing justice for Jade.
Deputy Erin Bennett, Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent Holly Witt, Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation; Sarah Harms, Statewide Prosecutions Section, Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Deputy Bennett and Special Agent Witt receive the Law Enforcement Victim Services Award and Harms receives the Award for Victim Services for their work leading to the successful arrest of two predatory criminals alleged to have sexually abused a vulnerable young girl over a period of time.
Deputy Bennett began investigating when the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office received a report that a vulnerable 18-year-old girl was being sexually abused. When she asked the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation to assist, Special Agent Witt joined the investigation. Over several months, they built a case while building a close rapport with the victim. As a result of their work, the mother and mother’s boyfriend were arrested and charged with Human Trafficking, Kidnapping in the First Degree, Sex Abuse in the Second Degree, and Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. Harms was assigned as the victim-witness coordinator on the criminal case and immediately began supporting the victim and providing her with necessary resources.
When the victim signed herself out of the out-of-state residential facility where she had been placed, the team became concerned that she was again being victimized. They contacted local law enforcement while Harms travelled to the victim’s location. Thanks to their strong relationship with the victim, they were able to assist the local law-enforcement officers with calming and reassuring her while they arrested the man with whom she was found, and Harms remained on the phone with the victim for the duration of her trip to the site. Harms then accompanied the victim to a local hospital to support her during a sexual-abuse exam, and Special Agent Witt travelled to pick up the victim from the hospital to transport her personally to Des Moines (and stay with her overnight) so the victim would not have to suffer yet another lengthy, traumatic interaction with a stranger. Harms, Deputy Bennett, Special Agent Witt, continue to make sure the victim is getting the services and resources she needs while the criminal cases against those accused of abusing her are pending.
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U.S. Soldier Charged with Using Classified Information to Profit from Prediction Market BetsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging Gannon Ken Van Dyke, a U.S. Army soldier, with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction. The charges arise from an alleged scheme in which Van Dyke used sensitive classified information to make wagers on Polymarket, a prediction marketplace. As alleged in the indictment, Van Dyke participated in the planning and execution of the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, called “Operation Absolute Resolve,” and Van Dyke used his access to classified information about that operation to personally profit. Van Dyke will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York.
“Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply.”
“Today’s announcement makes clear no one is above the law, and this FBI will do whatever it takes to defend the homeland and safeguard our nation’s secrets,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable.”
“Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “The defendant allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government by using classified information about a sensitive military operation to place bets on the timing and outcome of that very operation, all to turn a profit. That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law. Those entrusted to safeguard our nation’s secrets have a duty to protect them and our armed service members, and not to use that information for personal financial gain. Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who misuse confidential or classified information in a way that undermines and exploits our national security.”
“Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly betrayed his fellow soldiers by utilizing classified information for his own financial gain,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. “Van Dyke profited more than $400,000 by trading various outcomes related to Venezuela after learning of the operation because of his role as a U.S. Army soldier. The FBI will continue to investigate threats to our nation's security especially from those entrusted to safeguard sensitive classified information and military operations.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court, Van Dyke has been an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Bragg, a military base located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In connection with his work, Van Dyke signed nondisclosure agreements in which he promised to “never divulge, publish, or reveal by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise . . . any classified or sensitive information” relating to military operations. Starting around Dec. 8, 2025, and continuing through at least Jan. 6, Van Dyke was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, a military operation to capture Maduro, and had access to sensitive, nonpublic, classified information about that operation.
In 2025, Polymarket, a prediction marketplace operated by Blockratize Inc., began offering binary event contracts related to whether certain events involving Venezuela and/or Maduro would, or would not, occur. Those event contracts included the future likelihood of “US forces in Venezuela by” certain dates, the future likelihood of Maduro being “out” of or removed from power by certain dates, the future likelihood of the U.S. invading Venezuela by on or before Jan. 31, and the future likelihood of President Trump “invoking War Powers against Venezuela” by a certain date.
As alleged, on or about Dec. 26, 2025, Van Dyke created a Polymarket account, funded it, and began trading on Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets. In total, Van Dyke made approximately 13 bets from Dec. 27, 2025, through the evening of Jan. 26. Those bets all took the “YES” position on “U.S. Forces in Venezuela . . . by January 31, 2026”; “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026”; “Will the U.S. invade Venezuela by . . . January 31,”; or “Trump invokes War Powers against Venezuela by . . . January 31.” Van Dyke bet a total of approximately $33,034 on those outcomes while in possession of classified nonpublic information about Operation Absolute Resolve.
In the predawn hours of Jan. 3, the U.S. apprehended Maduro and his wife at a residence in Caracas, Venezuela, and hours later the President of the United States announced the successful operation. Following the President’s public announcement, Polymarket resolved several Maduro- and Venezuela-related contracts to “YES,” including the markets “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026,” and “US forces in Venezuela by . . . January 31, 2026.” As a result, Van Dyke won his wagers on those contracts. In total, Van Dyke allegedly profited approximately $409,881.
Following his successful trading relating to Maduro- and Venezuela-related contracts, Van Dyke allegedly sent most of his proceeds to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before depositing them into a newly created online brokerage account. The same day of the operation, Van Dyke withdrew the majority of his allegedly unlawful proceeds from his Polymarket account. Shortly after the announcement of Operation Absolute Resolve, reports of unusual trading in Maduro-related contracts on Polymarket appeared in the press and on social media. Van Dyke then took steps to conceal his identity as the trader in the Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets. On or about January 6, 2026, for example, Van Dyke asked Polymarket to delete his Polymarket account, falsely claiming that he had lost access to the email address to which the account had been associated. That same day, Van Dyke changed the email registered to his cryptocurrency exchange account to an email address that was not subscribed to in his name, and which he had created on or about Dec. 14, 2025.
Van Dyke, 38, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of an unlawful monetary transaction, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, Ryan B. Finkel, and Juliana N. Murray for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Acting Deputy Chief Tanner Kroeger and Trial Attorney Eli Ross of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence & Export Control Section.
U.S. Soldier Charged with Using Classified Information to Profit from Prediction Market BetsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Acting Attorney General for the United States, Todd Blanche, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Kash Patel, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging GANNON KEN VAN DYKE, a U.S. Army Soldier, with unlawful use of confidential government information for personal gain, theft of nonpublic government information, commodities fraud, wire fraud, and making an unlawful monetary transaction. The charges arise from an alleged scheme in which VAN DYKE used sensitive classified information to make wagers on Polymarket, a prediction marketplace. As alleged in the Indictment, VAN DYKE participated in the planning and execution of the U.S. military operation to capture Nicolás Maduro, called “Operation Absolute Resolve,” and VAN DYKE used his access to classified information about that operation to personally profit. VAN DYKE will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian S. Meyers in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Margaret M. Garnett in the Southern District of New York.
“Prediction markets are not a haven for using misappropriated confidential or classified information for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The defendant allegedly violated the trust placed in him by the United States Government by using classified information about a sensitive military operation to place bets on the timing and outcome of that very operation, all to turn a profit. That is clear insider trading and is illegal under federal law. Those entrusted to safeguard our nation’s secrets have a duty to protect them and our armed service members, and not to use that information for personal financial gain. Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who misuse confidential or classified information in a way that undermines and exploits our national security.”
“Our men and women in uniform are trusted with classified information in order to accomplish their mission as safely and effectively as possible, and are prohibited from using this highly sensitive information for personal financial gain,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Widespread access to prediction markets is a relatively new phenomenon, but federal laws protecting national security information fully apply.”
“Today’s announcement makes clear no one is above the law, and this FBI will do whatever it takes to defend the homeland and safeguard our nation’s secrets,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Any clearance holders thinking of cashing in their access and knowledge for personal gain will be held accountable.”
“Gannon Ken Van Dyke allegedly betrayed his fellow soldiers by utilizing classified information for his own financial gain,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Van Dyke profited more than $400,000 by trading various outcomes related to Venezuela after learning of the operation because of his role as a U.S. Army soldier. The FBI will continue to investigate threats to our nation's security especially from those entrusted to safeguard sensitive classified information and military operations.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]
VAN DYKE has been an active-duty soldier in the U.S. Army, stationed at Fort Bragg, a military base located in Fayetteville, North Carolina. In connection with his work, VAN DYKE signed nondisclosure agreements in which he promised to “never divulge, publish, or reveal by writing, words, conduct, or otherwise . . . any classified or sensitive information” relating to military operations. Starting around December 8, 2025, and continuing through at least January 6, 2026, VAN DYKE was involved in the planning and execution of Operation Absolute Resolve, a military operation to capture Maduro, and had access to sensitive, nonpublic, classified information about that operation.
In 2025, Polymarket, a prediction marketplace operated by Blockratize, Inc., began offering binary event contracts related to whether certain events involving Venezuela and/or Maduro would, or would not, occur. Those event contracts included the future likelihood of “US forces in Venezuela by” certain dates, the future likelihood of Maduro being “out” of or removed from power by certain dates, the future likelihood of the U.S. invading Venezuela by on or before January 31, 2026, and the future likelihood of President Trump “invokeing War Powers against Venezuela” by a certain date.
As alleged, on or about December 26, 2025, VAN DYKE created a Polymarket account, funded it, and began trading on Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets. In total, VAN DYKE made approximately 13 bets from December 27, 2025, through the evening of January 2, 2026. Those bets all took the “YES” position on “U.S. Forces in Venezuela . . . by January 31, 2026”; “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026”; “Will the U.S. invade Venezuela by . . . January 31,”; or “Trump invokes War Powers against Venezuela by . . . January 31.” VAN DYKE bet a total of approximately $33,034 on those outcomes while in possession of classified nonpublic information about Operation Absolute Resolve.
In the predawn hours of January 3, 2026, U.S. special forces apprehended Maduro and his wife at a residence in Caracas, Venezuela, and hours later the President of the United States announced the successful operation. Following the President’s public announcement, Polymarket resolved several Maduro- and Venezuela-related contracts to “YES,” including the markets “Maduro out by . . . January 31, 2026,” and “US forces in Venezuela by . . . January 31, 2026.” As a result, VAN DYKE won his wagers on those contracts. In total, VAN DYKE allegedly profited approximately $409,881.
Following his successful trading relating to Maduro- and Venezuela-related contracts, VAN DYKE allegedly sent most of his proceeds to a foreign cryptocurrency vault before depositing them into a newly created online brokerage account. The same day of the operation, VAN DYKE withdrew the majority of his allegedly unlawful proceeds from his Polymarket account. Shortly after the announcement of Operation Absolute Resolve, reports of unusual trading in Maduro-related contracts on Polymarket appeared in the press and on social media. VAN DYKE then took steps to conceal his identity as the trader in the Maduro- and Venezuela-related markets. On or about January 6, 2026, for example, VAN DYKE asked Polymarket to delete his Polymarket account, falsely claiming that he had lost access to the email address to which the account had been associated. That same day, VAN DYKE changed the email registered to his cryptocurrency exchange account to an email address that was not subscribed to in his name, and which he had created on or about December 14, 2025.
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VAN DYKE, 38, of Fayetteville, North Carolina, is charged with three counts of violating the Commodity Exchange Act, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of an unlawful monetary transaction, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the United States Department of War, and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. Mr. Clayton also acknowledged Polymarket’s cooperation in this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo, Ryan B. Finkel, and Juliana N. Murray are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Acting Deputy Chief Tanner Kroeger and Trial Attorney Eli Ross of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence & Export Control Section.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.