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Wednesday 15 April 2026
Prior felon pleads guilty to drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Robert L. Robinson, 50, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of firearms, which carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
According to the plea agreement, on June 7, 2024, the Erie County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Robinson’s Sterling Avenue residence, during which approximately 125 grams of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, two firearms, ammunition, and $35,869.00 in cash were seized. Robinson was taken into custody following the search warrant execution. Robinson was previously convicted of felony crimes in 2003 and 2011 and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 21, 2026, before Judge Sinatra.
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Poplar man pleads guilty to sending obscene material to minorRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - A Poplar man accused of sending obscene pictures and videos to a minor admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Benjamin George Walkingeagle, Sr., 40, pleaded guilty to one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor. Walkingeagle faces 10 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for August 12, 2026. Walkingeagle was released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in October 2023, the FBI investigated Walkingeagle for transferring obscene material to a minor after a 14-year-old female, Jane Doe, reported he was sending her sexual messages. Doe was forensically interviewed and confirmed Walkingeagle sent her pictures and videos over Facebook. She no longer had the messages but provided law enforcement with screenshots. The messages show sexually explicit messages, including what appears to be a picture of male genitalia. The actual image was covered up by the victim, but it is consistent with an image of the genitalia of the photographer. In a 2025 interview with the FBI, Walkingeagle admitted he sent Jane Doe a picture of his genitalia that he took in his bedroom.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Glasgow Police Department 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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Pickaway County man pleads guilty to federal gun, drug crimes involving multiple kilograms of narcotics seized from Hilliard hotelRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pickaway County man pleaded guilty in federal court here today after investigators seized 18 firearms, tens of thousands of dollars in cash and bulk amounts of narcotics from his Hilliard hotel room in October 2025.
Samuel A. Griffith, 35, of Ashville, Ohio, admitted guilt in six federal drug and gun crimes. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
According to court documents, in October 2025, Griffith sold fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine from a hotel room at the Red Roof Inn in Hilliard. When agents executed a search warrant in the hotel room, they discovered more than four kilograms of methamphetamine, 800 grams of fentanyl, a partial kilogram of cocaine, numerous firearms and nearly $40,000 in cash.
Griffith has prior felony convictions for robbery, aggravated possession of drugs and having weapons under disability. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
Specifically, Griffith pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and illegally possessing a firearm as a felon.
Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
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); Fairfield County Sheriff Alex Lape; Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones and Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin W. Kelley is representing the United States in this case.
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 17½ Years in Prison for Violent Home Invasion Robberies Targeting Business Owners and EmployeesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Ali Chandler, 30, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $60,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for two violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and employees.
Chandler and co-defendant Abdullah Hartage were charged by superseding indictment in October 2022. Both pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to commit robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of committing or threatening physical violence in furtherance of a plan or purpose to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Hartage was sentenced in January to 18 years in prison.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on November 13, 2021, Chandler, Hartage, and others met at their intended victims’ area business and waited outside until closing time, when the owners and their adult daughter left. The robbers, who had conducted prior surveillance to determine where the family lived, then drove to the residence, arriving before the victims.
When the victims opened their garage and parked inside, the four perpetrators, armed with handguns, stormed in. One of the gunmen struck the 61-year-old male victim several times in the head, causing injuries, and forced him to the ground. Another gunman forced the business owners’ daughter to the ground at gunpoint, and yet another perpetrator forced the 65-year-old female victim from the garage into the home at gunpoint, striking her several times in the head and causing injuries. After the home’s security alarm sounded, the perpetrators fled, taking the daughter’s backpack, which contained her credit/debit cards and ID.
In the next robbery, committed on December 4, 2021, Chandler, Hartage, and others targeted an employee of an area store. They had spent weeks casing the store, following the victim home and identifying her house. On the night of the robbery, the perpetrators again arrived ahead of the victim. Within minutes of the victim arriving home, three armed men broke in, one telling her “I know where you work.”
The 68-year-old victim was zip-tied to a chair and pistol whipped in the face, causing head injuries, including a gash requiring stitches and a concussion. The perpetrators made off with a safe containing cash, coins, and jewelry.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Montgomery Township Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty.
Peoria Man Pleads Guilty to Fraudulently Obtaining $1.8 Million in Tax RefundsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Leslie Victor Gentry, 54, of Peoria, Arizona, pleaded guilty on April 8 to Filing False Claims for Refund. Sentencing is scheduled for July 13, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Susan M. Brnovich.
According to the plea agreement, Gentry knowingly prepared and submitted 14 false Form 941 tax returns for tax years 2020 and 2021. Gentry filed the tax returns on behalf of two businesses that he and his wife owned, but that were not in operation during that time. The tax returns claimed false COVID-related tax credits based on fictitious wages paid to fictitious employees. Gentry admitted that, in reality, the companies did not have any employees and did not pay any of the reported wages. Through the false filings, Gentry fraudulently sought and received more than $1.8 million in COVID-related tax credits.
A conviction for Filing False Claims for Refund carries a maximum term of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and restitution to the IRS.
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.
IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-00263
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-061_Gentry
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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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced to Nearly 14 Years in Prison for Role in $2 Million Fraud Scheme Against the Federal GovernmentRead the Press Release
Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson and Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Atlanta Field Office, announced the sentencing of a York, Pennsylvania woman for her role in a scheme that defrauded the United States government of more than $2 million.
On April 15, 2026, a federal judge sentenced 45-year-old Queen Naja, also known as Renata Winifred Ince and Naja Talibah Zahir, to 165 months in prison for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. In addition to her term of imprisonment, the court ordered Naja to serve three years of supervised release following her release from prison. The court also ordered restitution in the amount of $2,065,797.26.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in April 2021, Naja contacted co-conspirator Quentin Diego Sturgeon of Montgomery, Alabama, through social media with a plan to fraudulently obtain funds from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The scheme involved creating a legal trust, submitting false tax documents, and filing a fraudulent payment in order to generate a refund to which the conspirators were not entitled. As a result, the IRS issued a U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $1,010,561.26.
Sturgeon previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and money laundering and was sentenced on August 26, 2025, to 12 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $1,010,561 in restitution jointly with Naja.
In addition to Queen Naja’s scheme with Sturgeon, the court determined that her criminal activity included filing false returns and fraudulent payments on behalf of herself and other individuals. Specifically, the court ordered her to pay restitution for $1,055,236.12 in refunds issued to Queen Naja’s mother as a result of Queen Naja’s fraudulent payments.
With part of the refund checks that her mother received, Queen Naja bought a house, where she lived for several years while continuing to commit her fraudulent activity. Between trial and sentencing, she listed that house and all its furniture for sale. IRS-CI obtained a seizure warrant for the proceeds of that sale, securing $214,010.42 for the government.
The court also determined that Queen Naja submitted numerous fraudulent payments to the IRS in an effort to obtain additional refunds. If Queen Naja’s efforts had been successful, she would have caused the IRS an additional $428,732,324.56 in losses.
“This defendant orchestrated a complex fraud scheme designed to exploit the United States government and steal taxpayer funds,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Crimes like this strike at the heart of our nation’s tax system and undermine public trust. Those who engage in this type of criminal conduct must be held accountable and face serious consequences.”
“With fabricated documents and a fraudulent refund request, Queen Naja sought to exploit the federal tax system for more than a million dollars.” said Special Agent in Charge Hardeman. “The special agents of IRS CI are committed to identifying and investigating individuals who deliberately attempt to misuse the tax system for personal gain.”
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) investigated this case with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted the case.
Panama City Felon Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Matthew Lee Keith, 41, of Panama City, Florida, was sentenced to seventeen years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping our communities safe requires us to remove serial offenders, like this defendant, from our streets for extended periods of time. My office is up to the task, and this successful prosecution is yet another win under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative. As President Donald J. Trump has made clear, the American people deserve safe, crime-free streets, and that is exactly what my office and our state and federal law enforcement partners will deliver with more cases like this.”
Court documents reflect that in August 2024, as part of an ongoing drug investigation, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle occupied by the defendant in Panama City, Florida. During the traffic stop, a trained K-9 unit alerted to the presence of drugs within the vehicle, and a subsequent search yielded fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, alprazolam, a loaded handgun, as well as other items indicative of drug distribution. The defendant is a serial felon with numerous prior felony convictions for crimes including tampering with a witness, carrying a concealed weapon, battery, trafficking methamphetamine, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of heroin, and possession of cocaine.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
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.
Orlando Man Sentenced to over Six Years for Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Involving COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Assistance BenefitsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Dexter Ray King (36, Orlando) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. to six years and three months in federal prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. The Court also ordered King to forfeit $549,375.50 in proceeds from his bank fraud scheme. A restitution hearing is scheduled for June 29, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
King was convicted on January 9, 2026, following a jury trial.
According to evidence presented at trial, during the COVID-19 pandemic, King filed dozens of fraudulent claims for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits across several states. For many of the claims, King used stolen identities of other people and fake addresses. Once the claims were approved, King changed the addresses on the claims to his Orlando, Florida apartment, ensuring that the debit cards containing the fraudulently obtained government benefits were mailed to him. He then used the debit cards to withdraw the money from the bank. King also filed fraudulent claims using his own name, but Social Security numbers that did not belong to him and had the resulting benefits direct deposited into his bank account. In total, King received over half a million dollars in fraud proceeds, which he spent on a new $77,000 SUV, a trip to Las Vegas, expensive restaurants, and luxury fashion brands.
This case was investigated by the Department Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General and the Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Andrejko.
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.
Orange County Man Charged with Enticing Multiple Minors to Engage in Illegal Sexual Activity and Multiple Child Sexual Abuse Material OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – Aaron Starbird (44, Orlando) has been charged by indictment with two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, one count of production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), four counts of receipt of CSAM, and one count of possession of CSAM. If convicted, Starbird faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, in 2025 Starbird became the target of an investigation by the Orange County Sheriff’s Office and Federal Bureau of Investigation when he began chatting with an undercover officer and expressed interest in engaging in sexual activity with minors. Starbird’s cellphone was seized as part of that investigation. A search of his device revealed that between 2021 and 2024, Starbird coerced and enticed two minor victims to engage in illegal sexual activity and attempted to entice another minor victim to do the same. For one of the minor victims, who was 14 years old at the time, Starbird made plans to meet with the minor, picked the minor up from the minor’s home, and took the minor back to Starbird’s residence, where they engaged in sexual acts. During this period, Starbird also induced another minor victim to produce CSAM, and Starbird received other CSAM on multiple occasions in connection with conversations Starbird had with others about engaging in sexual activity with minors.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ohio Man Sentenced to 16 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Device-Making EquipmentRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – An Ohio man was sentenced yesterday to 16 months in federal prison for illegally possessing credit card encoding devices.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 28, 2024, Sean Matthew Langston, Jr., 33, of Columbus, Ohio, was arrested in Rankin County following a traffic stop wherein he and his co-defendant, John Carleton Johnson, Jr., were found to be in possession of approximately 322 gift cards, seventeen reencoded instruments containing stolen bank card data, and two magstripe encoding devices. Langston and Johnson could be seen on CCTV footage at various retail stores throughout the Jackson metropolitan area purchasing gift cards with known cloned instruments.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Langston and Jonson on February 20, 2025. Langston pleaded guilty to one count of illegal possession, production, or trafficking in device-making equipment with intent to defraud on December 11, 2025. Johnson pleaded guilty to the same charge on June 30, 2025, and was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment on November 3, 2025. Both men were ordered to pay fines.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Glaze, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service, Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, and the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the Mississippi Highway Patrol and the Flowood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie prosecuted the case.
Nigerian and Georgia Men Charged in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme that Sought over $100M from the IRSRead the Press Release
Indictments were unsealed today in the Northern District of Georgia and the Western District of Texas charging a Georgia man and a resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and other crimes arising out of a scheme to defraud the IRS using stolen identities.
According to the indictment, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Abayomi Quadri Eletu, 42, of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, conspired together and with others to claim fraudulent tax refunds using the stolen identities of accountants and taxpayers. Over the course of their scheme, the co-conspirators allegedly filed more than 300 false tax returns claiming over $100 million in refunds from the IRS.
Between 2018 and 2023, Eletu, Raheem and others allegedly obtained identifying information for tax professionals and taxpayers, including their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer information. As part of the scheme, they changed the addresses of taxpayers to an address controlled by the co-conspirators, so the IRS would correspond with the co-conspirators instead of the taxpayers. They also submitted “change of address” requests to the U.S. Postal Service to cause the mail of some taxpayers to be forwarded to a co-conspirator’s address. Using the personal identifying information of others, Eletu, Raheem and their co-conspirators electronically filed tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds, then allegedly directed the IRS to split the refunds among several prepaid debit cards. Before issuing some of these tax refunds, the IRS sent verification letters to the addresses controlled by the co-conspirators, who, pretending to be the taxpayers, fraudulently verified the taxpayers’ identities and instructed the IRS to release the refunds.
Eletu allegedly directed Raheem and others to obtain prepaid debit cards to receive the anticipated fraudulent tax refunds. Once the refunds were deposited onto the prepaid debit cards, they laundered some of the funds by purchasing, among other things, money orders from U.S. Postal Offices and local stores in amounts low enough to avoid reporting thresholds. They also used the money orders to purchase used cars from auction sites, some of which they shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other items.
Eletu was arrested in the UK at the request of the United States.
Both defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Eletu was also charged with five counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, seven counts of access device fraud and 21 counts of aggravated identity theft. Raheem is also charged with 14 counts of access device fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. The defendants face maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering and 10 years for access device fraud, as well as a mandatory sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The United States also thanks the United Kingdom for its valuable assistance in the investigation.
Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the cases. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas has provided substantial assistance to the investigation.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nigerian and Georgia Men Charged in Stolen Identity Tax Refund Fraud Scheme that Sought over $100 Million from the IRSRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Indictments have been unsealed in the Northern District of Georgia and the Western District of Texas charging a Georgia man, Akinade Adedeji Raheem, and a resident of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, Abayomi Quadri Eletu, with conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, money laundering, aggravated identity theft and other crimes arising out of a scheme to defraud the IRS using stolen identities.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Akinade Adedeji Raheem and Abayomi Quadri Eletu conspired together and with others to claim fraudulent tax refunds using the stolen identities of accountants and taxpayers. Over the course of their scheme, the co-conspirators allegedly filed more than 300 false tax returns claiming over $100 million in refunds from the IRS.
Between 2018 and 2023, Eletu, Raheem and others allegedly obtained identifying information for tax professionals and taxpayers, including their names, addresses, and Social Security numbers, by creating online accounts with the IRS and requesting private taxpayer information. As part of the scheme, they changed the addresses of taxpayers to an address controlled by the co-conspirators, so the IRS would correspond with the co-conspirators instead of the taxpayers. They also submitted “change of address” requests to the U.S. Postal Service to cause the mail of some taxpayers to be forwarded to a co-conspirator’s address. Using the personal identifying information of others, Eletu, Raheem and their co-conspirators electronically filed tax returns claiming fraudulent refunds, then allegedly directed the IRS to split the refunds among several prepaid debit cards. Before issuing some of these tax refunds, the IRS sent verification letters to the addresses controlled by the co-conspirators, who, pretending to be the taxpayers, fraudulently verified the taxpayers’ identities and instructed the IRS to release the refunds.
Eletu allegedly directed Raheem and others to obtain prepaid debit cards to receive the anticipated fraudulent tax refunds. Once the refunds were deposited onto the prepaid debit cards, they laundered some of the funds by purchasing, among other things, money orders from U.S. Postal Offices and local stores in amounts low enough to avoid reporting thresholds. They also used the money orders to purchase used cars from auction sites, some of which they shipped to Nigeria, as well as designer clothing and other items.
Eletu was arrested in the UK at the request of the United States.
Akinade Adedeji Raheem, 43, of Atlanta, Georgia, and Abayomi Quadri Eletu, 42, of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Eletu was also charged with five counts of mail fraud, three counts of wire fraud, seven counts of access device fraud and 21 counts of aggravated identity theft. Raheem is also charged with 14 counts of access device fraud and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft. The defendants face maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud, 20 years for money laundering and 10 years for access device fraud, as well as a mandatory sentence of two years for aggravated identity theft.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg of the Northern District of Georgia and Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration are investigating the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in this matter. The United States also thanks the United Kingdom for its valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Pearce of the Northern District of Georgia and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the cases. The U.S. Attorney’s Office from the Western District of Texas has provided substantial assistance to the investigation.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Multiple Baltimore Men Charged in Drug Trafficking Organization TakedownRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Several Baltimore-area men are facing charges today, stemming from a joint-agency takedown of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the 500 block of Sheridan Avenue in North Baltimore. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced it filed charges against the men in connection with the operation.Omar Gilliam, 43, Derrell Washington Coates, 42, Kevin Harris, 34, and Darren Farmer, 36, are each charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base, commonly referred to as crack cocaine. Stephen Oliver, 38, is charged with distribution of and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Additionally, Gilliam and Oliver are charged with firearm trafficking and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person due to each having a prior felony conviction.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the charges with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Ivan J. Bates, State’s Attorney for Baltimore City.
“These charges underscore our continued commitment to making Baltimore and all of Maryland safer. This collaboration is a powerful example of what we can accomplish when we work together with a shared commitment to public safety,” Hayes said. “We will continue working side by side with our partners to disrupt criminal activity and deliver justice for the communities we serve.”
“This operation highlights the power of coordinated teamwork,” Doerrer said. “ATF remains firmly committed to holding the most violent individuals in our community accountable using every available tool to protect public safety.”
“This takedown is a strong example of what can be accomplished when law enforcement at every level works together with a shared commitment to public safety,” Worley said. Through the dedication of our Northern District Action Team and the support of our federal, state, and local partners, we were able to dismantle a dangerous group responsible for trafficking drugs and contributing to violence in our communities. Our work continues, and together, we are making Baltimore and our region safer.”
“Residents in every neighborhood of our city have concerns about the guns and drugs that fuel violence in their community. Today’s takedown once again reaffirms that we have made it our mission, as law enforcement, to find purveyors of violence and crime and hold them accountable. This investigation reflects the power of strong collaboration between our local and federal law enforcement partners,” Bates said. “I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Baltimore Police Department, ATF Baltimore, the U.S. Marshal’s Office, and the Baltimore County Police Department for their partnership and commitment to public safety. As our Firearm & Drug Trafficking Unit prepares to prosecute the defendants, we will continue working together to dismantle similar networks that put lives at risk and undermine the safety of Baltimore’s communities.”
According to the criminal complaint, between August 2025 and March 2026, ATF and BPD partnered to investigate the North Baltimore DTO. During the investigation, law enforcement identified specific members and located potential stash locations through confidential informants.
Beginning in August 2025, ATF used a confidential informant (CI-1) to buy narcotics from Gilliam, Harris, and Washington Coates. In October 2025, ATF then used a second confidential informant (CI-2) to buy narcotics from the same DTO members. Then in December 2025, CI-2 began purchasing narcotics and firearms from Oliver, and in March 2026, CI-2 purchased firearms from Gilliam. Farmer began distributing narcotics to CI-2 in January 2026.
In total, law enforcement conducted 15 controlled purchases from Gilliam, two of which included firearms. Washington Coates participated in seven of those controlled purchases, and Harris participated in one. In addition, law enforcement conducted eight controlled purchases from Oliver, along with two separate controlled purchases of firearms, and law enforcement conducted three controlled purchases from Farmer, some of which also involved Gilliam and Harris.
Law enforcement continued monitoring Gilliam, Oliver, Harris, Washington Coates, Farmer, and others participating in drug trafficking activities in different Baltimore-area locations. Then on April 8, authorities arrested four of the defendants on the federal charges, while also executing federal search warrants at three addresses in the 500 Block of Sheridan Avenue, along with another Baltimore City property, and a Baltimore County residence. Law enforcement arrested the fifth defendant, Farmer, today.
During the arrest and search operation, officers recovered numerous firearms, along with nearly 400 grams of suspected narcotics.
A complaint is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by complaint are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and BPD for their work in the investigation, along with the U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Maryland and Baltimore County Police Department for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Stanton Lawyer who is prosecuting this federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Multi-Agency Operation - “Paris on Ice” - Leads to Multiple Federal and State Indictments for Trafficking Methamphetamine in West TennesseeRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Nineteen people have been indicted and are facing state and federal charges for their involvement in an organized drug trafficking scheme in West Tennessee. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, and Neil Thompson, District Attorney General for the 24th District, announced the unsealing of the indictments today.
The charges are the culmination of a two-year long investigation and takedown by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation in conjunction with the Tennessee Highway Patrol, Henry County Sheriff’s Department, Huntingdon Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff’s Department, Henderson County Sheriff’s Department, Madison County Sheriff’s Department, and the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force.
According to court documents, between May 2024 and February 2026, the defendants conspired, coordinated, and worked together and with others to distribute methamphetamine throughout West Tennessee.
On March 16, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging seven individuals with Conspiracy to Distribute more than 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. Those individuals named in the federal indictment are:
- Ryan Shonte Sims, 35 - of Nashville, TN
- Katherine Foust, 37 - of Paris, TN
- Darryl Barnes, 60 - of Henry, TN
- Stacie Shoffner, 58 - of Henry, TN
- Marcus McClennan, 43 - of Clarksville, TN
- Jessica Hilliard, 38, of Paris, TN
- Jason Hedges, 54 - of Jackson, TN
On March 2, 2026, a Henry County Grand Jury returned indictments charging 12 additional individuals with various state violations. Those individuals charged are:
- Mark William Davis, 43, of Waverly, TN - Criminal Responsibility for the Sale of Methamphetamine
- Michael Lamont Wilson, 51, of Paris, TN - Criminal Responsibility for the Sale of Methamphetamine
- George E. Easley, 41, of Henry, TN - Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine
- Jerry Lynn Clark, 68, of Paris, TN - Sale of Methamphetamine
- Brianna V. Holder, 32, of Paris, TN - Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine
- Timothy L. Vandyke, 40, of Paris, TN - Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine
- Mandy L. Shriner, 50, of Paris, TN - Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine
- Johnnie May Lee, 67, of Paris, TN - Sale of Methamphetamine
- Amanda K. Seward, 47, of McKenzie, TN - Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine
- Jenia D. Singleton, 36, of Buchanan, TN - Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine
- Mark D. Noah, 58, of Huntingdon, TN - Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine
- Anthony Dakota Walker, 26, of Big Sandy, TN - Sale of Methamphetamine
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "These indictments and takedown represent another great example of law enforcement working together to disrupt and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that distribute poison in the Western District of Tennessee. I commend the outstanding investigative efforts of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in this important and impactful operation, and we look forward to holding the perpetrators accountable in federal court."
“Let this case serve as a warning to would-be drug traffickers seeking to poison our communities…the dedicated men and woman of the DEA will stop at nothing to terminate your operations and ensure that you face justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott, head of the DEA’s Louisville Field Division. “For nearly two years, the DEA and our law enforcement partners were relentless in our efforts to shut down a drug pipeline into rural West Tennessee; and today, our tenacity paid off.”
“Our agency remains firmly committed to investigating and disrupting organized drug trafficking in Tennessee. These arrests reflect the ongoing, coordinated enforcement efforts aimed at confronting the methamphetamine distribution that continues to impact this region. We will continue working tirelessly alongside our local, state, and federal partners to combat the violent crimes linked to methamphetamine and other illegal drugs being trafficked throughout our state, " said Director David B. Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
“This is an example of a great collaborative effort from multiple agencies. We’re proud to be able to do our part to assist with prosecuting these cases," said District Attorney General Neil Thompson.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hillary Parham and Assistant District Attorney Anthony Clark.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictments are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Memphis comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies, to include the investigative agencies listed above, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
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Montpelier Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Child Exploitation CaseRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on April 10, 2026, Jeffery Paul Coolidge, 61, of Montpelier, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr., to a term of 240 months of imprisonment to be followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Coolidge previously pleaded guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
According to court records, Coolidge befriended a family who had recently immigrated to the United States. The family had two young children, including a 6-year-old boy. Coolidge invited the family to dinner, gave the children gifts, and asked to be able to play with the children. In March of 2023, Coolidge falsely told the children’s father that he had a medical exam to prepare for in order to gain access to the 6-year-old boy. Coolidge instead sexually abused the boy. In August of 2023, Coolidge again sexually abused the boy while babysitting him and took photographs of the abuse. Coolidge then distributed those photographs to a dark-web site he frequented.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Vermont Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Montpelier Police Department, the Australian Federal Police, and the Department of Homeland Security Cyber Crimes Center.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Smith and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Van de Graaf. Coolidge was represented by William Vasiliou, Esq.
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.
Monticello Man Indicted for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Keagan Garrett Bohlinger, 26, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on eleven counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Bohlinger appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for May 26, 2026, at 8:30 am, before District Judge Mark E. Walker in Tallahassee, Florida.
If convicted, Bohlinger faces a minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment on each production of child pornography count. Bohlinger also faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the possession of child pornography count.
The case is being jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
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 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The 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.
Marlborough Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement from a Non-ProfitRead the Press Release
Marlborough Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzlement from a Non-Profit
CONCORD – A Marlborough woman pleaded guilty to embezzling from Monadnock Peer Support (MPS), a mental health non-profit based in Keene, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Christine Allen, a/k/a Christine Nowill, a/k/a Christine Yardley, 52, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for July 28, 2026.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Allen was the Executive Director of MPS. As Executive Director, she had full access to MPS’s finances, including its accounting records, bank accounts, checkbook, and debit cards. Between January 2021 and May 2023, Allen embezzled from MPS. She used the stolen money on personal expenses, including bedding material, gaming equipment, hockey equipment, men’s clothing, and a meat cleaver.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of up to 3 years, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigations led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
MS-13 Member Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Involving Three MurdersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national and member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to his role in three murders. Defendant participated in beating, shooting and dismembering victims.
Franklin Antonio Amaya Paredes, a/k/a “Mosca” or “Tony,” 28, unlawfully residing in New Bedford, Mass. pleaded guilty to racketeering involving murder, conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise involving murder and two counts of murder in aid of racketeering. U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for July 10, 2026. These charges stem from two indictments, one in the District of Massachusetts, the other in the Eastern District of Virginia. By agreement, Paredes’s Virginia charges were transferred to the District of Massachusetts.
“This defendant – an illegal alien who’s been residing unlawfully in our country – admitted to participating in three brutal murders across state lines to advance MS-13’s violent agenda and be rewarded within the gang’s ranks,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “Let this serve as a clear message: individuals who come to this country and engage in this level of violence will be aggressively investigated, prosecuted and held fully accountable. This transnational criminal organization is far-reaching, but my office will continue to use every resource to dismantle it and protect Massachusetts communities from such barbaric devastation. As was the case here, my office will continue to work with agents and prosecutors across the country until MS-13 and other transnational criminal groups have been eliminated.”
“What Franklin Antonio Amaya Paredes did to his victims was particularly heinous – so much so that, years later, the circumstances of these three murders still stand out,” said Ted. E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The sheer brutality, cruel depravity, and terror he inflicted on behalf of MS-13 demonstrates a complete disregard for human life. Amaya Paredes belongs behind bars, and that’s exactly where today’s conviction will keep him. Meanwhile, the FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement and community partners to dismantle this transnational criminal organization, bring an end to their senseless violence, and obtain justice for the victims of their crimes.”
According to court documents, Paredes was a member of the Uniones Locos Salvatrucha (ULS) clique of MS-13. The ULS clique operated in northern Virginia, southeastern Massachusetts and elsewhere in the United States. The clique was responsible for committing numerous murders and other acts of violence and distributing marijuana and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. Money generated from drug sales was used for the ULS clique’s needs in the United States, to fund MS-13 activities in El Salvador, and to help incarcerated MS-13 members.
On Aug. 25, 2018, Paredes and other members of ULS met in New Bedford, Mass., to murder an associate of MS-13’s Directos Locos Salvatrucha clique. MS-13 leadership in El Salvador had approved the murder because they believed the victim had betrayed MS-13. They met the victim at the residence of an MS-13 member in New Bedford and after the group ate dinner, Paredes and other ULS members beat and strangled the victim to death. Paredes and other ULS members then dismembered the victim’s body and buried the remains in a nearby wooded area. Paredes and other members of the group were promoted within MS-13’s ranks for their participation in the murder. The victim’s remains have not yet been found.
In June 2019, Paredes and other members of ULS conspired to murder individuals who frequently gathered to drink in a wooded area in the clique’s perceived territory in Reston, Va. On June 23, 2019, ULS members armed themselves with firearms and machetes and traveled to the Hunters Woods area of Reston. There, members of the group murdered the first many they encountered by shooting him and slashing him with a machete, while Paredes and others remained in nearby cars ready to assist. After the murder, Paredes and other members of the group drove to a nearby hotel room and recounted the details of the murder.
On July 14, 2020, Paredes shot and killed another victim near Horseneck Road in Dartmouth, Mass. Text messages showed that Paredes, who was the victim’s cousin, invited the victim to a family party where he was murdered.
After being charged with murder by state authorities, Paredes confided that he murdered his cousin because the cousin failed to “check in” with MS-13 leadership when he arrived in the New Bedford area from El Salvador and had done a poor job growing MS-13 in Southeastern Massachusetts. Paredes also conspired to kill a witness to the murder while in state custody.
As alleged in the indictments, MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization with tens of thousands of members located in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere. MS-13 branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts and Virginia. In furtherance of its mission, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members; kill informants; and support and defend fellow MS-13 members in attacks. MS-13 members maintain and enhance their status in the gang and the overall reputation of the gang by participating in such violent acts.
The charge of racketeering and racketeering conspiracy involving murder provides for a maximum sentence of life in prison; supervised release for up to five years; and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross profits or other proceeds obtained by the defendant from racketeering activity. The charge of murder in aid of racketeering provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; supervised release for up to five years; and a $250,000 fine. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Foley; J. Frank Bradsher, Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney, Eastern District of Virginia; FBI SAC Docks; FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; Jeff Grimming, Acting, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Fairfax County (Va.) Police Chief Kevin Davis; Suffolk County District Attorney Kevin Hayden; and Bristol County District Attorney Thomas M. Quinn III made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl, Meghan C. Cleary, and Brian A. Fogerty are prosecuting the case for the District of Massachusetts. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Blanchard, Megan Braun, and Natasha Smalky prosecuted the case for the Eastern District of Virginia.
Los Angeles, California Man Sentenced to over 23 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Los Angeles, California, man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on April 6, 2026.
Dejuan Croom, 43, was sentenced to 23 years and 3 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Croom was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in October 2024. He pleaded guilty on January 12, 2026.
From late 2023 to September 2024, Croom was a member of a California and Nevada-based drug trafficking organization which transported large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to South Dakota, ultimately distributing the drugs in the Sioux Falls area. The organization shipped packages of drugs through the U.S. mail and utilized rental vehicles to drive the drugs – typically stored in hidden compartments – to South Dakota. The organization started out using local hotels as bases for their distribution operations and later shifted to short-term rental properties. Croom served in a managerial role for the organization, under the direction of the group’s leader, Quantiae Harris. Croom drove drug-laden rental vehicles from California to Sioux Falls, assisted in selling the drugs to the group’s local sub-distributors, and deposited large quantities of the drug proceeds in Harris’ bank accounts at his behest.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Minneapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, USMS, USPIS, SD DCI, SFPD, MCSO, and SDHP with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the DEA, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the South Dakota Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Croom was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lexington County Felons Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Derrick Jameel Joye, 24, and Jalen Shaprie Rutherford, 24, both of Lexington, have been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for being felons in possession of firearms and ammunition.
Evidence obtained during the investigation revealed that on June 4, 2024, officers with the West Columbia Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a speeding vehicle. During the stop, a front-seat passenger, identified as Joye, exited the vehicle and ran through a nearby apartment complex while carrying an AR-15–style pistol. Despite multiple commands from pursuing officers to stop, Joye failed to comply, continued running, and discarded the firearm before he was apprehended. Officers detained Joye and recovered a loaded semiautomatic pistol with a round in the chamber.
Officers also detained the driver, identified as Rutherford, who admitted to possessing a firearm located in the vehicle. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the recovery of a loaded semiautomatic 9mm pistol from the glove compartment, along with an extended magazine and additional ammunition.
Rutherford had prior felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter, unlawful possession of a firearm, second-degree domestic violence, and receiving stolen goods. Joye had a prior felony conviction for second-degree assault and battery. At the time of the offense, Rutherford was out on bond, faces state charges for murder and possession of a weapon during a violent crime. As convicted felons, both Rutherford and Joye were prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger-Lewis sentenced Joye to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. Rutherford was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is a violent crime reduction strategy based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the West Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.###
Lawrence County Man Pleads Guilty to Water PollutionRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – A Martha, Ky., man, Josh Ferguson, 42, pleaded guilty on Tuesday before Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to knowingly discharging waste product into waters of the United States.
According to his plea agreement, in the fall of 2025, the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection (“Kentucky DEP”) received a tip about the discharge of “brine water,” a waste product of oil production, into the Left Fork Blaine Creek in Lawrence County. On September 3, 2025, a Kentucky DEP inspector investigated the site where Ferguson owned two oil production wells. A hose connected to a metal brine tank ran through a field to the Left Fork Blaine Creek, where it was actively discharging waste product into the waterway. Downstream of the discharge, the water was orange with no signs of life, and water samples indicated extremely elevated chloride levels. When interviewed by the Kentucky DEP inspector, Ferguson admitted that he had been discharging brine water into the creek in order to save money, that he did not have a permit to do so, and that the conduct had been ongoing for two years. The Left Fork Blaine Creek is a water of the United States.
“Dumping oil-production waste into Kentucky waterways to save money is both illegal and unacceptable,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This case reflects our commitment to protecting public health, enforcing the Clean Water Act against those who put profit over people, and safeguarding the natural resources that our communities rely on.”
“These ongoing discharges threatened the public and aquatic life downstream—putting profits over people and the environment,” said Leslie Y. Carroll, Acting Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s criminal enforcement program in Kentucky. “Clean water is one of Kentucky’s most valuable resources, and it must be protected. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates that EPA and our enforcement partners will investigate violations and hold polluters accountable to protect human health and the environment.”
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Anthony R. Hatton, Commissioner, Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by EPA-CID and Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
Ferguson is scheduled to be sentenced on August 10. He faces a maximum of three years in prison and a minimum fine of not less than $5,000 per day of violation. However, any sentence will be imposed by the Court, after its consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal sentencing statutes.
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Lancaster Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking, Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Travis Rashad Laney, 38, of Lancaster, has been sentenced to 17.5 years in federal prison for distributing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
Evidence presented in court revealed that agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration identified Laney as an individual involved in trafficking significant quantities of narcotics in the Lancaster area. On three separate occasions between April and May 2024, Laney sold a combined total of more than 700 grams of methamphetamine to law enforcement.
On May 9, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Laney’s residence in Lancaster. During the search, officers recovered approximately 1,000 grams of methamphetamine, 376 grams of cocaine, 560 grams of fentanyl, 282 grams of a fentanyl analogue, 953 grams of marijuana, 946 grams of codeine, and additional quantities of amphetamine, ketamine, MDMA, and alprazolam.
Additionally, law enforcement recovered 11 loaded firearms, including one equipped with a Glock switch, along with a large sum of cash and materials used in the packaging and distribution of narcotics.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Laney to 210 months in prison, to be followed by five years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.
###Jury Convicts Minnesota Man of Illegally Possessing Machine GunRead the Press Release
A federal jury in the District of Minnesota convicted a Minnesota man today of possessing a machine gun created by attaching an illegal machine gun conversion device to a semi-automatic firearm.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Amiir Mawlid Ali, 19, of Minneapolis, was arrested after officers found a machine gun in his possession during a routine traffic stop as he was on the way to a high school graduation. Mr. Ali tried to flee the scene during the traffic stop but officers apprehended him before he could get away. The firearm was equipped with a machine gun conversion device and an extended magazine, which was loaded with over 30 rounds of ammunition. A firearm expert testified at trial that the machine gun possessed by Ali test fired 15 bullets in 2 seconds.
“This defendant possessed an extremely dangerous weapon – a machine gun created by the application of a device known as a switch that converts a legal firearm to an illegal one,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Illegal weapons like this are unduly dangerous and offer nothing legitimate in a law abiding society. The Criminal Division will continue to prosecute illegal firearms offenses like this one to keep communities safe.”
“The verdict announced today makes clear that possession of a firearm modified to function as a machine gun will not be tolerated,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson of the FBI Minneapolis Field Office. “The FBI is proud of our work on this case, and we thank our Local, State and Federal law enforcement partners for their assistance. Together we will work to stop those who put innocent lives in our community at risk.”
The jury convicted Ali on one count of possession of a machine gun. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
The FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexandra Swain of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Albania Concepción for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice a 14-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Isaiah Jacob Jordan (26, Jacksonville) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Jordan Emery Pratt to 10 years in federal prison for using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice a 14-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Jordan pleaded guilty on January 12, 2026. He was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender.
According to court documents and information presented in open court, on January 18, 2025, an undercover Nassau County Sheriff’s Office detective (UC) was conducting an online undercover operation to identify adults who were seeking to contact and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as a 14-year-old child, the UC was asked by Jordan about his age and sexual preferences. Jordan engaged in multiple sexually explicit conversations with the UC, with Jordan asking the UC to meet for sexual activity in a Walmart parking lot. Once Jordan arrived, he was taken into custody. A search of the car revealed condoms and lubricant in the center console, along with the cellular phone Jordan used to communicate with the UC. A search of Jordan’s cellular phone revealed several images of children being sexually abused.
This case was investigated by the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local investigative resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Indiana Man Charged with Robbery and Murder of Illinois Bar OwnerRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A grand jury in the Central District of Illinois returned an indictment on April 8, 2026, charging Julius Burkes, 47, of Indiana, with obstruction of commerce by robbery, murder, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a felon. Burkes is alleged to have robbed and murdered the owner of The Line, a bar in Momence, Illinois, using a firearm, on February 2, 2026. The indictment was unsealed on April 13, 2026.
Burkes was arrested in Hammond, Indiana, on February 3, 2026, by officers of the Hammond Police Department, who were working in coordination with the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office. Burkes has remained in law enforcement custody since that date. He was initially charged by the Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s Office, which has been working in coordination with federal authorities and the U.S. Attorney’s Office throughout the investigation and after Burkes’ arrest.
If convicted, the maximum statutory penalties for obstruction of commerce by robbery are up to 20 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The maximum statutory penalties for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon are up to 15 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. The maximum penalty for murder is up to life imprisonment without parole or the death penalty.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Kankakee County Sheriff’s Office; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; the Tri-County Auto Theft Task Force (“TCAT”); the Illinois State Police; the Momence Police Department; the Bradley Police Department; the Grant Park Police Department; the Hammond Police Department; the U.S. Marshals Great Lakes Fugitive Task Force; and the Kankakee County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan D. Freres is representing the United States in the prosecution.
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.
Indian Citizen in the United States on Student Visa Found Guilty of Conspiring with Others to Defraud a Vietnam VeteranRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A federal jury today convicted a citizen of India in the United States on a student visa for conspiring with others to knowingly defraud a 79-year-old Vietnam Veteran in Delaware County.
Venkateswara Chagamreddy, 27, living in San Antonio, Texas, was convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
In August 2025, the elderly victim called a phone number that he believed was Microsoft support. While speaking with “Microsoft,” the victim was told that criminal activity had been detected on his computer and that information would be turned over to the federal government. The victim was then contacted by someone who identified themselves as a federal officer and provided a false badge number. The fake federal officer told the victim that his identity had been stolen and provided to criminals, which resulted in him being “investigated,” and that his identity was used to commit federal crimes.
The fake federal officer spoke with the elderly victim about his finances and stated that he would be transferred to the “treasury department.” The victim was told that his money needed to be transferred to gold and that an “officer” would pick it up the following day. The elderly victim complied and provided photos of the gold. When the fake officer arrived, the victim handed over the package.
A few days later, the victim was contacted again by the fake federal officer, who demanded more funds. The victim contacted a family member, who explained that he was being scammed and contacted the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office. With the victim's cooperation, deputies scheduled another pickup. When Chagamreddy arrived at the victim’s home at the scheduled time and date, he was arrested. Evidence presented to the jury showed that he had $500 in cash, a cell phone, and 23 ounces of gold in
the vehicle.An agent testified about the messaging found on Chagamreddy’s phone. The exhibits shown to the jury clearly show that he was working with another individual to defraud numerous victims within 48 hours. The agent testified that Chagamreddy flew from Austin to North Carolina where he picked up gold from an 87-year-old woman. Trial evidence showed that after delivering the gold to a different co-conspirator, Chagamreddy sent a photo of a dollar bill with “29 oz rec 3000 paid” written on it.
The messages indicate that the following day, Chagamreddy drove from Austin, Texas, to Andale, Kansas, starting at 1:21 am. Throughout the drive, Chagamreddy would provide status updates, including screenshots of his location and fuel levels, to the co-conspirator. Upon arrival, Chagamreddy booked a hotel room to rest for a few hours and then drove to the destination he had been directed to. The co-conspirator described the 75-year-old woman from whom Chagamreddy would be picking up gold. Chagamreddy then sent a photo of a sealed box to the co-conspirator with a message that said, “23 Oz.”
After completing that trip, the agent testified that the messaging showed that Chagamreddy then drove to Delaware County, Oklahoma. The co-conspirator described the 79-year-old that he would be getting gold from and provided a photo of the victim, who was visibly wearing a Vietnam veteran shirt. The victim lived alone on a rural road. Chagamreddy was actively providing photos, showing that he was lost. After finding the location, Chagamreddy provided one photo confirming that he arrived and was detained shortly after by Delaware County Sheriff’s deputies.
In 2025, the Department of Justice reported to Congress that more than 280 enforcement actions were taken against over 600 defendants, many of whom were in the United States illegally or were extradited to be prosecuted. Collectively, the defendants attempted to steal, or stole, over $2.3 billion from more than one million Americans. The Department pursued more than 40 types of elder fraud. Investment fraud ranked number one, with more than $1.8 billion in losses, followed by fraudulent tech support at $982 million.
The Elder Justice Initiative website provides several scenarios and red flags to help educate yourself and loved ones about the types of abuse, including financial exploitation.
Chagamreddy will remain in custody until sentencing is scheduled at a later date.
Delaware County Sheriff’s Office, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Greenough and Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
To find help or report elder abuse, you can contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311)
10 a.m. to 6 p.m. EST, Monday – Friday. Elder Justice Neighborhood Resources for Oklahoma are available here.Illinois Woman Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Conspiring to Create and Distribute Animal Crush Videos Showing Violent Torture of MonkeysRead the Press Release
Amanda Leigh Fourez, of Catlin, Illinois, pleaded guilty today to charges of distributing and conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos through online chat groups.
According to court documents and statements made in court during the change of plea hearing, Fourez paid thousands of dollars to commission bespoke sexual torture videos of monkeys, and later she distributed the obscene crush videos over the Internet. Fourez archived and controlled the distribution of animal crush videos. She was a member of several online chat groups and private payment groups dedicated to the creation, distribution, and discussion of sexual and violent videos depicting monkeys being tortured, including baby and adult monkeys being burned and their genitals mutilated.
Fourez is the second individual to be charged in this animal crush conspiracy ring. Another member of these groups, Joseph Garrett Buckland, of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos earlier this month.
Fourez faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of seven years in prison for the distribution charge and a fine of up to $500,000. A judge will determine the sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania, Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans, and Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec of the FBI Pittsburgh Field Office made the announcement.
HSI New Orleans’ Cyber and Human Exploitation Investigations and the FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly M. Locher for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
Illinois Woman Pleads Guilty to Distributing and Conspiring to Create and Distribute Animal Crush Videos Showing Violent Torture of MonkeysRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Catlin, Illinois, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos and then distributing those videos through online chat groups, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Amanda Leigh Fourez, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand.
According to court documents and statements made in court during the change of plea hearing, Fourez and others conspired to pool their money to commission the creation of animal crush videos—that is, videos that show actual obscene conduct in which living non-human mammals, in this case, monkeys, were purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury—and then distributed those videos to other group members and chat groups via an instant messaging application. Fourez acknowledges sending at least 11 payments to others to commission animal crush videos, and then knowingly distributing animal crush videos on at least 10 occasions. Fourez archived and controlled the distribution of animal crush videos.
Another member of these groups, Joseph Garrett Buckland of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos earlier this month (read the news release regarding Buckland’s plea here).
Judge Wiegand scheduled Fourez’s sentencing for August 27, 2026. The law provides for a total sentence of up to seven years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Emily Stone of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans’ Cyber and Human Exploitation Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Fourez.
Illegal alien sentenced 27 years in federal prison as part of Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas –A Mexican national illegally living in the United States has been sentenced to 27 years in federal prison as part of the Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Israel Sanchez Arciga, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 324 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on April 14, 2026.
According to information presented in court, Arciga and others were importing liquid methamphetamine from Mexico, completing the manufacturing process in Texas and then distributing multi-kilogram quantities of highly pure methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas. Arciga, an illegal alien, was also in possession of a firearm when he was arrested on July 14, 2023, outside the methamphetamine conversion lab in Rice, Texas, where he was living.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Rockwall County Sheriff’s Office, Flower Mound Police Department, Garland Police Department, and Hunt County Sheriff’s Office, with additional assistance from the Texas Department of Public Service and Navarro County Sheriff’s Office.
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Illegal alien from El Salvador sentenced to prison for reentering the United States following his removal as a convicted felonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Salvadoran national Moises Osvaldo Sorto-Iraeta, 31, was sentenced today to a year and four months in prison for illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed following his conviction for an aggravated felony. Sorto-Iraeta remains subject to the prior order of removal.
According to court documents, on March 6, 2017, Moises Osvaldo Sorto-Iraeta, 31, was found guilty of unlawful bodily injury for participating in an assault outside a restaurant in Prince William County. Sorto-Iraeta was sentenced to five years in prison, but his sentence was suspended when he was removed from the United States on May 19, 2017, pursuant to a final order of removal.
After illegally reentering the United States, Sorto-Iraeta was arrested in Loudoun County on Dec. 30, 2023, for assault and battery, brandishing a weapon, possession of a weapon by a violent felon, and gun possession by an unlawful alien. On Feb. 7, 2024, he was convicted of assault and battery and brandishing a firearm. Three months after his release from prison, Sorto-Iraeta was arrested in Loudoun County on April 29, 2025, for possession of cocaine. He was sentenced on Oct. 10, 2025, to 90 days in prison.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Washington, D.C., investigated this case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jose Miguel Ortiz and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony R. Roberts prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-319.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to 27 years in Federal Prison for Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio today to 330 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Jose Antonio Gabaldon-Salas, 30, of Nuevo Leon, was pulled over by a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper on July 16, 2023, driving south on Interstate Highway 35 near Abbott. A K-9 conducted a free-air sniff of Gabaldon-Salas’s vehicle, alerting to the odor of narcotics near the seam of the rear door on the driver’s side. The trooper removed the door panel to discover three colored plastic bags containing eight bundles of rubber-banded U.S. currency along with a half brick of a white powdery substance. Further investigation revealed two more bundles of rubber-banded U.S. currency inside a black backpack on the passenger seat.
A chemical analysis determined that the substance found in Gabaldon-Salas’s vehicle was 520.24 grams of cocaine. The bundled cash totaled $38,685. Gabaldon-Salas stated that he worked for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) since October 2022, operating as a money counter before being promoted to driver. As a driver, he trafficked cocaine to Dallas and returned bulk cash to the border area to be smuggled into Mexico.
Gabaldon-Salas admitted to transporting between six and 12 kilograms of cocaine per month from December 2022 up until his July 2023 arrest. He also stated that he worked for the DTO both for money and out of fear, saying that he had been threatened on numerous occasions and that he witnessed another member of the organization hire a hitman to shoot a cocaine dealer/business partner in Mexico.
Gabaldon-Salas revealed that he resided at an Austin apartment with a co-conspirator and the co-conspirator’s girlfriend. A search of the apartment resulted in the discovery of $58,695, believed to be proceeds from narcotics trafficking.
Gabaldon-Salas was arrested on July 16, 2023, and indicted on Oct. 18, 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 29, 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presided over the case.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner 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.
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Harrisburg Drug Dealer Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Repeatedly Trafficking Drugs and Possessing GunsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Bernard Johnson, age 48, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on April 14, 2026, to 15 years’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for drug trafficking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the case against Johnson arose from two separate incidents. In the early morning hours of November 23, 2017, police responded to Johnson’s apartment because of reports that burglars were in the apartment. When the police responded to the apartment, they did not find the burglars. Instead, they found cocaine, crack cocaine, and a firearm strewn about the apartment. When Johnson arrived at his apartment, they found more drugs in his car.
While released by local authorities pending trial for that offense, local police were called to another incident involving Johnson. On August 17, 2018, police responded to a call that Johnson was at a Susquehanna Township home and was pointing a gun at someone. With police responding to scene, Johnson fled in his truck. A long vehicle chase through the streets of Harrisburg ensued. As law enforcement blocked off a street, Johnson threw out of the window of his vehicle a handgun with a silencer. Police arrested Johnson. They later searched his truck and found more cocaine for trafficking.
On July 10, 2025, Johnson pled guilty to five charges: three counts of drug trafficking and two counts of possessing firearms as a felon.
When imposing the sentence, Judge Wilson noted his long criminal history. That criminal history included convictions in state and federal court for drug trafficking and weapons offenses. The Judge expressed a significant risk of recidivism and a need to protect the public.
The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the West Shore Regional Police Department, the Harrisburg Bureau of Police, and the Susquehanna Township Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Consiglio, Steven Dukes, and Carlo Marchioli prosecuted the case.
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Gun Store Owner Indicted for Aiding and Abetting Straw Purchasing and Failing to Report Cash Payments over $10,000Read the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The owner of Virtus Armament and The Armory, Virtus Armament, a federal firearms licensee (FFL), was indicted last week on charges related to aiding and abetting straw purchases of firearms and failing to report cash transactions over $10,000.
On April 8, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned an 8-count indictment against Esteban Yanez, 34, of Gilbert, Arizona, for False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm, Straw Purchasing of Firearms, and Failure to File Forms 8300 Relating to Cash Received in Trade or Business. Yanez was arraigned April 14.
The indictment alleges that on three occasions, Yanez aided and abetted individuals who knowingly made false statements to Yanez’s FFL when submitting the ATF Form 4473, misrepresenting the actual purchaser of the firearms. In two instances, the firearms were being purchased for an individual convicted of a felony. Federal law prohibits felons from possessing firearms. Finally, Yanez is also alleged to have failed to file the IRS Form 8300, reporting the receipt of over $10,000 in a trade or business related to the sale of firearms.
A conviction for False Statement During the Purchase of a Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for Straw Purchasing of Firearms carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. A conviction for Failure to File Forms 8300 Relating to Cash Received in Trade or Business carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-00326
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-062_Yanez
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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 Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Guatemalan National Indicted for Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien and Illegal Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Guatemalan National has been indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, and illegal entry into the United States.
Edilberto Gonzalez-Barrera, 40, was charged in a two-count indictment on April 14, 2026. The indictment alleges Gonzalez-Barrera illegally entered the United States without being properly admitted to the country, and illegally possessed of a Sig-Sauer P365X, 9mm firearm.
Under federal statutes, illegal possession of a firearm by an illegal alien, pursuant to Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924 (a)(8) is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Further, under federal statute, illegal entry in the United States without being properly admitted to the country, pursuant to Title 8, United States Code, Section 1325, is subject to a sentence of up to 6 months imprisonment. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Carthage, Missouri, Police Department.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Former Tennessee Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A former Tennessee business owner pleaded guilty today to willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS on behalf of the company she owned and operated.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mari Alexander, 52, was the sole owner and president of a mental-health counseling center with multiple locations throughout Tennessee. Alexander controlled the counseling center’s financial affairs and was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and federal income taxes from the wages of employees and paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter, as well as filing quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. From 2015 through 2020, however, Alexander willfully failed to pay over to the IRS the payroll taxes she collected from the counseling center’s employees, and willfully failed to file more than 20 quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS. In total, Alexander caused a tax loss to the United States of more than $1 million.
Alexander pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to account for and pay over employment taxes. She is scheduled to be sentenced on September 17, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Braden H. Boucek of the Middle District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah K. Bogni for the Middle District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
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Former CEO of Chicago Charter School Network Charged with Misappropriating More Than $103,000Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago today indicted the former Chief Executive Officer of a Chicago charter school network for allegedly misappropriating more than $103,000 in funds intended to support the non-profit’s educational work.
TIMOTHY KING served as CEO of Urban Prep Academies, a not-for-profit corporation that operated three charter schools in Chicago. Urban Prep received educational and organizational funds from Chicago Public Schools that were originally derived from the federal government.
An indictment returned today in U.S. District Court in Chicago alleges that in 2021 and 2022, King embezzled $103,833.31 from Urban Prep to pay for his personal credit card charges. The indictment further alleges that after receiving a federal grand jury subpoena and learning of the criminal investigation in 2022, King obstructed justice by deleting online records of three purported cash donations he had made to Urban Prep.
The indictment charges King, 59, of Chicago, with two counts of federal program theft and one count of obstruction of justice. Arraignment in U.S. District Court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John F. Woolley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Midwestern Regional Office, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Public Schools, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Prashant Kolluri and Sean Hennessy.
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. Each count of federal program theft is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison, while the obstruction count is punishable by up to 20 years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
king_indictment.pdfFormer Baltimore Football Coach Sentenced for Overtime Fraud Scheme and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A former Baltimore City School police officer and Dunbar High School football coach is heading to federal prison in connection with federal wire-fraud and tax-evasion charges.
U.S. District Judge Stephanie A. Gallagher sentenced Lawrence Earl Smith, Jr. 52, of Perry Hall, Maryland, today, to one year and one day in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for creating and executing a scheme to submit fraudulent overtime slips. Smith received overtime payments, totaling more than $200,000, for time that he never worked. He also evaded paying more than $60,000 in federal income taxes for 2017, 2019, and 2020. Judge Gallagher ordered Smith to pay $215,352 in restitution to Baltimore City Public Schools, and $61,233.40 restitution to the IRS.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office.
According to court documents, from May 2005 until August 2022, Smith was employed as a Baltimore City School police officer. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Smith was authorized to receive overtime pay to provide security for COVID-19 testing and food sites and he acted as a liaison with the Baltimore Police Department (BPD). He was also authorized to assist BPD in its investigations and to receive overtime pay if he received a BPD request outside of his regular hours for “emergencies” and situations that required an immediate response.
Beginning in January 2019 until August 2022, Smith claimed more than 3,330 hours of fraudulent overtime, totaling at least $200,000 in additional earnings, for hours that he never worked. In several of these instances, Smith was nowhere near the COVID-19 testing or food sites nor assisting BPD. Instead, Smith was at his Baltimore County residence, on his boat in or near the Baltimore Inner Harbor, or out of town on trips, including to Las Vegas, Florida, and the Caribbean. Smith also falsely claimed tax exempt status while failing to file state and federal income tax returns.
Additionally, Smith fraudulently caused his employer to abstain from withholding payroll taxes while his income remained unreported. Smith’s employer never withheld or paid his federal income taxes, due to Smith’s false Forms W-4. Since he never filed tax returns to report income, Smith evaded taxes for 2017, 2019, and 2020, causing him to owe the IRS $61,233.40.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and IRS-CI for their work in the investigation, along with the Maryland Office of the Inspector General for Education, for its valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adeyemi Adenrele and Jared M. Beim who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Fleeing drug smuggler sent to federal prisonRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 34-year-old Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man has been ordered to prison for attempting to smuggle cocaine through the Border Patrol checkpoint near Kingsville, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Eric Barclay pleaded guilty Jan. 22 to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos has now ordered Barclay to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard evidence Barclay fled on foot from law enforcement following a high-speed vehicle pursuit.
On July 25, 2024, Christopher Seabrook drove a silver Chrysler to the Javier Vega Jr. BP checkpoint near Sarita. Barclay was the passenger.
At the initial inspection, Seabrook fled and led law enforcement on a chase reaching speeds up to 125 miles per hour.
Authorities brought the vehicle to a stop by puncturing its tires, at which time Barclay tried to flee on foot. Following his apprehension and subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement discovered 10 bundles of cocaine weighing 9.8 kilograms hidden in the rear panels.
The narcotics have an estimated street value of $210,000.
Barclay has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Seabrook, 51, Philadelphia, was previously ordered to serve 120 months in federal prison.
BP and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Texas Highway Patrol and the Philadelphia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Pruitt prosecuted the case.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Significant Lubbock Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
On April 13, 2026, the final defendant in a significant Lubbock, Texas methamphetamine trafficking organization was sentenced to 14 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Shawn Nichole Zatloukal was a member of a larger methamphetamine trafficking organization responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine in the Lubbock area. She and her codefendants, all of Lubbock, were indicted in August 2025 and all later pled guilty to methamphetamine trafficking charges. Zatloukal was sentenced on Monday this week by Fifth Circuit Judge Andrew S. Oldham, sitting by assignment. The remaining defendants were sentenced by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix, who noted during co-defendant Jeremiah Arguijo’s sentencing hearing the staggering amount of drugs distributed by the organization. All were sentenced to lengthy prison terms:Jeremiah “Chris” Arguijo, 40, was sentenced to 360 months;
Shawna Nichole Zatloukal, 55, was sentenced to 168 months;
Christopher Alan Nagella, 59, was sentenced to 240 months;
Adam “Adan” Casas, Jr., 52, was sentenced to 97 months;
Benjamin “BJ” Hernandez, 46, was sentenced to 132 months; and
Nicholas James Westbrook, 45, was sentenced to 160 months.
“These lengthy prison sentences should serve as a warning of what lies ahead for those who distribute narcotics in the Northern District of Texas,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will be relentless in identifying and prosecuting drug traffickers, as we continue to focus on making the communities in which we live safer.”
“These sentences underscore our commitment to holding drug traffickers accountable for the harm they bring to our communities,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Joseph B. Tucker. “The DEA Lubbock Resident Office and our law enforcement partners throughout the region will continue to aggressively pursue those that distribute this poison and never waver as we seek to protect the neighborhoods we call home.”
According to court documents, the investigation lasted several months and culminated in the execution of multiple search warrants on July 22, 2025. During these searches, agents located several pounds of methamphetamine, multiple firearms, and several thousand dollars in currency. In total, agents seized over 4,200 grams of methamphetamine during this investigation, some of which is depicted below:
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long 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.
Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 63 Months for Trafficking Narcotics from H Street StorefrontRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Pierre Black, 63, a resident of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 63 months in prison for unlawful distribution of fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Pierre Black operated a street-level fentanyl distribution scheme out of a storefront in the District,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “He sold the drug to an undercover officer on six occasions—an amount large enough to equal roughly 80,000 potentially lethal doses. He also kept a loaded firearm alongside his supply and conducted these activities in a neighborhood already reeling from a fatal overdose.”
Black pleaded guilty on Jan. 13, 2026, before U.S. District Court Judge Carl J. Nichols to one count of unlawful distribution of fentanyl. In addition to the 63-month prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered Black to serve three years of supervised release and to forfeit $13,310.
According to court papers, in early 2025, the Metropolitan Police Department’s Violent Crime Suppression Division Overdose Section and the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating drug sales in the 700 block of H Street NE following a suspected fatal fentanyl overdose in the area. Investigators identified Black as a street-level fentanyl trafficker operating out of a store in that block.
As part of the investigation, an undercover officer conducted controlled purchases from Black. Over six purchases, the officer bought a total of 177 grams of fentanyl for more than $13,000.
On Sept. 5, 2025, officers arrested Black and searched his residence. In a bedroom closet safe, they recovered a loaded Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm handgun with nine rounds of ammunition in a 10-round magazine. On top of a safe, officers found 55.3 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and heroin. In the kitchen, they found an additional 14.27 grams of a substance containing fentanyl, heroin, and medetomidine, a sedative used by veterinarians. Black admitted that he possessed the firearm in connection with his drug trafficking.
Black has eight prior convictions, including four for drug distribution or possession with intent to distribute.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration – Washington Division Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel.
The 53.90 grams of fentanyl purchased on July 28, 2025 (left), and the 55.13 grams of fentanyl purchased on Aug. 21, 2025 (right).
Investigators recovered a loaded Springfield Armory XD-9 9mm handgun with nine rounds of ammunition in a 10-round magazine.
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Española Man Charged with Assault by StrangulationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Española man has been charged in connection with an alleged assault by strangulation left the victim with serious injuries.
According to court documents, on April 3, 2026, Joseph Cata, 22, an enrolled member of Ohkay Owingeh Pueblo, allegedly assaulted the victim inside a residence in Española, New Mexico. During the assault, Cata allegedly struck the victim multiple times in the face with both open and closed hands and twice placed his hands around their neck, applying pressure so that they could not breathe or scream. The assault ended after a witness intervened.
As a result of the assault, the victim suffered visible injuries, including a bruised right eye, scratches, redness, contusions, and swelling to their face, consistent with having been struck repeatedly.
Cata is charged with assault by strangulation and suffocation and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Cata faces up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case with assistance from the Santa Clara Pueblo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican National Convicted of Using U.S. Citizen’s Identity for DecadesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – A federal jury has found Lesbia Cristina Grullon Nolasco (49, Orlando) guilty of passport fraud, theft of government property, aggravated identity theft, and making a false statement to a federal agency. Grullon Nolasco faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for passport fraud and theft of government property, up to 5 years for making a false statement to a federal agency, and a mandatory minimum of 2 years’ imprisonment, consecutive to any other prison term for aggravated identity theft. Her sentencing hearing is scheduled for July 21, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Grullon Nolasco was indicted on December 17, 2025.
According to evidence presented at trial, Grullon Nolasco is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who has lived in the United States for more than 30 years under the stolen identity of a Puerto Rican woman. Grullon Nolasco obtained false identification documents bearing her photo but the identity of the Puerto Rican woman. In 2018, Grullon Nolasco applied and obtained a U.S. passport under the stolen identity. When agents with the U.S. Department of State interviewed Grullon Nolasco in March 2024, she falsely claimed that she was the woman born in Puerto Rico under a different name. Grullon Nolasco provided agents with the victim’s birth certificate, that she obtained from Puerto Rico in 2011. She also produced the U.S. passport she obtained in 2018, and a Social Security card, all in the U.S. citizen’s name. During the interview, agents asked her questions about Puerto Rico, but Grullon Nolasco was unable to answer any of their questions correctly.
While being investigated by federal agents, Grullon Nolasco continued using false identification documents to obtain benefits under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Between August 2021 and November 2025, Grullon Nolasco used over $10,000 in SNAP benefits. As a result of her fraud, the true person in Puerto Rico was denied SNAP benefits when she applied.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Diplomatic Security of the U.S. Department of State, the Office of the Inspector General of the United States Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon Cruz.
Dominican Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Leading Drug Trafficking Organization that Amassed over $200,000 in ProfitsRead the Press Release
Dominican Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Leading Drug Trafficking Organization that Amassed Over $200,000 in Profits
CONCORD – Dominican national Raynerson Marcos De La Paz Matos, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty to five years in federal prison and one year of supervised release, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces. De La Paz Matos previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 400 grams of fentanyl.
“This defendant led a drug trafficking organization that distributed significant quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Manchester and amassed over $200,000 in cash and jewelry from the criminal enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan. “Yesterday’s sentence holds him accountable. My office will continue working with law enforcement to protect New Hampshire communities from those who earn money from addiction.”
“This case highlights the relentless pursuit of those who profit from poisoning our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “This defendant led a sophisticated drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing dangerous quantities of fentanyl and cocaine—substances that continue to devastate families across our nation. This sentence sends a clear message: those who traffic deadly drugs and exploit others for profit will be brought to justice.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on multiple occasions in 2024, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of various quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and crack cocaine from the defendant and two others working for him as “runners” in Manchester. Following these transactions, on September 11, 2024, law enforcement conducted operations against the defendant and his two residences on Cilley Road and Dubuque Street in Manchester. The search of the Cilley Road residence yielded over 1,600 grams of fentanyl, 480 grams of cocaine, and $4,675 in drug proceeds, and the search of the Dubuque Street residence yielded $54,370 in drug proceeds and assorted jewelry with an estimated value of $161,675.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case.
This effort 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.
Defendant Sentenced to 22 Years’ Imprisonment for Sex Trafficking Women at the Sayville Motor Lodge on Long IslandRead the Press Release
Today, Michael Johnson, also known as “Wise,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert in federal court in Central Islip to 22 years’ imprisonment for sex trafficking conspiracy, sex trafficking, and interstate prostitution. Johnson and his co-conspirators operated a sex trafficking business out of the Sayville Motor Lodge, a motel located near Sunrise Highway on Long Island. Johnson was convicted of these crimes following a two-week jury trial in October 2025. Restitution for the victim will be determined at a later date.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Today’s sentence reflects the profound harm caused by sex trafficking—a crime that strips victims of their autonomy, dignity, and safety,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Michael Johnson and his co-conspirators preyed on vulnerable women and treated them as commodities for profit. This outcome sends a clear message that such exploitation will be met with serious consequences, and it is my hope that it brings a measure of justice to the victims who endured these abuses.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance with the case.
“Michael Johnson trafficked multiple women into sexual slavery to profit off their bodies, while maintaining their subservience through social isolation, physical abuse and threats of death, and addictive drugs. For years, Johnson demonstrated extreme depravity as he physically and emotionally traumatized numerous women to satisfy his own greedy desires. May today’s conviction not only provide his victims a glimmer of comfort but also reflect the FBI’s commitment to protecting all vulnerable victims from sexual predators seeking to exploit them for financial gain,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
"Johnson took advantage of vulnerable women, using violence and drugs to control and exploit his victims, forcing them into sex trafficking for his own financial gain," stated Suffolk County Police Commissioner Kevin Catalina. "This case serves as a warning to anyone who seeks to manipulate or abuse others — justice will find you. This sentence represents not only accountability, but also a recognition of the courage and strength of the victims who came forward. I commend the dedicated efforts of our detectives and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York."
The Sayville Motor Lodge was a property at the center of a sex trafficking conspiracy based on Long Island. In November 2022, an indictment was unsealed in the Eastern District of New York charging Johnson, Timothy Bullen, motel owners Narendarakuma Dadarwala and his wife Shardaben Dadarwala, their son Jigar Dadarwala, Ashokbhai Patel, and Himanshu, Inc. d/b/a Sayville Motor Lodge with sex trafficking conspiracy. The Dadarwalas, Patel and Himanshu were also charged with managing a drug premises, and Narendarakuma Dadarwala was charged with distribution of proceeds of prostitution and narcotics businesses. In September 2025, a superseding indictment charged Johnson with three additional counts of sex trafficking.
As proven at trial, from approximately 2014 to 2022, Johnson, a pimp, conspired with others to further his sex trafficking business out of the Sayville Motor Lodge. Johnson forcibly sex trafficked multiple women, some of whom were addicted to drugs, and compelled them to commit commercial sex acts through a combination of force, threats of force, fraud, and coercion. Johnson controlled the victims by confiscating all the proceeds they earned from commercial sex acts; posting advertisements for them on various websites and setting the rates they would charge; using drugs — by both giving and withholding drugs — to induce them to stay and continue performing sex acts; isolating them from others; and physically, mentally, and emotionally abusing them. The women Johnson trafficked observed his close relationship with the Dadarwalas, and how the Dadarwalas facilitated and protected Johnson’s illegal activities.
Johnson instilled fear in the women he trafficked through physical violence and rape. Several victims testified that Johnson anally raped them and carried a gun at all times.
Co-defendants Narendarakuma Dadarwala and Shardaben Dadarwala pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy in April 2025, and co-defendant Patel pleaded guilty to sex trafficking conspiracy in September 2025. All three defendants are awaiting sentencing. The case remains pending against co-defendants Timothy Bullen and Jigar Dadarwala.
In connection with the November 2022 indictment and the arrests of Johnson and his co-conspirators, the United States seized the Sayville Motor Lodge. In October 2023, the United States facilitated the sale of the Sayville Motor Lodge to a company that was partially owned by a principal of a neighboring business with longstanding ties to the community. A portion of the proceeds of the sale were earmarked for forfeiture to the United States government, which enabled the Office to seek compensation for the victims of the charged conduct through the Department of Justice’s remission procedures.
The government’s case is being handled by the Long Island Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Catherine M. Mirabile and Samantha S. Alessi are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Adam Bernard, Lead Legal Administrative Specialist Kerry Ucci, Legal Assistant Katherine Szewczyk, and Victim Witness Specialist Stephanie Marroquin.The Defendant:
MICHAEL JOHNSON (also known as “Wise”)
Age: 37
Selbyville, DelawareDefendants Previously Convicted:
NARENDARAKUMA DADARWALA (also known as “Naren,” “Pa” and “Dad”)
Age: 79
Sayville, Long IslandSHARDABEN DADARWALA (also known as “Sharda,” “Ma” and “Mom”)
Age: 72
Sayville, Long IslandASHOKBHAI PATEL (also known as “BG”)
Age: 61
Omaha, NebraskaDefendants Pending Trial:
TIMOTHY BULLEN (also known as “Trouble,” “T” and “Tiervoni”)
Age: 38
Bay Shore, Long IslandJIGAR DADARWALA (also known as “Cobra”)
Age: 47
Sayville, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-494 (S-1) (JS)
Dallas woman sentenced to 22 years in federal prison as part of the Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Dallas woman has been sentenced to 22 years in federal prison as part of the Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Isela Mendez, 45, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture and distribute and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 264 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on April 15, 2026.
According to information presented in court, Mendez was identified during an investigation involving the influx of counterfeit oxycodone, and other prescription pills, in the Eastern District of Texas and surrounding areas. It was determined that Mendez worked with others to distribute tens of thousands of “M30” fentanyl-laced pills. Mendez’s son, Nathan Garcia, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison as part of the same conspiracy on February 9, 2026.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CD; United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Texas.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Dallas Police Department.
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Crawford County Man Sentenced to 170 Months in Prison for Grooming, Sex with MinorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a man to 170 months in prison for grooming and engaging in illegal sexual contact with a minor.
Nathaniel Rod Gibson, 34, gave the victim a phone and sent her via more than 18,996 text messages from March 10, 2023, to Sept. 6, 2023, while grooming her with romantic and flirtatious statements. Gibson also told the victim to delete the messages so that her mother would not find them. In June of 2023, Gibson drove the then-13-year-old victim from Missouri to a campground in Arkansas, where he engaged in an illegal sex act with her. He also did so at his home in Crawford County.
Gibson pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
The Crawford County Sheriff’s Office, the Diamond City (Arkansas) Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Court Orders Delaware Department of Labor to Comply with Lawfully Issued Federal SubpoenaRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – On April 13, 2026, Chief Judge Colm F. Connolly granted the United States’s Petition to Enforce a Department of Homeland Security Administrative Subpoena issued to the Delaware Department of Labor.
Last year, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) issued an administrative subpoena to the Delaware Department of Labor (“DDOL”) seeking documents for several specified Delaware businesses as part of an ongoing immigration-related worksite enforcement investigation being conducted by HSI. DDOL refused to provide the documents demanded by the subpoena. As a result, the United States filed suit seeking to enforce the subpoena. In his ruling, Chief Judge Connolly held that HSI’s investigation had a legitimate purpose, that the administrative subpoena sought information relevant to its investigation, and that the subpoena was not unreasonably broad or burdensome. As a result, Chief Judge Connolly held that HSI’s administrative subpoena was valid and enforceable. DDOL must now comply with the subpoena and produce the documents demanded therein.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace stated, “Congress gave HSI the authority to issue administrative subpoenas within its area of responsibility. Delaware’s state agencies have historically complied with federal subpoenas, as they are required to do by law. But here, a state agency refused to comply—not for legal reasons, but for political ones. That could not stand, so we sued to enforce the subpoena. We are gratified that the Court recognized the simple truth at the core of this case: federal law applies to everyone, whether they are a state or private entity, and whether they agree or disagree with the federal government’s policy priorities.”
Special Agent in Charge Eric McLoughlin stated, “HSI is committed to upholding the integrity of our nation’s labor laws and ensuring that investigations are conducted thoroughly and lawfully. The court’s decision affirms the legitimacy of our worksite enforcement investigations and the necessity of access to relevant records. We appreciate the support of our partners in the U.S. Attorney’s Office and will continue to pursue all necessary avenues to protect the interests of American workers and businesses.”
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-mc-322-CFC.
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Connecticut CPA Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWARD J. SODLOSKY, 72, of Middlebury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to three months of imprisonment and one year of supervised release for tax evasion. Judge Bolden also ordered Sodlosky to pay a $50,000 fine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sodlosky, a self-employed Certified Public Accountant, owned and operated Edward J. Sodlosky, Certified Public Accountant (“EJS-CPA”) in Naugatuck. From 2016 through 2022, Sodlosky prepared and filed annual joint income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of himself and his spouse. He also filed annual partnership income tax returns for an entity named FinGLTD, which he owned with his spouse. During this seven-year period, Sodlosky cashed more than 2,000 client payment checks to hide income generated by EJS-CPA. As a result, a substantial amount of EJS-CPA’s business receipts was diverted from EJS-CPA’s bank accounts, and not reported in his joint income tax returns (Forms 1040 and 1040-SR) or partnership income tax returns (Form 1065).
Sodlosky deposited funds derived from the cashed checks, as well as client payment checks to EJS-CPA, into a network of business, personal, and nominee accounts. He maintained, controlled, and used 15 different bank accounts to deposit business receipts and to evade income taxes. Through this scheme, Sodlosky failed to report to the IRS $1,379,694.21 in additional income, resulting in a tax loss to the government of $422,720.
Sodlosky has paid the IRS $422,720, but still owes substantial interest and penalties.
On November 19, 2025, Sodlosky pleaded guilty to tax evasion.
Sodlosky, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on May 27.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Columbia Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Enticement of a Minor and Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for attempted enticement of a minor and advertising child pornography
Ryan Edward Hine, 29, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 30 years in federal prison without parole to be followed by 20 years supervised release for enticing a minor to produce child pornography and for advertising child pornography to other individuals over the internet.
According to court documents, Hine began texting with a 15-year-old female in in July 2018. Hine regularly requested her to produce and send him sexually explicit images and videos. Hine traveled across state lines on a monthly basis in 2019 to engage in sexual acts with the child victim, which he recorded with his cell phone to produce videos of child sexual abuse. This continued until 2020.
Hine, posing as a minor female, continued to recruit minor victims to produce Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM). Hine then posed as the minor female and advertised the CSAM for sale to adult buyers over the internet.
Hine will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by HSI New Jersey, Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy and HSI Kansas City, Acting Special Agent in Charge Richard Sabatini.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Colorado Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Trafficking Fentanyl, Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Denver, Co., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for trafficking fentanyl and illegally possessing firearms.
Jason S. Thompson, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 20 years in federal prison without parole for possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of firearms. Thompson was found guilty on Jan. 6, 2026, after a two-day jury trial.
In the early morning hours of Aug. 30, 2024, officers with the Nixa, Mo., Police Department contacted Thompson, who was camping in a minivan in a Walmart parking lot. Thompson initially provided officers with false identification. When officers attempted to arrest him, Thompson fled on foot but was quickly apprehended. Once Thompson gave officers correct identifying information, they learned he had a federal probation and parole warrant for his arrest.
Officers searched Thompson and found a small bag of cocaine and more than $1,000 cash. When officers searched the minivan they located drug paraphernalia, a large plastic bag containing nearly 140 grams of fentanyl pills, and two loaded firearms: a Glock model 19 and a HS Produkt Hellcat.
According to court documents, Thompson has an extensive criminal history that includes prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, felon in possession of a firearm, conspiracy to distribute multiple controlled substances, and theft.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Beaver, James J. Kelleher, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah R. Lucas. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Nixa, Mo., Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.