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Wednesday 8 April 2026
St. Louis County Fossil Company Operator Accused of Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The owner of a fossil replica company was indicted Wednesday and accused of fraudulently seeking disability benefits.
Scott A. Taylor, 50, is still on probation from a prior disability fraud case. The new indictment, on one count of making a false statement, accuses him of applying for Social Security disability benefits on Jan. 28, 2026, claiming that he had not worked since 1993. The indictment says Taylor has been self-employed since 2014.
A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Taylor’s disability benefits were initially discontinued after an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General. Taylor pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to one felony count of theft of government money. He admitted opening Taylor Made Fossils, which made fossil recreations, after having been granted disability benefits. Taylor’s plea agreement says that while he repeatedly falsely claimed to be too disabled to work or perform many normal daily activities, he carried large or heavy objects, did yard work and walked normally while unassisted. On Dec. 9, 2025, he was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to repay $106,923 to the Social Security Administration.
“Individuals who exploit disability programs for personal gain undermine critical support intended for those who truly need it,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Chancellor Melvin, SSA OIG, Chicago Field Division. “Our office remains committed to identifying and investigating fraud, and we will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of Social Security programs and safeguard taxpayer dollars.”
Department of Justice efforts 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.
The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice.
The SSA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe is prosecuting the case.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
On April 7, 2026, Ry Tyler, 36, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced to federal prison after a November 24, 2025, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography, in federal court in Sioux City.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in January 2025, law enforcement received a report that Tyler was accessing child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) on Russian websites. Tyler appeared on a podcast for sex addicts where he expressed a sexual interest in children and persistent thoughts of children in sexual situations. Tyler admitted to recently deleting images off his computer and told law enforcement the images would be considered “appalling.” A search of Tyler’s electronics revealed child pornography, child erotica, and child pornography search terms. A forensic examination of Tyler’s electronic devices revealed over 2,100 images and 5 videos of child pornography. The videos and images included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Tyler to 66 months’ imprisonment along with a 5-year term of supervised release after release from prison. There is no parole in the federal system. Tyler remains in custody of the U.S. Marshals Service until he can be transported to a federal prison.
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.”
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4025. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sex offender sentenced to prison for possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A convicted sex offender was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, Jacob Navarrette, 34, of Wichita pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
In April 2020, a federal judge in the U.S District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma sentenced Navarrette for possession of child pornography. As part of his sentence, Navarrette went to stay at a transitional center in Wichita, Kansas. In 2024, a staff member found a contraband cellphone under Navarrette's mattress. The phone contained an instant messaging app and messages between the defendant and a person who self-identified as a 17-year-old minor. This minor sent explicit photos of himself at Navarrette's request. Navarrette later admitted to installing the app and using it to speak sexually with many people, including minors.“Unfortunately, Navarrette was back to committing child sex abuse crimes before he finished serving time for the offense that landed him in prison in the first place,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “This case is an example of why continued monitoring of sex offenders is crucial to protect our society and our children.”
Kansas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigated the case.
Project Safe Childhood
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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sex Trafficking Leader Pleads Guilty to Multiple Counts of Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts woman pleaded guilty today for her role in conspiring with others and committing sex trafficking of two minors and one adult.
According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Christy Parker, also known as “Lula,” 28, of Fall River, Massachusetts, used physical beatings, threats, intimidation, sleep deprivation, starvation and other means to coerce at least one adult victim and two minor victims to engage in repeated commercial sex acts in and around Fall River, Massachusetts between January and August 2023. Starting in January 2023, Parker coerced the adult victim to engage in repeated commercial sex acts by physically beating, threatening and verbally abusing the victim; imposing manufactured debts on the victim; plying the victim with alcohol and subsequently withholding it; and threatening to have the authorities take the victim’s 3-year-old child away from her.
Parker later worked with a minor to recruit two minor victims for commercial sex with false promises of easy money. Parker and her co-defendants harbored the minor victims in a house and a Fall River hotel and provided them for commercial sex over the course of two months in July and August 2023. Parker physically beat and threatened the minor victims, prohibited them from sleeping so they could engage in more commercial sex, starved them, and confiscated all of their earnings. Parker’s scheme ended in August 2023, when one of the minor victims called her social worker and asked for help. The social worker contacted law enforcement, and Parker was arrested at the Fall River hotel where she was harboring the victims.
Parker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, two counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, and one count of sex trafficking a minor. She is scheduled to be sentenced on July 15, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Restitution is also mandatory for offenses involving sex trafficking.
Four of Parker’s co-defendants were previously convicted and sentenced. Tyreik Reid, 22, and Cory Primo, 44, were convicted of one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking each and sentenced to 70 months in prison. Avvani Jeffers, 24, was convicted of two counts of forced labor and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Tre’sean Reid, 23, was convicted of one count of forced labor and sentenced to time served, which amounted to 8 months in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey Grimming of the HSI New England Field Office made the announcement.
The HSI New England Field Office and Fall River Police Department are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecution Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe for the District of Massachusetts are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Saugus Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Thousands of Pills Containing Meth and FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Saugus man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl.
George Krabey, 47, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In November 2025, Krabey pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, involving 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; three counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine; one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; and one count of distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl. In July 2025, Krabey was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Between December 2024 and April 2025, Krabey repeatedly met with a cooperating source and sold thousands of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. On April 22, 2025, Krabey was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement in Danvers. Krabey was enroute to Salisbury to sell the cooperating source 4,000 counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine. During a search of the vehicle, a shoebox was located containing 5,296 pills containing methamphetamine with a weight of approximately two kilograms.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jared A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Revere, Saugus and Peabody Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel R. Feldman of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.San Fernando Valley Clinic Operator Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Ring that Sold Illegal Opioid Prescriptions for CashRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – A San Fernando Valley man who operated corrupt medical clinics was sentenced today to 216 months in federal prison for participating in a drug trafficking ring that sold thousands of illegal opioid prescriptions for cash.
Justin Douglas Cozart, 48, of Woodland Hills, who operated and supervised the ChiroMed medical clinics, was sentenced by United States District Judge David O. Carter.
In February 2025, at the conclusion of a five-day trial, a federal jury found Cozart guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute oxycodone, one count of conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and one count of concealment money laundering.
From 2017 to January 2020, Cozart and others knowingly and intentionally participated in a conspiracy to distribute the opioid painkiller oxycodone outside the usual course of professional practice and without a legitimate medical purpose.
Cozart operated several medical clinics in Southern California. Other members of the conspiracy recruited sham patients to go to Cozart’s clinics – including ones in Inglewood, Santa Ana, and Anaheim – to obtain oxycodone prescriptions. Cozart employed doctors at the clinic, including John Korzelius, 74, a.k.a. “Dr. K,” of Long Beach, who wrote oxycodone prescriptions for the fake patients. The recruiters then paid Cozart for the fraudulent oxycodone prescriptions.
Upon obtaining the prescriptions from the clinic, the recruiters took the sham patients to a pharmacy to fill the prescriptions. After collecting and consolidating the pills, co-conspirators shipped them to a drug customer in the Boston area, for distribution on the black market. On two occasions in October and December 2018, parcels containing their consolidated pills were seized by law enforcement.
In November and December of 2019, at a clinic in Inglewood, Korzelius issued prescriptions for 60 30 milligram oxycodone pills – the highest dose of short-acting oxycodone available and the dose most popular among drug abusers – to a patient who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer.
Korzelius did not conduct a physical examination of this “patient” and instructed the undercover officer to not fill the prescription at a large pharmacy such as Walmart or CVS.
“[Cozart] was a primary, illegal source of supply of oxycodone, a dangerous and frequently abused drug, for an organization that was shipping thousands of pills across the country for sale,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “He converted otherwise lawful chiropractic clinics into drug trafficking businesses, and pulled their existing employees…into his scheme.”
In total, prosecutors in this case have secured nine convictions.
Korzelius pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of conspiracy to distribute oxycodone. His California medical license expired in December 2020. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 8.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Torrance Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Rosalind Wang and Brian Yang of the Orange County Office are prosecuting this case.
San Antonio Man Sentenced to Federal Prison After Firing Machine Gun Near Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – The San Antonio man who prompted a military response by firing a weapon outside Lackland Air Force Base in 2024 was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for possession of a machine gun and unregistered firearm, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Joseph Anthony Jimenez, 20, fired a stolen 9mm pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD) into a field near Lackland Air Force Base on two separate occasions on Aug. 17, 2024. Also known as a “Glock switch,” an MCD allows a firearm to fire as a fully automatic weapon. An MCD is defined as a machinegun under the National Firearms Act, even when not installed. Jimenez admitted to accidently shooting his friend later that same day, then throwing the MCD-equipped handgun over the perimeter fence of an apartment complex.
Jimenez was arrested on a state warrant on Aug. 29, 2024. He was federally indicted with possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered firearm on Nov. 6, 2024, and transferred to federal custody on Nov. 21, 2024. On Dec. 3, 2025, Jimenez pleaded guilty to both charges.
“Beyond the basics of responsible gun ownership, everyone must understand the dangers of machinegun conversion devices,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “This individual set an example of what not to do, and he should feel fortunate that the consequences of his actions were not far worse, even deadly. Thanks to the response from the JBSA Defenders, along with the subsequent investigation by local and federal authorities, Jimenez is being held accountable for his poor decisions and violations of federal law.”
“The illegal possession and use of a machinegun conversion device represents a serious threat to public safety,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Michael Weddel. “These devices turn otherwise lawful firearms into fully automatic weapons, dramatically increasing the potential for mass harm. ATF remains committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and hold accountable those who endanger our communities through the use of illegal firearms and conversion devices.”
The ATF, FBI, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Air Force 502nd Security Forces Group, San Antonio Police Department, Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, and Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka prosecuted the case.
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Rochester man pleads guilty to drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Juan Sosa, 30, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon N. Gonzalez, who is handling the case, stated that on May 22, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at Sosa’s Northlane Drive residence, during which they seized approximately 193 grams of para-fluorofentanyl, approximately 142 grams of cocaine, approximately 16 grams of dipentylone, $4,813 in cash, a loaded pistol, an assault rifle with a sawed-off barrel, and drug paraphernalia. The warrant, executed as part of a large-scale narcotics trafficking investigation, was one of multiple warrants executed at locations throughout Monroe County. Sosa has three prior felony convictions in Monroe County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the Webster Police Department, under the direction of Dennis Kohlmeier, Brighton Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Catholdi, the New York State Police, under the direction Major Amie Feroleto, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. Additional assistance was provided by the Monroe County Crime Analysis Center.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 21, 2026, before Judge Wolford.
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Previously Deported Guatemalan National with Murder for Hire Conviction Admits Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced MARIO RAMIRO ARAGON-RUANO, also known as Mario Ramiro Aragon and Jose Juana-Zapata, 43, a citizen of Guatemala, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to unlawful reentry of a removed alien.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in August 2006, Aragon-Ruano, using the name Jose Juana-Zapata, was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona. He was deported to Guatemala later that month and warned that he could not return to the U.S. for a period of five years. He subsequently reentered the U.S. and was arrested in 2007.
In August 2008, Aragon-Ruano was convicted, under the name Mario Ramiro Aragon, in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on a federal charge of murder for hire, and was sentenced to 87 months of imprisonment. In September 2013, he was again deported to Guatemala.
In July 2019, U.S. Border Patrol encountered Aragon-Ruano in Arizona. In January 2020, he was convicted in U.S. District Court for the District of Arizona for illegally reentering the U.S. after being deported and he was sentenced to 13 months and one day of imprisonment. He was deported to Guatemala a third time in July 2020.
Aragon-Ruano subsequently unlawfully reentered the U.S. On January 10, 2026, he was arrested by Waterbury Police and charged with criminal trespass in the first degree and breach of peace in the second degree. After Aragon-Ruano was released on bond on those state charges, he was arrested by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations on January 12, 2026, in Waterbury.
Aragon-Ruano has been detained since his arrest. Judge Oliver scheduled sentencing for July 1, 2026, at which time Aragon-Ruano faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This matter is being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Phoenix Man Sentenced for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Phoenix man was sentenced to 108 months in prison for sexually abusing a minor.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, in 2019, Jeremy Blueeyes, 26, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sexual contact with a minor who had not yet attained the age of 12.
Blueeyes subsequently pled guilty to abusive sexual contact of a minor. Upon his release from prison, Blueeyes will be subject to ten years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case 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.
Personal Assistant Pleads Guilty to Defrauding her Elderly EmployersRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Catalina Corona pleaded guilty to wire fraud after stealing nearly $10 million from her employers, an elderly married couple from Long Island, New York. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis. When sentenced, Corona faces a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, as well as restitution and fines.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the guilty plea.
“Today’s guilty plea means the defendant has been held accountable for a calculated scheme that siphoned nearly $10 million from the very employers who trusted her,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will continue to pursue those who exploit positions of trust for personal gain and ensure they face the consequences for their deception and fraud.”
“Catalina Corona stole nearly $10 million from an elderly couple who entrusted her with their care to fund her lavish shopping habits. The FBI is committed to holding accountable individuals who abuse positions of trust out of selfish greed,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As set forth in court filings, between approximately 2017 and 2024, while working as a personal assistant to an elderly married couple (the Victims), Corona repeatedly deposited hundreds of checks written out to cash—made payable to herself—from the Victims’ bank accounts without their knowledge or consent. In total, Corona stole nearly $10 million, which she used to pay her credit card bills and to purchase luxury items from Louis Vuitton, Cartier, Gucci and other high-end brands. Many of these transactions took place in Queens and on Long Island.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorney Rebecca M. Urquiola is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
CATALINA CORONA
Age: 62
Corona, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-78 (NGG)
Pakistani National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Commit ISIS-Inspired Attack at Jewish Center in New YorkRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, also known as “Shahzeb Jadoon,” pleaded guilty to attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for attempting to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. Khan pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe and is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 12, 2026.
“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Khan declared that New York City was the ‘perfect’ venue for his attack because of its large Jewish population and boasted that his plot could be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The National Security Division will work tirelessly to ensure that terrorists like Khan face the full weight of American law.”
“Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, Khan’s plan was disrupted before he reached the United States. Today’s guilty plea makes unequivocally clear: terrorism and other hate-based violence have zero place in New York City. We will continue to ensure the safety of religious groups who have the fundamental right to gather peaceably and without fear of harm. That’s what New Yorkers want and that’s the American way.”
“Khan planned to illegally enter the United States and conduct an ISIS-inspired attack on the Jewish community around the one-year anniversary of the attacks in Israel by Hamas,” said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “With this guilty plea, he will now face the consequences of planning a mass shooting in New York City that might have killed or injured many people. I want to thank the FBI teams and our partners for their work to prevent an attack and to bring this individual to justice.”
“Muhammad Khan targeted a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn to honor the October 7th anniversary by attempting to conduct what he hoped would be the largest terrorist attack on US soil since 9/11,” said Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI New York Field Office. “Khan planned to inflict significant casualties and fear before he was intercepted 12 miles from our northern border. May today’s plea emphasize the FBI’s unwavering commitment to stand alongside our local law enforcement partners to defend our city from terrorists seeking to harm any of our citizens.”
“Muhammad Shahzeb Khan intended to come to New York City and carry out an ISIS-inspired act of terror against our city’s Jewish community,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The NYPD, in close coordination with our federal partners, was able to stop this dangerous plot before it could become a devastating attack. This case is yet another example of the sophisticated work that the NYPD does to protect our communities from harm and our ongoing commitment to stop hate-fueled violence.”
As alleged in the charging instruments and other public filings:
In or about November 2023, Khan, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. Khan subsequently began planning terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS, including by communicating his plans with two individuals who, unbeknownst to Khan, were undercover officers (the UCs). Khan told the UCs that he and a U.S.-based associate (Associate-1) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city (City-1) using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].”[1] Khan repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. Khan also told the UCs that he had identified a human smuggler who would help him cross the border from Canada into the United States for the attack.
In or about August 2024, Khan changed his target to New York City, telling the UCs that the target location would now be a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, New York (Location-1). Khan conveyed that he hoped to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024 — which Khan recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal and deadly terrorist attacks in Israel carried out by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. Khan told the UCs that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population in america,” and, as such, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” Khan told the UCs that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and later sent a photograph to the UCs of the specific enclosed area inside of Location-1 where Khan planned to carry out his attack. In the days that followed, Khan continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, hunting knives to “slit their throats,” and other equipment for the attack, and reiterated his desire to carry out this attack in support of ISIS. During one such communication, Khan noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”
On or about Sept. 4, 2024, Khan attempted to reach the U.S.-Canada border using a human smuggler. Khan traveled from the vicinity of Toronto, Canada, toward the United States, before he was stopped and arrested in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
Khan, 21, a Pakistani citizen who was residing in Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The potential maximum penalty in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the FBI’s Los Angeles and Chicago Field Offices, the New York State Police, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division worked with authorities in Canada to secure the arrest and June 2025 extradition of Khan. Mr. Clayton also thanked our law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
[1] “Chabad” is a branch of Hasidic Judaism, as well as a movement that operates Jewish religious and educational institutions around the world.
Pakistani National Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Commit Isis-Inspired Attack at Jewish Center in New YorkRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, Acting Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Coult Markovsky, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today that Muhammad Shahzeb Khan, a/k/a “Shahzeb Jadoon,” pled guilty to attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, for attempting to enter the United States and carry out a mass shooting with automatic weapons at a prominent Jewish center in Brooklyn, New York. KHAN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 12, 2026.
“Muhammad Khan planned to carry out a horrendous attack on a venerated Jewish center in New York City in support of ISIS,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Thanks to the work of our law enforcement partners at the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, Khan’s plan was disrupted before he reached the United States. Today’s guilty plea makes unequivocally clear: terrorism and other hate-based violence have zero place in New York City. We will continue to ensure the safety of religious groups who have the fundamental right to gather peaceably and without fear of harm. That’s what New Yorkers want and that’s the American way.”
“Khan planned a mass shooting at a Jewish center in New York City, timed to coincide with the anniversary of the October 7th Hamas attacks, with the explicit goal of killing as many Jews as possible,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Khan declared that New York City was the ‘perfect’ venue for his attack because of its large Jewish population and boasted that his plot could be the largest attack on U.S. soil since 9/11. The National Security Division will work tirelessly to ensure that terrorists like Khan face the full weight of American law.”
“Khan planned to illegally enter the United States and conduct an ISIS-inspired attack on the Jewish community around the one-year anniversary of the attacks in Israel by Hamas,” said Acting Assistant Director Coult Markovsky of the FBI’s Counterterrorism Division. “With this guilty plea, he will now face the consequences of planning a mass shooting in New York City that might have killed or injured many people. I want to thank the FBI teams and our partners for their work to prevent an attack and to bring this individual to justice.”
“Muhammad Khan targeted a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn to honor the October 7th anniversary by attempting to conduct what he hoped would be the largest terrorist attack on U.S. soil since 9/11,” said FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Khan planned to inflict significant casualties and fear before he was intercepted 12 miles from our northern border. May today’s plea emphasize the FBI’s unwavering commitment to stand alongside our local law enforcement partners to defend our city from terrorists seeking to harm any of our citizens.”
“Muhammad Shahzeb Khan intended to come to New York City and carry out an ISIS-inspired act of terror against our city’s Jewish community,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The NYPD, in close coordination with our federal partners, was able to stop this dangerous plot before it could become a devastating attack. This case is yet another example of the sophisticated work that the NYPD does to protect our communities from harm and our ongoing commitment to stop hate-fueled violence.”
As alleged in the charging instruments and other public filings:
In or about November 2023, KHAN, a Pakistani national residing in Canada, began posting on social media and communicating with others about his support for ISIS, including by distributing ISIS propaganda videos and literature. KHAN subsequently began planning terrorist attacks in the United States in support of ISIS, including by communicating his plans with two individuals who, unbeknownst to KHAN, were undercover officers (the “UCs”). KHAN told the UCs that he and a U.S.-based associate (“Associate-1”) had been planning to carry out a terrorist attack in a particular U.S. city (“City-1”) using AR-style assault rifles to “target[] Israeli Jewish chabads . . . scattered all around [City-1].”[1] KHAN repeatedly instructed the UCs to obtain AR-style assault rifles, ammunition, and other materials to carry out the attacks, and identified locations in City-1 where the attacks would take place. KHAN also told the UCs that he had identified a human smuggler who would help him cross the border from Canada into the United States for the attack.
In or about August 2024, KHAN changed his target to New York City, telling the UCs that the target location would now be a prominent Jewish religious center in Brooklyn, New York (“Location-1”). KHAN conveyed that he hoped to carry out this attack on or around October 7, 2024—which KHAN recognized as the one-year anniversary of the brutal and deadly terrorist attacks in Israel carried out by the foreign terrorist organization Hamas on October 7, 2023. KHAN told the UCs that “New york is perfect to target jews” because it has the “largest Jewish population in america,” and, as such, “even if we dont attack a[n] Event[,] we could rack up easily a lot of jews.” KHAN told the UCs that “we are going to nyc to slaughter them,” and later sent a photograph to the UCs of the specific enclosed area inside of Location-1 where KHAN planned to carry out his attack. In the days that followed, KHAN continued to urge the UCs to acquire AR-style rifles, hunting knives to “slit their throats,” and other equipment for the attack, and reiterated his desire to carry out this attack in support of ISIS. During one such communication, KHAN noted that “if we succeed with our plan this would be the largest Attack on US soil since 9/11.”
On or about September 4, 2024, KHAN attempted to reach the U.S.-Canada border using a human smuggler. KHAN traveled from the vicinity of Toronto, Canada, toward the United States, before he was stopped and arrested in or around Ormstown, Canada, approximately 12 miles from the U.S.-Canada border.
* * *
KHAN, 21, a Pakistani citizen who was residing in Canada, pled guilty to one count of attempting to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The potential maximum sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the FBI’s Los Angeles and Chicago Field Offices, the New York State Police, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance. The Office of International Affairs of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division worked with authorities in Canada to secure the arrest and June 2025 extradition of KHAN. Mr. Clayton also thanked our law enforcement partners in Canada, including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police and Department of Justice Canada’s International Assistance Group, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaylan E. Lasky and David J. Robles are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
[1] “Chabad” is a branch of Hasidic Judaism, as well as a movement that operates Jewish religious and educational institutions around the world.
North Hollywood Drug Dealer Who Sold Ketamine that Killed Actor Matthew Perry Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley woman was sentenced today to 180 months in federal prison for her long-running drug dealing activities, including selling ketamine that contributed to at least two deaths, including the overdose death of actor Matthew Perry in October 2023.
Jasveen Sangha, 42, a.k.a. “Ketamine Queen,” of North Hollywood, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett.
Sangha pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises, three counts of distribution of ketamine, and one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury.
Sangha is a dual citizen of the United States and the United Kingdom and has been in federal custody since August 2024.
“For years…Sangha operated a high-volume drug trafficking business out of her North Hollywood residence,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “To cultivate her business, [Sangha] marketed herself as an exclusive dealer who catered to high-profile Hollywood clientele…While [Sangha] worked to expand and profit from her drug trafficking, she knew – and disregarded – the grave harm her conduct was causing.”
According to court documents, Sangha worked with Erik Fleming, 56, of Hawthorne, to knowingly distribute ketamine to Perry, a successful actor and author whose struggles with drug addiction were well documented. In October 2023, Sangha and Fleming sold Perry 51 vials of ketamine, which were provided to Kenneth Iwamasa, 61, of Toluca Lake, Perry’s live-in personal assistant.
Leading up to Perry’s death, Iwamasa repeatedly injected Perry with the ketamine that Sangha supplied to Fleming. Specifically, on October 28, 2023, Iwamasa injected Perry with at least three shots of Sangha’s ketamine, which caused Perry’s death.
After learning from news reports of Perry’s death, Sangha called Fleming on the Signal app to discuss how to distance themselves from it. That day, Sangha updated the settings on the Signal apps to automatically delete her messages with Fleming. She further instructed Fleming to “Delete all our messages.”
Two days after Perry’s death, Fleming left Sangha a voicemail on Signal and texted, “Please call . . . Got more info and want to bounce ideas off you. I’m 90% sure everyone is protected. I never dealt with [Perry]. Only his Assistant. So the Assistant was the enabler. Also they are doing a 3 month tox screening . . . Does K stay in your system or is it immediately flushed out[?].”
In August 2019, Sangha sold four vials ketamine to victim Cody McLaury, who died hours later from a drug overdose.
In March 2024, law enforcement searched the residence and found thousands of pressed methamphetamine pills, 79 vials of liquid ketamine, MDMA (Ecstasy) tablets, counterfeit Xanax pills, baggies containing powdered ketamine and cocaine, and other drug trafficking items such as a gold money counting machine, a scale, a wireless signal and hidden camera detector, drug packaging materials, and $5,723 in cash.
Sangha also used her North Hollywood residence to store, package, and distribute narcotics, including ketamine and methamphetamine, since at least June 2019.
Besides Sangha, the following defendants have been sentenced in this case:
- Salvador Plasencia, 44, a.k.a. “Dr. P,” of Santa Monica, is serving a 30-month prison sentence after pleading guilty in July 2025 to four counts of distribution of ketamine. He surrendered his California medical license in September 2025. Plasencia repeatedly sold vials of ketamine to Perry despite knowing Perry’s well-documented history of drug addiction and that Perry’s personal assistant was administering the drug without medical training or supervision.
- Mark Chavez, 55, of San Diego, was sentenced to three years of probation, eight months of home detention, and was ordered to perform 300 hours of community service after he pleaded guilty in October 2024 to one count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. Chavez operated a ketamine clinic and sold the drug to Plasencia, who then distributed it to Perry. Chavez surrendered his medical license in November 2024.
Iwamasa and Fleming are scheduled to be sentenced in the coming months. Each of them pleaded guilty in August 2024 to federal narcotics charges.
The Los Angeles Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the National Security Division and Haoxiaohan H. Cai of the Major Frauds Section are prosecuting this case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On April 7, 2026, DAVID LOUIS IV (“LOUIS”), age 23, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced for being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). United States District Judge Darrell J. Papillion sentenced LOUIS to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release after imprisonment. The Court’s sentence will run consecutively to a yet to be determined sentence imposed in a pending state prosecution for possessing contraband in jail. The Court’s sentence will also run concurrently with sentences yet to be imposed for probation violations in two separate state court matters, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court records, on April 15, 2025, the New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) detectives conducting surveillance near Conrad Park, located in the 3400 block of Hamilton Street, in New Orleans, observed LOUIS and a female associate enter Conrad Park. LOUIS had a black backpack from which he removed marijuana and began smoking the marijuana while talking with his associate. LOUIS alsoremoved a black pistol from his waistband area.
A silver Nissan Altima, being driven by LOUIS’s girlfriend, and occupied by another adult female, and minors, arrived at the park. LOUIS approached the Altima and engaged in a verbal argument with the vehicle’s occupants. During the argument, LOUIS removed the pistol from his waistband and waived it in the air. NOPD officers arrived after seeing LOUIS in possession of the firearm. Observing the officer’s approach, LOUIS entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle. While inside the Altima, LOUIS placed his pistol, a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, with an extended magazine, loaded with twenty-two (22) live rounds of ammunition, and his black backpack on the driver’s side floorboard, where the driver was seated.
During a search of the Nissan Altima, NOPD detectives recovered LOUIS’s pistol and backpack from the driver’s side floorboard. LOUIS’s backpack contained three (3) live rounds of .40 caliber ammunition; a magazine containing eleven (11) live .40 caliber rounds of ammunition; a clear plastic bag containing marijuana; and a Louisiana identification card in LOUIS’s name.
LOUIS is a convicted felon and is federally prohibited from possessing firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Brittany Reed of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Jersey Tax Preparer Sentenced to 144 Months in Prison for $170 Million COVID-19 Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK N.J. – A New Jersey tax preparer who sought more than $170 million in fraudulent COVID-19-related tax refunds was sentenced today to 144 Months in prison and 5 years of supervised release before the Honorable William J. Martini, in Newark federal court, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced. Haynes was also ordered to pay more than $55 million in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Following a six-day jury trial in November 2025 before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court, Leon Haynes, 52, of Teaneck, was convicted of 15 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, one count of mail fraud, and two counts of tax evasion. This is the largest COVID-19 tax relief fraud case to be tried to date in the country.
“Pandemic relief programs were created to support Americans during a national crisis, but Haynes—a tax preparer entrusted to help people comply with the law—treated those programs as a personal cash machine. Our office will continue to pursue those who exploit emergency relief programs and hold them accountable for stealing from the American people.”
- U.S. Attorney Rob Frazer
According to documents in this case and evidence at trial:
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized an employee retention tax credit and sick and family leave credit that small businesses could use to help keep their business afloat and employees on payroll.
From November 2020 to May 2023, Haynes orchestrated a massive, multimillion dollar scam to exploit those COVID-related tax credits for his own greed. As a tax preparer, Haynes prepared and submitted, and worked with others to prepare and submit, more than 1,900 false employment tax returns to the IRS claiming COVID-related tax credits on behalf of himself and his clients. Each of these tax forms contained a number of false statements. For example, the vast majority of the tax forms claimed a fictitious number of employees and/or fabricated wages.
Haynes and his co-conspirators fraudulently sought more than $170 million in tax refunds on behalf of his own businesses and his clients and successfully caused the government to pay out over $55 million in refunds.
Throughout the scheme Haynes also charged clients a percentage of the refund checks as his fee and requested cash payments. He failed to report the money he received from his clients, thereby evading his own taxes.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer credited special agents the IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amy Connelly, and postal inspectors from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime Meka Cano, Matthew Stark, and Peter A. Laserna of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The Department of Justice has established the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice. The attorneys in the National Fraud Enforcement Division will work every day to protect the financial integrity of our government and the tax system that supports it.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Defense Counsel for Haynes: Michael Koribanics, Esq., and Vando Cardoso, Esq.
Muscatine Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Muscatine man was sentenced on April 7, 2026, to 15 years in federal prison for transportation of child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received CyberTips that an account, later determined to be associated with Clay Dereck Calkins, 45, received and uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement seized Calkin’s phone during a March 2023 search at his Muscatine residence. A forensic examination of the phone showed that Calkins used the device to receive, view and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. This conduct occurred during the time that Calkins was on probation for a 2022 child pornography conviction in the Iowa District Court for Muscatine County.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Calkins will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Calkins was also ordered to pay $12,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Public Safety-Division of Criminal Investigation-Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated 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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Mexican national admits to role in Black Market Peso Exchange money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old foreign national has pleaded guilty for his role in two-year, multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy to move drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Gabriel Arturo Castillo, Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, participated in a sophisticated, international money laundering conspiracy to transfer proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States to cartels in Mexico without physically transporting money across the U.S.-Mexico border. The conspirators concealed those funds through the movement of goods between the two countries.
As part of the black-market peso exchange scheme, the criminal conspiracy received large quantities of U.S. dollar drug proceeds in various cities in the United States. The proceeds then were either deposited into various bank accounts or transported to Laredo.
From there, the drug proceeds were sold to Mexican business owners in Mexico who used the U.S. currency to purchase products from stores in the United States, including perfume sellers. Once the businesses received payment, the merchandise Mexican business operators purchased was transported from Laredo to Mexico.
Finally, Mexican business operators paid for the drug proceeds by transferring pesos in Mexico to the drug trafficking organizations. By doing so, the conspirators sought to conceal the source of the drug proceeds and to allow the Mexico-based drug dealers to receive their profits in their native currency, pesos.
“Castillo and his co-conspirators all played a critical role in laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering scheme,” said Marck. “This plea is yet another step we are taking to dismantle the financial networks that fuel violence and narcotics trafficking along our southern border. We will continue to follow the money trail until all participants in this organization are held accountable.”
“For years, Gabriel Arturo Castillo agreed to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels are motivated by profit, and these financial facilitators promote their deadly drug trafficking and endanger lives, legitimate business and trade. The devastating effects of this transnational crime are vast and wide ranging. This conviction sends a clear message that the Criminal Division will pursue narcotraffickers as well as those who enable their crimes.”
“Gabriel Castillo played a key role for years in hiding drug trafficking proceeds using complex money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal of the Drug Enforcement Administration San Antonio Division. “Castillo helped facilitate the concealment of drug profits through elaborate laundering operations. But once DEA agents in Laredo started their investigation, they swiftly identified the cartel's activities, leading to justice and ending the criminal schemes that empower their operations.”
“The specific type of scheme they used is called a black-market peso exchange, versions of which existed for decades and can be as complex as the concept is old,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “We were able to follow the money to unravel how merchandise was purchased from U.S. businesses near the border and then sold in Mexico for a predetermined price. You can’t hide your ill-gotten gains from a law enforcement agency dedicated to following the money.”
U.S. District Judge Marina Garcia Marmolejo will impose sentencing July 7. At that time, Castillo faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
DEA and IRS-CI conducted the investigation. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance in this matter. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and August 2025 extradition of Castillo.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Amanda Gould are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorneys Keith H. Liddle and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Black-Market Peso Exchange Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A Mexican national pleaded guilty yesterday to participating in a two-year, multimillion-dollar trade-based money laundering conspiracy that moved drug trafficking proceeds through Texas to Mexico.
According to court documents, Gabriel Arturo Castillo, 52, of Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico, participated in a sophisticated, international money laundering conspiracy to transfer proceeds from the sale of illegal drugs in the United States to cartels in Mexico without physically transporting money across the U.S.-Mexico border. The conspirators concealed those funds through the movement of goods between the two countries.
As part of the black-market peso exchange scheme, the criminal conspiracy received large quantities of United States dollar drug proceeds in various cities in the United States. The proceeds then either were deposited into various bank accounts or transported to Laredo, Texas. From there, the drug proceeds were sold to Mexican business owners in Mexico who used the U.S. currency to purchase products from stores in the United States, including perfume sellers. Once the businesses received payment, the merchandise purchased by the Mexican business operators was transported from Laredo to Mexico. Finally, Mexican business operators paid for the drug proceeds by transferring pesos in Mexico to the drug trafficking organizations. By doing so, the conspirators sought to conceal the source of the drug proceeds and to allow the Mexico-based drug dealers to receive their profits in their native currency, pesos.
“For years, Gabriel Arturo Castillo agreed to launder millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering system,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cartels are motivated by profit, and these financial facilitators promote their deadly drug trafficking and endanger lives, legitimate business, and trade. The devastating effects of this transnational crime are vast and wide ranging. This conviction sends a clear message that the Criminal Division will pursue narcotraffickers as well as those who enable their crimes.”
“Castillo and his co-conspirators all played a critical role in laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds through an intricate trade-based money laundering scheme,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck for the Southern District of Texas. “This plea is yet another step we are taking to dismantle the financial networks that fuel violence and narcotics trafficking along our southern border. We will continue to follow the money trail until all participants in this organization are held accountable.”
“Gabriel Castillo played a key role for years in hiding drug trafficking proceeds using complex money laundering schemes,” said Special Agent in Charge Miguel Madrigal of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) San Antonio Division. “Castillo helped facilitate the concealment of drug profits through elaborate laundering operations. But once DEA agents in Laredo started their investigation, they swiftly identified the cartel's activities, leading to justice and ending the criminal schemes that empower their operations.”
“The specific type of scheme they used is called a black-market peso exchange, versions of which existed for decades and can be as complex as the concept is old,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “We were able to follow the money to unravel how merchandise was purchased from U.S. businesses near the border and then sold in Mexico for a predetermined price. You can’t hide your ill-gotten gains from a law enforcement agency dedicated to following the money.”
Castillo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7 and faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA and IRS-CI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Keith Liddle and Stephanie Williamson of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lance Watt and Amanda Gould for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and August 2025 extradition of Castillo.
MNF’s mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who launder profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees whose actions threaten the U.S. financial system and financial institutions; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
MNF’s Money Laundering and Forfeiture Unit investigates and prosecutes sophisticated money laundering schemes involving financial facilitators, gatekeepers, and other individuals and entities laundering criminal proceeds, and litigates complex civil forfeiture cases to recover assets on behalf of victims.
Mexican National Extradited to the United States to Face Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Adrian Weyman-Urbina (37) of Ensenada, Mexico was extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking charges.
Eight others were previously convicted as part of the drug trafficking conspiracy charged here, which involved current and former inmates of the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) obtaining methamphetamine and heroin from Mexico and distributing the drugs in West Michigan and elsewhere. The conspiracy spanned eleven counties in Michigan, including Alger, Luce, Allegan, Berrien, Branch, Grand Traverse, Ingham, Kent, Muskegon, Ottawa, and Van Buren Counties. Further details of the investigation are available in the April 19, 2021 press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office (available at: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/pr/2021_0420_Operation_Prison_Break) and the criminal complaints filed in United States v. Luis Alberto Cruz, No. 1:20-mj-00145 and United States v. Carlos Martinez, No. 1:20-mj-179.
“My office went the extra mile to extradite Weyman-Urbina out of Mexico because he set up his drug distribution network while he was in our country illegally, then continued to harm our citizens after he was returned to Mexico. Let this be a message that wherever you are in the world, if you are responsible for the distribution of drugs in the Western District of Michigan, we will find you, arrest you, and bring you to justice in an American courtroom,” stated U.S. Attorney VerHey. “We look forward to proving this defendant’s involvement in the conspiracy beyond a reasonable doubt.”
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 Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Michigan Department of Corrections, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office, and the Michigan State Police and its sponsored drug trafficking task forces, including the West Michigan Enforcement Team, the Southwest Enforcement Team, and the Traverse Narcotics Team investigated the case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vito S. Solitro.
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. The government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Maryland Man Admits to Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Temple Hills, Maryland man has admitted to sex trafficking between Virginia and Martinsburg, West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Rodney Dale Johnson, 47, pled guilty today to sex trafficking. According to court documents and statements made in court, Johnson transported the victim from Virginia to Martinsburg, West Virginia to engage in sex acts at a hotel. Johnson used threats, threats of force, and coercion with the victim.
Johnson faces 15 years to life. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The FBI and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Love County Resident Sentenced for Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Dustin Scott Langley, age 33, of Overbrook, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 86 months in prison for one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Love County Sheriff’s Office.
On September 15, 2025, Langley pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 2, 2025, Langley knowingly possessed visual depictions of a minor who had not attained twelve years of age engaging in sexually explicit conduct, which Langley accessed with the intent to view.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Langley will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and Tribal resources to prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.
To report suspected child trafficking or exploitation, please contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI or online at report.cybertip.org, or call the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) at 1-800-843-5678.
Lincoln County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Waynesburg, Ky., man, Jasper McCann, 43, was sentenced on Tuesday to 120 months by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, on May 12, 2024, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by McCann. During a search of the vehicle, law enforcement located digital scales, four firearms, and approximately 206 grams of methamphetamine. McCann admitted to possessing the methamphetamine with intent to distribute it to others.
McCann had previously been convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance first degree in January 2013.
Under federal law, McCann must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for eight years.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Aaron Noel, Mt. Sterling Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Mt. Sterling Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Trimble is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Lexington County Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Stolen GunRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —Trevor Jerremy Jones, 36, of Lexington County has pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute and possessing a stolen firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Nov. 6, 2021, a University of South Carolina Police officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Jones after determining that the car tag had expired. When the officer approached the vehicle, he smelled a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a clear plastic bag containing suspected marijuana in the driver’s side door and a large clear plastic bag containing a large amount of suspected marijuana in the center console.
A further search of the car revealed a loaded .40 caliber pistol in the glove box. The gun had been reported stolen. Jones claimed he bought the firearm from a friend and admitted that he knew or had reason to know that it was stolen. Jones also had a large amount of money, grouped into small denominations, consistent with the sale of narcotics. Lab tests confirmed Jones possessed marijuana, in a quantity that he intended to distribute.
Jones faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Jones after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the University of South Carolina Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.###
Kansas City Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol.
Jermaine J. Arrington, 42, was sentenced in United States District Court to one hundred eight months in prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On May 20, 2025, officers were called to 31st and Prospect Ave., Kansas City, Mo., regarding an armed disturbance with shots fired. When officers arrived in the area, they encountered Arrington, who grabbed his waistband and began to walk away. Officers gave commands to Arrington to show his hands and get on the ground; however, Arrington refused and ran from officers. During the foot chase, Arrington pulled a black handgun from his waistband and tossed it over a vehicle. Arrington was taken into custody afterward. Following his arrest, officers found approximately 2 grams of methamphetamine in Arrington’s front pocket. Officers retrieved the firearm, which was a Smith & Wesson, Model M&P, 9mm pistol that had been reported stolen from Olathe, Ks, in 2023. The firearm was loaded with one round in the chamber and twelve rounds in the magazine.
Arrington, who is a convicted felon, had been found guilty of six prior felony offenses before today’s hearing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Kalona Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation and Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Kalona man was sentenced on April 7, 2026, to 25 years in federal prison for sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, in May 2025, the Washington County Sheriff's Office received information that Alexander Warren Dehogues, 35, had secretly recorded two minor children in stages of undress and saved those recordings to his electronic devices. A forensic examination of electronic devices seized from Dehogues’s Kalona residence showed that Dehogues used the devices to record, receive, and possess images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Dehogues will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office investigated 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 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Johnstown Resident Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 144 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan imposed the sentence on Jonathan Brunson, 54.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around April 2019 to July 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Brunson conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine, 28 grams or more of crack, 40 grams or more of a mixture of fentanyl, and quantities of heroin and cocaine. Additionally, at different times during the first half of 2021, Brunson possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine and a quantity of a mixture of fentanyl. Brunson was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of the drugs that he distributed to others as part of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation.Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Brunson. Additional agencies participating in the investigation included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
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.
Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MICHAEL FEAST, (“FEAST”), age 31, was sentenced on March 31, 2026, by United States District Judge Brandon S. Long, after previously pleading guilty to Counts Two and Three of a three-count indictment, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. Count Two charged FEAST with distribution of a quantity of cocaine base, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Count Three charged FEAST with using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
FEAST was sentenced to 12 months imprisonment as to Count Two and 60 months as to Count Three, to be served consecutively. Judge Long also ordered that FEAST be placed on supervised release for three years as to Count Two and five years as to Count Three. The terms will be served concurrently. Also, FEAST is ordered to pay a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court records, on August 1, 2024, United States Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office conducted a joint operation to purchase narcotics and firearms from co-conspirator William Small, at an apartments complex in Metairie, Louisiana. During the joint operation, FEAST and Small sold 7 grams of crack cocaine to a confidential informant in a controlled purchase.
Additionally, during a second joint operation by law enforcement, on September 18, 2024, FEAST sold a Metro Arms, Model American Classic Amigo, .45 caliber pistol and a small quantity of cocaine to a person believed to be a legitimate buyer in an additional controlled purchase.
United States Attorney David I. Courcelle praised the work of the United States Department of Homeland Security Violent Crime Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy L. Bell of the Violent Crime Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
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 (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Jamestown man going to prison for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jaquez Thomas, 22, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between 2020 to 2022, Thomas distributed quantities of fentanyl and cocaine he received from Joseph Zaso. Thomas utilized Facebook and Cash App to conduct his drug trafficking activities. During the conspiracy, he supplied quantities of fentanyl to Justin Yuchnitz and Joseph Thayer.
Thomas also conspired with Jose Maisonet in 2022. In Spring of 2022, Jamestown Police officers conducted three controlled purchases from Jose Maisonet. In July 2022, a search warrant was executed at Thomas’ Allen Street residence. During the search a loaded handgun, and drug paraphernalia were seized. A search warrant was also executed at Maisonet’s Forest Avenue residence, during which quantities of suspected crack cocaine and methamphetamine, digital scales, cell phones, and $2,715.00 in cash was seized.
Joseph Zaso, Joseph Thayer, and Justin Yuchnitz were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. Jose Maisonet was previously convicted and sentenced in a separate 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Scott Forster, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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Illegal alien sentenced for cartel-linked conspiracy to smuggle over 1900 aliensRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 27-year-old Mexican national illegally residing in Laredo has been ordered to federal prison for her role in a multi-year conspiracy to smuggle illegal aliens for financial gain, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Giovana Lozano Hernandez pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2025.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Hernandez to serve 70 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, she is expected to face removal proceedings following her imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that the large-scale human smuggling organization operated as a “one-stop shop” for harboring and transporting illegal aliens on the United States side of the border. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the depth of her involvement and significant responsibility she had in this large-scale human smuggling organization. Further, the court noted the dangerous individuals involved in this organization.
The investigation revealed Hernandez served as the group’s de facto chief financial officer, managing its books and finances alongside her husband, Danny Nunez. The couple worked directly with Cartel del Noreste and helped smuggle over 1,900 aliens which resulted in a substantial amount of illicit profits for both the CDN and the couple.
Authorities tied Hernandez to multiple smuggling events dating back to March 2023. In one December 2023 incident, authorities observed several people being loaded into a white trailer at a warehouse. A subsequent search uncovered 101 aliens inside the trailer, including 12 unaccompanied minors.
Several of the aliens reported difficulty breathing and feared for their lives due to the trailer’s conditions.
A search of the couple’s home led to the discovery of cellphones, ledgers documenting smuggling activity, more than $36,000 in proceeds and two illegal aliens on the premises. Authorities also identified numerous digital images of paper ledgers and illegal aliens as well as voice messages exchanged between Hernandez and others detailing the transportation, housing and financial accountability for aliens who had already been transported and harbored.
Nunez, 35, was previously ordered to serve 10 years in federal prison Jan. 7.
Hernandez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Border Patrol and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Laredo Police Department and ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Scott Bowling 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.
Illegal alien indicted for gun possessionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging an illegal alien from Mexico with having a firearm.
According to court documents, Luis Estrada-Andrade, 22, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katie Andrusak is prosecuting the case.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Alfredo Bustamante-Pineda, 46, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Francisco Javier Gandarilla-Baray, 35, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Alexis Guzman-Olea, 22, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of reentry of previously removed alien. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask is prosecuting the case.
Apolonio Melesio-Rios, 48, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Edgar Montoya-Jakes, 45, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of reentry of a previously removed alien convicted of an aggravated felony. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
Santiago Ramos-Zeferino, 37, an illegal alien from Mexico was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Houston operation leads to charges against several for drug and gun crimes linked to Clinton Park neighborhoodRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 10 Houston residents are now in custody for various firearm and drug trafficking offenses, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Authorities arrested Damian Ray Broussard, 39, Corre Deandre Plater, 36, Stacy Lawton, 46, Quentin Mayes, 51, Johnnie Lee Chatmon, 51, Leroy Lumpkin, 55, Emanuel Walker, 30, and Anthony Means, 51, April 7, who have begun to make their initial appearances in federal court. All are charged in separate, but related indictments returned in March which were unsealed upon their initial appearances.
Ronald Maddox, 42, was previously arrested and remains in custody pending further criminal proceedings.
At the time of the arrests, law enforcement also took a 10th man into custody. Justin Leonard, 39, is charged in a separate, but similar criminal complaint. He is in custody on related charges and is expected to make his appearance in federal court in the near future.
According to the allegations, the group trafficked fentanyl, crystal meth, cocaine and counterfeit pharmaceutical drugs as well as firearms in Houston’s Clinton Park neighborhood.
As detailed in the complaint, Walker and Leonard allegedly sold various amounts of cocaine, crystal meth and approximately 3,000 pills containing meth. Leonard has also sold a large amount of crack cocaine out of the Clinton Park residence, according to the charges.
As part of the operation, authorities allegedly discovered and seized over 30 firearms, cocaine, pills containing meth or fentanyl, crystal meth, prescription pills, crack cocaine, heroin, marijuana and cash, among other things.
With the exception of Mayes, Chatmon and Walker, who face varying terms up to 40 years in federal prison for the drug charges, the remaining men could receive up to life in prison for either the drug and/or firearms charges. All could also be ordered to pay a maximum $250,000 fine on any of the counts.
FBI – Houston led the investigation as part of Operation Spring Cleaning along with Houston Police Department; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard D. Hanes is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Fuel Executive Gets Five Year Prison Sentence for Defrauding U.S. Military in Contract Bid ScamRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Jasen Butler, 38, of Jupiter, was sentenced today in West Palm Beach to 60 months in prison and criminal forfeiture by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. In January, a jury convicted Butler of 34 counts of wire fraud, forgery, and money laundering.
According to the evidence at trial, Butler, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, corrupted the competitive bidding process for military fuel contracts and submitted dozens of falsified documents such as wire transfer memos and invoices to multiple U.S. warships between August 2022 and January 2024. These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia to defend strategic American interests around the globe. Butler received over $4.5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred.
After Butler came under scrutiny by Navy officials, he continued his scheme by concealing his identity from government officials. Butler adopted a false name and feigned employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. Butler used the millions in the proceeds of his crimes to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple multi-million-dollar properties in Florida and Colorado. Judge Middlebrooks has entered a preliminary order of forfeiture for those properties.
“The defendant stole millions of dollars from our military with a fake job, fake identity, and fake invoices,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This administration takes defrauding the American military seriously with a prison sentence reflecting the seriousness of the crime.”
“The Defendant made his choice: to rip off the federal government and the Navy to line his own pockets. The Justice Department made its choice: to pursue maximum incarceration for the Defendant. In response, Judge Middlebrooks rightly ordered the Defendant imprisoned for 5 years,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its wonderful staff have zero tolerance for those who seek to corrupt competition.”
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of what the evidence at trial showed: a calculated scheme that targeted the U.S. military for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The defendant submitted false documents, stole millions in taxpayer funds, and then tried to hide behind a fake identity when scrutiny began. When you defraud our armed forces, you are not just committing fraud, you are undermining operations that protect this country. That conduct will be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who defraud the U.S. military will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh Packer, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “CGIS will continue to work with our investigative partners and the Department of Justice to identify, investigate, and hold those accountable who exploit government systems for personal gain.”
“This outcome reinforces DCIS’s commitment to safeguarding DoD resources and ensuring taxpayer funds are available for their intended purpose: supporting the readiness and effectiveness of the warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This scheme stole millions from the American taxpayer and threatened to undermine a program essential for our global military operations. DCIS, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who seek to defraud our military and exploit systems designed to support our nation's warfighters.”
“The sentencing of Jasen Butler sends the unequivocal message that the Department of the Navy has zero tolerance for fraud within its procurement systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “The SEA Card program is indispensable to the U.S. Navy's global readiness. NCIS, along with our federal partners, are committed to aggressively dismantling any criminal enterprise that attempts to exploit systems designed to enable U.S. warfighting capabilities around the globe.”
The case was prosecuted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as a part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force.
The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-80093.
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Fuel Executive Gets Five Year Prison Sentence for Defrauding U.S. Military in Contract Bid ScamRead the Press Release
Jasen Butler, 38, of Jupiter, Florida was sentenced today in West Palm Beach to 60 months in prison and criminal forfeiture by U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks. In January, a jury convicted Butler of 34 counts of wire fraud, forgery, and money laundering.
According to the evidence at trial, Butler, the owner of Independent Marine Oil Services LLC, corrupted the competitive bidding process for military fuel contracts and submitted dozens of falsified documents such as wire transfer memos and invoices to multiple U.S. warships between August 2022 and January 2024. These ships were attempting to purchase fuel in international ports in Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Croatia to defend strategic American interests around the globe. Butler received over $4.5 million dollars in payments for phony expenses that Butler had not incurred.
After Butler came under scrutiny by Navy officials, he continued his scheme by concealing his identity from government officials. Butler adopted a false name and feigned employment by a fictitious fuel division of a different company. Butler used the millions in the proceeds of his crimes to personally enrich himself and purchase multiple multi-million-dollar properties in Florida and Colorado. Judge Middlebrooks has entered a preliminary order of forfeiture for those properties.
“The defendant stole millions of dollars from our military with a fake job, fake identity, and fake invoices,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This administration takes defrauding the American military seriously with a prison sentence reflecting the seriousness of the crime.”
“The Defendant made his choice: to rip off the federal government and the Navy to line his own pockets. The Justice Department made its choice: to pursue maximum incarceration for the Defendant. In response, Judge Middlebrooks rightly ordered the Defendant imprisoned for 5 years,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “The Antitrust Division and its wonderful staff have zero tolerance for those who seek to corrupt competition.”
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of what the evidence at trial showed: a calculated scheme that targeted the U.S. military for personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The defendant submitted false documents, stole millions in taxpayer funds, and then tried to hide behind a fake identity when scrutiny began. When you defraud our armed forces, you are not just committing fraud, you are undermining operations that protect this country. That conduct will be investigated, prosecuted, and punished.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who defraud the U.S. military will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Josh Packer, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, Southeast Field Office. “CGIS will continue to work with our investigative partners and the Department of Justice to identify, investigate, and hold those accountable who exploit government systems for personal gain.”
“This outcome reinforces DCIS’s commitment to safeguarding DoD resources and ensuring taxpayer funds are available for their intended purpose: supporting the readiness and effectiveness of the warfighter,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Sargenski of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This scheme stole millions from the American taxpayer and threatened to undermine a program essential for our global military operations. DCIS, working alongside our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly pursue and hold accountable those who seek to defraud our military and exploit systems designed to support our nation's warfighters.”
“The sentencing of Jasen Butler sends the unequivocal message that the Department of the Navy has zero tolerance for fraud within its procurement systems,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “The SEA Card program is indispensable to the U.S. Navy's global readiness. NCIS, along with our federal partners, are committed to aggressively dismantling any criminal enterprise that attempts to exploit systems designed to enable U.S. warfighting capabilities around the globe.”
The case was prosecuted by the Department of Justice Antitrust Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida. The case was investigated by the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service, as a part of the Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force.
The Justice Department’s Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF) is a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, including a link to submit reports, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Four-Time Convicted Felon Indicted for Possessing with the Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Skyler Palmer (31, Tampa) has been charged by indictment with one count of possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. If convicted of all charges, Palmer faces a minimum sentence of 17 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on August 8, 2025, Palmer possessed methamphetamine with intent to distribute it. He also possessed two firearms in furtherance of that drug offense. Palmer has previously been convicted of four felonies, including a prior firearm offense. As such, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm under federal law.
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. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
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).
Former USP Big Sandy Lieutenant Sentenced for Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
A Harold, Kentucky, man, Michael Childers, 47, was sentenced today to 17 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for falsification of records.
Childers was a Lieutenant at United States Penitentiary Big Sandy, located in Inez, Kentucky. According to his plea agreement, on April 13, 2021, Childers was in the lieutenants’ office, along with Lieutenant Terry Melvin, Lieutenant Kevin Pearce, Case Management Coordinator Samuel Patrick, and Captain’s Secretary Clinton Pauley, when an inmate who had requested protective custody was brought into the lieutenants’ office. The inmate pleaded for protective custody and then was assaulted by staff members without justification.
After the assault, Childers wrote an incident report in which he falsely claimed that the inmate had struck him with his head as well as a closed fist. Childers admitted he wrote these things knowing they were false, but did so in an attempt to impede the administration of justice regarding the investigation of the unlawful assault on the inmate.
“Today’s sentence marks a significant moment of accountability. BOP personnel are entrusted with authority and responsibility — positions that demand integrity, judgment, and a commitment to the rule of law. Instead, these defendants abused that authority, not only by engaging in unlawful conduct, but by taking steps to impede justice and conceal the truth,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our office remains committed to pursuing justice wherever the facts lead and such misconduct will be met with accountability.”
“The subject abused his position of power to lie about the assault of an inmate in an effort to cover up illegal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “The FBI will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who exploit their authority and damage the public's trust placed in them.”
“Today’s sentence underscores the serious nature of this misconduct and the violation of civil rights it involved,” said Federal Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III. “The Federal Bureau of Prisons will not tolerate abuse of authority and is committed to holding individuals accountable while ensuring the safety of those in our custody.”
Childers is the final defendant to be sentenced for the assault. Melvin pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights and violating an individual’s rights under the color of law and was sentenced in April 2026 to 48 months. Patrick and Pauley pleaded guilty for their roles in the assaults of inmates and were sentenced in November 2023 to 36 and 40 months, respectively. Pearce was convicted of writing false reports that covered up the assaults of inmates and was sentenced to 66 months. Finally, Ryan Elliott, also a former USP Big Sandy lieutenant, pleaded guilty to assaulting an inmate and writing a false report about the assault of a second inmate in an unrelated incident. Elliott was sentenced in March 2024 to 12 months and one day.
Under federal law, Childers must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Loux of the Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, Chicago Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by DOJ-OIG and the FBI.
Former USP Big Sandy Lieutenant Sentenced for Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Harold, Ky., man, Michael Childers, 47, was sentenced on Wednesday to 17 months by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for falsification of records.
Childers was a Lieutenant at United States Penitentiary Big Sandy, located in Inez, Ky. According to his plea agreement, on April 13, 2021, Childers was in the lieutenants’ office, along with Lieutenant Terry Melvin, Lieutenant Kevin Pearce, Case Management Coordinator Samuel Patrick, and Captain’s Secretary Clinton Pauley, when an inmate who had requested protective custody was brought into the lieutenants’ office. The inmate pleaded for protective custody and then was assaulted by staff members without justification.
After the assault, Childers wrote an incident report in which he falsely claimed that the inmate had struck him with his head as well as a closed fist. Childers admitted he wrote these things knowing they were false, bud did so in an attempt to impede the administration of justice regarding the investigation of the unlawful assault on the inmate.
Childers is the final defendant to be sentenced for the assault. Melvin pleaded guilty to conspiracy against rights and violating an individual’s rights under the color of law and was sentenced in April 2026 to 48 months. Patrick and Pauley– pleaded guilty for their roles in the assaults of inmates and were sentenced in November 2023 to 36 and 40 months, respectively. Pearce was convicted of writing false reports that covered up the assaults of inmates and was sentenced to 66 months. Finally, Ryan Elliott, also a former USP Big Sandy lieutenant, pleaded guilty to assaulting an inmate and writing a false report about the assault of a second inmate in an unrelated incident. Elliott was sentenced in March 2024 to 12 months and 1 day.
"Today’s sentence underscores the serious nature of this misconduct and the violation of civil rights it involved," said Federal Bureau of Prisons Director William K. Marshall III. "The Federal Bureau of Prisons will not tolerate abuse of authority and is committed to holding individuals accountable while ensuring the safety of those in our custody.”
“Today’s sentence marks a significant moment of accountability. BOP personnel are entrusted with authority and responsibility—positions that demand integrity, judgment, and a commitment to the rule of law. Instead, these defendants abused that authority, not only by engaging in unlawful conduct, but by taking steps to impede justice and conceal the truth,” said Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “Our office remains committed to pursuing justice wherever the facts lead and such misconduct will be met with accountability.”
"The subject abused his position of power to lie about the assault of an inmate in an effort to cover up illegal actions,” said Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office. “The FBI will continue to hold accountable law enforcement officers who exploit their authority and damage the public's trust placed in them."
Under federal law, Childers must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for one year.
Jason Parman, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Matthew Loux, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Department of Justice Office of Inspector General, Chicago Field Office; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by DOJ-OIG and the FBI.
– END –
Former Substitute Teacher Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of Minors and Receipt of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A former substitute teacher has pleaded guilty to charges of sexual exploitation of minors and receipt of child pornography, announced Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr., United States Attorney of the Eastern District of Michigan.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division.
Pleading guilty was Timothy Higle, 34, formerly of Clawson, Michigan.
According to court records, Higle solicited nude images and sexually explicit videos from minors over Snapchat. In exchange for producing the images and videos, Higle paid the minor victims using Cashapp and Venmo. In one instance Higle provided a minor with a vape pen and cartridge containing marijuana. Higle’s victims ranged in age from 14 to 17 years old at the time of the incidents. Law enforcement became aware of Higle’s conduct after one of the victims contacted the Michigan State Police in August 2024.
The evidence in this case has not established that Higle engaged in this conduct while working in his capacity as a teacher. Nevertheless, if someone believes they may have been a victim or knows of someone who may be a victim, they are encouraged to contact the FBI at (313) 965-2323.
“This is disgusting behavior for anyone. But we entrust teachers with our children, so it is especially alarming when one of them preys on children,” said Gorgon.
“The defendant had a choice, and he chose to exploit children and betray public trust,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “We are grateful for the bravery of the individual who came forward and reported this to our law enforcement partners at the Michigan State Police. Our dedicated team from the FBI Oakland County Resident Agency worked diligently to investigate this case, and this guilty plea represents an important step toward accountability.”
Higle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison when he is sentenced on August 11, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Michigan State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ann Nee and Sean King.
Former Philadelphia Probation Officer Sentenced to One Day in Custody and One Year of Home Detention for Conducting Years-Long Illegal Gambling OperationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Joseph M. Moore, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Mark A. Kearney to one day in custody, one year of home detention, three years of supervised release, $200,000 in forfeiture, and a $7,200 fine for owning and running a longtime illegal gambling operation.
Moore and co-defendant James P. DeAngelo, 45, also of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in October of last year to a one-count information charging them with conducting illegal gambling business. DeAngelo is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendants, from approximately January 2017 to February 2025, Moore, who was a Philadelphia probation officer, owned and conducted the sports wagering business (the “Moore Gambling Business”), and DeAngelo, who was a Philadelphia police officer, worked closely with him.
The Moore Gambling Business allowed individuals to place various types of bets on sporting events, including wagers on the outcome of individual games, and wagers involving “block pools” and other sports gambling pools.
The entry fee for these pools was as much as $500, which would generate thousands of dollars for the winners. Winners paid Moore approximately 10% of their winnings as a “tip” or fee for participating in the pool. For ordinary bets on sporting events, bettors paid a fee to Moore that was included in the cost of the bet.
DeAngelo partnered with Moore and engaged another individual who provided access to an overseas gambling website that, for a fee, allowed a bettor to establish an account with the Moore Gambling Business and place bets on the overseas website.
Moore paid DeAngelo a percentage of the losses suffered by bettors, as much as 20%, as a fee for DeAngelo’s role in the Moore Gambling Business. DeAngelo also accepted wagers on individual sporting events from gamblers. In some of those cases, he acted as the “bookmaker” on those bets, and in other cases, directed gamblers to Moore and the Moore Gambling Business.
During the years of its operation, the Moore Gambling Business served hundreds of bettors who, in total, wagered hundreds of thousands of dollars on sporting events.
This case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen.
Former Executive of Chicago-Area Non-Profit Sentenced to Prison for $1.9 Million Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former executive of a Chicago-area non-profit organization has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for misappropriating nearly $1.9 million through a pair of fraud schemes.
BARBARA HARRIS served as the Executive Director of the Center for Community Academic Success Partnerships (CCASP), which received government grants to provide after-school programs to schools in the Chicago area. From 2012 to 2017, Harris schemed with another CCASP executive, TONY BELL, to submit grant applications that inflated CCASP’s projected annual expenses and falsely claimed that the organization would receive services from five subcontractors. In reality, Harris knew that the subcontractors, two of which were other non-profit groups run by Harris and Bell, provided no actual services to CCASP. The scheme resulted in approximately $1.8 million in losses to the Illinois Department of Education.
Harris also engaged in a separate fraud scheme before and after she was indicted in the CCASP fraud case. From 2021 to 2023, while serving as Co-Executive Director of another non-profit, specifically, the South Suburban Community Services (SSCS), Harris bilked the federally funded AmeriCorps VISTA program, which awards grants to non-profits working to bring communities out of poverty. Harris submitted grant applications falsely representing that VISTA members would work for SSCS programs in the south suburbs of Chicago. Harris knew, however, that those SSCS programs had already been funded. Harris nonetheless obtained approval for eleven VISTA members to work at SSCS, and none of them performed services in accordance with their assignment descriptions, causing a loss to the VISTA program of $98,699.
Harris, 55, of South Holland, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge and admitted her criminal conduct in both schemes. On March 20, 2026, U.S. District Judge Andrea R. Wood sentenced Harris to 12 months in federal prison.
Harris’s sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, John Woolley, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General’s Midwestern Regional Office, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, the AmeriCorps Office of Inspector General, and the Illinois Office of Executive Inspector General.
“This type of crime erodes the public’s faith in non-profit organizations generally and the federal programs that fund these organizations,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Caitlin Walgamuth argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum in Harris’s case. “Additionally, because the misappropriated grant funds were competitive, Harris’s conduct likely denied other organizations critical federal funding opportunities.”
Bell, 65, of Matteson, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to a federal wire fraud charge. Judge Wood scheduled Bell’s sentencing for Aug. 21, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.
Former Army Employee and Top Secret Clearance Holder Arrested and Charged with Leaking Classified National Defense InformationRead the Press Release
The FBI arrested Courtney Williams, 40, of Wagram, North Carolina yesterday and a federal grand jury indicted her today in connection with her alleged transmission of classified national defense information to individuals not authorized to receive it, including a journalist (the Journalist). Williams allegedly violated 18 U.S.C. § 793(d).
“Clearance holders accept a solemn obligation to protect the classified information entrusted to them,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “That they do so is critical to the security of our Nation. When clearance holders violate that trust, the National Security Division will act swiftly to hold them accountable.”
“We trust our war fighting individuals to cooperate as a team to protect our military and country,” said U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina Ellis Boyle. “We will pursue criminal charges to keep these warriors safe whenever we find leakers exalting their own feelings over the safety of the United States.”
“Courtney Williams swore an oath to safeguard our nation’s secrets as an employee supporting a Special Military Unit of the Army, but she allegedly betrayed that oath by sharing classified information with a media outlet and putting our nation, our warfighters, and our allies at risk,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “This indictment should serve as a stark warning to all current and former clearance holders thinking of violating their positions of trust. If you jeopardize our national security by disclosing classified information without authorization, the FBI will hold you accountable for your crimes.”
“The tradecraft, tactics, and techniques used by the U.S. military unit in this case are classified and should be shared only with those with proper clearances and a need to know in order to protect American lives and safeguard classified National Defense information,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. “These are serious accusations. Anyone divulging information they vowed to protect to a reporter for publication is reckless, self-serving and damages our nation’s security.”
According to court documents, from 2010 to 2016, Williams worked for a Special Military Unit (SMU) and held a Top Secret / Sensitive Compartmented Information security clearance. As a clearance holder, Williams received training as to the proper handling, safeguarding, and storage of classified information. Williams also signed a Classified Nondisclosure Agreement which, in relevant part, confirmed her understanding that the unauthorized disclosure of classified information could constitute a criminal offense. In her role at the SMU, Williams had daily access to a broad range of classified information.
As alleged, between 2022 and 2025, Williams repeatedly communicated with the Journalist via telephone and text messages. During this period, Williams and the Journalist had over 10 hours of telephone calls and exchanged more than 180 messages. In one such message, the Journalist identified themselves as a journalist and stated that they sought information about the SMU in support of an upcoming article and book. After these communications with Williams, the Journalist published a book and article that named Williams as a source and attributed specific statements to her. Some of these statements contained classified national defense information. In addition to her disclosures to the Journalist, Williams also made unauthorized disclosures of national defense information via her social media accounts.
On the day the article and book were published, Williams exchanged several messages with the Journalist. In one such message, Williams stated that she was “concerned about the amount of classified information being disclosed.” In a separate message to a third party, Williams added that, “I might actually get arrested . . . for disclosing classified information.” In a subsequent message, Williams citied a statutory provision of the Espionage Act. And when asked how she knew that she may face legal consequences for her disclosures to the Journalist, Williams responded, “I have known my entire career,” adding that “they tell you everyday . . . 100 times a day.” Finally, in a message to a different third party, Williams stated that she was “probably going to jail for life.”
The FBI Charlotte Field Office is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Logan Liles for the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Matt Hracho of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Florida Man Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute Approximately 14 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A federal grand jury in Rhode Island has returned an indictment charging Andrew Urbano Perez, 34, of Florida, with possession with intent to distribute approximately 14 pounds of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
According to court documents, in December 2024, a Warwick police officer assigned to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA)Task Force stopped a rental vehicle with Florida license plates operated by Urbano Perez. A K-9 working with law enforcement alerted to the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of approximately 14 pounds of crystal methamphetamine hidden inside the vehicle and Urbano Perez was taken into custody.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by the DEA and the participating task force agencies.
A federal criminal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Five Alleged Drug Traffickers Indicted, Approximately 52 Pounds of Narcotics Seized by Homeland Security Task ForceRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned multiple indictments today against four illegal aliens from Mexico and one U.S. citizen for alleged drug trafficking in four separate cases after agents seized approximately 23,759.17 grams of narcotics (approximately 52.38 pounds) total during a two-day period last month.
Jesus Cecilio Ceballos-Mendoza, aka Jesus Cecilio Caballas-Mendoza, 40, and Jesus Ivan Meza-Lopez, aka Manuel Tadeo Olivas-Sanchez, 42, both illegally residing in California, were initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, in March 2026, law enforcement received information that Ceballos-Mendoza regularly transports large quantities of methamphetamine from Los Angeles to Salt Lake County, Utah. A controlled purchase with an undercover agent was organized and a traffic stop was conducted. During the execution of a search warrant, investigators located and seized approximately 9,355.7 grams of methamphetamine, 1,122.8 grams of heroin, and 439.8 grams of fentanyl inside the vehicle, all of which field-tested positive for their respective controlled substances. Ceballos-Mendoza, and Meza-Lopez are charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 10:15 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. The case is being investigated by a DEA Task Force Officer with the Salt Lake Metro Narcotics Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by ATF, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake, the Salt Lake City Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Luis Angel Cervantes Salinas, 24, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, On March 18, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at the residence and vehicle of Cervantes Salinas in Salt Lake County. During the search of the residence, agents located and seized approximately 1,678.27 grams of field-tested positive fentanyl, and a 12-gauge shotgun. As a previously convicted felon, Cervantes Salinas, is restricted from possessing a firearm and ammunition. During a search of his vehicle, agents located and seized approximately six grams of field-tested positive fentanyl. Cervantes Salinas was arrested. Cervantes Salinas is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and felon in possession of a firearm. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 16, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF) and the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF).
Juan Carlos Gonzalez Soto, 26, of Mexico, illegally residing in West Valley City, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, on March 18, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at the residence and vehicle of Gonzalez Soto in West Valley City. During the search of the residence, agents located and seized approximately 2,554 grams of field-tested positive cocaine, and approximately $20,500 of U.S. currency. In the vehicle, agents located and seized approximately six grams of field-tested positive cocaine. Gonzalez Soto was arrested a short distance away from the residence. Upon being booked at the Davis County Jail, agents also found approximately 31.6 grams of cocaine on Gonzalez-Soto. He is charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 9, 2026, at 10:45 a.m. in courtroom 8.4. The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), and Homeland Security Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Jose Francisco Aguilar Lozano, 37, of Mexico, was initially charged by complaint on March 23, 2026. According to the allegations in court documents, on March 20, 2026, local law enforcement conducted a traffic stop for a traffic violation on a tractor truck and trailer on Interstate 80 near Park City. Aguilar Lozano was the driver and sole occupant of the tractor truck. During the traffic stop, a K-9 alerted for the odor of narcotics on the tractor truck. During the search, officers located a black backpack with rectangle shaped bundles wrapped in black tape or plastic. Homeland Security Investigators arrived on scene and arrested Aguilar Lozano. The bundles in the backpack were seized, and the substance tested positive for fentanyl. In total, eight bundles were seized with a combined weight of approximately 8.565 kilograms. Aguilar Lozano is charged with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. A three-day jury trial is scheduled for June 12, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.1. The case is being investigated jointly by a Homeland Security Investigations agent assigned to the Homeland Security Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
All hearing for each case will be held at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
First Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The Organized Crime Section in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the cases.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The case was investigated by agents and officers of the HSTF Salt Lake and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Defrauding Federal Emergency Management Agency in the Aftermath of Tropical Storm HeleneRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Asheville has indicted Christian Michael Hall, 49, of Drexel, N.C., on charges of defrauding the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) by falsely claiming his property was damaged by Tropical Storm Helene when in fact he did not have an interest in the affected property, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“Every dollar of federal assistance is needed to repair my district after the destruction caused by Tropical Storm Helene,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Those committing fraud and wasting those valuable dollars will not be tolerated.”
On September 27, 2024, Tropical Storm Helene struck the Western District of North Carolina, causing massive devastation, including extensive property damage and loss of life. On September 28, 2025, a major disaster declaration was issued for areas impacted by Tropical Storm Helene, and federal agencies were able to provide relief to affected individuals and entities through financial assistance for property repairs and other disaster-related needs. FEMA made financial assistance and benefits available to individuals and families affected by the storm. Eligible individuals, including renters and property owners, who lost the use of their residences could qualify for FEMA benefits. Specifically, impacted individuals could receive assistance for relief for home repair, personal property damage, transportation, medical expenses, and housing assistance, among other benefits.
The indictment alleges that, on or about September 30, 2024, Hall filed an application for disaster assistance with FEMA seeking benefits for a residence in Valdese, North Carolina, that had sustained damage from Tropical Storm Helene. According to allegations in the indictment, Hall falsely asserted that the impacted property was his primary residence, even though he did not own, rent, reside, or work in that residence. As a result of his fraudulent application, Hall obtained approximately $20,932.14 in FEMA benefits to which he was not entitled.
Hall is charged with fraud in connection with a major disaster or emergency benefits, which carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The charges against Hall are allegations and he is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General and FEMA’s Fraud Investigations and Inspections Division for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina is committed to protecting federal disaster relief programs from waste, fraud and abuse. To report suspected disaster-related fraud, contact the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 1-866-720-5721, or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
Dominican National Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Carlos Alexander Martinez-Jimenez, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to one year in prison, to be served consecutive to his current state prison sentence. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In January 2026, Martinez-Jimenez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025.
In February 2017, Martinez-Jimenez was convicted of Furnishing a False Name or Social Security Number as well as Identity Fraud in Fall River District Court, for which he was sentenced to 134 days in state prison. He was subsequently removed from the United States in April 2017 after serving his sentence.
Sometime after his April 2017 removal, Martinez-Jimenez unlawfully reentered the United States.
On Jan. 31, 2024, Martinez-Jimenez was convicted of Trafficking 18 grams or more (Less Than 36 grams) of Heroin/Morphine/Opium/Fentanyl in Essex Superior Court. He was sentenced to three-and-a-half to five years in state prison and is currently serving that sentence.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Zachary Stendig of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Defuniak Springs Man Indicted for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Michael R. Foster, 49, of DeFuniak Springs, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with one count of attempted enticement of a minor. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today.
Foster appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick in Tallahassee, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for August 24, 2026, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Foster faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case 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 available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Davenport Man Sent Back to Federal Prison for 10 Years on Meth ChargeRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on April 7, 2026, to 10 years in federal prison for possession with intent to deliver methamphetamine.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Adam Christopher Smith, 41, was found to be in possession of a distribution quantity of meth in March 2025. Smith went into an ice cream store as officers approached him and attempted to hide the meth under a freezer.
At sentencing, the Court also found that Smith violated the terms of his federal supervised release and imposed a 30-month concurrent sentence. In 2020, Smith was sentenced to a 70-month prison term for possession with intent to deliver heroin and possession of a gun in furtherance of that crime in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. Smith was released from prison in February 2024. In February 2025, an arrest warrant was issued for violations of his supervised release term.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Smith will be required to serve an eight-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.
Dade City Woman Sentenced to Two Years for Committing Aggravated Identity Theft While Stealing Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Vivina Barnwell (62, Dade City) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge James S. Moody, Jr. to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft and access device fraud. Barnwell pleaded guilty on May 16, 2025. The court also ordered Barnwell to pay more than $96,000 in restitution to the Social Security Administration. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Barnwell’s adult son, P.C., was a beneficiary of Social Security disability benefits. P.C. went missing in 2016 and remains missing to this day. Despite reporting him missing to the local police, Barnwell concealed his disappearance from the Social Security Administration, which continued to make monthly benefit payments onto P.C.’s debit card. Barnwell had control of that card and used it to withdraw and spend P.C.’s benefits for her own use.
“The intentional deception perpetrated against the Social Security Administration in this case constitutes theft of taxpayers’ dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “Such fraud will not be tolerated against our federal programs.”
“Stealing Social Security benefits intended for another is an egregious betrayal of trust. Ms. Barnwell’s guilty plea underscores our commitment to holding accountable those who exploit SSA programs for personal gain,” said Norman Jenkins, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Atlanta Field Division, Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General (SSA OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect beneficiaries and ensure that funds meant to support disabled individuals are used for their care and well-being.”
Department of Justice efforts 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.
The core mission of the National Fraud Enforcement Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. The National Fraud Enforcement Division will fulfill that mission by coordinating with agencies responsible for administering benefit programs; partnering with federal, tribal, state, territorial, and local law enforcement on fraud-fighting efforts; developing systems and processes that ensure efficient identification of fraud against taxpayer dollars; and equipping prosecutors and law enforcement with state-of-the-art tools and resources needed to bring criminal actors to justice.
This case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General and the New Port Richey Police Department. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Del Mastro.
Collin County man sentenced to federal prison as part of Operation Take Back America for robbing firearms storeRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A McKinney man has been sentenced to 87 months in federal prison in connection with the robbery of a firearms store in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Brandon Elliott Bennett, 22, pleaded guilty to conspiracy of theft from a federal firearm licensee and theft from a federal firearm licensee and was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant on April 7, 2026.
According to information presented in court, on May 5, 2024, Bennett conspired with others to rob Mister Guns, a licensed gun store in Plano, by ramming a vehicle into the front entrance of the business, knocking off the entrance door and causing extensive damage to the storefront. Once inside, Bennett smashed several glass display cases with a sledgehammer, and stole over 60 firearms, including rifles, handguns, and pistols. Bennett fled the scene and later sold the firearms for profit.
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.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chalana A. Oliver.
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Cocaine Dealer and Repeat Immigration Offender Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Newark man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal reentry into the United States after removal. U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Hall imposed the sentence.
According to court documents, Adan Cuevas-Arteaga, 44, had been previously deported to Mexico on five separate occasions between 2007 and 2019. Most recently, he illegally returned to the United States and sold cocaine. Search warrants executed on Cuevas-Artega’s residence and car recovered cocaine, digital scales, drug packaging material, $7,400 in cash, and two rounds of nine-millimeter ammunition.
“The defendant demonstrated a blatant disregard for our nation’s laws by repeatedly entering the United States unlawfully, and, once here, profiting from the distribution of illegal narcotics,” said U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace. “My office will continue working alongside our law enforcement partners to vigorously prosecute drug dealers, especially those who have no legal right to be in the United States in the first place.”
“The distribution of illegal narcotics continues to plague our communities,” said Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “Adan Cuevas-Arteaga profited from trafficking cocaine while disregarding our immigration laws needed for public safety. Today’s charges serve as a reminder that the FBI, through the Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force, will continue to target these offenders and the adverse impact they are having on our communities.”
The FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Ibrahim prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 25-CR-134.
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