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18 May 2026
Lower Brule Man Sentenced to over 4 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of Assaulting, Resisting and Impeding a Federal Officer. The sentencing took place on May 12, 2026.
Isiah Harding, age 28, was sentenced to four years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hardin was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025. He pleaded guilty on February 4, 2026.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on June 7, 2025, in the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation. A Bureau of Indian Affairs officer made contact with Hardin who was standing in the middle of the street, yelling loudly. Hardin was agitated and began to physically struggle with the officer. Hardin kicked and hit the officer several times causing the officer to suffer serious bodily injury requiring surgery.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, Office of Justice Services-Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Dilges prosecuted the case.
Hardin was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Lincoln Woman Sentenced on Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy and Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Stephanie Marie Bartels, 32, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on Friday, May 8, 2026, in federal court Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Bartels to 70 months’ imprisonment on each count to run concurrently. There is no parole in the federal system. After Bartels’s release from prison, she will begin a four-year term of supervised release. She will also forfeit any interest she has in $19,739.00 in U.S. currency.
Information provided to law enforcement indicated that between December of 2023 and June of 2024, Bartels and her co-defendant, Xavier Blanton, were involved in the distribution of fentanyl pills in the Lincoln area.
Between April and June of 2024, a confidential informant and an undercover officer working with the Lincoln Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force made six purchases of fentanyl pills from Bartels and Blanton. On June 27, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Bartels’s and Blanton’s Lincoln apartment. During the search, investigators found 107 grams of fentanyl pills, along with cocaine, marijuana, and a total of $19,739.00 in cash.
Blanton pleaded guilty on October 22, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana with a prior serious drug felony. His sentencing is scheduled for July 23, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years for Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Da’Marsell Contrell Miller, 26, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 7, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for one count of distribution/possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Miller to a total of 151 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Miller’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release. Miller will also forfeit $7,938.00 in U.S. currency to the United States of America.
Between March 3, 2025, and March 12, 2025, the Lincoln Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, using a third party, made three purchases from Miller at his residence in Lincoln, totaling approximately eight ounces of a substance which pre-tested positive for methamphetamine. The third purchase on March 12, 2025, occurred in Miller’s car which was parked in the driveway of that residence. After the buy was completed, investigators followed Miller the residence to a convenience store parking lot where they contacted and detained him.
Investigators executed search warrants on his vehicle and the Lincoln residence. In his car, they found a 9mm pistol under the driver’s seat and the $800 cash used by law enforcement to buy methamphetamine on that date was found in the center console. During the search of Miller’s residence, law enforcement found approximately 4.75 pounds of methamphetamine, four additional firearms and ammunition, $7,938.00 in cash, and a digital scale.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Drug Task Force.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Timothy Hinrichs, 44, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 8, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln for receipt of child pornography. He was found guilty on January 28, 2026, following a jury trial in front of United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis. Judge Bazis sentenced Hinrichs to 210 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On June 10, 2022, an investigator for the Nebraska State Patrol was conducting an online investigation for offenders sharing child pornography. He noticed a computer at Hinrichs’s address was sharing child pornography files. He learned that Hinrichs was the subscriber for internet service at a Lincoln residence. He obtained a search warrant for electronic devices at Hinrichs’s residence.
On July 21, 2022, investigators executed the search warrant at Hinrichs’s residence. Hinrichs was home and was interviewed. He said he accidentally downloaded child pornography, found material he wasn’t expecting, that it happened a couple months ago, that it happened only one time, and that he had cleaned up or erased his computer since that time. He said he was looking up “teenager stuff.” Hinrichs admitted he used file-sharing software to obtain these files. He said he copied the files of child pornography onto a thumb drive. Investigators found the thumb drive in a desk near Hinrichs’s computer. Investigators searched the thumb drive and located 121 files containing child pornography. Additionally, Hinrichs’s desktop computer had files in the recycle bin with titles consistent with child pornography. Finally, a desktop computer that was not in use, but also found in Hinrichs’s residence, contained artifacts of child pornography dating back several years.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Justice Department Announces Anti-Weaponization FundRead the Press Release
The U.S. Department of Justice today announced that as a part of the settlement agreement in President Donald J. Trump v. Internal Revenue Service, the Attorney General established “The Anti-Weaponization Fund” to provide a systematic process to hear and redress claims of others who suffered weaponization and lawfare.
The plaintiffs in the case, President Donald J. Trump, Donald J. Trump, Jr., Eric Trump, and the Trump Organization, LLC, filed suit against the Treasury and IRS in Southern District of Florida federal court following the leak of their tax returns. Per the settlement, plaintiffs will receive a formal apology but no monetary payment or damages of any kind. They have agreed, in exchange for the creation of this fund, to drop their pending lawsuit with prejudice, and also withdraw two administrative claims including for damages resulting from the unlawful raid of Mar-a-Lago and the Russia-collusion hoax.
“The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.”
“The use of government power to target individuals or entities for improper and unlawful political, personal, or ideological reasons should not be tolerated by any Administration,” said Principal Associate Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter.
The Fund will have the power to issue formal apologies and monetary relief owed to claimants. Submission of a claim is voluntary. There are no partisan requirements to file a claim. Any money left when the Fund ceases operations will revert to the Federal Government.
The Fund will receive $1.776 billion and will come from the judgment fund, which is a perpetual appropriation allowing DOJ to settle and pay cases. On a quarterly basis, the Fund shall send a report to the Attorney General outlining who has received relief and what form of relief was awarded.
At the Attorney General’s direction, the Fund can be audited. The Fund must take steps to protect private information and avoid fraud. The Fund shall cease processing claims no later than December 1, 2028.
There is legal precedent for such a Fund, most notably the “Keepseagle” case where the Obama Administration created a $760 million fund to redress various claims alleging racism against the federal government over a period of decades.
In Keepseagle, hundreds of millions of dollars remaining in the fund were distributed to non-profits and NGOs that never made claims, whereas any money remaining in The Anti-Weaponization Fund will revert to the federal government. The Obama DOJ settled by putting $680 million from the judgment fund into a bank account for a single claims administrator to dole out. In Keepseagle the remaining money—which ended up being over $300 million—was distributed to the entities that had not even submitted claims.
The Fund will consist of five members appointed by the Attorney General. One Member will be chosen in consultation with congressional leadership. The President can remove any member, but a replacement must be chosen the same way as the replaced member was selected.
Jury convicts illegal alien for unlawfully being in United StatesRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 50-year-old bus passenger from El Salvador has been found guilty of illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
The jury deliberated for less than 10 minutes before finding Jose Leandro Juarez-Rivas guilty following a one-day trial.
On Feb. 18, authorities were conducting immigration inspections on a commercial bus at the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. During that time, they discovered Juarez-Rivas did not have legal authorization to be in the country.
The jury heard that he was first ordered removed in May 2018 and illegally returned earlier this year.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Juarez-Rivas did not know he was ordered removed from the United States or that he was not allowed to reenter the United States. The jury rejected those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over trial and set sentencing for Aug. 19. At that time Juarez-Rivas faces up to two years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Young Min Burkett and Patrick Overman are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Judge Hands Killer 10.5 Years in Prison for 2021 SlayingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Khalid Claggett, 42, of Washington, DC was sentenced Friday to 10.5 years in prison for killing 30-year-old Isaac Aull, Jr., on June 11, 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Claggett was found guilty by a D.C. Superior Court jury of one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of offenses committed during release following a trial in February of 2026.
On May 15, 2026, a sentencing hearing was held before Judge Neal Kravitz. Under the DC Voluntary Sentencing Guidelines, Claggett’s sentencing range was 10.5 to approximately 33 years. The government requested a 21-year sentence, noting the particular cruelty of Claggett’s actions, but his sentencing was at the bottom end of the guidelines.
On the date of this killing, Claggett was on release for two separate criminal charges. Evidence presented by the government, at sentencing, further showed that Claggett possessed multiple guns while on release, in disregard for court orders prohibiting his possession of a gun.
At trial, the government presented evidence that on June 11, 2021, a preliminary hearing was held in the case United States v. John Young, where Young was charged with the murder of Dewayne Shorter III, who is the brother of Isaac Aull, Jr. After viewing the preliminary hearing virtually, Mr. Aull and another male went to the parking lot of Walgreens located at 1401 Rhode Island Avenue and shot at a car belonging to Young’s brother, Richard Young. Khalid Claggett, who was a close friend of John Young, was sitting in the passenger’s seat of the car at the time. After shots hit the car, Claggett exited the car and ran after Mr. Aull and his friend to the 1600 block of Franklin Street. While on Franklin Street, Claggett fired six shots at Mr. Aull, causing a bullet to lodge in the back of Mr. Aull’s head. Mr. Aull fell into the street and was unarmed, and unable to move. Claggett then left the scene.
In the intervening time, an ambulance had arrived at Franklin Street and was parked in front of Mr. Aull. Dash camera video from the ambulance showed that Claggett changed his appearance – putting on a mask, removing his sweatshirt, and retrieving a new gun – drove back to Frankin Street, and attempted to shoot at the unarmed Mr. Aull. At that point, Claggett’s gun jammed and he walked away. Once he was able to fix the jam in his gun he returned to where Mr. Aull lay helplessly, stood directly above him, and fired seven shots into his body.
Claggett was arrested on June 25, 2021, and has been in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rashmika Nedungadi and Daniel Seidel, who prosecuted the case.
2021 CF1 003577
Joliet Man Sentenced to 384 Months in Prison for Enticement of a Minor and Committing a Felony Sex Offense While a Registered Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – A Joliet, Illinois, man, Martin T. Marling, 41, was sentenced on May 12, 2026, to 384 months’ imprisonment, followed by a life term of supervised release, following his guilty pleas to enticing a minor and committing a felony sex offense while a registered sex offender. The court also imposed a $10,000 special assessment fee.
At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow considered evidence of the incredibly serious nature of Marling’s conduct. In spring 2025, Marling engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a child he met online and arranged for the child to travel to his home in the middle of the night for the purpose of engaging in sexual activity. The child was recovered unharmed before arriving at Marling’s home. At the time this incident occurred, Marling was on probation in the State of Illinois for a sex offense and was required to register as a sex offender. In pronouncing the sentence, the judge stated that this type of behavior causes real harm to victims and their families and that it is punished severely under the law.
Marling was arrested in Will County, Illinois, in April 2025 in connection with a federal complaint and was detained following an initial appearance. He has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since his arrest. He was indicted in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in November 2025.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office in collaboration with our law enforcement partners once again removed a dangerous predator from the community.” said Acting U.S. Attorney Gregory M. Gilmore. “We will continue to hold any individuals who threaten our children accountable and prosecute them to the fullest.”
"Thirty-two years in a federal prison is exactly what a repeat predator deserves," said FBI Springfield Field Office’s Special Agent in Charge, Ryan Presley. "Our agents and law enforcement partners do not wait around for tragedy to happen. Once notified, our team tracked this threat, moved aggressively, and secured an arrest before this man could meet with any children. We took a dangerous offender completely off the streets, and we will do the exact same thing to anyone else who attempts to target our children."
The statutory penalties for enticement of a minor are at least ten years up to life imprisonment, at least five years and up to a life term of supervised release, a fine up to $250,000, and a special assessment of $5,000. The statutory penalties for committing a felony sex offense while a registered sex offender are ten years imprisonment consecutive to the sentence on the underlying felony sex offense conviction, at least five years and up to a life term of supervised release, a fine up to $250,000, and a special assessment of $5,000.
The charges are the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office, and the Galesburg Police Department with assistance from the Will County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda W. Searle and Jennifer L. Mathew represented the government in the prosecution.
This case is being prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide Department of Justice initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Israeli man sentenced for bringing an alien to the U.S.Read the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Israel Enden, 46, a citizen of Israel, who was convicted of bringing an alien to the United States, was sentenced to time served by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Enden is a dual citizen, he was born in the United States and physically resides in the State of Israel. In the early morning hours of January 8, 2026, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers encountered Enden driving a vehicle bearing Canadian license plates at primary inspection at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry. Enden was referred to for secondary inspection after failing to produce any rental agreement for the vehicle. During secondary inspection, officers opened the rear hatch of the vehicle and observed a large male, later identified as Elazar Wigdorowitz, hiding beneath some suitcases. Subsequent investigation determined that Enden, Wigdorowitz, and a third person flew from Warsaw, Poland to Toronto, Canada together the previous day on January 7, 2026. When Enden drove the rental from Canada to the United States, he knew Elazar Wigdorowitz was an alien and had not received prior official authorization to enter the United States.
Elazar Wigdorowitz was previously convicted of improper entry by an alien, sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan W. Fitzgerald and Maeve E. Huggins. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
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Illinois Man Sentenced to over 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Cambridge, Illinois man was sentenced on May 13, 2026, to 125 months in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Christopher L. Rutherford, 55, messaged with two undercover officers who posed as underage teenagers on Facebook and exchanged messages about meeting to engage in sex acts. Rutherford made plans to meet up with one of the undercover officers at Walmart in Burlington where he was arrested.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Rutherford will be required to serve a five-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 Des Moines 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 information about internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Found Living in Kanawha County Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Federal Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Rufino Hernandez, 26, a Mexican national living illegally in Nitro, pleaded guilty today to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents and sentenced to time served. Hernandez is subject to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer for removal proceedings.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 16, 2026, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Nitro and encountered Hernandez working there. Investigators determined that Hernandez used a counterfeit Immigration Form I-551, also known as a Permanent Resident Card or Green Card, to obtain employment at the restaurant from on or about September 17, 2025, to on or about January 16, 2026.
Hernandez is among six illegal aliens indicted following the execution of the January 16, 2026, search warrant, each on charges alleging they were working at the restaurant without legal status. Restaurant owner Miguel Aguirre-Arello Sr., 65, and his son, manager Miguel Angel Aguirre, 43, both of Nitro, were indicted on charges alleging each harbored aliens, while aiding and abetting each other, and aided and abetted fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. Three of the other indicted illegal aliens pleaded guilty, were sentenced to time served, and were subject to removal proceedings. The indictments against Miguel Aguirre-Arello Sr., Miguel Angel Aguirre, and the remaining illegal alien defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The January 16, 2026, search warrant was executed as part of Operation Country Roads. The immigration enforcement operation was conducted by ICE with state and local law enforcement partners and resulted in over 650 arrests throughout West Virginia.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Nitro Police Department, and the St. Albans Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-15.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced for Money Laundering and Identity Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican man unlawfully residing in Lawrence was sentenced in federal court in Boston for money laundering, false use of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft.
Juan Carlos Lugo Gonzalez, a/k/a “Josue Cabrera,” 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper to six years in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In December 2025, Gonzalez pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, one count of false use of a Social Security number and one count of aggravated identity theft following an indictment by a federal grand jury in February 2025.
Beginning at least as early as 2020, an investigation began into Lugo Gonzalez and others for laundering proceeds of drug trafficking. In August 2023, following a series of communications with undercover law enforcement, Lugo Gonzalez arranged and carried out the delivery of approximately $109,715 in drug proceeds to an undercover agent in Lawrence. During the exchange, Lugo Gonzalez confirmed his identity using a prearranged token and discussed his involvement in trafficking multiple drugs – claiming control over drug activity in the Lawrence area. He attempted to launder drug proceeds two more times, once for $100,000 and another for $125,000.
Additionally, in June 2023, Lugo Gonzalez used a Social Security number assigned to another individual to apply for and obtain a Massachusetts ID and had been living in the community under this alias.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea E. Porter and John O. Wray of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Pedro Ramirez Covarrubias, age 53, a Mexican national, unlawfully present in Adair County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 37 months of imprisonment for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division.
On January 7, 2026, Covarrubias pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 3, 2025, Covarrubias, who was convicted of First-Degree Murder on May 6, 2015, in Harris County, Texas, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed from the United States on October 14, 2021.
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 Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Covarrubias 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. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
Illegal Alien Charged with Misuse of a Social Security Number and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican, national unlawfully residing in Methuen, has been charged with misuse of a Social Security number and aggravated identity theft.
Victor Urena-Almanzar, 61, has been charged with one count of false representation of a social security number and one count of aggravated identity theft. Urena-Almanzar made his initial appearance in federal court in Boston on May 11, 2026.
According to the charging documents, Urena-Almanzar assumed the identity of a United States citizen and obtained multiple Massachusetts identification cards, as well as a United States passport, in the victim’s name. It is alleged that Urena-Almanzar used that fraudulently obtained United States passport to travel internationally between the United States and the Dominican Republic and to obtain a Massachusetts REAL ID identification card.
In 2001, Urena-Almanzar pleaded guilty to federal drug trafficking charges in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He was also convicted of illegal communication device related fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin in 1995.
The charge of misuse of Social Security number provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-year sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Ian Wyatt Justice, 24, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 1, 2026, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Justice in Huntington. Officers arrested Justice on an active warrant during the traffic stop and seized approximately 51.13 grams of fentanyl from his person.
As part of his guilty plea, Justice admitted that he possessed the seized fentanyl and intended to distribute it. Justice further admitted that he intended to distribute approximately 15.2 grams of fentanyl and 24.2 grams of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” seized by officers during a December 4, 2025, traffic stop of a vehicle he was driving in Huntington.
Justice is scheduled to be sentenced on August 31, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-56.
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Homeland Security Task Force Arrests Maduro Regime Ally Alex Saab on Money Laundering Charges Involving Venezuelan Food Contracts and OilRead the Press Release
Note: See the indictment here.
MIAMI – Venezuela’s former Minister of Industry and National Production made his initial appearance in court today pursuant to an indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Florida charging him for his alleged role in a sprawling international money laundering conspiracy involving the corruption and exploitation of a Venezuelan public welfare program intended to provide food to vulnerable Venezuelans.
According to court records, Alex Nain Saab Moran, 55, of Colombia, allegedly conspired with others to bribe Venezuelan public officials to secure lucrative Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción (CLAP) contracts to import food into Venezuela. Saab is accused of conspiring with others to fraudulently misrepresent the nature and source of the food supplies, including falsely documenting imports from Colombia and Mexico.
“Thanks to the efforts of the Homeland Security Task Force, Alex Saab will be prosecuted and held fully accountable under U.S. law for his alleged role in this scheme,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Alex Saab allegedly used American banks to launder hundreds of millions of dollars stolen from a Venezuelan food program meant for the poor and proceeds from the illegal sale of Venezuelan oil,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This is unacceptable. The Criminal Division will not allow foreign actors to exploit the American financial system and use it as a safe haven for the proceeds of their corruption.”
“This indictment alleges that a humanitarian food program intended to support vulnerable Venezuelans was instead manipulated for massive personal enrichment,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “According to the charges, the defendant used bribery, shell companies, and fraudulent documents to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars for personal gain. When illicit proceeds are moved through the United States financial system, our courts have jurisdiction and our prosecutors will act. The charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“DEA has long investigated the alleged financial crimes and networks tied to Alex Saab and the former Maduro regime,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “These charges are a direct result of DEA’s continued commitment to dismantle the corrupt networks operating throughout Venezuela. This Administration’s support of law enforcement and DEA’s relentless pursuit of those enabling cartel activities allowed us, along with our HSTF partners, to return Alex Saab back to the United States to face justice once again.”
“The FBI remains deeply committed to dismantling complex financial networks that fund illicit activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office. “By working closely with our federal partners, we have successfully disrupted a sophisticated operation facilitated by Alex Saab and his co-conspirators designed to conceal the origins of illegally obtained wealth. We will continue to deploy every investigative resource at our disposal to track dirty money, protect the integrity of our financial institutions, and ensure that those who profit from crime are held fully accountable under the law.”
“This indictment underscores Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) ongoing commitment to follow the money, expose foreign corruption, and hold accountable those who exploit vulnerable people for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of HSI Miami. “HSI will continue to leverage the full capabilities of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) to aggressively pursue transnational criminal networks that attempt to exploit the U.S. financial system to hide illicit profits and erode public trust.”
Rather than fulfilling the contracts, Saab and his co-conspirators secretly used shell companies, fraudulent invoices, falsified shipping records, and other fabricated documents — along with a network of bribes and kickbacks — to siphon off hundreds of millions of dollars that were intended to be used to purchase food for needy Venezuelans. Portions of the illicit proceeds were allegedly spent or concealed through transfers to and through bank accounts in the U.S.
The indictment further alleges that, from 2019 through at least January 2026, the conspiracy expanded as U.S. economic sanctions crippled Venezuelan exports, especially oil, placing severe strain on the country’s finances and its ability to meet its foreign debt obligations, including payments to Saab and his co-conspirators as part of the CLAP program. Exploiting their corrupt relationships with government officials, Saab and his co-conspirators allegedly gained access to billions of dollars’ worth of oil owned by Venezuelan state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and sold it under false pretenses.
Proceeds from those illegal sales were then transferred to and through U.S. bank accounts to further promote and conceal the CLAP scheme.
Saab is charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
DEA Miami Field Division is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI Miami and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero for the Southern District of Florida and Deputy Chief Joseph Palazzo from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Miami comprises of agents and officers from the DEA Miami Field Division, FBI Miami, and HSI Miami with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Miami.
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-cr-20020.
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Homeland Security Task Force Arrests Maduro Regime Ally Alex Saab on Money Laundering Charges Involving Venezuelan Food Contracts and OilRead the Press Release
Note: See the indictment here.
Venezuela’s former Minister of Industry and National Production made his initial appearance in court today pursuant to an indictment unsealed in the Southern District of Florida charging him for his alleged role in a sprawling international money laundering conspiracy involving the corruption and exploitation of a Venezuelan public welfare program intended to provide food to vulnerable Venezuelans.
According to court records, Alex Nain Saab Moran, 55, of Colombia, allegedly conspired with others to bribe Venezuelan public officials to secure lucrative Comité Local de Abastecimiento y Producción (CLAP) contracts to import food into Venezuela. Saab is accused of conspiring with others to fraudulently misrepresent the nature and source of the food supplies, including falsely documenting imports from Colombia and Mexico.
“Thanks to the efforts of the Homeland Security Task Force, Alex Saab will be prosecuted and held fully accountable under U.S. law for his alleged role in this scheme,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche.
“Alex Saab allegedly used American banks to launder hundreds of millions of dollars stolen from a Venezuelan food program meant for the poor and proceeds from the illegal sale of Venezuelan oil,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This is unacceptable. The Criminal Division will not allow foreign actors to exploit the American financial system and use it as a safe haven for the proceeds of their corruption.”
“This indictment alleges that a humanitarian food program intended to support vulnerable Venezuelans was instead manipulated for massive personal enrichment,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “According to the charges, the defendant used bribery, shell companies, and fraudulent documents to siphon hundreds of millions of dollars for personal gain. When illicit proceeds are moved through the United States financial system, our courts have jurisdiction and our prosecutors will act. The charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
“DEA has long investigated the alleged financial crimes and networks tied to Alex Saab and the former Maduro regime,” said Administrator Terrance Cole of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “These charges are a direct result of DEA’s continued commitment to dismantle the corrupt networks operating throughout Venezuela. This Administration’s support of law enforcement and DEA’s relentless pursuit of those enabling cartel activities allowed us, along with our HSTF partners, to return Alex Saab back to the United States to face justice once again.”
“The FBI remains deeply committed to dismantling complex financial networks that fund illicit activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office. “By working closely with our federal partners, we have successfully disrupted a sophisticated operation facilitated by Alex Saab and his co-conspirators designed to conceal the origins of illegally obtained wealth. We will continue to deploy every investigative resource at our disposal to track dirty money, protect the integrity of our financial institutions, and ensure that those who profit from crime are held fully accountable under the law.”
“This indictment underscores Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) ongoing commitment to follow the money, expose foreign corruption, and hold accountable those who exploit vulnerable people for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Jose R. Figueroa of HSI Miami. “HSI will continue to leverage the full capabilities of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) to aggressively pursue transnational criminal networks that attempt to exploit the U.S. financial system to hide illicit profits and erode public trust.”
Rather than fulfilling the contracts, Saab and his co-conspirators secretly used shell companies, fraudulent invoices, falsified shipping records, and other fabricated documents — along with a network of bribes and kickbacks — to siphon off hundreds of millions of dollars that were intended to be used to purchase food for needy Venezuelans. Portions of the illicit proceeds were allegedly spent or concealed through transfers to and through bank accounts in the U.S.
The indictment further alleges that, from 2019 through at least January 2026, the conspiracy expanded as U.S. economic sanctions crippled Venezuelan exports, especially oil, placing severe strain on the country’s finances and its ability to meet its foreign debt obligations, including payments to Saab and his co-conspirators as part of the CLAP program. Exploiting their corrupt relationships with government officials, Saab and his co-conspirators allegedly gained access to billions of dollars’ worth of oil owned by Venezuelan state-owned Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA) and sold it under false pretenses.
Proceeds from those illegal sales were then transferred to and through U.S. bank accounts to further promote and conceal the CLAP scheme.
Saab is charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
DEA Miami Field Division is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI Miami and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monique Botero for the Southern District of Florida and Deputy Chief Joseph Palazzo from the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Miami comprises of agents and officers from the DEA Miami Field Division, FBI Miami, and HSI Miami with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Miami.
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.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Guatemalan National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Guatemalan national was sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for illegally reentering the United States after having been removed.
Victor Lemus Davida, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to time served.
According to court documents, Lemus Davida, a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the United States on June 8, 2022, pursuant to an order of removal. He later entered the United States without obtaining permission from the Attorney General to reapply for admission.
Lemus Davida was arrested on February 5, 2026, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island and pleaded guilty to a charge of illegal reentry in March 2026.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sandra R. Hebert.
The matter was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Gainesville Woman Faces Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Jomekia Archer, 46, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.
Archer appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for June 17, 2026, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
Archer faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tyler Fleming.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Former U.S. Border Patrol Agent Pleads Guilty to Defrauding TaxpayersRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A former U.S. Border Patrol Agent pleaded guilty in a federal court in Del Rio today to defrauding the U.S. government by spending his official duty hours running a personal business while submitting time cards and collecting bi-weekly government paychecks, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons, in support of the Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud.
According to court documents, in addition to being a USBP agent, Ramon Heriberto Cerda Jr., 41, of Eagle Pass, owned and operated a business known as El Eagle Mail. On multiple dates in February and March 2025, Cerda was observed at his residence during scheduled work hours despite his duties requiring him to be in the field.
To further observe Cerda’s activities, the FBI installed two surveillance cameras beginning on April 22, 2025, one providing a view of his home and the other providing a view of the El Eagle Mail business, located approximately 15 to 20 minutes away. Between April 22 and June 28, 2025, surveillance showed Cerda remained at his residence until approximately 2pm on weekdays, before traveling to the El Eagle Mail business where he remained until after 4pm. During the same time period, he submitted bi-weekly timecards reflecting that he worked for the USBP from 6am to 4pm, claiming a total of 399.58 hours of pay between April 22 and June 28, 2025. He received approximately $17,724.74 in pay for those reported hours.
In addition to the surveillance video, the FBI obtained cell site location data for both Cerda’s government issued phone and his personal phone. Analysis of the data also indicated Cerda was located at or near his residence during work hours and showed a lack of activity consistent with traveling to the Eagle Pass USBP station to pick up a government vehicle for his assigned transportation duties. Additional investigative methods also corroborated the surveillance video.
Cerda was indicted in October 2025 for four counts of wire fraud, four counts of false statement or representation made to an agency or department of the United States, and three counts of receiving stolen government money or property. Pleading guilty to one count of wire fraud, he faces up to 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Duarte II is prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division ('Fraud Division'). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
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Former Fulton County Sheriff’s Office sergeant charged with excessive use of forceRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Louis Brown, III, a former sergeant with the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office, has been arraigned on federal charges of using excessive force against a pretrial detainee at the Fulton County Courthouse.
“Brown allegedly betrayed his badge by punching a handcuffed detainee without justification and by directing his subordinates to turn off their body-worn cameras to try to get away with his crime,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “To maintain the public’s faith in our justice system, sworn officers who abuse their positions of trust must be held accountable.”
“The overwhelming majority of law enforcement officers serve their communities with integrity and professionalism every day,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “But when an officer allegedly violates the constitutional rights of a person in their custody, it undermines public trust and the oath they swore to uphold. The FBI remains committed to working to ensure anyone who abuses a position of authority is held accountable under the law.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, information provided in court, and other publicly available information: The use-of-force policy implemented by the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) directs officers to use force that is objectively reasonable. To determine whether force is objectively reasonable, officers are required to consider the immediate threat posed by the subject and whether the subject is actively resisting. Consistent with the U.S. Constitution, the FCSO’s policy forbids force when an individual is compliant and not resisting arrest.
On June 4, 2025, while employed at the Fulton County Courthouse as a sergeant with the FCSO, Brown allegedly punched and slapped a handcuffed detainee, repeatedly, without legal justification. Immediately before the alleged attack, Brown commanded other deputies to deactivate their body-worn cameras. One deputy’s camera nevertheless captured the attack, and the video captured by that camera allegedly shows the detainee was compliant and non-threatening as Brown allegedly assaulted him.
On May 15, 2026, Louis Brown, III, 41, of Smyrna, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Catherine M. Salinas. Brown was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 12, 2026, of depriving a person of civil rights under color of law.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brent Alan Gray and Dwayne A. Brown Jr. are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former FDC Philadelphia Correctional Officer Who Sexually Abused Inmate, Violated Inmate’s Civil Rights, Sentenced to 30 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Michael Jefferson, 43, of Cherry Hill, New Jersey, was sentenced today to 360 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Joshua D. Wolson for the sexual abuse of a Federal Detention Center (“FDC”) inmate under his authority and violation of that inmate’s civil rights.
The defendant was charged by indictment in May of last year and pleaded guilty in December to one count of aggravated sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse, one count of sexual abuse of a ward, and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
As detailed in court filings and statements, in the early morning hours of July 6, 2024, Jefferson, while on duty as a correctional officer at the FDC Philadelphia, entered the cell of an inmate and forcibly sexually assaulted the inmate, resulting in bodily injury to the victim.
While acting under color of law, Jefferson willfully deprived the victim of her right not to be subjected to cruel and unusual punishment, a right secured and protected by the Constitution and laws of the United States, which includes the right to be free from sexual abuse by a correctional officer.
This case was investigated by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, with the assistance of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meghan Claiborne Bisio.
Former CEO of Cosmetic Company Charged with Defrauding Public Company and Its ShareholdersRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and the Inspector in Charge of the New York Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), Ketty Larco-Ward, announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging JAIME CASTLE, former Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) of Obagi Cosmeceuticals LLC (“Obagi”) with conspiracy, securities fraud, wire fraud, and false statements to auditors and improperly influencing an audit. CASTLE led a scheme to fraudulently inflate Obagi’s purported sales of cosmetic products to give the false impression that Obagi was a growing company. CASTLE used that fraudulently inflated revenue to deceive a public company that acquired Obagi, called Waldencast Plc (“Waldencast”), and its shareholders, obtaining a $2 million cash bonus for arranging the acquisition. Once her scheme was uncovered, Waldencast had to restate its revenue by more than $50 million as a result of Castle’s fraud.
CASTLE was presented Monday before Judge Lehrburger. The case has been assigned to the Honorable John G. Koeltl.
“Jaime Castle allegedly defrauded a public company and its shareholders by ginning up fake revenue to suggest growth that did not exist,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Castle then lied to auditors to try to keep her scheme from being uncovered. Today’s indictment is a reminder that this Office and our law enforcement partners will not hesitate to go to the C-suite to root out fraud and false statements in our business community.”
“Ms. Castle allegedly used the U.S. Mail to facilitate her criminal activity, swindling her unsuspecting investors by providing them false information about her company,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will work tirelessly to expose these investment scams and protect the public from individuals, who use deceptive tactics to make a profit.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment unsealed on Tuesday in Manhattan federal court:[1]
From at least in or about 2021 through at least in or about 2023, CASTLE orchestrated a scheme to enrich herself by fraudulently inflating Obagi’s revenue and financial performance in order to defraud Waldencast and its shareholders. CASTLE, the CEO of Obagi, created the illusion that Obagi was a growing company by artificially inflating purported sales of cosmetic products to a Vietnamese distributor (“Distributor-1”), even though CASTLE knew that Distributor-1 could not pay for and, in many cases, had no need for those products. This illusion of growth made Obagi appear to be an attractive acquisition target for Waldencast and for Waldencast’s shareholders, who voted to approve a merger with Obagi in July 2022. CASTLE received a bonus of over $2 million for the successful completion of that merger. She then continued to lie to Waldencast’s management, shareholders, and auditors about Obagi’s sales and revenue, in the hopes of receiving additional bonuses and to conceal her scheme. When Waldencast discovered CASTLE’s scheme, it restated Obagi’s revenue for 2021 and 2022, showing that more than $50 million in revenue had been fraudulently reported based on CASTLE’s lies.
Despite the fact that Distributor-1 had a long history of failing to pay amounts owed for Obagi products, routinely violated the provision of her distribution agreement with Obagi requiring timely payment, and was holding a backlog of unsold product, CASTLE pushed ever greater quantities of product to Distributor-1, which Distributor-1 did not need and could not sell or pay for, to create the appearance that Obagi was a growing company.
CASTLE’s lies caused Waldencast to file publicly and with the SEC financial information about Obagi that was not true, including—shortly before Waldencast’s shareholders voted to approve the merger with Obagi— that Obagi had “[o]ver-delivered on topline” in 2021 and had “[s]trong momentum” in 2022 “with Q1 outperforming versus budget and last year.” Meanwhile, in private messages CASTLE acknowledged the exact opposite, writing in text messages that Obagi was “getting almost no payments [and] it’s becoming a massive issue for us” and that she had “been trying to keep how bad the account standing [is] under wraps.” She also acknowledged that “[Distributor-1] has a ton of inventory” and that CASTLE was “not sure how to handle [the situation] without sounding every alarm and scar[]ing everyone in the company.”
After Waldencast’s shareholders approved the merger with Obagi, CASTLE continued to lie about the company’s financial situation to Waldencast executives and its auditors. But eventually her scheme was uncovered. Between January and March 2024, Waldencast issued multiple restatements to financial reports that it issued in 2021 and 2022. Those restatements had the effect of, among other things, reducing revenue from Obagi’s sales to Distributor-1 by over $14 million for 2021 and by over $40 million for 2022.
* * *
CASTLE, 46, of Conroe, Texas, is charged with conspiracy to commit securities fraud, wire fraud, make false filings, and false statements to auditors, which carries a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison; securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; false statements to auditors and improperly influencing the conduct of audits, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Mr. Clayton further thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas Burnett, Courtney Heavey, and Allison Nichols are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth in this release constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Meets with Officials with U.S. Postal Inspection ServiceRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – On April 24, 2026, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone met with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service New York Division Inspector in Charge (INC) Ketty Larco-Ward and Targeted Risk Analytics & Criminal Enforcement (TRACE) Team Leader Ruben Del Valle to receive a presentation on the TRACE Task Force.
TRACE is a newly established intelligence-driven task force focused on partnering with local and state law enforcement to primarily investigate mail theft, fraud, and financial crimes. The task force, which is dedicated to the New York Metropolitan area, has helped identify criminal enterprises operating across county and state laws.
FAUSA Sarcone stated: “My Office is always willing and eager to collaborate with law enforcement partners dedicated to rooting out crime. I am impressed by the initiatives undertaken by the TRACE team so that the tools at their disposal are effectively used, and their results speak for themselves. I look forward to what I expect to be a fruitful partnership.”
INC Larco-Ward stated: “Cooperation and collaboration with our law enforcement partners are one of the most effective weapons against crime, and we continue to enhance our technological and investigative efforts, in conjunction with persistent prosecutorial teams like NDNY to combat postal crimes such as mail theft, complex fraud and financial crimes schemes. These cases require specialized tools and coordination, and this task force allows us to identify patterns, disrupt operations early, and protect victims before the damage spreads.”
Pictured above (left to right): Inspector in Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, Northern District of New York First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, and TRACE Team Leader Ruben Del Valle.
Fifteen Defendants Charged Following Homeland Security Task Force Investigation into Erie-Focused Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - Fifteen individuals from Erie, Pennsylvania; New York; and Ohio have been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of violating federal narcotics laws as the result of a Homeland Security Task Force investigation, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today during a press conference held at Erie City Hall.
The defendants were named in two separate but related one-count Indictments. The first of those Indictments charges 13 of the defendants with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute various quantities of fentanyl and/or cocaine. The second Indictment charges two additional defendants with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine. A list of the defendants, the amount and type of drug(s) attributable to each through the conspiracy, and the maximum penalty for each defendant is included below. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
“This prosecution is another important example of our office’s commitment to safeguard the people of northwestern Pennsylvania from the scourge of fentanyl and cocaine and—working with our law enforcement partners at the federal, state, and local levels—to bring to justice those responsible for endangering our families, friends, and neighbors,” said United States Attorney Rivetti.
“Drug trafficking networks breed violence, organized criminal activity, addiction, and exploitation,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Richard Evanchec. “Illicit operations like this poison communities surrounding Lake Erie far beyond the individuals purchasing the drugs. To those who think they can ship dangerous drugs into the heart of our community, no matter how sophisticated the operation, the FBI and our partners will pursue you across time zones and international borders to protect the American people.”
“These indictments demonstrate the impact of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative and our unwavering commitment to dismantling the drug trafficking networks that push fentanyl and cocaine into Erie and communities across northwestern Pennsylvania,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Nathan Abel of Homeland Security Investigations Philadelphia. “HSI, working alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania State Police, the FBI, and our federal, state, and local partners, will continue to use every lawful tool at our disposal to identify, investigate, and dismantle transnational criminal organizations that profit from addiction and threaten the safety of our neighborhoods.”
“These defendants violated the law by trafficking illegal drugs within the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania,” said Capt. Nicholas A. Cortes, Director of the Drug Law Enforcement Division of the Pennsylvania State Police. “The successful outcome of this investigation demonstrates the effectiveness of coordinated enforcement efforts among our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. By dismantling this drug trafficking organization, investigators have disrupted the distribution of dangerous drugs and enhanced public safety throughout the Erie community. The Pennsylvania State Police commends the approximate five-month collaborative efforts of investigators from the Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Drug Law Enforcement Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations, and recognizes the United States Attorney’s Office, the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the Erie City Police Department, the Edinboro Police Department, the Mill Creek Police Department, and the Erie City School Police Department for their continued partnership in keeping our communities safe from dangerous drugs.”
“These traffickers of poisons into our communities believed they could outsmart law enforcement, but this investigation proved otherwise," said Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday. "No matter where these criminal organizations attempt to hide—whether in northwest Pennsylvania or anywhere else in our Commonwealth—we will continue to identify them, dismantle their operations and hold them accountable. I am grateful for the partnerships that made this takedown possible."
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Defendants (Indictment One)
Name
Age
City
Drugs Attributed
Maximum Penalty
Abner Cintron-Melendez40Jamestown, NY400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl
A quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine
Life imprisonmentYirzak Caceres-Perez28West Babylon, NY400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanylLife imprisonmentThalia Dalie Lynch31Jamestown, NY400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl
A quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine
Life imprisonmentAlberto Daniel Arroyo-Amaro27Erie, PA500 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaineLife imprisonmentBrayan Omar Arroyo-Amaro29Erie, PA500 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaineLife imprisonmentYanelite Amaro-Colon39Erie, PAA quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine20 years imprisonmentLuis Serrano-Mojica34Youngstown, OH500 grams of a mixture and substance containing cocaine40 years imprisonmentJuan Gustavo Cartagena Sr.31Erie, PAA quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine20 years imprisonmentLandy Gerebee Pacheco-Mendez34Erie, PAA quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine20 years imprisonmentLourdes Marie Cartagena30Erie, PAA quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine20 years imprisonmentLuis Ramon Feliciano-Martinez54Erie, PAA quantity of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl
A quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine
20 years imprisonmentJavier Carrasquillo47Jamestown, NYA quantity of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl
A quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine
20 years imprisonmentMariah Arlene Jackson29Jamestown, NYA quantity of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl
A quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine
20 years imprisonment
Defendants (Indictment Two)Name
Age
City
Drugs Attributed
Maximum Penalty
Luis Antonio DeJesus Jr.46
Erie, PAA quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine20 years imprisonmentDaniel Tirado45
Erie, PAA quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine20 years imprisonmentThis prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations that 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 Western District of Pennsylvania is part of the Philadelphia HSTF, which is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the United States Department of State–Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and state and local law enforcement partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania.
Among the state and local law enforcement partners that coordinated with the HSTF in this investigation were the Pennsylvania State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation, Drug Law Enforcement Division and the FBI Erie Resident Agency’s Erie Area Gang Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Safe Streets Task Force, comprising investigators from the FBI, United States Customs and Border Protection, Erie Police Department, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Millcreek Police Department, Oil City Police Department, Franklin Police Department, Meadville Police Department, Edinboro Police Department, and Erie School District Police Department.
The investigation was also conducted in association with the Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative, which was formed following Erie County’s designation as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) in 2021. The HIDTA program was created by Congress in 1988 to coordinate and assist federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in addressing regional drug threats with the purpose of reducing drug trafficking and drug production in the United States. The Northwest Pennsylvania Drug Initiative coordinates personnel and resources between multiple agencies including the Pennsylvania State Police, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Erie Police Department, Erie County District Attorney’s Office, Erie County Detectives, United States Postal Inspection Service, the EAGLE Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and other participating agencies.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Falls City Man Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Darren Tracy, 55, of Falls City, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 8, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for receipt of child pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Tracy to 71 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. He was ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution to victims.
In March of 2024, during an unrelated investigation, a Richardson County investigator discovered child pornography in the hidden photo album of Tracy’s cell phone. Investigators obtained a search warrant for the phone and associated iCloud account. Investigators located 910 files containing child pornography, including 419 images, 71 videos, and 420 duplicate images of child pornography. Metadata showed that the files were obtained between May 1, 2020, through December 31, 2023. Investigators interviewed Tracy, who admitted he downloaded the images from the internet.
This case was investigated by the Richardson County Sheriff’s Office, and was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Eighteen Charged in Multi-State Drug and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Eighteen individuals in Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, Texas, Oklahoma, California and Hawaii have been arrested in connection with an alleged drug trafficking and money laundering scheme centered in Gardner, Mass.
The following defendants have been charged with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. They appeared in federal courts in Worcester as well as Trenton, NJ, Orlando, FL, Dallas, Texas, Tulsa, Okla., Riverside, Calif. and Honolulu, Hawaii last week:1. Hai Son Pham, 39, of Gardner, Mass.
2. Kelly Breault, 41, of Leominster, Mass.
3. Boonphet Sysoumang, 42, of Gardner, Mass.
4. Rafael Moreno, 38, of Leominster, Mass.
5. Andres Montemayor, 42, of Arlington, Texas
6. James Jah, 37, of South River, N.J.
7. Cesar Gonzalez, age 42, of Rancho Mirage, Calif.
8. Courtney Spaulding, 42, of Leominster, Mass.
9. Abdeem Griffin, 31, of Vallejo, Calif.
10. Rhonda Reed, of Winchendon, Mass.
11. Fong Yang, 43, of Claremore, Okla.
12. Kenneth Godfrey, 59, of Phillipston, Mass.
13. Scorpio Ramos, 41, of Fitchburg, Mass.
14. Giovan Colon, 36, of Kissimmee, Fla.
15. Gary Boucher, 46, of Shirley, Mass.
16. David Vega, 37, of Fitchburg, Mass.
17. Frederick Hrdy, 38, of Honolulu, Hawaii
18. Jose, Garcia, 36, of Chicopee, Mass.According to the charging documents, Pham headed a drug trafficking organization in North Worcester County, Mass. From there, Pham and his co-conspirators allegedly conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute large quantities of cocaine, marijuana, counterfeit pills and other controlled substances throughout the United States, to include Massachusetts, New Jersey, Florida, Oklahoma, California, Texas, Washington and Hawaii.
According to court documents Pham registered and controlled Infinite Painting, a local commercial and residential painting company. Pham and his co-conspirators allegedly used Infinite Painting to launder drug proceeds through multiple financial institutions by concealing the illegal source of these funds.
The drug conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years up to lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. The money laundering conspiracy charge provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $500,000 or twice the amount involved in the transaction, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Massachusetts State Police; the Worcester County Sheriff’s Department; and Worcester, Gardner, Leominster, Fitchburg, Cliton, Lunenburg, Hopkinton, Westminster, Ashburnham, Winchendon, Templeton, Phillipston, Boylston, Sterling and Weymouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in Case Brought by New Hampshire’s Homeland Security Task ForceRead the Press Release
Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Role in Drug Trafficking Conspiracy in Case Brought by New Hampshire’s Homeland Security Task Force
CONCORD –Michael Suazo Tejada, 22, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, pleaded guilty today in federal court to one count of Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
According to court documents and statements, in late 2023, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug-trafficking organization (DTO) operating in New Hampshire and Massachusetts. During the course of the conspiracy, the DTO trafficked multiple kilograms of methamphetamine. Tejada moved narcotics for the DTO.
The charging statute provides for a sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $10,000,000. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled sentencing for September 8, 2026.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force led the investigation with valuable assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, and Boston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yasir Sadat is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
District Drug Dealer Sentenced to 121 Months in Federal Prison for PCP TraffickingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Norman Morris, 45, a career drug dealer residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 121 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation that distributed PCP and fentanyl in the District, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Morris, aka “Fibble,” was found guilty by a federal jury on June 3, 2025, of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP). In addition to the 121-month prison term Judge Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Morris to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a prison term of 240 months.
“Norman Morris helped fuel the distribution of dangerous narcotics, including PCP and fentanyl, throughout the District of Columbia for years. Today’s sentence sends a clear message that individuals who profit from poisoning our communities will be held accountable,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “I commend the DEA and FBI for their relentless work dismantling this trafficking operation and helping make our neighborhoods safer.”
According to court documents and testimony at trial, the DEA and the FBI began a criminal investigation in September 2023 of local PCP and fentanyl distributors, a group that included Morris and co-defendants Lamont M. Langston, Kelvin Sanker, and Jamar Bennett.
Morris conducted drug transactions outside of the residence he shared with his mother on the 200 block of 58th Street NE, Washington, DC. One regular customer of the Morris’s testified that Morris sold him fentanyl “pretty much daily” for an extended period going back to the pandemic. The transactions were monitored by law enforcement from November 2023 to March 2024. During this same period, Bennett and Langston were observed meeting at Morris’s residence to exchange suspected narcotics and cash.
During the investigation, Bennett sold more than two kilograms of PCP to undercover officers over the course of nine transactions. The PCP was supplied by Langston and was stored and prepared by Sanker at Sanker’s home. Morris also retrieved 32 ounces of PCP from Sanker at the request of Langston after Langston was arrested with PCP and two firearms. Sixteen ounces of the PCP retrieved by Morris was sold to an undercover officer by Bennett.
Morris, Bennett and Langston exchanging PCP outside Morris’ home on Nov. 14, 2023.
Morris has several prior drug convictions for distribution, possession with intent to distribute, and attempted distribution of cocaine and heroin. He also has a prior conviction for escape.
Bennett, 46, of the District, pleaded guilty Apr. 11, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was also sentenced to 121 months in prison.
Sanker, 44, of the District, pleaded guilty Oct. 22, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute PCP and was sentencing to 65 months in prison.
Langston, 45, of the District, pleaded guilty Dec. 19, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of PCP and was sentenced to 138 months.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Chris Goumenis of the Washington Division and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, DEA’s Washington Division, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter V. Roman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Stempel.
PCP seized during the investigation of the drug trafficking organization.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl Crime and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Desean Lamar Briscoe, 36, also known as “G,” of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to five years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl and violation of supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 3, 2025, Briscoe sold approximately 3 grams of suspected heroin to a confidential informant in exchange for $225 in Huntington. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the substance contained 3 grams of fentanyl. As part of his guilty plea, Briscoe admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand. Briscoe also admitted that he sold suspected heroin to a confidential informant in exchange for $50 in Huntington on March 11, 2025. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed the substance contained a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
At the time of the current offense, Briscoe was serving a term of supervised release as a result of his conviction for possession with the intent to distribute heroin and being a felon in possession of a firearm in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on November 18, 2020. Today’s sentence includes two years in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-183.
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Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Antonio Carlos Shine, 38, of Dania, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and marijuana. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office continues to deliver successful prosecutions under the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative, which aims to dismantle the drug trafficking organizations and networks that have flooded our streets with deadly drugs for far too long. The citizens of the Northern District of Florida deserve to live in safe, drug-free communities, and that is precisely what we will achieve through aggressive prosecutions of drug traffickers like this defendant.”
Court documents reflect that in August 2024, law enforcement officers intercepted a package addressed to a Tallahassee residence. The package contained nearly two pounds of methamphetamine. Law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery at the residence. The defendant took possession of the package and brought it into the residence. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the residence. The defendant did not answer the door, requiring officers to breach the door. Following the breach of the front door, Shine fled through the back door with the package of methamphetamine, where he was immediately taken into custody. Law enforcement searched the residence and located a digital scale, various narcotics paraphernalia, and 44 grams of marijuana packaged for sale. The defendant had previously been convicted of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault with a firearm, and possession of cocaine with intent to sell/deliver, and had served several terms in Florida state prison.
Shine faces a minimum mandatory sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment and up to a maximum of life imprisonment. The term of imprisonment will be followed by at least ten years of supervised release. Thus, if Shine were to violate any conditions of his release, he could potentially face an additional period of incarceration related to violating his supervision.
The case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Tallahassee Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer is prosecuting the case.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 20, 2026, at 3:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Central Florida Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Counterfeit Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Jose Manuel Gonzalez Roman (31, Orlando) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza to seven years in federal prison for distributing counterfeit pills containing fentanyl. Gonzalez Roman pleaded guilty on February 4, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, between January and April 2024, Gonzalez Roman sold a confidential source increasingly large quantities of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl from various locations in Orlando. The first transaction was for 30 pills, the second was for 100 pills, and the third transaction was for 700 pills. In total, Gonzalez Roman was responsible for distributing nearly 500 grams of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Carlsbad Man Arrested on Federal Indictment Charging Him with Assaulting Jewish Man Near Pico-Robertson SynagogueRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Diego County man was arrested today on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with assaulting a Jewish man near a synagogue in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles, which was hosting an event to promote the purchase of real estate in Israel – an event protested by several pro-Palestinian groups.
Zaid Gitesatani, 28, of Carlsbad, is charged with one count of hate crime. He is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“The defendant’s conduct, if proven, is a serious violation of the law – every American deserves to live without fear of violence based on who he is or how he worships,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously prosecuting such crimes of hate and violence.”
According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on May 5, a real estate agency known as “My Home in Israel” advertised an event scheduled for June 23, 2024, at the Adas Torah Synagogue in L.A.’s Pico-Robertson neighborhood. The event was to promote land for sale in Israel.
Several pro-Palestinian groups then planned for and advertised a protest to take place at this event. One of those groups advertised a protest to “stand against settler expansion.” Gitesatani traveled to Los Angeles to attend this protest.
On the afternoon of the real estate event and protest, a Jewish man identified in the indictment as “Victim A” was walking his dog near the Adas Torah Synagogue when Gitesatani approached him from behind and punched him in the jaw, resulting in pain, redness, and swelling. After assaulting the victim, Gitesatani walked away and retreated into the crowd.
On the same day he assaulted Victim A, Gitesatani posted to his personal Instagram account a screenshot of his assault, a message that read, “Whooped the Zios today and we took their flag,” and two images of himself displaying his bruised knuckles following the assault.
In the two days following his assault on Victim A, Gitesatani had an exchange via Instagram with another user regarding the June 23, 2024, assault. Gitesatani wrote, “I whopped 2 zios,” “whooped,” “I swung good on them,” “It was satisfying,” and “I [sic] hand it [sic] numb from punching him so hard.”
Gitesatani also posted on Instagram a still image of his assault on Victim A with the caption, “The Chosen People sometimes need a good smack to wake up.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Gitesatani would face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Laura A. Alexander of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section and Trial Attorney Erica O’Connell with the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting this case.
California Woman Federally Charged with Paying Individuals, Including Homeless People on L.A.’s Skid Row, to Register to VoteRead the Press Release
A California woman who worked as a longtime signature collector for ballot initiatives has been charged with paying individuals – including homeless people living in the Skid Row area of downtown Los Angeles – to register to vote.
“False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling – so that all Americans can accept the results with confidence.”
Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong, of Marina del Rey, California, 64, also known as “Anika,” is charged with one felony count of paying another person to register to vote, a federal charge that carries a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
Armstrong has agreed to plead guilty to the charge and is scheduled to make her initial appearance this morning in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana. She is expected to plead guilty in the coming weeks.
According to her plea agreement, for approximately 20 years, Armstrong periodically worked as a “petition circulator.” In that role, she was paid by individuals and entities – known as “coordinators” – to collect voter signatures on official petitions that qualify initiatives, referendums, and recalls for California state ballots. Armstrong drove around the Los Angeles area to find registered voters to sign the petitions.
After gathering enough signatures, Armstrong returned the petitions to her coordinators, who then paid her a set amount for each registered voter’s signature. The amount she was paid varied depending on the specific ballot initiative. Because her coordinators only paid for signatures attributable to registered voters, Armstrong endeavored to ensure the people who signed her petitions were registered voters.
Armstrong occasionally solicited petitioned signatures in Skid Row, an area of downtown Los Angeles notorious for its homelessness problem. Skid Row was a convenient place for Armstrong to collect signatures because of its high concentration of people in a relatively small area who were willing to sign petitions in exchange for payment. Armstrong regularly paid and offered to pay individuals cash, usually in amounts between $2 and $3, to induce them to sign her petitions.
Many of Skid Row’s homeless population were not registered to vote. To ensure she maximized her pay from her coordinators, starting no later than 2025, Armstrong began offering payment to individuals not only to sign her petitions, but also to complete a voter registration form. Before going to Skid Row, Armstrong gathered a stack of voter registration forms from the Los Angeles County Registrar of Voters.
Some homeless people did not have an address to put on the forms. On several occasions, Armstrong provided a homeless individual with her own former address in Los Angeles so they had something to write on the registration form. These registration forms simultaneously registered an individual to vote in California elections and in federal elections.
Because California automatically sends a vote-by-mail ballot to every registered voter, this also meant ballots in some homeless individuals’ names could have the potential to be sent to Armstrong’s former residence where the homeless individual did not live or collect mail.
On Jan. 30, as part of her ongoing scheme, Armstrong knowingly and willfully paid another person to register to vote. She paid the person for the purpose of causing that person to register to vote in federal elections.
The FBI and investigators with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California investigated this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Wheat and Nandor Kiss for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case.
California Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Money Laundering, False TestimonyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A California man was sentenced today in the Southern District of Alabama to 180 months in prison for money laundering conspiracy and providing false testimony in court.
“The defendant helped launder millions of dollars for a drug trafficking organization to conceal drug sale proceeds,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling criminal organizations is a critical priority for the Department. Alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and our local law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute the financial networks that fuel illegal drug trade and profit from the sale of illicit substances.”
“For years, Adi and his coconspirators used a sophisticated web of corporations and bank accounts to launder millions of dollars’ worth of profits from illegal drug sales in the Mobile area,” said U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama. “Working alongside our dedicated federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to pursue and dismantle drug networks that abuse the U.S. financial system.”
“This individual not only used sophisticated financial webs to conceal and profit from illegal drug trafficking, but he also chose to lie under oath to protect his criminal enterprise,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the DEA New Orleans Field Division. “This sentence sends a clear message: the DEA and our law enforcement partners will ruthlessly target the financial infrastructure of drug organizations, and we will absolutely not tolerate attempts to obstruct justice and deceive the courts.”
According to court documents, Mohammed Zohair Adi, 58, a dual citizen of the United States and Syria, helped launder millions of dollars for a drug trafficking organization that transported over 1,000 kilograms of high-grade marijuana from California to Alabama, often on commercial flights via drug couriers. Adi operated multiple corporate entities and bank accounts to launder the proceeds of drug sales, and at times, structured financial transactions to avoid triggering currency transaction reporting requirements. Adi laundered drug money for several purposes, including promoting drug trafficking and maintaining California-based real estate properties, some of which were used as marijuana grow sites.
On Jan. 30, 2023, Adi pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering. On March 14, 2023, after his guilty plea, Adi falsely testified before a judge in the Southern District of Alabama at a detention hearing for co-defendant Navjit Bhullar. At the time, Adi and Bhullar were on pretrial release and court-ordered not to communicate with co-defendants about case-related matters. Adi testified that he met with Bhullar only once while on pretrial release, in mid-January 2023, in a one-on-one meeting at which they discussed their criminal case. In truth, Adi also met Bhullar in person in February 2023, with others present, at an office in Sacramento, California, and discussed the criminal case, including Adi’s guilty plea, in violation of the Court’s no-contact rule. Adi later lied to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) about his contacts with Bhullar. On March 2, 2026, Adi pleaded guilty to providing false testimony under oath before the Court.
In imposing today’s sentence, the Court noted that Adi was a leader of the money laundering conspiracy, that he was significantly involved in a serious federal crime, and that laundering drug funds was critical to the operations of a drug trafficking organization. As part of Adi’s sentence, the Court also imposed a $50,000 fine and a three-year term of supervised release.
Co-defendant Navjit Bhullar is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29. Ten co-defendants have already been sentenced.
The DEA investigated these cases.
Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Kaycee Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller for the Southern District of Alabama prosecuted the cases.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section's (MNF) 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 International Unit investigates and prosecutes cross-border money laundering schemes involving transnational criminal organizations, cartels, foreign official corruption and related money laundering affecting the U.S. financial system and prosecutes criminal cases and civil forfeiture matters to recover the proceeds of those crimes.
California Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Money Laundering, False TestimonyRead the Press Release
A California man was sentenced today in the Southern District of Alabama to 180 months in prison for money laundering conspiracy and providing false testimony in court.
“The defendant helped launder millions of dollars for a drug trafficking organization to conceal drug sale proceeds,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Dismantling criminal organizations is a critical priority for the Department. Alongside the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and our local law enforcement partners, we will continue to prosecute the financial networks that fuel illegal drug trade and profit from the sale of illicit substances.”
“For years, Adi and his coconspirators used a sophisticated web of corporations and bank accounts to launder millions of dollars’ worth of profits from illegal drug sales in the Mobile area,” said U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello for the Southern District of Alabama. “Working alongside our dedicated federal, state, and local partners, we will continue to pursue and dismantle drug networks that abuse the U.S. financial system.”
“This individual not only used sophisticated financial webs to conceal and profit from illegal drug trafficking, but he also chose to lie under oath to protect his criminal enterprise,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer of the DEA New Orleans Field Division. “This sentence sends a clear message: the DEA and our law enforcement partners will ruthlessly target the financial infrastructure of drug organizations, and we will absolutely not tolerate attempts to obstruct justice and deceive the courts.”
According to court documents, Mohammed Zohair Adi, 58, a dual citizen of the United States and Syria, helped launder millions of dollars for a drug trafficking organization that transported over 1,000 kilograms of high-grade marijuana from California to Alabama, often on commercial flights via drug couriers. Adi operated multiple corporate entities and bank accounts to launder the proceeds of drug sales, and at times, structured financial transactions to avoid triggering currency transaction reporting requirements. Adi laundered drug money for several purposes, including promoting drug trafficking and maintaining California-based real estate properties, some of which were used as marijuana grow sites.
On Jan. 30, 2023, Adi pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering. On March 14, 2023, after his guilty plea, Adi falsely testified before a judge in the Southern District of Alabama at a detention hearing for co-defendant Navjit Bhullar. At the time, Adi and Bhullar were on pretrial release and court-ordered not to communicate with co-defendants about case-related matters. Adi testified that he met with Bhullar only once while on pretrial release, in mid-January 2023, in a one-on-one meeting at which they discussed their criminal case. In truth, Adi also met Bhullar in person in February 2023, with others present, at an office in Sacramento, California, and discussed the criminal case, including Adi’s guilty plea, in violation of the Court’s no-contact rule. Adi later lied to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) about his contacts with Bhullar. On March 2, 2026, Adi pleaded guilty to providing false testimony under oath before the Court.
In imposing today’s sentence, the Court noted that Adi was a leader of the money laundering conspiracy, that he was significantly involved in a serious federal crime, and that laundering drug funds was critical to the operations of a drug trafficking organization. As part of Adi’s sentence, the Court also imposed a $50,000 fine and a three-year term of supervised release.
Co-defendant Navjit Bhullar is scheduled to be sentenced on June 29. Ten co-defendants have already been sentenced.
The DEA investigated these cases.
Trial Attorneys Sinan Kalayoglu and Kaycee Sullivan of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller for the Southern District of Alabama prosecuted the cases.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section's (MNF) 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 International Unit investigates and prosecutes cross-border money laundering schemes involving transnational criminal organizations, cartels, foreign official corruption and related money laundering affecting the U.S. financial system and prosecutes criminal cases and civil forfeiture matters to recover the proceeds of those crimes.
California Man Arrested on Federal Indictment Charging Him with Assaulting Jewish Man Near Pico-Robertson SynagogueRead the Press Release
A San Diego County man was arrested today on a federal grand jury indictment charging him with assaulting a Jewish man near a synagogue in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles, which was hosting an event to promote the purchase of real estate in Israel – an event protested by several pro-Palestinian groups.
“The defendant’s conduct, if proven, is a serious violation of the law – every American deserves to live without fear of violence based on who he is or how he worships,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously prosecuting such crimes of hate and violence.”
Zaid Gitesatani, 28, of Carlsbad, California, is charged with one count of hate crime. He is expected to make his initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles.
According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on May 5, a real estate agency known as “My Home in Israel” advertised an event scheduled for June 23, 2024, at the Adas Torah Synagogue in Los Angeles’ Pico-Robertson neighborhood. The event was to promote land for sale in Israel.
Several pro-Palestinian groups then planned for and advertised a protest to take place at this event. One of those groups advertised a protest to “stand against settler expansion.” Gitesatani traveled to Los Angeles to attend this protest.
On the afternoon of the real estate event and protest, a Jewish man identified in the indictment as “Victim A” was walking his dog near the Adas Torah Synagogue when Gitesatani approached him from behind and punched him in the jaw, resulting in pain, redness, and swelling. After assaulting the victim, Gitesatani walked away and retreated into the crowd.
On the same day he assaulted Victim A, Gitesatani posted to his personal Instagram account a screenshot of his assault, a message that read, “Whooped the Zios today and we took their flag,” and two images of himself displaying his bruised knuckles following the assault.
In the two days following his assault on Victim A, Gitesatani had an exchange via Instagram with another user regarding the June 23, 2024, assault. Gitesatani wrote, “I whopped 2 zios,” “whooped,” “I swung good on them,” “It was satisfying,” and “I [sic] hand it [sic] numb from punching him so hard.”
Gitesatani also posted on Instagram a still image of his assault on Victim A with the caption, “The Chosen People sometimes need a good smack to wake up.”
If convicted, Gitesatani faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A U.S. District Court Judge would determine any sentence after considering the Sentencing Guidelines and other information.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura A. Alexander for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Erica O’Connell of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division are prosecuting this case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Man Arrested for Violating Lacey Act for Plot to Illegally Export Trafficked TurtlesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department today announced that Donald Do, of Daly City, California, was arrested on federal wildlife trafficking charges. Do is charged with conspiracy and Lacey Act crimes related to submitting false paperwork to obtain a federal export permit and trying to ship protected turtles to Asia. The judge scheduled a status conference for July 31, 2026.
The indictment alleges that between December 2022 and May 2024, Do and a California accomplice attempted to export 292 loggerhead musk turtles to Taiwan. Do’s co-conspirator obtained an export permit from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) based on a false claim by Do that he hatched and raised the turtles when he had not.
After obtaining the export permit, Do allegedly bought musk turtles poached from the wild in Florida and elsewhere, and tried to obtain more. Do told sellers he was willing to take “wild caught” and sent instructions to ship turtles to San Francisco. Do and the co-conspirator also allegedly tried to obtain over 200 turtles from Albert Bazaar, of Louisiana, who was detained last week in Phoenix on turtle trafficking charges. After unsuccessfully exporting the turtles, Do allegedly tried to conceal his role by lying to his co-conspirator in California that he had sold the turtles to other domestic buyers.
It is illegal under the Lacey Act to provide false information about wildlife involved in international or interstate commerce or to sell or transport wildlife taken in violation of state law. The USFWS issues permits to import or export fish, wildlife, and plants protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), of which the United States and 184 other governments are signatories. Loggerhead musk turtles were added to the list of protected species in November 2022.
If convicted, Do faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine on each of the conspiracy and Lacey Act charges. Any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian for the Northern District of California, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, USFWS Office of Law Enforcement announced the arrest and charges.
The USFWS investigated the case as part of Operation Southern Hot Herps, which was a joint federal and state law enforcement operation to detect and deter turtle poachers in the southeastern United States. Homeland Security Investigations, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission assisted with the investigation.
Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Chambers for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case.
An indictment merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Brockton Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Stolen Treasury Check FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man pleaded guilty to charges that he deposited stolen and altered U.S. Treasury checks into shell company bank accounts that he controlled and then withdrew the stolen money to conceal its origin.
Gino Rosario Tyler Alexander Allegra, 32, pleaded guilty to four counts of theft of government funds, four counts of bank fraud and three counts of money laundering. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Aug. 6, 2026. Allegra was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2025 and detained pending trial.
Allegra obtained U.S. Treasury checks that had been issued as tax refunds to individuals and businesses throughout the United States but were later stolen. Allegra deposited these checks into bank accounts that he opened in the name of World Advance, Inc. (WAI), a Massachusetts shell company with no bona fide operations. The stolen checks were altered to name WAI as a payee instead of the actual taxpayers eligible for the refunds. Allegra also purchased bank checks payable to other shell businesses to conceal the origin of the stolen proceeds and deposited and laundered bank checks that others purchased using other stolen Treasury checks. In total, Allegra stole or laundered more than $1.2 million in government funds.
The charges of theft of government funds provide for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of bank fraud provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charges of money laundering provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and fine of up to $500,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Michael Carpenter, Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Department of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division; and Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial and Cyber Frauds Unit is prosecuting the case.
Brevard County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Victor Raul Cordero Arocho (39, Melbourne) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed to 15 years in federal prison for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine as well as possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Cordero Arocho pleaded guilty on January 29, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, between August and September 2025, Cordero Arocho sold a confidential source approximately 3 pounds of methamphetamine and 2 ounces of fentanyl from his residence in Melbourne. Law enforcement then executed a search warrant on the residence in October 2025 resulting in the recovery of over 12 ounces of cocaine, approximately 2.5 ounces of fentanyl, and drug processing materials. Law enforcement also located a loaded handgun and a loaded rifle inside the residence.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Behavioral Health Companies and Physician-Owner Agree to Pay $1.4 Million for Allegedly Billing for Psychotherapy Services that Clinicians Did Not PerformRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Behavioral health clinics, Nova Psychiatric Services, P.C. (Nova), Patriot Eldercare, Inc. (Patriot), and the president and director of Nova and Patriot, Alexandra Accardi, M.D., have agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve allegations that they fraudulently billed government health insurance programs for psychotherapy and medication management services, in violation of the False Claims Act.
As part of the settlement agreement, Nova, Patriot and Accardi admitted and accepted responsibility for certain facts providing the basis for the settlement. Nova and Patriot (collectively also known as Prime Behavioral Health) are behavioral health clinics with office locations in Quincy and Weymouth, Mass. Dr. Alexandra Accardi is a psychiatrist and the founder and owner of Nova and Patriot.
Between Jan. 1, 2017, and May 18, 2023, Nova and Patriot billed Medicare, Medicaid and the Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission (GIC) for medication management and psychotherapy services that behavioral health clinicians did not perform. Nova’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Miguel Saravia, directed independent contractors separate from the companies’ billing departments to alter claims before their submission to Medicare, Medicaid and GIC by adding billing codes for additional psychotherapy and medication management services that the Nova or Patriot behavioral health clinicians had not performed. Nova and Patriot employees repeatedly raised concerns to Accardi and Saravia about these billing practices, but Nova, Patriot, Accardi and Saravia made no changes to these billing practices.
In September 2024, Saravia was charged with six counts of healthcare fraud related to his directing the independent contractors with no billing or medical training to submit false claims to health insurance programs, including Medicare, Medicaid and GIC, on behalf of Nova and Patriot. The charges concerned some of the same fraudulent billing resolved by the civil settlement announced today. Saravia subsequently pleaded guilty to the charges and, on March 26, 2025, was sentenced to 3.5 months in prison, followed by one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $561,141 in restitution.
The claims resolved in today’s settlement include claims that were brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under the Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States and Commonwealth of Massachusetts ex rel. Jessica Spissinger and Matthew Peculis v. Nova Psychiatric Services, P.C., et al., No. 19-cv-11137-ADB. As part of today’s resolution, the relator will receive 17.5% of the settlement amount.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven Sharobem and Lindsey Ross of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
accardi_and_nova_psychiatric_settlement_agreement_2026.05.pdf
Bayard Man Sentenced to More Than 22 Years for Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Robert Crable, Jr., 60, of Bayard, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 14, 2026, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska, for one count of conspiracy to produce child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Crable, Jr. (Crable) to a total of 274 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Crable’s release from prison, he will begin a 7-year term of supervised release. Crable was additionally ordered to pay $15,000 which will contribute to funds established for victims of these types of cases.
Homeland Security Investigations arrested four separate individuals located in the Philippines who were engaged in human trafficking of minors. Each of these individuals were found to have recorded child sexual abuse material of children in their care and to have sold those files to paying customers worldwide. These individuals would additionally offer “shows” in which the children would engage in sexually explicit acts in livestream video or video chats for paying customers. The traffickers would request payment for this content. The phones and accounts belonging to these four traffickers were seized and reviewed. During the review, an account belonging to Crable was identified as communicating with each of the four traffickers as a customer on a video chatting application.
A search warrant for the account Crable used to communicate with traffickers revealed approximately 2,000 files of child sexual abuse material saved on the account. The account also revealed tens of thousands of lines of text conversations Crable had with traffickers from February 9, 2022, until March 13, 2025. The conversations included numerous instances of Crable purchasing child sexual abuse material from traffickers and Crable purchasing and directing livestreams or videochats in which a child was being sexually abused. Review of Crable’s financial records showed payments being made overseas consistent with these conversations and the purchase of child sex abuse material.
“For years this defendant and those he conspired with caused irreparable harm to the victims in this case. The diligence of the HSI case agents proves perpetrators of these repulsive crimes cannot hide and will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Lesley Woods.
“Robert Crable committed horrific crimes that inflicted unconscionable trauma on children,” said HSI Nebraska Resident Agent in Charge Shane M. Gosnell. “I am extremely proud of our agents’ diligent work in putting him behind bars preventing other children from being abused. HSI works hard every day to find individuals like this who have no moral compass and exploit the weak and vulnerable who are unable to defend themselves.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Arizona Woman Sentenced for Drug Conspiracy Following Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Brandy Miller, 48, of Flagstaff, Arizona, was sentenced on May 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Miller to 140 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing her term of imprisonment, Miller will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
Miller was charged based on her involvement with a Mexico source of supply of methamphetamine known to supply the Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, areas with methamphetamine via a local network of drug couriers.
On August 30, 2024, Homeland Security Task Force investigators utilized an individual who placed a drug order with the Mexican source, who instructed the individual to meet with a courier. Later that day, the individual met with Miller who delivered one pound of methamphetamine to the individual at an Omaha location. The buy was recorded, and Miller was arrested shortly thereafter. A search warrant on Miller’s phone revealed messages with the source and evidence of multiple prior deliveries.
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 Omaha comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, USPIS, the IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, and assistance of the Nebraska State Patrol with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Drug Trafficking
Giovanny J. Hernandez, 36, of Jackson, Wyoming, was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment with one year of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, in March 2025, law enforcement began investigating Samuel Pratts and Giovanny Hernandez for distributing controlled substances in Teton and Sublette Counties. In April 2025, both men were arrested on state drug charges after authorities discovered more than 300 grams of methamphetamine in Pratts’ vehicle and on his person. Evidence also showed the pair traveled to Colorado in a rental vehicle obtained through Hernandez’s airport job to purchase a pound of methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Teton County Sheriff’s Office and Jackson Police Department investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Hernandez was charged on August 19, 2025, and pleaded guilty on January 8, 2026. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on May 6 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00015
Firearm Offenses
Donald Joseph Bordelon, 33, with no known address, was sentenced to 10 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on Aug. 9, 2025, a Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) officer encountered Bordelon beside a disabled vehicle on the Wind River Indian Reservation, and observed what appeared to be the imprint of a concealed firearm at Bordelon’s waist under his clothing. The officer learned Bordelon was prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions. The vehicle also bore improper license plates. The officer contacted the Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) because Bordelon was a non-Indian. The WHP responded and searched the vehicle, locating a loaded 9mm pistol, a spent shell casing, and a gun safe containing firearms magazines. The BIA and the WHP investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Bordelon was indicted on Sept. 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Feb 3. 2026. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on May 5 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00139
Antonio David Harrinton, 23, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, Harrington, a convicted felon on Intensive Supervised Probation following 2022 convictions for aggravated assault and conspiracy to commit burglary out of the Natrona County District Court, was subject to warrantless searches as part of his probation conditions. On July 18, 2025, probation agents and law enforcement searched Harrington’s phone and later his mother’s Casper residence where Harrington was living. Prior to the search, Harrington admitted a firearm was hidden in his room. Agents recovered a 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol with an obliterated serial number, high-capacity magazines, and ammunition. The Casper Police Department and the Bureau for Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist prosecuted the case. Harrington was indicted on Sep. 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Feb. 18, 2026. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on May 8 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-00130
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is 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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.23 Members of the Criminal Organization known as La Familia Nunca Muere (the Family Never Dies) Charged with Racketeering and Murder as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) InitiativeRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On May 12, 2026, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging 23 members of a racketeering enterprise known as La Familia Nunca Muere (LFNM) with racketeering—murder, drug trafficking, and firearms violations. This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion.
“This criminal Enterprise used gun violence and murder as mere business tools to maintain power and control. The filing of RICO charges gives us the capacity to systematically dismantle the violent gangs that fuel bloodshed and keep families living in fear,” said U.S. Attorney Muldrow. “These charges are a key part of our unified strategy to eradicate drug driven gang violence in our communities. Through RICO charges prosecutors can charge and bring to justice the entire criminal Enterprise as one organization—we can reach every participant from leadership to street level shooters and show a pattern of coordinated crime across gangs rather than isolated acts. It allows us to tell the full story of how different gangs coordinated murders, drug trafficking, and intimidation to advance a shared enterprise, instead of presenting each case as a stand-alone crime. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively pursue these gangs wherever they operate and will not relent until our neighborhoods are safe.”
“Violence of this magnitude will not become the norm in Puerto Rico, and the DEA, alongside our law enforcement partners, is committed to confronting it head-on,” said DEA Caribbean Division Special agent in Charge Michael Mayer. “This investigation targeted individuals who believed they could use murder and intimidation to strengthen their criminal organization and spread fear throughout our communities. What they encountered instead was a united effort by federal and local agencies working side by side, sharing intelligence, resources, and manpower to dismantle those responsible. This case represents far more than arrests and indictments, it represents our collective determination to protect the public, disrupt violent criminal networks, and restore safety to the communities affected by this violence.”
“The FBI will continue working aggressively alongside our federal and state partners to identify, investigate, and dismantle violent criminal organizations that threaten our communities,” said Carlos R. Goris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s San Juan Field Office. “This case reflects the value of interagency collaboration to support efforts aimed at pursuing individuals linked to drug trafficking, violence, and the illegal use of firearms. Those who use fear and violence to operate should understand that law enforcement will continue working relentlessly to bring them to justice.”
The indictment alleges that the defendants were members and associates of a criminal organization engaged in drug distribution and acts of violence, including murder. The transnational criminal organization referred to as La Familia Nunca Muere (LFNM), composed of Las FARC (also known as Las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Cantera and Las FARC Company), Cantera Nueva Generación (CNG) and other gangs from the areas of San Juan, Bayamón, Comerío, Trujillo Alto and Carolina including its members and associates, constituted an “Enterprise,” as defined by 18 U.S.C. § 1961(4) (“the Enterprise”), that is, a group of individuals associated in fact, whose members functioned as a continuing unit for a common purpose of achieving the objectives of the Enterprise. The Enterprise was engaged in, and its activities affected interstate and foreign commerce.
According to court documents, from 2019 to the present, the Enterprise distributed heroin, cocaine base (commonly known as crack), cocaine, marijuana, fentanyl, Oxycodone (commonly known as Percocet), and Alprazolam (commonly known as Xanax) at the Villa Kennedy, Fray Bartolomé de Las Casas, El Mirador de las Casas, and Las Margaritas Public Housing Projects (PHPs), and other areas. Also, according to the indictment, members of the organization committed acts of violence to further the objectives of the Enterprise. These acts of violence served to promote and enhance the prestige, reputation and position of the Enterprise amongst rival criminal organizations, protect members and associates from law enforcement and rival drug trafficking organizations, and preserve and protect their operation.
As part of the racketeering conspiracy, defendant [1] Emmanuel Pacheco-Marín was the principal leader of LFNM, overseeing the LFNM members and associates under Las FARC; [2] Edison Merced-Olivera and [3] Alberto Valdez were leaders of the LFNM, overseeing the LFNM members and associates under Las FARC. These three leaders conspired with others to import cocaine from the Dominican Republic into Puerto Rico, and to further distribute narcotics within Puerto Rico and the continental United States.
On or about October 6, 2025, [1] Pacheco-Marín and [2] Merced-Olivera, after learning about the murder of a Las FARC leader – Héctor Alcántara-Domínguez, a.k.a. “Mariachi” – ordered the members of the Enterprise to find the people responsible for “Mariachi’s” murder and to execute them in retaliation. On that same date, at least 14 members of the Enterprise planned, kidnapped, tortured, executed and disposed of the bodies of five individuals: N.B., W.J.G.R., J.D.S.M., J.R.P., and E.D.M. in retaliation for the murder of “Mariachi.” The fact that the Enterprise murdered these five individuals does not mean that any or all of those victims were involved in the murder of “Mariachi.”
The 14 individuals charged with murder in aid of racketeering, who, if convicted, are facing up to life in prison and who are eligible for the death penalty are:
[1] Emmanuel Pacheco-Marín, a.k.a. “Bebo Las Farc/Bebo/Manuel/Cabezón/Viejo
[2] Edison Merced-Olivera, a.k.a. “Chino/Chino Pai/Chino Oriental/El Loco/
Chino Las Margaritas/China/Pai/Pay”
[4] Segismar Rodríguez-Rivera, a.k.a “Segis/Seji/Ceji/Segui”
[5] Rafael Prek-Vargas, a.k.a “Gordito/Goldito”
[6] Nefty Oquendo-Rosario, a.k.a. “Mencho/N”
[8] Fernando Hilario-Figueroa, a.k.a. “Bazuka/Bazu/Nando de Playita/Boti/Bazukaso/
Mi Alma Gemela”
[9] Jean Carlos Ramos-Valdivia, a.k.a. “Caponi/El Cantante/El Flaco”
[10] Pedro J. Cintrón-Álvarez, a.k.a. “Torombolo/Toro”
[12] Adam Miranda-Rivera
[13] Efraín Ortiz-Rivera, a.k.a. “Topi/Topy/El Malnacido 357/Topo 2024”
[14] Jonathan Selander-Tanco, a.k.a. “Pollo/Gallina/Gato/Ojos Claros”
[15] Wilson Álvarez-Barrera, a.k.a. “Wilson Fama/Fama/La Fama”
[16] Adnell Dones-Valdivia, a.k.a. “Crispan/Crispancito”
[18] José Yariel Ortiz-Santiago, a.k.a. “Sangre”
The other defendants charged in the conspiracy to participate in a racketeering Enterprise are:
[3] Alberto Valdez, a.k.a. “Pelota/Pelotero”
[7] Steven González-Sánchez, a.k.a “El de los Tatuajes/Tatuajes”
[11] Jorge Torres-Rodríguez, a.k.a. “Polly/Poyi/Ponce/Pollina”
[17] Luis Alfonso Amezquita-Falú, a.k.a. “Diablón”
[19] Christian López-Díaz, a.k.a. “Christian 25/Chris 25”
[20] Carlos Zalduondo-Díaz, a.k.a. “Colo”
[21] Sergio Meléndez-Maldonado, a.k.a. “Cape”
[22] Jessica Rosario-Burgos, a.k.a “La Mother”
[23] Nallelys Colón-Borrero, a.k.a “Naye/SylellaN”
The indictment also charges eight additional counts, including: murder in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, crack, cocaine, fentanyl, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The charged defendants occupied different roles in the Enterprise, to wit, principal leader, leaders, drug point owners, enforcers, runners, sellers, lookouts and coordinators. All are facing narcotics, firearms, ammunition and RICO forfeiture allegations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Camille García from the Asset Recovery, Money Laundering, and Transnational Organized Crime Section, and Laura Díaz-González from the Gang Section are in charge of the prosecution of the case.
If convicted of the RICO charges, the defendants face up to life imprisonment and, as noted above, 14 defendants charged with the murders of N.B., W.J.G.R., J.D.S.M., J.R.P., and E.D.M. are eligible for the death penalty. The penalties for a conviction on drug trafficking charges are a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life imprisonment. Defendants convicted of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking face a mandatory consecutive sentence of five years up to life imprisonment. Defendants convicted of possessing a machinegun in furtherance of drug trafficking face a mandatory consecutive sentence of 30 years up to life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF San Juan comprises agents and officers from the following federal partners: FBI, ICE-HSI, CBP (OFO, AMO and Border Patrol), the U.S. Marshals Service for Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, DEA, ATF, IRS, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Department of State, the U.S. Secret Service, the Puerto Rico/U.S. Virgin Islands HIDTA, TSA, FAA, and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Districts of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The HSTF also has the following state and local law enforcement partners as participating agencies: the Puerto Rico Police Department; the San Juan, Carolina, Guaynabo, Barceloneta, and Ponce Municipal Police Departments, the Puerto Rico National Guard – Counter Drug Program; the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation; the Puerto Rico Internal Revenue Service (Hacienda); the Puerto Rico Port Authority; and the Virgin Islands Police Department.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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15 May 2026
York County Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day in Prison for Threatening U.S. CongressmanRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Troy Lamont Rishell, age 48, a resident of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on May 14, 2026, to 12 months and one day in prison for threatening a United States Congressman.
According to U.S. Attorney Brian D. Miller, Rishell left eight voicemails with the District Office of a United States Congressman. In those profanity-laced messages, Rishell threatened to assault and murder the United States Congressman, with intent to intimidate him while the Congressman was engaged in the performance of his official duties.
The United States Capitol Police and the United States Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe prosecuted the case.
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Woman Sentenced to 21+ Years in Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte woman was sentenced yesterday to 262 months in prison for producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Aisha Khan, 40, who is a naturalized U.S. citizen from Pakistan, was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release.
“It is unfathomable to me how someone can do things like this to a child,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “I am proud of my office for standing up for defenseless children who cannot stand up for themselves.”
According to court records, in 2023, HSI began an investigation into Khan after discovering evidence the defendant had produced CSAM of a minor female. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that, between October and December 2021, Khan had produced multiple images and videos depicting a prepubescent minor victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. After producing the CSAM, Khan distributed it to another individual.
On February 25, 2025, Khan pleaded guilty to production of child pornography. She is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson credited Homeland Security Investigations in Charlotte and Wilmington for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Agency in Wilmington, and the Jacksonville Police Department for their assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nick J. Miller and Sara Kinlaw of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
West Tennessee Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Prison for Federal Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – John David Forrest, 36, of McKenzie, Tennessee, has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for distributing over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, in the spring of 2024, Forrest sold methamphetamine to confidential informants who were working for law enforcement on multiple occasions. During the last controlled buy, Forrest sold an informant 55 grams of methamphetamine that was later found to be 99% pure. Officers were later able to obtain and execute a search warrant at Forrest’s home, which revealed more methamphetamine (around 112 grams that was 95% pure), six firearms, ammunition, a set of digital scales, drug packaging materials, and $657 in cash. At the time he committed these offenses, Forrest was on parole for a felony drug conviction out of Carroll County, Tennessee.
Following his guilty plea in federal court to distributing over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Forrest to 17 years in prison and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “Forrest is a recidivist drug dealer who was selling methamphetamine in dangerous purity and in possession of multiple firearms while on parole. Every minute of his 17-year sentence is well deserved and will ensure better public safety for the citizens of West Tennessee.”
This case was investigated by members of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force in Tennessee.
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Waterbury Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearm Offenses After His Arrest in BrattleboroRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Joshua Bedard, 38, of Waterbury, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and distribution of cocaine and cocaine base. On May 12, 2026, Bedard appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Bedard be detained pending trial.
According to court records, Bedard was involved in the distribution of cocaine and cocaine base on at least two separate occasions in April of 2026 in the greater Brattleboro, Vermont area. During one of the distributions, Bedard was observed in possession of a revolver. Bedard was arrested for these distributions on May 12, 2026 in Brattleboro. At the time of his arrest, Bedard was driving a rental vehicle. Inside the rental vehicle, law enforcement located approximately 400 grams of cocaine and a loaded revolver.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Bedard is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Bedard faces up to life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum of 5 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Vermont Drug Task Force, the FBI Vermont, the FBI’s Western Massachusetts Gang Task Force, the Brattleboro Police Department, and the Hartford, Vermont Police Department.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Bedard is represented by the Office of the Federal Public Defender.
Wasilla men sentenced for running illegal guide-outfitter out of KodiakRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – Two Wasilla men were sentenced Tuesday for running an illegal guide-outfitter business out of Kodiak that resulted in the harvest of Sitka black-tailed deer and black bears in violation of the Lacey Act. One defendant received a six-month prison sentence and $20,000 fine for a felony conviction, and the other received a four-year probationary sentence and $30,000 fine for a misdemeanor conviction.
According to court documents, in March 2021, Theodore Turgeon, 29, and his co-defendant, Charles Emmi, 29, created a business called “The Rock Outfitters LLC” to provide “coastal and great lakes passenger transportation.” Turgeon and Emmi attempted to obtain a transporter license from the Alaska Department of Commerce Big Game Commercial Services Board but were denied because of Turgeon’s 2018 federal conviction for violating the Marine Mammal Protection Act.
In June 2022, within months of the Big Game Board’s denial, Emmi obtained a transporter license under the guise of a new business, “The Rock Kodiak,” which did not list Turgeon as an owner. Emmi and Turgeon also jointly owned a boat, the M/V Sound Choice, that they used to facilitate the illegal guide service. Neither defendant ever held a big game guide-outfitter license in the State of Alaska.
On Nov. 9, 2022, Turgeon and Emmi collected $16,000 from a four-person hunting party to provide transporter services to hunt waterfowl and Sitka black-tailed deer out of Kodiak. This trip took place sometime between Nov. 17 and 22, 2022.
During the trip, Turgeon illegally provided one client, who was a resident of Texas, with guide services when he outfitted the client with his personal rifle, sighted the scope on his rifle, accompanied the client into the field and spotted two deer for the client. Turgeon further assisted the client in the field with quartering and packing the doe and buck out of the field, all in violation of Alaska law. Turgeon and Emmi transported this client to port, and the client took the harvested meat and other animal parts to Texas.
United States Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. v. Emmi et al., Case #: 3:25-cr-00038In addition to illegal guiding on this trip, Emmi and Turgeon also submitted false records to the Big Game Board. Alaska law requires transporters to submit a Transporter Activity Report (TAR) to the Big Game Board. A TAR documents who was transported, to where, and what type of game and weight was harvested. The TAR that they submitted for the November 2022 hunt listed only two of the four transported clients and under-reported the harvested game by at least two deer.
In May 2024, Emmi and Turgeon contracted with three clients, who were residents of Arizona, South Carolina and Oregon, and collected $13,500 from the clients to provide transportation services out of Cordova to hunt black bear. Emmi and Turgeon illegally guided all three clients by assisting with spotting black bear from the M/V Sound Choice, directing the clients where to offload from the skiff and stalk black bear, and remaining in the field. All three clients successfully harvested black bear with Emmi and Turgeon’s illegal guiding services.
United States Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. v. Emmi et al., Case #: 3:25-cr-00038 United States Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. v. Emmi et al., Case #: 3:25-cr-00038During the May 2024 trip, Turgeon admitted to clients that he illegally guided them during the hunt, and stated, “f[***] the State of Alaska’s regulations.”
On Dec. 9, 2026, Emmi pleaded guilty to four misdemeanor counts of Lacey Act violations, commercial activity in illegally taken wildlife and Turgeon pleaded guilty to four felony counts of Lacey Act violations, commercial activity in illegally taken wildlife.
Turgeon’s full sentence, as handed down by the Court, is as follows:
- Six months in federal prison;
- Three years on supervised release following his prison sentence;
- $20,000 fine;
- Forfeit $14,982.61 in lieu of forfeiting the M/V Sound Choice and forfeit the rifle and scope used in November 2022 illegal hunt;
- And a worldwide hunting and fishing ban, and barred from obtaining a transporter or guide license for his period of supervised release.
Emmi’s full sentence, as handed down by the Court, is as follows:
- Four years on federal probation;
- $30,000 fine;
- Forfeit $14,982.61 in lieu of forfeiting the M/V Sound Choice;
- 100 hours of community service;
- And a worldwide hunting and fishing ban, barred from obtaining a transporter or guide license for his period of probation.
In handing down the sentence the Court emphasized the importance of abiding by State of Alaska’s wildlife regulations to safeguard the wildlife population for the enjoyment of future generations.
“Mr. Turgeon expressed complete disdain and blatantly disregarded the laws protecting our natural resources,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “Guide outfitting is an important part of Alaska’s outdoor community and ensuring it is done lawfully to protect future resources is paramount. This case should serve as a reminder that committing Lacey Act violations in Alaska could result in federal criminal convictions and hefty penalties.”
“The Lacey Act is critical to protecting America's wildlife resources from exploitation and depletion,” said Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Office of Law Enforcement. “Illegal guided hunts threaten Alaska's natural resources and disadvantage ethical hunters and guides who operate lawfully. This sentencing sends a clear message that those who violate federal wildlife laws will be held accountable.”
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ainsley McNerney prosecuted the case.
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