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7 May 2026
Public Company CEO and Chairman Convicted of FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that BRADLEY HEPPNER, the former chairman of GWG Holdings, Inc., a publicly traded company, was found guilty by a jury following a three-week trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff. HEPPNER was convicted of securities fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud and wire fraud, and false statements to auditors in connection with a scheme to fraudulently extract more than $150 million from GWG.
“A unanimous jury has found former public company CEO and Chairman Bradley Heppner guilty of fraudulently extracting $150 million,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Heppner used shell companies to hide his scheme. When his house of cards began to collapse, he did not come clean. Instead, he doubled down by falsifying emails and backdating documents to lie to the auditors, directors, and the SEC. Our world-leading capital markets are built on trust and transparency. The honesty and candor of C-Suite executives is essential, and this action should send a message: C-Suite executives who breach the public trust will be pursued by the SDNY’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force and our dedicated partners at FBI, vigorously. That is what investors and the American people want and deserve.”
As established during the trial:
Between 2018 and 2021, HEPPNER, as chairman of GWG Holdings, Inc.—a Nasdaq-listed financial services company that raised capital through bonds sold predominantly to retail investors and retirees—executed a scheme to fraudulently divert GWG funds to his own benefit through a shell company he controlled, the Highland Consolidated Limited Partnership (“HCLP”).
To effectuate the scheme, HEPPNER fabricated a $141 million debt that Beneficient, a subsidiary of GWG that HEPPNER had founded, purportedly owed to HCLP. Under the guise of repaying that debt, HEPPNER told the board of directors of GWG that it was necessary to transfer millions of dollars to Beneficient. When a special committee of GWG’s board inquired about who controlled HCLP and would receive the debt payments, HEPPNER falsely represented that HCLP was independent and disclaimed any personal financial interest in payments made on the purported debt. Those representations were false. HCLP was controlled by HEPPNER, and when GWG authorized payments to satisfy what it believed were arm’s-length obligations to a third-party lender, those funds flowed through multiple corporate entities and ultimately into HEPPNER’s personal accounts. HEPPNER used the proceeds for personal expenses, including renovating his Dallas mansion and purchasing a private jet travel and jewelry.
To conceal the scheme, HEPPNER made false and misleading statements and caused the preparation of backdated and fraudulent documents to deceive auditors in connection with their assessment of whether HCLP was independent of HEPPNER. After GWG received a subpoena from the SEC, HEPPNER also falsified the minutes of an October 2019 board meeting, adding language to create the false appearance that he had previously disclosed to Beneficient his history of borrowing funds from HCLP, and caused the falsified minutes to be transmitted to the SEC.
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HEPPNER, 60, of Dallas, Texas, is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Rakoff on October 7, 2026. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on each of the counts of securities fraud, wire fraud, and false statements to auditors, and a maximum of five years in prison on the conspiracy count.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
This case is being handled by SDNY’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel G. Nessim, Alexandra Rothman, and Kyle Wirshba are in charge of the prosecution.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Narcotics and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for trafficking counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, unlawfully possessing firearms and ammunition and using a firearm in relation of a drug trafficking offense.
Shawn Hart, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In October 2025, Hart pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of more than 40 grams of fentanyl; one count of possession with the intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine; one count of using a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. Hart was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023.
In August 2022, Hart was identified as a manufacturer and distributor of counterfeit pills containing controlled substances on the North Shore of Massachusetts. On Sept. 15, 2022, Hart distributed approximately 500 counterfeit Adderall pills, containing 68 grams of fentanyl, during a controlled purchase in North Billerica. Additionally, on June 1, 2023, Hart distributed approximately 100 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing suspected fentanyl and well as a 9mm privately manufactured firearm (commonly known as a “ghost gun”) containing 19 rounds of ammunition during a controlled purchase at his home in Methuen.
In addition, three additional firearms, a pill press used for manufacturing counterfeit pills and suspected narcotics in various forms and quantities were seized from Hart’s residence following his arrest.
Hart is prohibited from possession firearms and ammunition due to multiple previous state felony convictions, including: possession with intent to distribute a class a controlled substance in December 2003; armed robbery in June 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; masked armed robbery, breaking and entering a vehicle at night and larceny in August 2004, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison; and assault and battery on a correctional institution guard in September 2004, for which he was sentenced to six months in prison.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Office; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Methuen Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Wray of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced in Navy Yard Firearm Flight CaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Phil Darkwah, 32, a previously convicted felon, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 24 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition during a police foot chase in the Navy Yard neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Darkwah pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2025 before Judge Loren L. AliKhan to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. In addition to the 24-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Darkwah to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 37-month prison term.
According to court papers, on May 6, 2025, at about 4 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers conducting mobile traffic enforcement in the Navy Yard area observed a black BMW sedan without a required front license plate and initiated a traffic stop in the 100 block of I Street SE.
Before officers could approach, Darkwah exited the passenger side and ignored commands to remain in the vehicle. He then fled on foot, clutching his waistband as he ran.
Officers pursued Darkwah toward an apartment building in the 800 block of New Jersey Ave. SE. Surveillance footage captured images of Darkwah discarding an object consistent with a firearm into a planter near the building’s entrance. A civilian witness subsequently located the firearm and directed officers to it.
Police recovered a loaded .40 caliber Glock 27 handgun from the planter. DNA testing later linked Darkwah to the gun’s magazine.
Darkwah previously was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in June 2023 in connection with a 2022 shooting in Fairfax County, Virginia, that killed another person. He had been released from custody in April 2024 and was on probation at the time of this offense.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative, in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
The investigation was conducted by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Office. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Levy and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan Horan.
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Previously Convicted Felon Indicted for Using Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Obtain SNAP BenefitsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE- A federal grand jury in Rhode Island has returned a four-count indictment charging Felipe Almonte Polanco, 57, of Providence, with wire fraud, theft of public money, false representation of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft related to an alleged scheme to fraudulently obtain Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits using the identities of deceased and other individuals.
According to information presented to the court, investigators with the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit and Program Integrity began investigating fraudulent applications submitted in the identity of a deceased individual. The investigation determined that Polanco submitted fraudulent SNAP applications in the names of multiple victims, including a deceased individual, and used the benefits cards to conduct transactions at stores in Rhode Island. Almonte Polanco was previously convicted in the Western District of New York of making false statements in connection with a passport application and aggravated identity theft.
The indictment alleges that between October 2021 and April 2026, Polanco made balance inquiries on Rhode Island EBT cards associated with the stolen identities of at least 18 individuals and personally used cards issued in the names of at least nine victims. During the execution of a search warrant at Polanco’s residence, investigators recovered multiple EBT cards and materials used to create identification cards. The scheme resulted in Polanco receiving approximately $69,000 in fraudulent SNAP benefits.
A federal indictment is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan and Special Assistant United States Attorney John M. Moreira.
The matter was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit and Program Integrity, and the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.
Port St. Lucie Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Port St. Lucie man who attempted to obtain thousands of fentanyl pills through the mail and kept a firearm alongside drug proceeds was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence on Juneem Jermain Barnes, 34, after he pleaded guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Fentanyl is killing Americans every day, and those who distribute it are fueling that crisis for profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This defendant trafficked thousands of counterfeit pills designed to look like legitimate prescription medication and kept a loaded firearm alongside drug proceeds and distribution tools. That combination of fentanyl and firearms is a direct threat to public safety. In South Florida, if you poison our communities for profit, you will be prosecuted and sent to federal prison.”
According to court documents, Barnes attempted to receive a mail parcel containing at least 15,000 fentanyl pills at his residence. The pills were pressed to resemble pharmaceutical oxycodone. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at Barnes’s home and discovered an additional parcel containing fentanyl pills disguised as oxycodone, three pounds of marijuana, more than $35,000 in cash, a money counting machine, and other items used to package and distribute narcotics. Law enforcement also located a Glock Model 19X 9mm handgun near the cash and counting machine. In total, law enforcement seized approximately 2,000 grams of fentanyl.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, Special Agent in Charge Miles Aley of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division, and Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, made the announcement.
DEA Miami Field Division, West Palm Beach District Office, and USPIS Miami investigated the case with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, West Palm Beach Resident Agency, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Palm Beach Gardens Police Department, and Jupiter Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Funk prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-14065.
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Port Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Enticing a Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – James Gregory Ford (34, Port Charlotte) has pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. He faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, in October 2025, Ford was communicating with a minor using a social media application. He asked the minor to send him nude pictures and videos of herself. Further, Ford sent a nude picture of himself to the minor.
Law enforcement began an investigation into Ford after the child’s parent reported observing the conversations with Ford and seeing the nude photographs and videos on the minor’s cellphone that had been sent on a social media platform.
On October 28, 2025, law enforcement interviewed Ford concerning his communications with the minor. Ford admitted to engaging in conversations and exchanging inappropriate messages and images with the minor. He also admitted that he had initiated communications with the minor. He further acknowledged receiving and sending explicit photographs.
Subsequent to a search warrant for Ford’s cellphone, the forensic examination revealed the social media account belonging to Ford that had been used to communicate with the minor. Images and videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct were also located on Ford’s cellphone.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, with the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Pensacola Felon Convicted of Possession of Ammunition & Firearm SilencersRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – James Michael Olshefskie, 55, of Pensacola, Florida, has been found guilty by a federal jury in Pensacola following a two-day jury trial for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of two unregistered firearm silencers. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the guilty verdict.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly proud to deliver another win for the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, through which we are aggressively prosecuting the perpetrators of violent crime to keep our communities safe. This felon has demonstrated an outright refusal to follow the law, and so it is necessary to ensure he remains incarcerated to protect the law-abiding citizens of this District from his continued criminality.”
On September 11, 2025, United States Probation Officers visited the defendant at his residence in Pensacola, Florida, as part of his federal post-conviction supervision. The defendant was on federal supervised release for a 2024 federal felony conviction, and as a convicted felon he was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. During their visit, probation officers found ammunition and unregistered firearm silencers in the defendant’s bedroom.
Olshefskie faces up to 25 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 25, 2026, at 2:00 pm in the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Robert L. Hinkle.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
North Carolina Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Dealing & Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Juston McDowell, age 25, of Laurinburg, North Carolina, was sentenced yesterday to 27 months in prison for unlawfully dealing in firearms without a license.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, McDowell admitted that between March 2022 and February 2025, he acquired multiple firearms, including handguns and switches, in North Carolina and then sold the firearms in Albany, New York, and elsewhere. McDowell also admitted that he did not have a license that would allow him to deal in firearms.
FAUSA John A. Sarcone III stated: “Juston McDowell is responsible for putting numerous firearms in the hands of individuals who sought to circumvent laws designed to keep our communities safe. His actions were dangerous and caused additional unregulated firearms to enter our neighborhoods. Yesterday’s sentence sends a message: If you illegally bring guns into my District, you will be punished. I commend the hard work and determination of our partners at ATF and AUSA Belliss for bringing this dangerous individual to justice.”
ATF SAC Bryan DiGirolamo stated: “This sentencing holds accountable an individual who unlawfully trafficked firearms across state lines, putting dangerous weapons—including machine gun conversion devices—into our communities. ATF is committed to disrupting the illegal flow of firearms that drive violence, and this case underscores the critical role of partnership in that mission. We thank the ATF NY Albany Field Office and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York for their dedication to this investigation and prosecution.”
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a 3-year term of post-release supervision.
ATF investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Rick Belliss prosecuted this case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cornell Cordon, 59, of New York, New York, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failure to update his registration as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), following interstate travel.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cordon was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse of a two-year-old female in Putnam County, West Virginia, Circuit Court on July 15, 2019. Because of his conviction, state and federal law require him to register as a sex offender for life. Cordon was living in West Virginia when he obtained permission from his probation officer to visit family in Elizabeth, New Jersey, from April 14, 2025, to April 21, 2025. Cordon failed to return to West Virginia following the authorized trip and there is no record of Cordon registering as a sex offender in New Jersey or in any other state as required.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
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. 2:25-cr-142.
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New York Man Sentenced for Foreign Murder of a U.S. National in BangladeshRead the Press Release
Today, a Bronx man was sentenced in New York for the June 2021 murder of a U.S. national in Bangladesh.
Ganet Rozario, 54, a U.S. citizen from New York, was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Rozario previously pleaded guilty to one count of foreign murder of a U.S. national.
According to court documents and statements read in court, Rozario used a shotgun to kill his uncle, Michael Rozario, in Bangladesh. Both men are naturalized U.S. citizens originally from Bangladesh. The men had been involved in a years-long property dispute over the family home located in Munshiganji, Bangladesh. During a visit to Bangladesh in 2021, both men were staying at the property.
On the evening of June 11, 2021, Ganet went outside the family home to smoke a cigarette near his uncle’s bedroom window. While outside, he overheard his uncle, who was inside the house, insulting him. Ganet became angry, went back into the house, retrieved a shotgun, and went back outside. After shouting words to the effect of “you will not see the sun tomorrow,” Ganet fired a single shot through an opaque window shutter striking Michael Rozario on his right stomach and abdomen area, killing him. Ganet returned to the United States in July 2023 and was indicted for the murder of his uncle in April 2024.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles and New York Field Offices investigated this case.
Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christy Slavik for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case. The FBI’s Legal Attaché in Dhaka, Bangladesh and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided valuable assistance to the case. The Justice Department thanks the Government of Bangladesh for their cooperation.
Muskogee County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that John David James, II, age 41, of Warner, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment charged James with knowingly possessing two rounds of ammunition on November 6, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
James will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia Staubus and Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
Mother and Daughter Sentenced to Federal Prison for Defrauding the CNMI Public School SystemRead the Press Release
SAIPAN, CNMI – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that on May 6, 2026, the Honorable Ramona V. Manglona sentenced a mother and her daughter in the United States District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands for their roles in a procurement fraud and money laundering scheme targeting the CNMI Public School System (PSS), a recipient of Federal grant money.
Clarissa Adlawan, age 55, a lawful permanent resident of the United States originally from the Philippines, was sentenced to 48 months imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). The Court also ordered her to serve three years of supervised release and complete 100 hours of community service.
Giselle Butalid, age 34, a naturalized U.S. citizen originally from the Republic of the Philippines and a resident of Saipan, was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment for one count of Conspiracy to Commit an Offense Against the United States, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371, and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(h). The Court also imposed three years of supervised release and ordered her to complete 100 hours of community service.
The Court further ordered that the defendants were jointly and severally liable for restitution in the amount of $548,788 and that two properties they owned in the Philippines were subject to forfeiture.
The conspiracy involved theft from a state entity receiving more than $10,000 per year in federal funding, a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 666(a)(1)(A) when charged individually. PSS was such an entity. Butalid worked for PSS and had access to its procurement process. She used that position to betray the trust of those responsible for educating the CNMI’s children, depriving those children of desperately needed resources while enriching herself and her mother.
The prosecution commended the defendants’ early acceptance of responsibility and expressions of remorse but argued Adlawan had failed to provide information about a nine room house she had built in the Philippines. Evidence established that Adlawan used PSS’s stolen money for the house’s construction. Adlawan’s plea agreement required her to provide information and help the Government acquire the property so it could be liquidated and the proceeds applied toward restitution. The Court agreed and denied Adlawan the benefit of accepting responsibility.
According to court documents, from October 2021 through August 2022, Butalid and Adlawan used their company, One Legacy LLC, to sell educational material while concealing the conflict of interest from PSS. Investigators then determined that Butalid forged documents to conceal that several of procurements were in fact “ghost” purchases. The defendants simply pocketed payments for materials that PSS never ordered. Upon receiving funds, the defendants frequently traveled to the Philippines, staying in luxury hotels, withdrawing large amounts of cash, and building the aforementioned house.
Examples cited in Court documents include:
Payments of $50,000 and $52,500 to One Legacy for online learning materials that were never procured. Shortly after the payments, Butalid and Adlawan flew to the Philippines and withdrew approximately $10,000 in cash from ATMs.
A $113,020 payment for another fraudulent purchase, followed by cash withdrawals totaling roughly $65,000 before another overseas trip. This final payment came shortly after PSS confronted Butalid about her connection to the companies. She resigned but remained long enough to commit this one last act of fraud, according to prosecutors.
“The defendants’ conduct went beyond defrauding government agencies,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “Ultimately, children were deprived of educational resources and opportunities to learn. Any sense of justice required terms of imprisonment. We will continue to seek accountability through the repatriation of any foreign assets held by these defendants. Our interagency partners did outstanding work in investigating this complex financial crime to combat the fraud, waste, and abuse of taxpayer funds.”
“Cases like this one clearly demonstrate the destructiveness of greed: funds that would have otherwise been used for the benefit of our communities’ children instead went to finance the dream house of a fraudster,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Defrauding the government may seem harmless, but as this case so clearly shows, these crimes have direct, severe, and negative impacts on our community. Today’s sentencings are a continued reminder that justice will be served on those who choose their greed above all else.”
“This sentencing represents the culmination of a significant effort by a dedicated team of exceptional investigators. I am particularly proud that U.S. federal agencies conducted this investigation in partnership with the CNMI Office of the Public Auditor,” said David A. House, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Interior Inspector General, Program Fraud Unit. “This collaboration underscores the strength of our partnership and our shared commitment to ensuring that funds intended for the schoolchildren of the CNMI are used appropriately, and that anyone who misuses those funds is held fully accountable, regardless of their location.”
“The defendants’ actions represent a profound betrayal of the students, teachers, and community who relied on them for honest public service,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “These individuals exploited that trust for their own enrichment. Today’s outcome demonstrates that those who choose greed over their commitment to serve the community will be brought to justice.”
“We value the strong working relationship between the Office of the Public Auditor and our federal counterparts, “said the CNMI Office of the Public Auditor. “The success in this case demonstrates what can be accomplished through coordinated oversight, teamwork, and a shared commitment to protecting public resources and ensuring accountability.”
The investigation was conducted by IRS–Criminal Investigation, Office of the Inspector General - Department of Interior, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands Office of the Public Auditor.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. O’Malley for the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Morristown Man Admits Multi-Million Dollar Scheme to Defraud Small Businesses by Offering Phony Debt Relief ServicesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Morristown man pled guilty on May 4, 2026 to conspiring to defraud small businesses by making false promises to induce them to enter debt relief contracts, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.
“This defendant didn’t just break the law—he exploited the financial vulnerability of small business owners who were trying to stay afloat and keep their doors open. By peddling sham debt-relief services and diverting millions for personal use, he turned trust into a weapon and hardship into profit. This case reflects our Office’s sustained commitment to pursuing complex financial fraud schemes and holding accountable those who target everyday business owners for personal gain.”
- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer
“Small businesses are often the lifeblood of local economies. The cash-strapped victims in this investigation sought Csantaveri's help, hoping to keep their doors open during the COVID pandemic. Instead, he and his co-conspirators stole millions from unsuspecting owners. Fraud schemes are insidious and can take on many different forms and dimensions. If you or anyone you know has been swindled by fraudsters, please contact FBI Newark at 800-CALL-FBI,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy.
Mark Csantaveri, 53, of Morristown, New Jersey, pled guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court to a single-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The sentencing date is scheduled for September 29, 2026.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Csantaveri and his co-conspirators operated businesses that purported to provide small businesses with debt relief services. As part of the scheme, Csantaveri induced victims to make regular payments to one of Csantaveri’s businesses by falsely claiming that he would hold their money while negotiating favorable settlements with the victims’ creditors. Instead of using victim funds as promised, Csantaveri and his co-conspirators misappropriated it for their personal use, including over $1 million in gambling expenses. Over the course of the conspiracy, Csantaveri’s businesses took in approximately $3.7 million from small businesses and transferred approximately $3 million to Csantaveri’s and his co-conspirators’ accounts.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud is punishable by a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss involved in the offense, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Kristen Santillo, New York, NY
csantaveri.information.pdfMinnesota Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting U.S. Representative Ilhan Omar During Minneapolis Town Hall in January 2026Read the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Anthony James Kazmierczak, 55, pleaded guilty today to one count of Assaulting a United States Officer in U.S. District Court. According to court documents, on January 27, 2026, Kazmierczak sat in the front row at an official Minneapolis town hall meeting hosted by U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, when he stood up, and rapidly approached Rep. Omar as she was speaking. Kazmierczak sprayed Rep. Omar with apple cider vinegar from a syringe, which landed on Rep. Omar’s clothing and skin. Lab analysis confirmed the liquid contained acetic acid. Kazmierczak gestured and shouted at Rep. Omar before security guards subdued him. The town hall meeting was temporarily disrupted, but Rep. Omar later continued her remarks.photo of syringe with liquid used by Kazmierczak recovered by Minneapolis Police
During his arrest by Minneapolis Police officers, Kazmierczak spontaneously stated, “I squirted vinegar.” During today’s change-of-plea hearing before U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen, Kazmierczak admitted that he planned the assault and that he did not agree with Rep. Omar’s political views.
“This assault is yet another example of a dangerous national trend: people channeling political hatred into criminal acts,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. “The Department of Justice and this U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate such behavior.”
“Political violence is a scourge on our democracy,” said FBI Minneapolis Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The FBI will not tolerate attacks on elected officials or anyone who serves our nation. Anyone who thinks they can attack an elected official or seek to insert violence into our democratic discourse without consequence will find the FBI and our law enforcement partners in their way. Mr. Kazmierczak’s conviction today is a testament to a quick and thorough investigation and underlines the importance of interagency collaboration with Minneapolis Police and other state and local agencies.”
A sentencing date for Kazmierczak has not yet been set by the U.S. District Court.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department, led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Michigan man sentenced to 20 years in prison after having been convicted of attempting to provide material support to ISIS and possessing a destructive deviceRead the Press Release
DETROIT — A Michigan man was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison after having been convicted by a jury last year on two charges of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for being a felon in possession of a destructive device, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division.
Aws Mohammed Naser, 38, formerly of Westland, Michigan, was convicted last year following a five-week trial. The jury unanimously found that Naser twice attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization, and that ISIS engages in terrorism. In addition, Naser was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The jury deliberated approximately six hours before returning their verdict.
“This self-professed ‘soldier of the Caliphate’ and ‘son of the Islamic State’ has now faced American justice. We welcomed this traitor into our Nation with open arms. And he repaid us by building a bomb and helping our great enemy,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“Those who support terrorism or violent extremism against the United States should expect a lengthy prison sentence. Today’s outcome sends that message without question,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Threats against our homeland and endangering American lives are what the FBI works day in and day out to prevent. Thanks to the thorough investigative work of our FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force and partner agencies, this defendant was identified, disrupted, and brought to justice.”
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Naser became radicalized in his early 20s and frequently posted extreme Salafi-Jihadist ideological content on his YouTube channel. Naser developed a close relationship with Russell Dennison, an aspiring Salafi-Jihadist preacher, and the two jointly traveled to Iraq in early 2012.
In August 2012, Naser returned to Michigan while Dennison traveled to Syria and joined the foreign terrorist organization Al-Nusrah Front, an Islamic State of Iraq-affiliate group that was a precursor to ISIS. Dennison is believed to have been killed in 2019 while fighting on behalf of ISIS in Syria. Once back in the United States, Naser started preparing to join Dennison. Naser consumed large amounts of terrorist propaganda materials, researched weapons, and watched gruesome videos depicting acts of violence such as beheadings. Naser and Dennison continued to communicate and discussed available travel routes through Lebanon and Turkey and the terror group’s urgent need for money to acquire firearms. Naser twice attempted to leave the United States for Syria to join the terror group. First, in November 2012, Naser booked a flight departing the United States and arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with luggage that contained a rifle scope, cane sword, and a four-inch tactical knife. Naser’s attempt to join was thwarted when he was not allowed to board the plane. Undeterred, Naser purchased another one-way plane ticket, this time departing from Chicago O’Hare Airport bound for Beirut, Lebanon, in January 2013. Hours before his scheduled flight to Lebanon, Naser robbed a gas station. After the robbery, Naser took a bus to Chicago and attempted to board his flight to Lebanon with $2,000 in cash but was again denied boarding and returned to Michigan. Naser was later charged and convicted of armed robbery and served a three-year prison sentence.
Naser was released from prison and placed on parole supervision in 2016. Unable to travel to join ISIS, Naser renewed his oath to ISIS and focused his attention on how to support ISIS in the United States. Naser surreptitiously created social media accounts and joined invitation-only ISIS supporters’ chatrooms, groups, and private rooms where he obtained and viewed official ISIS media reports, publications, and other jihadi propaganda. Naser considered himself a “Son of the Islamic State,” and a “Solider of the Caliphate.” He solicited and obtained information on explosives from other ISIS supporters, received training from a bomb-maker, experimented with manufacturing explosives, and operated drones. He also downloaded a video that provided step-by-step instructions on the manufacture of an improvised explosive device (IED) using triacetone triperoxide (TATP), known as “The Mother of Satan.” In October 2017, the FBI searched Naser’s home and vehicle. In Naser’s basement, the FBI found a bomb-making lab and multiple drones, tools, and drone parts. In the lab, they recovered a ready-to-assemble destructive device which included precursor chemicals and components needed to make a TATP-based IED.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., Assistant U.S Attorney Hank Moon for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 20 years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISIS and Possessing a Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
A Michigan man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison after having been convicted by a jury last year on two charges of attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham, commonly known as ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for being a felon in possession of a destructive device, announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan, and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office.
Aws Mohammed Naser, 38, formerly of Westland, Michigan, was convicted last year following a five-week trial. The jury unanimously found that Naser twice attempted to provide material support to ISIS, in the form of personnel (including himself) and services, knowing that ISIS was a designated terrorist organization, and that ISIS engages in terrorism. In addition, Naser was found guilty of being a felon in possession of a destructive device. The jury deliberated approximately six hours before returning their verdict.
“This self-professed ‘soldier of the Caliphate’ and ‘son of the Islamic State’ has now faced American justice. We welcomed this traitor into our Nation with open arms. And he repaid us by building a bomb and helping our great enemy,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“Those who support terrorism or violent extremism against the United States should expect a lengthy prison sentence. Today’s outcome sends that message without question,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Threats against our homeland and endangering American lives are what the FBI works day in and day out to prevent. Thanks to the thorough investigative work of our FBI Detroit Joint Terrorism Task Force and partner agencies, this defendant was identified, disrupted, and brought to justice.”
Evidence presented during the trial showed that Naser became radicalized in his early 20s and frequently posted extreme Salafi-Jihadist ideological content on his YouTube channel. Naser developed a close relationship with Russell Dennison, an aspiring Salafi-Jihadist preacher, and the two jointly traveled to Iraq in early 2012.
In August 2012, Naser returned to Michigan while Dennison traveled to Syria and joined the foreign terrorist organization Al-Nusrah Front, an Islamic State of Iraq-affiliate group that was a precursor to ISIS. Dennison is believed to have been killed in 2019 while fighting on behalf of ISIS in Syria. Once back in the United States, Naser started preparing to join Dennison. Naser consumed large amounts of terrorist propaganda materials, researched weapons, and watched gruesome videos depicting acts of violence such as beheadings.
Naser and Dennison continued to communicate and discussed available travel routes through Lebanon and Turkey and the terror group’s urgent need for money to acquire firearms. Naser twice attempted to leave the United States for Syria to join the terror group. First, in November 2012, Naser booked a flight departing the United States and arrived at Detroit Metropolitan Airport with luggage that contained a rifle scope, cane sword, and a four-inch tactical knife. Naser’s attempt to join was thwarted when he was not allowed to board the plane. Undeterred, Naser purchased another one-way plane ticket, this time departing from Chicago O’Hare Airport bound for Beirut, Lebanon, in January 2013. Hours before his scheduled flight to Lebanon, Naser robbed a gas station. After the robbery, Naser took a bus to Chicago and attempted to board his flight to Lebanon with $2,000 in cash but was again denied boarding and returned to Michigan. Naser was later charged and convicted of armed robbery and served a three-year prison sentence.
Naser was released from prison and placed on parole supervision in 2016. Unable to travel to join ISIS, Naser renewed his oath to ISIS and focused his attention on how to support ISIS in the United States. Naser surreptitiously created social media accounts and joined invitation-only ISIS supporters’ chatrooms, groups, and private rooms where he obtained and viewed official ISIS media reports, publications, and other jihadi propaganda. Naser considered himself a “Son of the Islamic State,” and a “Solider of the Caliphate.” He solicited and obtained information on explosives from other ISIS supporters, received training from a bomb-maker, experimented with manufacturing explosives, and operated drones. He also downloaded a video that provided step-by-step instructions on the manufacture of an improvised explosive device (IED) using triacetone triperoxide (TATP), known as “The Mother of Satan.” In October 2017, the FBI searched Naser’s home and vehicle. In Naser’s basement, the FBI found a bomb-making lab and multiple drones, tools, and drone parts. In the lab, they recovered a ready-to-assemble destructive device which included precursor chemicals and components needed to make a TATP-based IED.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case.
U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr., First Assistant U.S. Attorney Saima Mohsin, Assistant U.S Attorney Hank Moon for the Eastern District of Michigan, and the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Victorino Javier Cruz-Lopez of Mexico, age 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Cruz-Lopez was encountered in the United States in York County on or around April 16, 2026, after having previously been removed in 2013, and that he did not receive permission to reenter the United States, as required by law.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Meriden Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL LUISI, 53, of Meriden, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for narcotics trafficking and firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2024, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and New Britain Police Department investigated a drug trafficking organization, headed by Wilfredo Ortiz, that was operating out of Supreme Automotive, a car dealership located on Main Street in New Britain. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, and several controlled purchases of narcotics, primarily cocaine, from Ortiz and other members of the conspiracy. Luisi had an ownership interest in Supreme Automotive and was involved in the acquisition and distribution of cocaine.
Luisi, Ortiz, and several other members of the drug trafficking organization were arrested on November 14, 2024. In association with the arrests, investigators conducted court authorized searches of Supreme Automotive and residences and other locations connected to the organization and seized more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 200 grams of fentanyl, approximately 30 grams of heroin, a kilogram press, seven firearms, ammunition, approximately $75,000 in cash, and 26 vehicles. A search of Luisi’s former residence in Berlin revealed evidence of narcotics distribution, a Bushmaster rifle, a Glock 9mm handgun, a Polymer 80 handgun (“ghost gun”), and $36,120 in cash.
On April 7, 2025, Luisi pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Ortiz pleaded guilty and, on March 9, 2026, was sentenced to 135 months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Police, and the New Britain, Hartford, West Hartford, Waterbury, Naugatuck, East Hartford, Brookfield, Milford, Norwich, Orange, North Haven, Meriden, Berlin, and Manchester Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth, Reed Durham, and David Nelson.
McIntosh County Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that James Lee Everett, a/k/a James Estes, age 36, of Checotah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that Everett was convicted of Rape in the Second Degree in Wagoner County on October 3, 2016, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from October 17. 2021, until February 26, 2026, Everett failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Everett will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
May Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the May Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Henry Curiel Arias. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Ammunition; Illegal Transfer of a Machinegun. Curiel Arias, 47, a Venezuelan national, is charged with possessing firearms and ammunition, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Further, he is charged with transferring a machinegun conversion device solely used to convert a semi-automatic firearm to fire automatically. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Brasher is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-160
Hector Contreras Perez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Contreras Perez, 41, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in January 2004, February 2005, May 2008, and June 2016. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-171
Marco Cruz Ruiz. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Cruz-Ruiz, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. He is additionally charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed in September 2012. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Osborn is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-169
Johnny Ray Leonard, Jr. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (superseding). Leonard, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-130
Simon Martinez Gonzalez. Kidnapping of a Child; Witness Tampering by Physical Force (second superseding). Martinez Gonzalez, 44, a Mexican National, is charged with kidnapping a minor child in Dec. 2024. Additionally, he is charged with using physical force against a victim with the intent to hinder communication with law enforcement. The Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol, Webb County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Richard and Ammon Brisolara are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-029
Jerald Michael Scott Newell. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Newell, 33, of Sand Springs, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Osage County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-161
Mylan Derayl Owens. Illegal Possession of a Machinegun. Owens, 20, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly possessing a machinegun conversion device. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Dewhurst is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-162
Octavio Rendon Gonzalez. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rendon Gonzalez, 51, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. Additionally, he is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed in July 2011. The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Bailey is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-170
Jose Eduardo Rodriguez Aguirre. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Possession of a False Immigration Document. Rodriguez Aguirre, 34, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May and July 2019. Additionally, he is charged with knowingly possessing a false Green Card. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-165
Jeremy Sertich. Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Sertich, 34, of Duluth, Minnesota, is charged with knowingly transporting a minor victim across state lines to engage in sexual activity. Additionally, Sertich is charged with coercing a minor child to engage in a sexually explicit activity. Homeland Security Investigations, the Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Duluth Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-163
David Michael Staley. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Staley, 58, of Willard, Missouri, is charged with attempting to coerce and entice an individual he believed was under 18 years old to engage in sexual activity. Homeland Security Investigations and the Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-164
Devan Miquel Velasco Tampering with a Witness by Corrupt Persuasion. Velasco, 28, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly persuading a witness with the intent to hinder testimony in an official proceeding. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Ihler and Stacey Todd are prosecuting the case. 26-CR-172
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Maximo Pepin, aka Manny, 30, to 15 years in federal prison and five years of supervised release. Pepin pleaded guilty on July 22, 2025.
According to court records, in 2024 and 2025, Pepin oversaw what was known as the most prolific drug operation in southern Maine. He and associates brought kilograms of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine from Massachusetts to Maine, where Pepin directed downstream distribution to drug traffickers within Maine. Agents with the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) developed evidence regarding Pepin’s operation, seized drugs supplied by Pepin, and ultimately intercepted Pepin’s phone and text communications in the spring of 2025. Through those interceptions, investigators learned that Pepin repeatedly threatened violence as part of his operation. He threatened to kill one associate who obtained drugs from him and discussed putting battery acid in the drugs of another individual for stealing money from him. When he was arrested in April 2025, he was found in possession of phones used to run his drug network and a handgun with an extended magazine. Pepin has prior convictions in Massachusetts for drug trafficking, armed robbery, and kidnapping.
The DEA investigated this case, with assistance from the FBI, the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, Maine State Police, the Portland Police Department, the South Portland Police Department, the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maine Attorney General’s Office.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Maine HSTF comprises agents and officers from FBI; DEA; Homeland Security Investigations; IRS-Criminal Investigations; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Diplomatic Security Service; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Border Patrol; Coast Guard Investigative Service; and Transportation Security Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine.
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Maryland Man Sentenced for Orchestrating Counterfeit Money SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Maryland man received a prison term in federal court today, in connection with a counterfeit money scheme he orchestrated while on federal supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett sentenced Jason Christian Evans, 51, of Dundalk, to 32 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the purchase of counterfeit obligations or securities. Evans purchased and possessed counterfeit federal reserve notes or United States currency that he then used at several stores.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Brian McDonough, U.S. Secret Service (USSS) – Baltimore Field Office; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Chief Tim Damon, York County Regional Police Department (YCRPD); Chief Todd King, Springettsbury Police Department (SPD); and Chief James Boddington, Southern Regional Police Department (SRPD).
According to court documents, on January 30, 2025, after serving a sentence for bank fraud, Evans broke the terms of his supervised release by traveling to Pennsylvania. While in Pennsylvania, Evans used counterfeit currency to make purchases at a minimum of five different Giant Food and Weis Market grocery stores.
Then on April 17, law enforcement arrested Evans, in connection with the scheme, while executing a federal search warrant on his Dundalk residence. During the search, investigators seized two cell phones; five computers, including an HP laptop; and counterfeit detecting pens.
Evans confessed to purchasing the counterfeit currency and using it in Pennsylvania. He also acknowledged he used his HP laptop to purchase the counterfeit currency on the dark web from the site “Abacus Market.”
A forensic analysis of the HP laptop revealed zip files that included information about how to age counterfeit currency. The laptop also contained a video demonstrating how to avoid counterfeit-pen detection.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USSS, BCPD, YCRPD, SPD, and SRPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reema Sood and John J. Truex Chung who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Man Sentenced to Eight Years for Participating in Armed Robbery That Led to Death of Innocent BystanderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that JADHIAN CORDERO was sentenced today to eight years in prison by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff for aiding and abetting the brandishing of a firearm in connection with an August 27, 2025, midday armed robbery in which a 69-year-old bystander was shot and killed.
“Jadhian Cordero chose to participate in the armed robbery of a drug dealer in the middle of the day on the street in East Harlem, which led to the death of Robin Wright, a 69-year-old, wholly innocent woman,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New York City families deserve to live free of senseless and destructive violence on our streets. Today’s sentence demonstrates that the women and men of this Office are dedicated to holding all participants in violent gun crimes accountable.”
As alleged in public court filings, statements in public court proceedings, and the charging documents in the case:
On August 27, 2025, shortly before 12:30 p.m., CORDERO and two co-conspirators (“CC-1” and “CC-2”) robbed a drug dealer (“Individual-1”) near East 109th Street and Madison Avenue in Manhattan. During the robbery, CORDERO and his co-conspirators got into a physical altercation with Individual-1 before grabbing backpacks from Individual-1—which contained marijuana—and fleeing north on Madison Avenue.
CC-1 pulled a black firearm—equipped with a machine-gun conversion device—out of his right sweatshirt pocket and discharged 15 shots in quick succession in the general direction of Individual-1. A 69-year-old woman, Robin Wright, was standing with a walker on the northwest corner of East 110th Street and Madison Avenue—in the direction that CC-1 shot the firearm—when she was struck by gunfire. The victim was transported to the hospital, where she died.
Multiple members of the victim’s family submitted letters to the Court describing the victim as a loving parent and grandmother who was simply enjoying her afternoon when she fell victim to this senseless crime.
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In addition to the prison term, CORDERO, 19, of New York, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of Homeland Security Investigations and the New York City Police Department. He also thanked the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the United States Marshals Service, the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the New York State Board of Parole.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra S. Messiter, Kathryn Wheelock, and Brandon D. Harper are in charge of the prosecution.
MS-13 Member Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for RacketeeringRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a previously-unsolved murder.
Adam Rodriguez, a/k/a “Pelon,” 35, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Court Judge William G. Young to 15 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In July 2024, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. Rodriguez was charged in November 2023.
Rodriguez, along with co-defendants William Pineda Portillo, a/k/a “Humilde” and Jose Vazquez, a/k/a “Cholo” a/k/a “Little Crazy,” conspired with others to murder a 28-year-old man on Dec. 18, 2010 in Chelsea, Mass. That evening, law enforcement responded to a 911 call in the vicinity of the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1 in Chelsea. There, law enforcement found the victim with approximately 10 stab wounds to his chest and back, along with injuries to his head. The victim was transported to the hospital, where he succumbed to his wounds. A recent re-examination of evidence collected during the initial investigation identified members of MS-13, including Vasquez, as having committed the murder.
In the week leading up to the incident, Rodriguez, Vasquez and other MS-13 members conspired to murder the victim because they believed the victim belonged to a rival gang. Evidence revealed that on the day of the murder, Pineda Portillo picked up Rodriguez, Vasquez, other MS-13 members, and the victim in Allston and drove the group to Chelsea. Once there, Rodriguez, Vasquez and the other gang members led the victim to an area under the Fifth Street on-ramp to Route 1. Once in the secluded area under the highway, an MS-13 member hit the victim in the head with a rock, another MS-13 member stabbed the victim with a machete and Vasquez stabbed the victim with a knife. Vasquez’s palm print was identified on the handle of a silver kitchen knife recovered from the murder scene. The victim’s blood also was found on the knife.
An undercover recording of an MS-13 meeting that took place on Jan. 27, 2011 – approximately six weeks after the murder – captured Rodriguez acknowledging his participation in the murder and other gang members disciplining him for leaving Massachusetts after the murder without the gang’s permission. Vasquez was also identified as being present for the meeting.
In July 2025, Vasquez was sentenced to 25 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Vasquez was already serving a 212-month prison sentence for a May 2018 federal conviction for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise. Vasquez will serve a total of 37 years for his crimes. Also in July 2025, Pineda Portillo, an illegal alien from El Salvador, was sentenced to 16 years in prison and will be subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence.
MS-13 is a transnational criminal organization with tens of thousands of members located in the United States, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico and elsewhere. MS-13 branches, or “cliques,” operate throughout the United States, including in Massachusetts. In furtherance of its mission, MS-13 members are required to commit acts of violence, specifically against rival gang members; kill informants; and support and defend fellow MS-13 members in attacks. MS-13 members maintain and enhance their status in the gang and the overall reputation of the gang by participating in such violent acts.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Geoffrey D. Noble, Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Chief Shumeane Benford of the Somerville Police Department; and Chief Keith Houghton of the Chelsea Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; United States Customs and Border Protection; United States Citizenship and Immigration Services; and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl, Meghan C. Cleary and Brian A. Fogerty of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Louisiana Man Detained on Turtle Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal magistrate judge in Phoenix yesterday ordered Albert Bazaar held in custody following his arrest on charges relating to trafficking turtles. The court unsealed an indictment from San Francisco charging Bazaar, formerly of Angie, Louisiana, on conspiracy and Lacey Act violations. A status conference will be held on May 14 in Phoenix.
The indictment alleges that between January 2022 and December 2023, Bazaar poached and sold over 1,700 loggerhead musk turtles, 100 stripe-neck musk turtles, and 15 striped mud turtles from their native habitats in Florida. Florida law protects fresh and marine turtle species from unregulated harvest. The indictment charges Bazaar with aiding and abetting a co-conspirator who exported the turtles from San Francisco to Taiwan, falsely claiming they were captive-bred to obtain export permits. The turtles are estimated to be worth more than $550,000 in the Asian pet trade.
The indictment describes eight transactions where Bazaar sold illegally collected turtles to the San Francisco exporter. The exporter financed Bazaar’s poaching trips from Louisiana to Florida, including sending money so Bazaar could buy a boat and van. Bazaar is charged with creating a declaration of captive bred wildlife that falsely stated to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) that the turtles were lawfully bred in Alabama and Georgia.
The federal Lacey Act criminalizes selling or transporting wildlife in interstate commerce that was taken in violation of state law. It is also a Lacey Act violation to provide false information relating to wildlife involved in international or interstate commerce. Loggerhead musk turtles, stripe-neck musk turtles, and striped mud turtles are protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The United States and 184 other governments are signatories to the CITES treaty, which restricts international wildlife sales without a permit to support sustainable trade.
If convicted, Bazaar faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and $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 H. Missakian for the Northern District of California, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, USFWS Office of Law Enforcement, announced the arrest and charges.
Bazaar was investigated and charged as part of the USFWS 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, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources worked closely with USFWS in 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.
Lafayette Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE– On April 30, 2026, Moses Hernandez, a 34-year-old former Lafayette resident, was sentenced to 228 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to receipt of child pornography. In addition to his prison sentence, Hernandez will serve 25 years of supervised release following his release from federal prison.
Evidence presented in court showed that in July 2025, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) received a tip that Hernandez had confessed to an acquaintance that he had molested a young girl and produced material of the molestation. Using the information, the FBI found Hernandez, who then resided in Lafayette, and opened an investigation. During investigation, the FBI obtained a warrant to search Hernandez’s cell phone. The search of his cell phone revealed images and videos that included child rape, bestiality, and other forms of graphic child pornography.
The FBI investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Danny Siefker with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Denise Duhon.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 25-cr-00257.
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United States Attorney’s Office
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Knoxville Man Sentenced to over Five Years for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On May 7, 2026, Timir X. Thomas, 20, currently of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 70 months in prison by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. After his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for five years.
Thomas previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(D), and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in violation of 18 U.S.C. 924(C).
According to court filed documents, in March 2025, law enforcement from multiple state and federal agencies began a joint investigation into Thomas and his co-conspirators for drug trafficking and the possession of firearms. The investigation revealed that Thomas and other members of the drug trafficking organization were utilizing social media platforms, such as Instagram, to sell marijuana and firearms. On Instagram, Thomas posted photographs and videos of himself and others possessing thousands of dollars of drug proceeds, firearms, and large quantities of marijuana. The investigation further revealed that, since October 2024, Thomas obtained large quantities marijuana from California and distributed those drugs in Knoxville.
On April 20, 2025, investigators conducted a traffic stop and arrested Thomas. Thomas was in possession of distribution quantities of marijuana, a Glock 19x, 9mm pistol, a Glock 23, 40 caliber pistols, and a Micro-Draco, AK-47 style, 7.62x39mm pistol. Following the arrest, KPD obtained search warrants for Thomas’s cell phones and found photographs, videos, and text messages showing that Thomas had distributed large quantities of marijuana and possessed numerous firearms while trafficking marijuana.
United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge, Jamey VanVliet, of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the Knoxville Police Department Community Engagement Response Team (CERT), Knox County Sheriff’s Office, and ATF.
This investigation was led by ATF Special Agent James Makemson.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael T. Gilmore represented the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces.
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Katy man sent to prison for leading multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old suburban Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a scheme to defraud dozens of victims of over $17 million, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Christopher Knight Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud Feb. 19.
After today’s sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison ordered Lopez to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard statements from 13 victims, each of whom described the impact Lopez’s crime had on their lives. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ellison noted he had never seen a white-collar crime more offensive during his time on the bench.
From May 2015 to January 2025, Lopez and his brother, Jayson Lopez, ran an investment business and conspired with others to defraud their clients by providing false information about the companies in which the clients invested. They used forged bank letters and fabricated account statements to mislead investors about the companies’ financial strength.
The bothers operated under several LLCs, to include Knight Nguyen Investments, Knight Advisory and Planning, Aevum Holdings Inc., Exempt Management LLC and Ping An Financial Services Pte.
The Lopez brothers misappropriated client funds for personal use and used additional investor money to pay purported returns to other victims to falsely portray the investments were profitable.
Christopher and Jayson Lopez also admitted they falsely claimed access to $2 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds. They told their clients they could use these funds to finance their clients’ businesses if the clients paid large advance fees. The brothers collected the fees from their clients but never issued the loans.
The scheme resulted in an approximately $17 million in losses to more than 40 victims, including senior citizens and others seeking to invest retirement savings and college funds, as well as local and international businesses.
Jayson Lopez, 43, Orlando, Florida, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge and will be sentenced May 8.
Nadir Abdel Torres 46, Mandan, North Dakota, was also charged and previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting he assisted the brothers by helping them obtain the forged letters and bank statements. He will be sentenced May 22.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin prosecuted the case.
Kansas City Woman Pleads Guilty to Possessing Unregistered Destructive DevicesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman waived indictment and pleaded guilty in federal court today for knowingly possessing unregistered destructive devices.
Dara S. O’Connor, 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one count of knowingly possessing two destructive devices that were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
According to court documents, on Feb. 12, 2026, O’Connor attempted to destroy by fire a warehouse located on Botts Road in Kansas City, Mo. Prior media reporting had indicated that the federal government attempted to purchase the warehouse. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) wanted to utilize the real estate to house illegal aliens during the adjudication of their removal proceedings. That real estate transaction, however, did not occur. News agencies were at the scene of the warehouse reporting on the fact that the real estate transaction did not go through when they observed and video recorded O’Connor approach the building. O’Connor threw two incendiary devices, colloquially known as Molotov cocktails, at the building. The incendiary devices had cloth wicks that were not lit when O’Connor threw the incendiary devices. After multiple attempts at throwing the incendiary devices at the building, both bottles shattered, and the flammable liquid contained in the devices spread over the surface of the building. O’Connor then used fire to ignite the flammable liquid that was on the building, which started a fire. O’Connor then attempted to spread the fire by squeezing a bottle that contained an accelerant which caused the accelerant to spray out of the bottle and spread the fire.
After initiating the fire, O’Connor then sat on a nearby curb and was observed using her cellular phone. The fire started by O’Connor went out after a few minutes. O’Connor then left the area in her vehicle.
Below are screenshots of O’Connor attempting to set fire to the warehouse.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, O’Connor paid full restitution in the amount of $43,612 to the victim of her crime.
Under federal statutes, O’Connor is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Alford and David Wagner and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Chlarson. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Justice Department Requires Agri Stats to End Exchange of Competitively Sensitive Information Among Nation’s Largest Meat Processors that Suppressed Competition and Increased Prices for DecadesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division filed a proposed settlement today to resolve the United States’ claims against Agri Stats Inc. (Agri Stats) for unlawful information sharing of price, output, and costs among competing meat processors. Filed in the District of Minnesota, the proposed settlement will help lower food prices, undo decades of distorted competition in the broiler chicken market, and ensure that the pork and turkey markets remain free from these anticompetitive practices that harmed American consumers across the country.
“A stable and affordable food supply is critical to our country’s well-being,” said Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche. “This Department of Justice is laser-focused on making everyday life affordable for all Americans.”
“A fair market depends on real competition, not privileged access to competitors’ playbooks,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “When dominant firms share sensitive data in ways that exclude buyers and the public, they gain an artificial advantage that weakens market discipline and drives up prices for everyday Americans. This settlement proves the Department’s commitment to promoting transparency in the marketplace, enforcing the law, and delivering real relief for American consumers at the grocery store.”
“The American people should not have to tolerate business models that only increase their cost of living. The Antitrust Division’s mission is to use the antitrust laws to protect American consumers from inflated prices,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This settlement delivers immediate relief in the meat section of grocery stores across our nation. I am grateful for my talented staff’s dedicated efforts in securing instant justice and to the Attorneys General from California, Minnesota, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah for partnering with us on this matter.”
Agri Stats is a data-sharing and consulting company that currently operates in the broiler chicken market and has historically operated in the pork and turkey markets. Agri Stats collects information on prices, output, and costs directly from meat processors’ accounting systems, standardizes that data, and redistributes it back to the processors in granular detail through digital and written reports and in-person meetings. Agri Stats and meat processors have historically refused to make this information available to meat buyers like restaurants, grocery stores, and food distributors. “When companies decide certain information is too sensitive to share with the broader market, but not too sensitive to share with their closest competitors, that is a significant red flag that competition is being harmed,” said Mr. Assefi.
As alleged in the complaint, this one-sided information exchange reduced competition and enabled systematic price increases and coordinated decisions about how much meat to produce.
The proposed settlement brings an end to important anticompetitive features of Agri Stats’ information exchange. If approved by the court, the proposed settlement will require Agri Stats to:
- Stop providing any sales reports or non-public pricing information, which chicken, pork, and turkey processors have systematically used to identify opportunities to increase prices;
- Stop reporting production, cost, and labor data at either the company or facility level, which enabled competing processors to adjust output, pricing, or both based on near-total visibility into their rivals’ operations;
- Make the vast majority of information that Agri Stats distributes available to all interested domestic purchasers on reasonable and non-discriminatory terms, eliminating the asymmetry of its prior information sharing and increasing market transparency;
- Adhere to restrictions on the timeliness of the information that Agri Stats shares;
- Report to a court-approved monitor selected by the Department of Justice who will be responsible for reporting on and ensuring compliance with the proposed settlement; and
- Establish an antitrust compliance program to ensure data security, whistleblower protections, and mandatory reporting of any future potential violations of the antitrust laws.
Agri Stats’ subsidiary Express Markets Inc. (EMI) will be permitted to continue to provide its price reports in substantially the same manner as it has in the past. Because EMI’s price reports are less detailed and provided to all interested parties, not only meat processors, they were not the focus of the case.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any interested person should submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days following the publication to Kate Riggs, Acting Chief, Anti-Monopoly and Collusion Enforcement Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street NW, Suite 8000, Washington, DC 20530. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest.
Anyone with information about anticompetitive conduct in agricultural industries or any other violations of the antitrust laws is encouraged to contact the Antitrust Division’s Citizen Complaint Center at 1-888-647-3258 or [email protected]. Information about anticompetitive practices in livestock and poultry markets can also be submitted to the USDA’s and Justice Department’s Agricultural Markets Enforcement Partnership at www.farmerfairness.gov.
Agri Stats is headquartered in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
Note: Read the Proposed Final Judgement here, and the Stipulation and Order here.
Jury finds Westerville man guilty of impersonating federal agent, making unlawful arrestRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted a Westerville man of impersonating a federal law enforcement agent and making an arrest as an impersonator.
Brendan Conklin, 45, pretended to be a federal officer and unlawfully detained, searched and arrested a victim.
The verdict was announced yesterday following a trial that began on May 4 before U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in December 2023, Conklin, driving a former police SUV with police lights, unlawfully pulled over the victim. Conklin pointed a firearm at the victim, who had just departed her Westerville home with her minor child in the car.
Conklin told the victim that he was a federal officer and wore a vest with various badges and insignias suggesting he was law enforcement. Conklin also had an illegal license plate registered to the Columbus police headquarters.
Conklin searched and detained the victim. After handcuffing the victim and placing her in his vehicle, Conklin mistakenly locked himself out with the victim in the car and had to have Blendon Township officers let her out.
Conklin then called the Columbus division of police’s non-emergency line and inquired about a warrant with them. After that conversation, Conklin told the victim it was her “lucky day” and he would have to release her. He then released the victim.
Conklin had previously registered the Ohio Fugitive Apprehension Program (O.F.A.P.) as a nonprofit organization that provided the Columbus police headquarters as its address.
Conklin’s internet searches in winter and spring of 2023 included “howbto determine if a us marshal is legit,” “us marshals fugitive task force badge” and “fake federal license plate.”
He was indicted by a federal grand jury in January 2026.
Impersonating a federal officer and conducting a search or arrest while impersonating are each federal crimes punishable by up to three years in prison. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court at a future hearing based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Westerville Police Chief Holly Murchland and Blendon Township Police Chief John Belford announced the verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Damoun Delaviz and Kevin W. Kelley are representing the United States in this case.
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Jennings Felon Sentenced to 13 Years in Prison for Shooting at Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who shot at his ex-girlfriend and triggered a police standoff to 13 years in prison.
Judge Divine also ordered Jairell Allmon to pay a $2,000 fine.
On Feb. 18, 2025, Allmon fired a shot at his ex-girlfriend after spending the night in her car, which was parked outside her house in Jennings. The victim told police that Allmon made threats against her and her children throughout the night, and in the morning threatened to shoot her if she tried to get in her car. He fired a shot at her but missed. When St. Louis County Police Department officers arrived, Allmon refused to reply or comply when officers ordered him out of the vehicle, triggering a three-hour standoff. After it ended, police found a 9mm handgun in the trunk of the car, which was accessible from the inside of the vehicle. Allmon is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm.
This is Allmon’s fourth conviction involving a firearm and third involving the possessing and brandishing of a gun, Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke wrote in a sentencing memo, adding that the crime was one of a long string of domestic crimes.
Allmon, 40, of Jennings, Missouri, pleaded guilty in January to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis County Police Department, including the Tactical Unit, the Crisis Intervention Team, Crisis Negotiation Team and Special Response Team, handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Christian Goeke prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Jenks Man Sentenced After Breaking Girlfriend’s Leg in Three PlacesRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Jenks man was sentenced after being found guilty by a federal jury for breaking his girlfriend’s shin and ankle during an argument, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Jamon Charles Phetsacksith, 27, to 33 months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.
In January, a federal jury convicted Phetsacksith of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country. In November 2024, Phetsacksith was drinking and hanging out with his girlfriend. Phetsacksith had a key to his work and drove his girlfriend to pick up his paycheck after hours. After arriving, the two began arguing.
The victim testified at trial and explained to the jury that she attempted to de-escalate the situation by leaving. Video surveillance shows Phetsacksith chasing after the victim and keeping her from leaving. He is then seen pushing the victim.
The jury heard the defendant's 911 call, where he claimed that she had fallen down a flight of stairs and was in need of medical attention. When the victim was separated from Phetsacksith, she told EMSA personnel that he assaulted her. Tulsa Police officers responded to the scene and spoke with EMSA, the victim, and Phetsacksith. The body camera played for the jury showed Phetsacksith explaining that they were drunk, had a fight, and “it got out of hand.” He later told officers that he threw her around.
When the trauma surgeon testified, he explained that the victim broke her leg in three places. Her left ankle was fractured, and her tibia and fibula bones were broken in half, requiring surgical rods and screws to be implanted.
Phetsacksith is a member of the Osage Nation, and he will continue to remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallory Richard and Stacey Todd prosecuted the case.
If you think that you or a loved one may be in an abusive relationship, Domestic Violence Intervention Services offers services for all survivors. You can call the 24-hour information and crisis line at (918) 743-5763 or (918) 7-HELP-ME for more information. You can also get more information by texting our 8 PM to 1 AM Text Line: Text SAFE to 207-777
Jacksonville Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over Eleven Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – James Herbert Asberry, III (39, Jacksonville) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. As part of his sentence, the court ordered the forfeiture of $18,938, the proceeds of Asberry’s drug trafficking, which were seized at the time of his arrest. Asberry pleaded guilty on July 17, 2024. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, during a series of meetings in late 2023 and early 2024, Asberry sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) undercover task force officer and confidential source. On February 23, 2024, the DEA arrested Asberry and law enforcement executed search warrants both at his home in St. Johns County and at a Jacksonville apartment where Asberry stored drugs. Investigators located $18,938 in cash, as well as cocaine, fentanyl, and nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Italian National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Luigi Esposito, age 60, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of illegal reentry into the United States.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Esposito was encountered in the United States in Franklin County on or about April 21, 2026, after having previously been removed in 2019, and that he did not receive permission to reenter the United States, as required by law.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Illegal reentry into U.S. lands three-time DUI offender in federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 32-year-old illegal alien from Mexico with a felony criminal history has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country without authorization, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Alejandro Luna-Rangel pleaded guilty Feb. 25.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal ordered Luna-Rangel to serve 40 months in federal prison, and he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In handing down the sentence, the court cited the need to deter further criminal conduct and considered Luna-Rangel’s pattern of dangerous behavior and repeated disregard of the law.
Authorities previously removed Luna-Rangel from the United States in July 2016 following his conviction for driving under the influence with a child in the vehicle.
He later illegally returned to the United States. Law Enforcement discovered Luna-Rangel again Nov. 5, 2022, in Harris County following convictions for assault-family violence and felony driving while intoxicated (third offense).
Luna-Rangel has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Law prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal alien sentenced for kidnapping-for-hire plot to collect drug debtRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Mexican national was sentenced to 120 months in prison for orchestrating a kidnapping-for-hire plot to collect on a drug debt.
According to court documents, Carlos Niebla-Machado, 51, who was illegally residing in Kansas City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted kidnapping.
In February 2024, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) learned from confidential sources that Niebla-Machado was allegedly selling large amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl from California in the Kansas City metro area. Niebla-Machado told the KBI sources he wanted to have a person kidnapped who owed him a $300,000 drug debt.
In June 2024, an undercover KBI agent met with Niebla-Machado. Niebla-Machado provided the agent with the victim’s full name, age, home address, photographs, and background information. Niebla-Machado said he wanted the victim’s fingers cut off and a torch used on the victim’s face to coerce the victim to sign over property. Niebla-Machado gave the agent a firearm and a 2004 Dodge Ram truck as a down payment for the kidnapping. The agent asked Niebla-Machado if he wanted to be involved in torturing the victim. The defendant said he was too old for that, but he wanted to visit the rural Kansas location where the victim would be held. There, the defendant planned to question the victim about the locations of houses he wanted the victim to sign over.
Investigators contacted the victim and disclosed the kidnapping-for-hire plot. The victim agreed to cooperate and talked about having given Niebla-Machado home furniture, electronics, $20,000 in cash, a Dodge pickup truck, and a tow truck towards an approximate $100,000 debt. The victim said the defendant kept adding interest to the debt.
On July 1, 2024, the undercover agent informed Niebla-Machado that the victim had been kidnapped and was being held captive. The agent picked up Niebla-Machado in Missouri and drove him to a location in rural Kansas. Once they arrived at the location, KBI agents arrested the defendant.
“Unfortunately, there are people in our country who view violence as a way of life and have no problem inflicting torture,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “After listening to the gruesome details of the torment Niebla-Machado planned for the kidnapping victim, it’s apparent that had he been speaking with a willing violent criminal rather than an undercover agent, this case would have likely ended in tragedy.”
The Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trent Krug and Christopher Oakley prosecuted the case.
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Illegal alien sent to prison for role in cocaine trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old illegal alien from Mexico living in Laredo has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than $1 million in cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Luis Manuel Castillo Garcia pleaded guilty Nov. 3, 2025, to conspiring with others to organize and transport cocaine from Laredo to other locations across the United States and to being found illegally residing in the United States following his removal.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldana ordered Garcia to serve 135 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess cocaine and 120 months for illegally reentering the country after removal. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected again to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence regarding Garcia’s criminal history, including prior convictions for drug possession and illegal reentry following removal. The court also heard evidence Garcia coordinated cocaine shipments from Mexico and participated in transporting large quantities of cocaine over an extended period.
In March 2025, Garcia recruited tractor-trailer drivers, including Luis Alonzo Pena Jr., to haul several loads of cocaine stored at a local yard.
Garcia arranged for two trailers containing hidden compartments of cocaine to be transported from Laredo. He paid $9,000 per trailer. Authorities seized the vehicles March 4 and 5, 2025, and discovered a total of 50 kilograms of cocaine.
Approximately two months later, law enforcement observed Garcia meet Pena at a location in Laredo. Pena arrived in a red Chevrolet Silverado and accepted a duffle bag of cocaine for transport.
A subsequent traffic stop led to the discovery of the bag, which contained 15 bundles of cocaine weighing approximately 18.5 kilograms.
The more than 65 kilograms of cocaine had an estimated street value of over $1 million.
Pena, 31, Laredo, was previously sentenced to 56 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
Both men will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with assistance from the Texas Department of Public Safety, Laredo Police Department, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Lou Castillo prosecuted the case.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Pleads Guilty for his Role in an International Conspiracy to Smuggle Aliens from Canada into the U.S.Read the Press Release
An illegal alien from Mexico pleaded guilty today for his role in an international human smuggling conspiracy that illegally brought aliens from Mexico and Central and South America across the northern border with Canada into the United States for profit.
According to court documents, Edgar Sanchez-Solis, 24, was a leader in an alien smuggling organization (ASO) while he was living illegally in Kansas City, Missouri. The ASO smuggled hundreds of aliens into the United States. Once the aliens were inside the U.S., the ASO employed drivers to pick them up and drive them further into the country. The defendant personally participated in and coordinated smuggling events with other leaders of the ASO. During one smuggling event in May 2023, a van carrying aliens became involved in a high-speed chase with U.S. Border Patrol. Border Patrol had to stop their pursuit due to the risk to the public. Ultimately the local sheriff’s department used a tire deflation device to stop the vehicle after it failed to yield.
Sanchez-Solis pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit alien smuggling and five counts of alien smuggling for commercial advantage and private financial gain. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 10. He faces a minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York, and Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo Field Office made today’s announcement.
HSI Rouses Point and U.S. Border Patrol (BP) Burke Station investigated the case, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s (CBP) National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Spencer M. Perry of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham for the Northern District of New York is prosecuting the case.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 455 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 400 U.S. convictions; and more than 345 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood.
Illegal Alien Sentenced to over Two Years in Prison for Selling Firearms Without a LicenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in Chelsea was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for making multiple illegal firearms sales.
Melbi Ovidio Ortez, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper to 27 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence.
In February 2026, Ortez pleaded guilty to one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. In June 2025, Ortez was arrested and charged.
Ortez was identified as an 18th Street Gang associate who supplied firearms and controlled substances to gang members. On four different occasions between April 3, 2025 and May 2, 2025, Ortez sold firearms and ammunition behind his Chelsea residence. Ortez sold a Glock 9mm caliber pistol; a Sturm and Ruger .22 caliber revolver; a Glock .40 caliber pistol; a Colt .380 caliber pistol; magazines; and over 100 rounds of ammunition. In addition, the serial numbers on both the Glock 9mm pistol and the Colt .380 pistol had been defaced. TheGlock 9mm pistol had been purchased only 20 days earlier from a licensed firearms dealer in New Hampshire. Ortez also sold cocaine two times during that same period.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments; Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ Fraud Detection and National Security Unit; Massachusetts Department of Correction; and the Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecutedthe 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 Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Luis Virgilio Hilario, a/k/a Virgilio Luis Hilario, a/k/a Virgilio Hilario, a/k/a Agustin Santiagocordovas, a/k/a Liuis Virgiliohilario, a/k/a Luis Hilario Virgilio, a/k/a Luis Hilario-Virgilio, a/k/a Luis Virgilio-Hilario, age 35, a Mexican national unlawfully present in Atoka County, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Stringtown Police Department.
The Indictment alleged that on March 27, 2026, Hilario, an alien, 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 on November 2, 2018, and July 20, 2018, and after previously being convicted of a felony.
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 Jason A. Robertson, Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Hilario will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessie Pippin and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.
Homeland Security Task Force Indicts Eighteen Defendants in Wide-Ranging Drug Trafficking Organization Operating Out of S2 Real Estate Owned PropertiesRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 5, 2026, a grand jury returned an indictment charging eighteen defendants with offenses related to drug-trafficking organizations that operated out of apartments owned and operated by Samuel P. Stair through his S2 Real Estate business.
Included among the defendants is Samuel P. Stair, who is described as the owner and registered agent of forty-three LLCs that are alleged to have facilitated the drug-trafficking offenses described in the indictment. According to a criminal complaint issued prior to the indictment, Stair rented properties he owned to drug traffickers for the purpose of storing and distributing controlled substances, including cocaine and fentanyl.
The indictment charges Stair with six counts, including charges of maintaining a drug house, conspiracy to maintain a drug house, and conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. §§ 841, 846, and 856. The indictment also charges Stair, along with employees of his business and drug-trafficking co-conspirators, with a money laundering conspiracy based on his use of business accounts to conceal drug proceeds. The indictment alleges that Stair used the air of legitimacy created by his business to conceal the nature of his criminal conduct and to facilitate drug trafficking and money laundering. It seeks forfeiture of Stair’s ownership interest in forty-three property-holding LLCs, six specific real properties, and over $700,000 seized from Stair’s home and bank accounts.Charged with Stair are seventeen defendants who are alleged to have participated in drug trafficking conspiracies involving the distribution primarily of cocaine and fentanyl and maintaining a drug house. Several defendants are also charged with possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The defendants charged in the indictment, all of whom are from Milwaukee, are the following: Jeanette Lopez, Russell V. McDade, Sr., Walter J. Ringersma, Laura F. Knezic, Javarius J. Williams, Stacey L. Berry, Alberto L. Boffil, Jr., Cristal F. Nokes, Wesley R. Bynum, Victoria T. Allen, Kerry Howell, Sr., Jermaine Erving, Otis Lockett, Martin L. Sinclair, Ser Jimmy L. Shepherd, Larry A. Shepherd, Shareerah J. McCay, and Samuel P. Stair.
On April 22, 2026, federal, state, and local law enforcement executed coordinated search warrants at fourteen locations in Chicago and Milwaukee. In prior months, local law enforcement conducted related searches of other Stair-owned properties. These searches resulted in the seizure of kilogram quantities of fentanyl as well as cocaine, cocaine base, and methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized over 22 firearms, over $270,000 in cash, over $500,000 in securities, and three vehicles.
Sixteen defendants are charged in a conspiracy to distribute at least 400 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing fentanyl and 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing cocaine. If convicted, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of ten years in prison and up to life in prison. Some defendants are also charged in separate counts related to the distribution of controlled substances that carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and up to 40 years in prison.
Six defendants are charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. They face a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence. Two defendants are charged with possession of a machinegun in furtherance of drug trafficking, which carries a mandatory minimum of thirty years in prison.This indictment is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This investigation was conducted by agents and officers from HSTF agencies, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security- Homeland Security Investigation, and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation as well as other agencies, such as the West Allis Police Department and the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Division of Criminal Investigation. The prosecution is being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Hastings Man Charged with Stealing More than $100,000 in Federal Taxpayer FundsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that on May 5, 2026, a grand jury charged Michael Lee Brooks, 47, of Hastings, Michigan, with two counts of theft of federal taxpayer funds in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 641.
Count 1 of the indictment alleges that Brooks, who was the representative payee for his father’s Social Security retirement benefits, failed to notify the Social Security Administration that his father died in September 2019, and thereafter continued to collect his father’s Social Security benefits for seven years, through August 2025. The indictment alleges that Brooks submitted false annual representative payee accounting statements to the Social Security Administration as part of the theft, which totaled $99,055.00.
Count 2 of the indictment alleges that Brooks stole $4,218.00 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program by making false statements and material omissions of fact.
If convicted, Brooks faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count.
The case is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division. The core mission of the Fraud Division is to zealously investigate and prosecute those who steal or fraudulently misuse taxpayer dollars. Department of Justice efforts to combat fraud support President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Glen Park Woman Pleads Guilty to Accessing with Intent to View Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Paige Kincheloe, age 27, of Glen Park, New York pled guilty on May 5, 2026, to accessing with intent to view child pornography. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of her guilty plea, Kincheloe admitted that, in May through August 2024, she engaged in social media chats on Telegram with a man in Colorado who sent her several child pornography files, including some depicting very young children engaged in sex acts with adults, and that she viewed those files. She admitted further that she sent messages back indicating how much she liked the material and asking for him to send her more child pornography.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone said: “This defendant’s admitted conduct is deeply disturbing. She not only viewed child pornography, but she encouraged someone else to send it to her, normalizing the sexual abuse of children and apparently being gratified by it. The defendant should have gotten help for her depraved instincts, but instead she committed crimes and victimized children. Now, she will the pay the price.”
FBI SAC Tremaroli said: “Ms. Kincheloe’s actions are deeply depraved and incredibly damaging to the victims, especially considering she requested more videos be sent. This plea ensures she will spend time in federal prison for that victimization. FBI Albany’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force remains steadfast in our mission of aggressively investigating these sick predators and bringing them to justice for terrorizing our most vulnerable.”
At sentencing on September 1, 2026, before United States District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi, the defendant faces a maximum imprisonment term of 20 years, a post-release term of supervision of at least 5 years and up to life, a $250,000 fine, various special assessments, restitution to victims, and will be required to register as a sex offender upon her release from prison.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based upon the statute the defendant violated, the United States Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
FBI investigated the case with the assistance of the New York State Police and the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Gadarian and Adrian LaRochelle are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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.
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Geneva man charged with production and possession of child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Rafael Arroyo-Ubiles, 27, of Geneva, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with production and possession of child pornography. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, a lifetime period of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
According to the complaint, in January 2026, Arroyo-Ubiles came to the attention of the Geneva, NY, Police Department during an investigation into illegal narcotics sales in the City of Geneva. Geneva Police executed multiple search warrants related to illegal narcotics sales. During the execution of one of the search warrants, investigators discovered an online account belonging to Arroyo-Ubiles. While searching for evidence of narcotics activity in the account, investigators observed videos depicting Arroyo sexually abusing a five-year-old girl.
The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland and was detained.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle P. Rossi. The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Geneva, NY Police Department, under the direction of Chief Ronald Eveland, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Gainesville Man Sentenced to Prison for Drug Distribution and Illegal Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
Gainesville, Florida – Khalil Keari Barnett, 30, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to seven years in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, another violent, drug-peddling criminal has been removed from our streets. Operation Take Back America was launched to deploy the full might of the Department of Justice toward eliminating the threats to our communities posed by violent criminals like this defendant, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those offenders until our streets are safe and drug-free.”
Court documents reflect that Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a domestic violence call for service. When law enforcement arrived on scene, the defendant left out the back door of the residence and attempted to enter a rideshare vehicle before fleeing on foot. As the defendant was fleeing, he threw a bag from his person, which included 600 grams of marijuana and a black mask. A firearm and box of ammunition were also recovered near the defendant. The defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as he has a prior conviction for possession of a weapon by a delinquent.
Alachua County Sheriff Scott said: “The arrest and subsequent federal conviction of Mr. Barnett is, once again, strong evidence to our community that we will not allow violent criminals who inflict physical harm, unlawfully possess weapons, and traffic narcotics to roam our streets in search of their next victim. As your Sheriff, I stood before this community and made a commitment to keep you safe while you enjoy all that Alachua County has to offer. It is through partnerships like our relationship with the US Attorney’s Office, along with our federal law enforcement partners, that we are able to uphold that promise.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Fraud Promoter Pleads Guilty to Federal Bank Fraud Charges Involving Manipulation of Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Shamarri Tache Brooks has pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges in connection with a scheme arising from the widespread theft of checks from the mail.
“Brooks used his music and social media accounts to promote fraud as a lifestyle rather than a scourge,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Those who treat fraud like a game gamble with their freedom because my office will vigorously prosecute the perpetrators of financial crimes that undermine our postal and financial systems, erode trust, and disrupt the lives of everyday people.”
“For those who think they can take the easy road to financial gains by stealing money people have worked hard for, the FBI will hold you accountable for the pain and losses you cause,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Marlo Graham.
“The FDIC Office of Inspector General is pleased to join our law enforcement partners in this impactful prosecution,” said Special Agent in Charge Kyle A. Myles, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Atlanta Region. “This investigation reflects the FDIC OIG’s unwavering commitment to investigate all allegations of fraud that threaten to undermine the integrity of our Nation’s financial system.”
“The brazenness of the defendant is almost unfathomable,” said Robert Donovan, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “He openly recruited participants in his criminal enterprise on social media while teaching others how to victimize members of the public by selling financial fraud tutorials. We are grateful to our federal partners for their teamwork in the investigation and the successful prosecution of this defendant.”
“Today’s guilty plea serves as a clear reminder that individuals who believe they can conceal their fraud schemes behind encrypted messaging services are mistaken,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Ulrich of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. “Our special agents, in collaboration with our federal and local law enforcement partners, remain unwavering in their commitment to protect the sanctity of the U.S. Mail and maintain the public’s trust.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the indictment, and other information presented in court: From at least January 2022 through November 2025, Brooks committed bank fraud by negotiating checks stolen from the mail. As part of the scheme, Brooks used social media to recruit individuals with existing bank accounts to use as depository accounts for stolen checks. Brooks altered the stolen checks to list the cooperating accountholders as the intended recipients or payees of the checks. Brooks deposited altered checks at ATMs throughout the Atlanta area, often wearing balaclava-style masks with a logo stating “No Free Sauce.”
Brooks also promoted and sold tutorials for committing various forms of financial fraud, including check fraud. He sold a collection of these tutorials under the name “Sauce Book” or “SB.” Brooks also sold images of stolen checks, referred to as “slips,” as a part of his fraud business.
When law enforcement arrested Brooks earlier this year, they recovered over 600 stolen checks from his residence.
Shamarri Tache Brooks, a/k/a Juney Knotzz, 33, of Atlanta, Georgia, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft charges. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders. The sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation - Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. The Dunwoody Police Department and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration also provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
To protect yourself from becoming the victim of mail theft and check fraud, the FBI and U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommend the following steps:
- Pick up your mail promptly after delivery. Do not leave mail in your mailbox overnight or for long periods of time.
- If you are heading out of town, submit a USPS Hold Mail™ request asking your local Post Office to hold your mail until you return.
- Sign up for Informed Delivery® at USPS.com to receive daily email notifications of incoming mail and packages.
- Contact the sender if you do not receive a check, credit card or other valuable mail you are expecting.
- Consider buying and using security envelopes to conceal the contents of your mail.
- Use the letter slots inside your local Post Office to send mail. If using a blue USPS collection box, be sure to drop your mail as close to the posted pickup time as possible and before the last collection of the day
- When using checks, educate yourself about the steps you can take to prevent fraudsters from exploiting stolen checks, such as setting up positive pay with your financial institution.
If you think you were targeted by fraudsters, file a report with your bank and request copies of all fraudulent checks. Report the incident to the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), www.ic3.gov. If you believe you are the victim of mail theft-related check fraud, report to your local police and the United States Postal Inspection Service at uspis.gov/report or 1-877-876-2455.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Morris is 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.
Franklin County Drug Dealer Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Selling Fentanyl that Killed a ManRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. - A federal judge sentenced Cordell Antonio Mendoza to 21 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl that caused an individual in Franklin County, North Carolina to overdose and die. On February 17, 2026, Inmate Mendoza pleaded guilty to conspiracy to sell and possess with the intent to sell heroin and fentanyl, and selling of fentanyl resulting in death.
“Selling poison that you know kills people goes far beyond just run of the mill drug dealing. The defendant accepted death as the cost of doing business, and went right back to the street to find his next victim after he knew of at least one dead customer. 21 years in federal prison protects the residents of the EDNC for decades and punishes this murderous scofflaw for his heinous crimes. Simple Lesson: Drugs Kill, Prison Awaits – Do Right.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
In October 2024, the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office (FCSO) found an individual at his home in Franklin County who died from a drug overdose. FCSO found fentanyl in the victim’s pocket with the label “Try This” and empty fentanyl bindles in the trash can eponymously labeled “Dead on Arrival.” FCSO and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case and determined that Inmate Mendoza sold the victim the deadly fentanyl just over an hour before the victim was found dead. Two days later, Inmate Mendoza spoke on a recorded telephone call describing how one of his customers had died from an overdose from using his product, before immediately pivoting to say he would keep selling drugs. In November 2024, law enforcement searched Inmate Mendoza’s house and found 102 bindles of a fentanyl and heroin mixture.
“This sentence underscores the relentless efforts of federal and local law enforcement to deliver justice when drug trafficking leads to a tragic loss of life,” said Mark M. Zito, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in North and South Carolina. “The combined dedication of the FCSO, HSI, and the EDNC United States Attorney’s Office demonstrates our unwavering commitment to protecting the community. HSI will continue to pursue and hold accountable those dealers who knowingly distribute deadly fentanyl, recognizing the devastating impact these actions have on families and neighborhoods.”
“The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office has made addressing drug trafficking in our county a priority and this case and the results of it are proof that we can and will hold those individuals accountable for the tragedies they cause when dealing drugs that kill. I am grateful for our investigators and the relationships we have with HSI and the EDNC United States Attorney’s Office to partner together to enhance our efforts.” said Franklin County Sheriff, Kevin White.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. HSI and the FCSO investigated the case, and Assistant United States Attorney Casey L. Peaden prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-365-M-RJ.
Four defendants sentenced to prison for kidnappingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – Four defendants in a kidnapping received prison sentences in a crime where the victim was bound and blindfolded for approximately 10 hours.
According to court documents, Tahreon L. Allen, 23, of Lawrence, Kansas, Jean Willy Petit Frere, 26, of Lawrence, Kansas, Mustafa D. Muhammad-Springs, 22, of Kansas City, Kansas, and Tamara U. Jackson, 25, of Kansas City, Missouri, all pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping.
Allen was sentenced to 262 months in prison.
Muhammad-Springs was sentenced to 204 months in prison.
Petit Free sentenced to 135 months in prison.
Jackson was sentenced to 54 months in prison.
In May 2023, Tahreon L. Allen, Jean Willy Petit Frere, and a third suspect forced a 65-year-old man from his home in Lawrence, Kansas, at gunpoint and demanded he give them money. They bound the victim’s hands with duct tape and put a pillowcase over his head. The kidnappers stole money from the victim and stole two vehicles. They transported him to various locations before eventually meeting up with Muhammad-Springs in Kansas City, Kansas, where Petit Frere and the third suspect withdrew from the conspiracy. The victim was driven back to his home in Lawrence, where a third vehicle was stolen.
After returning with the victim to the Kansas City area, Muhammad-Springs called Tamara Jackson and asked her to find a place where the victim could be concealed. She orchestrated putting the victim into the basement of the apartment where she was residing in Kansas City, Missouri. As Muhammad-Springs and a co-conspirator attempted to transfer the victim, who still had the pillowcase over his head, back into one of the victim’s stolen vehicles, they were confronted by bystanders, who physically removed the victim from the vehicle. Muhammad-Springs and the co-conspirator then fled in the stolen vehicle, which was later found abandoned in Kansas City, Missouri.
Allen was arrested later that day after he drove one of the victim’s vehicles to his place of employment.
“The victim spent hours bound, blindfolded, and in mental anguish fearing that at any moment his captors would end his life, but the perpetrators didn’t care. Their utter depravity means our society is safer with them behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser.
The Lawrence Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel prosecuted the case.
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Former Walgreen’s Store Manager Sentenced for Her Role in Seven Inside-Job Drug Store RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – London Teeter, 22, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 32 months in prison for her role in a series of seven inside-job robberies of the Chinatown drug store where she was employed as a store manager, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Teeter pleaded guilty Feb. 13, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery). In addition to the 32-month prison term, Judge Jia M. Cobb ordered Teeter to serve three years of supervised release. Federal prosecutors had requested a 100-month prison sentence.
“London Teeter was a key architect of a seven-month scheme that repeatedly turned her own workplace into a crime scene,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The sentencing guidelines called for 87-to-108 months. This sentence, which is significantly lighter, does little to protect the citizens of the District.”
According to court documents, Teeter, and three co-conspirators devised a scheme to carry out armed robberies of the Walgreens store in Chinatown nearly once a month, beginning in July 2023, when either she or her co-conspirator were working. As a store manager, Teeter knew the timing of cash transfers within the business. In each robbery, a masked gunman entered the store, forced an employee into the manager’s office or accessed the manager’s office using a code provided by Teeter or her co-conspirator. The gunman then robbed the employees and fled through a rear exit. Teeter and her co-conspirator took turns pretending to be the victim manager on duty, knowing that the robberies would be captured on internal surveillance.
The robberies occurred on July 18, 2023, Aug. 2, 2023, Sept. 2, 2023, Nov.10, 2023, Dec. 4, 2023, Jan. 9, 2024, and Feb. 11, 2024. Teeter was present in the manager’s office and pretended to be the victim of a robbery during the July 18, 2023, and Jan. 9, 2024, robberies.
In response to the robberies, the Chinatown Walgreens hired armed Special Police Officers to protect the business. Teeter was aware that armed Special Police Officers would be present during the robberies and that a co-conspirator robbed the officers of their firearms during the robberies that occurred on Dec. 4, 2023, and Feb. 11, 2024.
In the plea agreement, Teeter admitted that the co-conspirators stole and split at least $28,983. She also acknowledged that she reviewed surveillance footage from the Aug. 2, 2023, robbery during which a co-conspirator briefly placed his firearm on a chair Teeter acknowledged that she sent a co-conspirator a text message stating: “the vid looks so bad,” “idk why he put the gun down,” and “he can’t do it next time [not gonna lie].”
Law enforcement arrested Teeter on Feb. 22, 2024. During the search of her home that preceded her arrest, law enforcement recovered a loaded Glock 45 pistol loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Co-defendant Michael Robinson, 35, who was also a Walgreen’s store manager, was sentenced to 147 months in prison. Co-defendant Kamanye Williams, 26, who acted as the gunman, was sentenced to 198 months. Gianni Robinson, 28, who is Michael Robinson’s nephew, was sentenced to 126 months.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the MPD. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Satter and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
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