Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Convicted Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Demarco Latrel Patterson, age 30, of Muskogee, 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 fine of $250,000.
The Indictment alleged that Patterson was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country in the Eastern District of Oklahoma on October 6, 2021, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from December 9, 2025, until January 15, 2026, Patterson failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma, and that during that time, Patterson resided in a home within a two-thousand foot radius of a school.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service.
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.
Patterson will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Consent Judgment Entered Against Bucks County Company Resolving Allegations of False Claims for Billing Group Art Classes in Assisted Living and Adult Day Facilities as Occupational TherapyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – U.S. Attorney David Metcalf announced today that the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania has entered a consent judgment against Segal Arts, LLC, and its sole owner and manager, Irina Segal. In its complaint against Segal and her business, the United States alleges that they violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729–3733, by submitting or causing the submission of claims for payment to Medicare for one-on-one occupational therapy services that were not provided. Instead of the medically necessary one-on-one therapeutic exercise described in Segal Arts’ Medicare billing, Segal Arts provided group arts-and-crafts sessions to Medicare beneficiaries at assisted living and similar facilities in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
“This investigation and its resolution by consent judgment reflect our ongoing focus on pursuing individuals who defraud Medicare, especially when occupational therapy providers in the Medicare program should be providing medically necessary services to our older adult populations,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf.
“Civil enforcement is an important component in safeguarding the integrity of the Medicare program,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Philadelphia Regional Office for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This agreement demonstrates our commitment to ensuring that Medicare program dollars are only paid for services that were actually provided to patients.”
Among other things, the complaint alleges that, even after Segal was interviewed and educated by HHS-OIG agents about the individual, skilled therapy requirements associated with the Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code used in the billing, Segal Arts failed to repay to the Medicare program the amounts it had reimbursed for non-covered, group art sessions. The consent judgment requires Segal to repay $200,000, based on her ability to pay.
The allegations are described in detail in the complaint. The case is captioned United States of America v. Segal Arts, LLC, Civil No. 26-1693 (E.D. Pa.).
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca S. Melley and litigative consultant Priscilla Brandon.
All claims in the complaint are allegations only. There has been no determination of civil liability.
Charleston Felon Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Gun, Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Deon Lathel Gibson, 40, of Charleston, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence presented in court revealed that in December 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), while conducting surveillance, observed Gibson meet with a known drug trafficking target. Deputies with the Charleston County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) conducted a traffic stop on Gibson as he drove away. During the vehicle stop, Gibson attempted to fight multiple deputies on the side of the road. After Gibson was quickly secured and placed under arrest, CCSO deputies located 446.9 grams of methamphetamine and a loaded .380 pistol in the vehicle. Gibson also had $2,300 in cash.
Gibson and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition due to prior convictions for possession with intent to distribute crack. His prior drug convictions also made him eligible for an enhanced sentence.
At the time of his arrest, Gibson was on state bond after being accused of killing two people in a vehicular hit-and-run.
United States Richard M. Gergel sentenced Gibson to 20 years imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of court ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Charleston Police Department, and Charleston County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow prosecuted the case.###
Cambridge Man Indicted for Sex Trafficking Multiple WomenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Cambridge man has been indicted for trafficking four women and attempting to traffic a fifth victim. One victim was a minor when she was first trafficked.
Daniel Rodriguez, 36, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of sex trafficking of a minor, four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, one count of attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and one count of knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing an individual to travel in interstate commerce to engage in prostitution. Rodriguez is currently held in state custody and will be arraigned in federal court in the coming weeks.
According to the indictment, Rodriguez allegedly forced four separate women, one of them beginning when she was a minor, to engage in commercial sex from 2018 until as recently as January 2026. Rodriguez also allegedly attempted to force a fifth victim to engage in commercial sex on his behalf in 2017. According to previously filed documents, Rodriguez’s trafficking enterprise involved travel to Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, New Jersey, Connecticut and Maine.
According to publicly filed documents, Rodriguez was arrested on state charges in January 2026 after leading the police on a high-speed chase in Randolph, MA, ultimately crashing the car with one of his victims in it. Rodriguez is alleged to have used multiple tactics to force his victims to engage in commercial sex on his behalf, including but not limited to physical violence, stalking and fraud.
The charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion and attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion carry minimum mandatory sentences of 15 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking of a minor carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in prison, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of coercing a person to travel for purposes of prostitution provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks Special Agent in Charge of Federal Bureau of Investigations; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Riley and Craig Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
California Man Sentenced to Five and Half Years in Prison for Loan Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Frank Hamilton, 55, of Simi Valley, California, who previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy affecting a financial institution, was sentenced to 66 months in prison, two years’ supervised release, and restitution of $6,093,024.90 by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone yesterday for loan fraud conspiracy, in which Hamilton and his co-schemers defrauded multiple banks, other lenders, and the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) out of millions of dollars in loans that were either funded or guaranteed by the SBA.
As detailed in case filings and admitted to by the defendant, prior to the pandemic, Hamilton and his conspirators started filing fraudulent applications for SBA 7(a) loans, which are loans funded by banks and other lenders and partially guaranteed by the SBA. During the pandemic, Hamilton and his co-conspirators transitioned to Economic Injury Disaster Loans (“EIDLs”), which were funded by the SBA, and Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans, which were funded by banks and other lenders but fully guaranteed by the SBA. PPP loans were also eligible for forgiveness if a large percentage of the loan was used to pay employees, as the goal of that program was to enable businesses to continue to pay their employees during the pandemic despite the loss of a company’s business due to the pandemic.
To obtain these loans, Hamilton advised his conspirators how to submit false loan applications and helped them generate fake documents, including false tax returns, to support the false applications. In addition, Hamilton assisted conspirators in obtaining “shelf companies,” that is, companies that had been created by a vendor who registered a non-functioning business in a state, paid all required fees for several years, and then sold the company “off the shelf” so that it could be used by individuals who needs to make it appear that they had a company that had been in business for a significant length of time.
Hamilton also helped conspirators open bank accounts and obtain websites and email addresses for those non-functioning companies. Moreover, he sometimes even joined his conspirators on phone interviews with lenders. To conceal the scheme and give the fraudulent submissions more legitimacy, Hamilton often used names of conspirators or their non-functional companies in the applications and back-up documents of other conspirators as employees or vendors of the non-functioning companies.
In addition to assisting others to apply for fraudulent loans, Hamilton applied for fraudulent loans for one of his own minimally-functioning companies, as well as three shelf companies that he owned. As a result of this sophisticated fraud, the conspirators applied for loans totaling approximately $9 million, of which approximately $7,088,010 was funded.
As part of their plan, the conspirators turned over a majority of their proceeds to Hamilton so that he could invest the funds for them and return money to them in installments sufficient to make their loan payments plus a small sum for their personal use.
Some conspiracy members made payment on their loans for at least a short period of time. Many did not, as Hamilton did return some money to his co-conspirators, instead keeping most of the money for himself. Despite Hamilton’s receipt of more than a million dollars of loans for Hamilton’s own companies, and his receipt of the majority of the millions of dollars of his co-conspirators’ loans, Hamilton did not make a single payment on any of his own loans. As a result, the vast majority of loans went into default, resulting in more than $7 million in losses to the SBA.
This case was investigated by the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Judy Smith and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Varun Trivedi.
California Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Enticing Minors to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Eddie Ademir Villalta Hernandez (37, Los Angeles, California) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday to 10 years in federal prison for enticing or coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Villalta Hernandez to forfeit an iPhone, which was used in the commission of the offense, and to register as a sex offender. Villalta Hernandez pleaded guilty in October 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, between November 2022 and April 2024, Villalta Hernandez used a social media application to persuade, induce, and entice minors to send him images and videos of child exploitation material in exchange for monetary payments.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
This case was 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 victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Brownsville man sent to prison for over 10 years for producing sexually explicit videos of a minorRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 77-year-old resident has been ordered to federal prison following the discovery of homemade videos depicting the sexual assault of a child, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Rosendo Camarillo-Jimenez pleaded guilty Sept. 30, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Camarillo to serve 121 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Camarillo will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
In January 2024, authorities discovered Rosendo Camarillo-Jimemez had been sexually assaulting children for years.
The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at his residence where law enforcement found homemade videos of Camarillo-Jimemez sexually assaulting a child. The videos were timestamped as created in 2003.
Camarillo will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitations Investigations Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Billings man sentenced to almost four years in prison for illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings man who illegally possessed a firearm was sentenced today to 46 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Isaac Clyde Martinez, 38, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on May 24, 2025, law enforcement officers responded to a domestic violence call. When they arrived, officers found Jane Doe, who told them that she and Martinez had been arguing since the previous evening, and Martinez had pulled out a firearm and pointed it at her chest. She said that after Martinez cooled down, he placed the gun in a silver grill outside the residence. Jane Doe directed law enforcement to the location of the gun.
Law enforcement discovered the firearm where Jane Doe said it would be. The firearm was a black Taurus, model TH9, 9mm caliber semi-automatic pistol. Also discovered in the same location was a pistol bag, containing loose ammunition as well as a full box of 9mm ammunition. Fingerprints taken off the loose ammunition and box were later positively matched to Martinez.
On or about October 13, 2021, Martinez was sentenced in the United States District Court for the District of Montana for being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the ATF and Billings Police Department.
XXX
Arizona Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Producing and Transporting Child Sexual Abuse Material Involving an Indian River County MinorRead the Press Release
MIAMI – An Arizona man was sentenced Thursday in Fort Pierce to 40 years in federal prison for sexually exploiting a minor online and traveling to Florida, where he sexually abused the victim.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon sentenced Joshua Black, 38, to 480 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to production of material involving sexual exploitation of minors and transporting material involving sexual exploitation of minors.
“This defendant used the internet to target a 13-year-old child, manipulate her into sexual exploitation, and preserve those images for his own gratification,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He then crossed state lines to continue that abuse in person. Production of child sexual abuse material is among the most serious crimes we prosecute because it permanently records a child’s victimization. Forty years in federal prison ensures accountability and protects other children from future harm.”
According to court records, Black sexually abused a minor victim between 2023 to 2025, when she was between 13 and 15 years old. During that time, Black took screenshots of the victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct during a video call with him. Black later transported those images to Indian River County, where he traveled to meet the victim and engage in sexual activity with her at a Vero Beach hotel.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami, Fort Pierce Resident Agency, investigated the case, with assistance from the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica Kahn Obenauf and Justin Hoover prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Anyone with information relating to child sexual exploitation or abuse is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
Related court documents and information on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 25-cr-14016.
###
Anchorage Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Multi-Million-Dollar Health Care Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
An Anchorage doctor was sentenced yesterday to six and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release for executing a $12.5 million health care fraud scheme and evading over $4 million in taxes on the profits of that 15-year scheme. Her husband and co-defendant was sentenced to three years of probation, with two years to be served in home confinement.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Dr. Claribel Tan, 61, and her husband, Daniel Tan, 70, operated a rheumatology medical clinic in Anchorage starting in 2005. Claribel Tan specialized in the treatment of autoimmune and musculoskeletal diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis and psoriatic arthritis, and she prescribed injectable medications to treat those conditions. Although these conditions are often chronic, degenerative and irreversible, certain medicines can slow down or arrest their progression. Daniel Tan assisted as an officer manager at the clinic.
Beginning in 2009 and continuing through 2024, the Tans deceived patients about the medications Claribel Tan administered through injections and then fraudulently billed health insurance plans for reimbursement of medications that the Tans did not purchase. Claribel Tan routinely and surreptitiously injected patients with free samples, expired medications and medications other than those prescribed. The Tans then knowingly billed insurance plans as if she had provided a proper injection to each patient. Specifically, the Tans claimed to have administered 4,829 units of the medications to patients, and billed the insurance plans for that amount, despite only purchasing 369 units of medication.
Daniel Tan helped execute the scheme by ordering insufficient medication for the clinic and creating and submitting fraudulent insurance claims. The Tans also made false statements about the length of Claribel Tan’s office visits with her patients and submitted fraudulent claims to insurance plans for services she never provided. In addition to creating significant health risks for the patients, the Tans’ fraud scheme caused a loss of over $12.5 to more than 10 insurance plans.
The Tans also filed false tax returns to conceal their fraud. Knowing full well the clinic had not purchased the quantity of medications for which they billed insurance plans, they fraudulently overstated the clinic’s expenses on its tax returns for 2014, 2015 and 2017, which allowed them to underreport the clinic’s total income during those years. And from 2018 to 2021, the Tans willfully failed to file tax returns for the clinic. The Tans’ tax fraud scheme caused a total loss to the IRS of more than $4.2 million.
In July 2019, federal law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on the clinic, which uncovered stockpiles of expired medications prescribed to patients for at-home use, free samples clearly marked as not-for-sale and improperly stored and reconstituted syringes of medications. Some of the expired medications, pictured below, were improperly intermingled with other medication stored at the clinic.
Stockpiled MedicationsFollowing the search warrant, the Tans temporarily began purchasing the medications for which they billed insurance companies. In 2021, however, they reverted to their fraudulent billing practices and once again failed to actually purchase the medications they claimed to administer. They persisted in the scheme until they were indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2024.
In November 2025, the Tans both pleaded guilty in the District of Alaska to one count of health care fraud and one count of tax evasion.
In 2024 and 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office seized approximately $10.4 million in health care fraud proceeds from the Tans. As part of their plea agreements, the Tans agreed to forfeit the seized funds to the U.S. The Tans also submitted a $6.3 million payment towards their future restitution judgment. A district judge will schedule a separate hearing to determine restitution. The Tans also paid approximately $1.8 million to the United States to settle civil claims under the False Claims Act arising from the health care fraud scheme. Claribel Tan also has surrendered her medical license.
More information about the case is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ak/united-states-v-tan-et-al. Victims who believe they may be entitled to restitution can email [email protected] for more information.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska made the announcement.
Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, Defense Contract Audit Agency, Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General Criminal Investigations Division, Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration, Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General, and State of Alaska Division of Insurance Investigation Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Beausang of the District of Alaska prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackie Traini of the District of Alaska led the civil fraud investigation.
17 alleged gang members and associates charged with RICO conspiracy, murder and other violent crimesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned a superseding indictment involving the Homietos outlaw motorcycle gang, a criminal enterprise that allegedly controlled territory throughout the Houston area.
All 17 alleged gang members and associates are charged with racketeering conspiracy. Several also face allegations of racketeering murder, attempted murder and assault; and/or firearms offenses.
Ralph Eugene Kellum aka REK, 42, Vidor, is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Christina A. Bryan at 10 a.m. March 19, while Romeo Jose Ferrer aka Primo, 36, Kingsville, is expected to appear in Corpus Christi at 9:45 a.m. Mark Anthony Magallan aka Loco, 51, Houston, will have a detention hearing at 2 p.m. before Judge Bryan March 19. The remaining individuals have already made appearances in federal court in Houston or are expected to in the near future.
“The indictment alleges a pattern of violence, intimidation and murder to expand the reach of a criminal enterprise and settle scores on our streets and highways,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck. “That kind of lawlessness has no place in the Southern District of Texas. Anyone who attempts to turn our roadways into battlegrounds should expect an aggressive federal response, and today we delivered on that commitment.”
“It’s not every day you get to disrupt and dismantle a criminal motorcycle gang driven by violence and intimidation, but with this morning’s arrests of four more Homietos alleged members and associates and their superseding indictment, today is that day,” announced Special Agent in Charge Jason Hudson, of the FBI Houston Field Office. “The charges are significant and are the long-awaited result of an extensive investigation fueled by the relentless pursuit for justice by our FBI Houston team and numerous federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. The Homietos outlaw motorcycle gang is no more.”
According to the charges, Homietos OMG was an organization engaged in crimes such as murder, robbery, narcotics distribution and witness intimidation. The gang allegedly formed in 2015 in the Houston area as an extension of the Tango Blast prison gang, then expanded beyond Houston and Texas. The group recruited members and associates, enforced rules, rewarded violence and used intimidation, threats and assaults to protect and enhance its power, territory, reputation and profits, according to the indictment. They also allegedly created a “Mexican Terror” patch to reward violence on behalf of the enterprise.
The superseding indictment, returned under seal March 11, also alleges overt acts in furtherance of the conspiracy including directives to engage in violence against rivals. Some of the allegations include a February 2020 shooting of a rival outlaw motorcycle gang member in Harris County, a September 2020 assault and robbery involving members of another motorcycle club at a Homietos anniversary party in Houston, an April 2022 shooting at suspected rivals along Interstate 45 near Madisonville and multiple April 14, 2023, shootings that allegedly resulted in the deaths of three rival gang members.
Ferrer, Magallan and Kellum along with Joe Frank Barrera aka LJ, 37, Houston, and Bryce Clay Hazleton Cook aka Cowboy, 28, Angleton, are all charged with engaging in a pattern of racketeering activity that included violent retaliation against members of rival gangs.
Ferrer, Magallan and Kellum also allegedly committed racketeering murder. In that instance on April 14, 2023, Homietos members traveling in a convoy on an interstate highway encountered members of the rival Bandidos motorcycle gang, according to the charges. Magallan allegedly shot and killed a Bandido member. The charges further allege that shortly thereafter, Ferrer and Kellum shot and killed two other Bandidos and wounded a third.
Others also charged in relation to the overall conspiracy with various offenses to include racketeering attempted murder, racketeering assault and/or using a firearm during violent crimes are Raymond William Burnett aka Ray Ray, 38, Alvin; Morgan Shane Cooper aka Coop, 51, William Espinoza, 49, Mario Humberto Gomez aka Gator, 52, Edgar Mauricio Hinojosa aka Charro Bean, 40, Ricardo Quinones aka Scooter, 40, and Moises Soriano aka Oso, 42, all of Houston; Rudolph Christopher Lopez aka Yao, 40, Fort Worth; Jesse James Mulrein aka Fort Worth G, 38, Dallas; Joe Rios aka Jo Daddy, 50, Baytown; Mahir Alihodzic aka Geno, 40, Kansas City, Kansas; and Christopher Daniel Holt aka Butt Head, 32, Harrah, Oklahoma.
If convicted of the racketeering conspiracy, each faces up to life imprisonment. The murder in aid of racketeering charges are punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison with the possibility of death. Those charged with assault in aid of racketeering, conspiracy to assault in aid of racketeering and attempted murder in aid of racketeering could receive up to 20, three and 10 years, respectively, upon conviction. The other related firearms and other offenses carry penalties ranging from 10 years to life in federal prison. Each count also carries a potential fine of up to $250,000.
FBI – Houston led the investigation along with Texas Department of Public Safety - Criminal Investigative Division, Texas Rangers and Highway Patrol, and Texas Board of Criminal Justice – Office of Inspector General with assistance of Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; sheriff’s offices in Montgomery, Harris and Leon counties; police departments in Huntsville, Madisonville, Fort Worth, Houston and Shenandoah, as well as Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; U.S. Marshals Service; and district attorney’s offices in Walker, Madison and Montgomery counties. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keri L. Fuller and Byron H. Black are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Tuesday 17 March 2026
Wyoming man pleads guilty to child pornography productionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS - A Sheridan, Wyoming man accused of producing child pornography admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Zachary Dean Schifferns, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a maximum term of 30 years, a $250,000 fine, and five years to lifetime supervised release. Schifferns also pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later time. Schifferns was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on December 25, 2024, law enforcement in Rosebud County interviewed John Doe 1, then a 14-year-old male. John Doe 1 said about two weeks earlier Schifferns added John Doe 1 on a social media application. Schifferns told John Doe 1 he had an interest in boys aged 12-15. John Doe 1 explained Schifferns asked him for nude images and sent him a picture of his (Schifferns’) penis. At Schifferns’ urging, John Doe 1 said he sent Schifferns a picture of his abs and penis but then contended he photoshopped a picture of a penis he found on the internet onto his body to send to Schifferns.
Investigation into Schifferns’ electronic media led to the discovery of dozens of images and videos of child pornography. This included content depicting children 12 years of age or younger engaged in sexually explicit conduct. A review of Schifferns’ social media account contained communication between Schifferns and John Doe 1, among others. In the communications with John Doe 1, Schifferns solicitated child pornography from John Doe 1 and offered money to have sex with him.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The FBI, Rosebud County Sheriff’s Office and Big Horn County Sheriff's Office conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims.
XXX
West Virginia Doctor Sentenced for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA - A Wheeling, West Virginia, physician was sentenced for tax fraud that totaled nearly $2.5 million, U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
“Dr. Ratnakar cheated the system by avoiding tax payments,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “Tax fraud is stealing from all honest citizens and will not be tolerated in this district.”
Nitesh Ratnakar, age 50, was sentenced to 41 months in prison for 41 counts of tax fraud. Ratnakar owned and operated a gastroenterology practice and a medical equipment manufacturer in Elkins, West Virginia. He withheld payroll taxes from his employees’ paychecks and failed to make $2,419,560 in required payments to the Internal Revenue Service. Ratnakar also filed false tax returns in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Ratnakar will serve one year of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod Douglas and Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Waterloo Man Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison for Preparing and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
A man who prepared fraudulent tax returns for himself and others was sentenced on March 13, 2026, to three years in federal prison.
Tresor Mugogo Ngoy, age 41, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 25, 2025, guilty plea to one count of making and subscribing a false tax return.
Mugogo Ngoy admitted that he signed and filed a false tax return in his own name for the 2020 tax year. Evidence at sentencing showed that he also filed false tax returns in his own name for every tax year between 2017 and 2022. Evidence also showed that Mugogo Ngoy, who is originally from the Democratic Republic of the Congo, was being paid by other people in the Congolese community in Waterloo to prepare tax returns. Mugogo Ngoy falsified tax returns by claiming deductions and credits to which the taxpayers were not entitled. Mugogo Ngoy prepared more than 50 false returns that claimed more than $250,000 in fraudulent refunds. He was generally paid between $100 and $300 in cash to prepare a tax return.
Mugogo Ngoy has been in the United States since 2012. His lengthy criminal record includes five convictions for operating while intoxicated and convictions for other driving-related offenses. Mugogo Ngoy is currently serving a five-year prison term in the State of Iowa after an April 2025 conviction for operating while intoxicated in Black Hawk County.
Mugogo Ngoy was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment and ordered to make more than $250,000 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“As the tax filing deadline looms, most taxpayers are filing timely, accurate tax returns. But those looking to cheat the government should know IRS—Criminal Investigation exists to track cheaters down and hold them accountable,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge William Steenson. “That not only applies to individual filers, but also to those who prepare and submit fraudulent tax returns for others.”
“The American income-tax system relies on trust and honesty,” said United States Attorney Leif Olson. “Not just the federal government’s trust that we’ll pay our taxes honestly, but each taxpayer’s trust in every other taxpayer that we’ll all play by the rules. When a cheat like Mugogo Ngoy drains money from the federal treasury, he isn’t taking advantage of a system; he’s taking advantage of every one of us who has paid taxes honestly. Now he’ll pay the price.”
Mugogo Ngoy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-2031.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
W International Companies Agree to Pay $10.5M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations for Overcharging the Air Force and the Navy for Weld TablesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that W International LLC, W International SC LLC, Precision Metal Equipment Handling LLC, and Edward Walker (collectively, “Defendants”) have agreed to pay $10.5 million to resolve allegations under the False Claims Act that they knowingly overcharged the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Navy for weld tables.
W International LLC, a Michigan company, and W International SC LLC, a South Carolina company, were both engaged in the business of industrial welding and metal fabrication. Edward Walker was the Chief Executive Officer of both companies. Precision Metal Equipment Handling LLC is a Michigan company that manufactured weld tables for W International SC LLC.
“Contractors and subcontractors are expected to charge no more than authorized under their contracts with the military,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue to ensure the government gets the prices it bargained for on defense contracts.”
“Exploiting the procurement process for our military’s necessary materials unduly increases the burden on taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan P. Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We’ll continue to work with our partners to support our service members and protect our taxpayers.”
“To meet global demands, the Navy must accelerate shipbuilding. However, contractors who overcharge betray the public's trust and undermine this critical mission,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners are committed to protecting taxpayer funds and ensuring every dollar is spent in accordance with the contract.”
“As the law enforcement arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) is steadfastly committed to protecting the integrity of DoD’s procurement process and holding contractors accountable,” said Christopher Dillard, Special Agent in Charge, DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Fraud on DoD contracts diverts critical taxpayer resources away from our warfighters. DCIS will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who seek to exploit the system for personal gain.”
The allegations resolved by the settlement concern federal funds provided to W International SC to refurbish and equip a large-scale welding facility. As part of that effort, the United States alleges, the Defendants submitted or caused to be submitted claims for payment that overcharged for weld tables supplied for the facility. Funding for the project was provided through the Defense Production Act pursuant to a U.S. Air Force Technology Investment Agreement, and as Supplier Development Funds pursuant to a Navy prime contract with General Dynamics Electric Boat.
The allegations resolved by this settlement arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act under which private citizens can sue on behalf of the government and share in any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, John Klausmeier, a former employee of W International SC LLC, to receive $1,863,750 as his share of the settlement.
This case was handled by the Department of Justice’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina; the Naval Criminal Investigative Service; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and the Defense Contract Audit Agency.
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Attorney Greg Pearson of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Leventis for the District of South Carolina.
The lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Klausmeier v. W International, LLC, Civil Action number 22-cv-1774 in U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Two Individuals Charged with Drug Trafficking Conspiracy and Money Laundering Extradited from the Dominican RepublicRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Dominican Republic authorities extradited Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur to the United States to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges filed in the District of Puerto Rico, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. In a separate indictment, defendant Luis Febles-Peralta was also extradited to Puerto Rico to face drug trafficking and money laundering charges. Germán E. Arredondo-Peralta, brother of Febles-Peralta, was arrested in Puerto Rico for money laundering.
Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur was arrested in the Dominican Republic on January 13, 2026, and extradited to Puerto Rico on March 11, 2026. According to court documents, from in or about April 2021 to in or about January 2022, Espinal-Arthur conspired and agreed with others to conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, delivering drug proceeds in cash, converting the cash-drug proceeds into cryptocurrency, and transferring cryptocurrency, knowing the transactions were designed to conceal the nature and control of the drug proceeds.
The second indictment charges Luis Febles-Peralta and Germán E. Arredondo-Peralta with money laundering conspiracy. Febles-Peralta was arrested in the Dominican Republic on January 13, 2026, and extradited to Puerto Rico on March 11, 2026. According to court documents, from January 2022 to July 2022, the defendants conspired and agreed with others to conduct and attempt to conduct financial transactions affecting interstate and foreign commerce, that is, delivering drug proceeds in cash, converting the cash-drug proceeds into cryptocurrency, and transferring cryptocurrency, knowing the transactions were designed to conceal the nature and control of the drug proceeds. Febles-Peralta and Arredondo-Peralta are facing a money laundering forfeiture allegation of $2,741,560.
Luis Febles-Peralta is also facing drug trafficking charges, that is, conspiracy to import cocaine into the United States, attempted importation of cocaine, and distribution for purpose of unlawful importation of cocaine.
If convicted of the charged narcotics offenses, the defendants face a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life in prison. If convicted of the money laundering charges, the defendants face up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is in charge of the investigation of both cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Anderson is in charge of the prosecution of both cases.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Claudia Dubravetz.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition to the United States of Pedro J. Espinal-Arthur and Luis Febles-Peralta.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Six Sentenced in Healthcare Fraud Conspiracy that Stole $10 Million from Medicaid over Six-Year PeriodRead the Press Release
LYNCHBURG, Va. – Six defendants, who stole upwards of $10 million from the Virginia Medicaid system over a six-year period by submitting false claims on behalf of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Services for services that were never provided, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Lynchburg.
The three owners of 1st Adult N Pediatric, Carolyn Bryant-Taylor, 61, of Clinton, Md., Kafomdi Josephine Okocha, 50, of Upper Marlboro, Md., and Samuel Okocha, 52, of Upper Marlboro, Md., were sentenced today.
Bryant Taylor was sentenced to 120 months, Josephine Okocha was sentenced to 96 months, and Samuel Okocha was sentenced to 72 months.
Three additional defendants in the healthcare fraud conspiracy were also sentenced.
Eno Utuk, 49, of Fredericksburg, Md., Elizabeth Ilome, 43, of Fredericksburg, Md., and Shekita Gore, 41, of Clinton, Md., were each sentenced to probation.
The district court also directed the defendants to pay restitution totaling $10 million to Virginia Medicaid.
“This United States Attorney’s Office will hold accountable those who commit healthcare fraud and steal from hardworking Americans,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I commend the FBI and the Virginia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for their diligent work in bringing these individuals to justice and protecting hardworking Virginians.”
“These sentences make clear that fraud against federally funded programs is theft from the American people. We will continue to work with our partners to ensure those who steal taxpayer funds are held accountable,” said Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division.
According to court documents, Bryant-Taylor, Josephine Okocha, and Samuel Okocha were owners and operators of 1st Adult N Pediatric Healthcare Service, a Medicaid-enrolled home health agency providing private duty nursing, personal care, and respite care services throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia, including in the Western District of Virginia. Gore was the director of nursing, while Utuk and Ilome were employed by 1st Adult to provide nursing and personal care.
The defendants conspired to submit false claims to Medicaid for services that were not provided to patients, including falsifying records and documentation in support of the fraudulent claims submitted for reimbursement.
As part of this scheme, between 2017 and 2023, Bryant-Taylor and her co-defendant, Josephine Okocha, planned arrangements to pay the parents or guardians of patients in exchange for blank, signed nursing notes which would be filled out and used to support billing to Medicaid. In these arrangements, the amount billed to Medicaid either reflected nursing services that were not provided at all, or an amount of nursing services that was in excess of what was provided.
The conspirators have acknowledged the actual loss to the Medicaid program from 1st Adult’s improved billing was $10,000,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Virginia Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit are investigating the case, with assistance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Jones and Laura Taylor, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Terry, a Senior Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, are prosecuting the case.
Road Rage Killer Sentenced to Life in Prison in Fatal Shooting of Uber DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rodney Baggott, 58, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to life in prison without the possibility of release in connection with the fatal 2024 road rage shooting of Uber Eats driver Rasheek Abdullah near the Dupont Circle Metro Station, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Today, a Washington, D.C., judge recognized the enormous harm a career criminal poses to our community. Rodney Baggott—a previously convicted killer—took another man’s life in a senseless act of violence for nothing more than passing him on the road,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Today’s sentence ensures this violent offender, who has shown complete disregard for the lives of others, is off our streets and behind bars where he belongs. We need more sentences like this to stop violence in D.C.”
A federal jury deliberated for a single day before finding Baggott guilty on July 24 of first-degree murder while armed (premeditated), possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. Judge Reggie B. Walton presided over the case.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Jan. 30, 2024, Baggott was driving a white Mitsubishi Outlander to his then-girlfriend’s office at a law firm in Dupont Circle. Shortly before 4 p.m., the girlfriend left her office and joined Baggott. The two drove to the intersection of Connecticut Ave. and Q St., NW. As Baggott made a right-hand turn, Abdullah passed him on the left-hand side. Baggott became enraged, believing that Abdullah had cut him off. Baggott drove up next to Abdullah, pulled out a gun, and shot him in the neck.
Baggott fled the scene with his girlfriend sitting in the passenger seat. The girlfriend called an auto body repair shop to fix distinctive damage on the vehicle, damage that would go out on a police bulletin later that day and would ultimately be used to link Baggott to the shooting.
On March 2, 2024, a Montgomery County Police officer stopped Baggott and the girlfriend while they were in the white Mitsubishi Outlander when Baggott was arrested for illegally possessing a gun in the vehicle. On March 3, 2024, law enforcement found the gun used in the shooting during the execution of a search warrant at Baggott’s girlfriend’s apartment. The firearm had DNA that linked it to both the girlfriend and Baggott.
As a result of the shooting, Abdullah’s health declined until his death. He became a quadriplegic from the moment Baggott shot him. His condition deteriorated over a three-month period until he succumbed on April 29, 2024.
Baggott previously was convicted and sentenced on a 2015 charge of voluntary manslaughter while armed.
Joining in the announcement was ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the ATF Washington Field Division and the Metropolitan Police Department, with valuable assistance from the Montgomery County Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Helfand and Daniel Seidel, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Tepfer. Paralegal specialist Melissa Macechko provided valuable assistance.
24cr127
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcRikers Island Correction Officer Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements to Obtain Workers’ Compensation Benefits Following Use of Force IncidentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that TODD FAUSTIN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman to making false statements relating to healthcare matters in connection with use of force incidents that took place within Rikers Island.
“Todd Faustin fraudulently received hundreds of thousands of dollars from the City of New York by faking injuries after some of the most delicate and dangerous interactions within our criminal justice system—incidents where force is used against an incarcerated person,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “False workers’ compensation claims place a large cost on all New Yorkers. It’s even worse when the perpetrator is a City employee. The vast majority of our correction officers do a tough job well and honestly. Faustin is not one of them.”
According to the Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in court:
The New York State Workers’ Compensation Board (the “Board”) administers New York State’s no-fault workers’ compensation system, which guarantees medical care and cash benefits to people who are injured at work, including employees of the New York City Department of Correction (“DOC”). Payments by the Board made to DOC employees are paid from the New York City Treasury. For years, FAUSTIN was employed by the DOC as a correction officer and was assigned to work at Rikers Island. During that time, FAUSTIN falsely claimed that he was injured while on duty at Rikers Island during incidents with incarcerated individuals requiring the use of force. In total, FAUSTIN received at least $370,336.79 in benefits to which he was not entitled. FAUSTIN’s resignation with DOC is effective today, March 17, 2026.
* * *
FAUSTIN, 43, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of making false statements related to health care matters, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. FAUSTIN is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7, 2026.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the New York City Department of Investigation, the New York State Office of Inspector General, and the Special Agents and Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights and Human Trafficking Unit and the Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaiya Arroyo and Stephanie Simon are in charge of the prosecution.
Planner of Seven Inside-Job Robberies of Chinatown Walgreens Sentenced to 126 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Gianni Robinson, 28, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 126 months in federal prison for his role as a planner and coordinator in seven armed robberies of a Walgreens drugstore in the District's Chinatown neighborhood, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Robinson pleaded guilty on Feb. 28, 2025, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery in violation of the Hobbs Act, and to possessing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. In addition to the 126-month prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Robinson to serve five years of supervised release and to pay $7,245.75 in restitution.
“After police posted surveillance footage of his co-conspirator robbing the Walgreens, Gianni Robinson sent the YouTube link to the gunman with a laughing emoji. He thought the crimes he conspired on were funny,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Now, after seven robberies, countless traumatized employees and one man shot in the chest, Robinson isn’t laughing anymore and will serve the next 126 months behind bars. We continue the fight to make D.C. one of the safest cities in the country.”
According to court documents, from July 2023 through February 2024, Robinson conspired with his store manager uncle, Michael Robinson, store manager London Teeter, and gunman Kamanye Williams to carry out seven armed robberies of the Chinatown Walgreens at 801 7th Street NW. In all, the conspirators robbed about $28,983 from the store.
Gianni Robinson was the operational hub of the conspiracy. He served as the link between the two corrupt store managers who provided inside information and Williams, the masked gunman who entered the store each time to rob it at gunpoint.
Gianni Robinson helped plan the robberies from the beginning, provided Williams with the access codes to the manager's office, gave Williams the green light on the night of the first robbery, and coordinated logistics including getaway arrangements and the splitting of proceeds. Text messages show Gianni Robinson and Williams began planning the first robbery nearly three weeks before its execution.
The robberies followed a consistent pattern. On each occasion, Williams entered the Chinatown Walgreens in disguise, brandished a firearm at employees and Special Police Officers assigned to guard the store, forced his way into the manager's office using codes provided by the inside conspirators, and fled through the rear exit with cash. Michael Robinson and Teeter took turns playing the role of “victim” manager on duty, knowing the robberies would be captured on surveillance footage.
As the conspiracy progressed it grew more brazen. After the Walgreens hired armed Special Police Officers in response to the robberies, the conspirators continued undeterred. During the fifth robbery, on Dec. 4, 2023, Williams disarmed one of the Special Police Officers and stole his firearm along with the cash. During the seventh and final robbery, on Feb. 11, 2024, a second Special Police Officer shot Williams in the chest as he attempted to flee. Michael Robinson's first call after the shooting was to Gianni Robinson, who went to the hospital emergency room where Williams was being treated.
The following day, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence Gianni Robinson shared with Teeter where officers recovered a loaded Glock 45 semi-automatic pistol with 16 rounds in the bedroom.
Robinson's sentencing follows that of his uncle, Michael Robinson, who received 147 months for his role as one of the store managers who enabled the scheme. Gunman Kamanye Williams was sentenced to 198 months. Sentencing for store manager London Teeter is scheduled for April 23, 2026.
This case was investigated by the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force with assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Satter and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Song and Sarah Martin.
24cr96
Follow us on Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube
Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcPittsburgh Defense Contractor Convicted on More Than a Dozen Counts of Wire and Tax Fraud by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – After approximately two hours of deliberation, a federal jury in Pittsburgh has found Donald Smith guilty of 13 counts of violating federal fraud and tax laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Smith, 75, of Pittsburgh was tried before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan, with the jury finding Smith guilty of eight counts of wire fraud and five counts of failing to file a corporate tax return.
The evidence presented to the jury during the five-day trial showed that Smith engaged in a scheme to defraud the Defense Logistics Agency, which provides material to all branches of the United States military. The scheme caused the United States to make payments of over one million dollars on products that were not what Smith and those with whom he worked promised to provide. Smith did not file corporate tax returns reporting any of the more than one million dollars in payments his company received during the tax years of 2019 through 2023.
For each count of wire fraud on which Smith was convicted, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years of imprisonment, a fine of not more than the greater of $250,000 or twice the gross pecuniary loss from the offense, or both. On each of the tax counts, the law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to one year of imprisonment, a fine of no more than $100,000 or twice the gain from the offense, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The Court will schedule sentencing by further order.
Assistant United States Attorneys William Guappone and Barbara K. Doolittle prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and Naval Criminal Investigative Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Smith.
Northern Nevada Man Indicted for Arsons in Spring Valley AreaRead the Press Release
RENO – A grand jury indictment was unsealed today charging a White Pine County, Nevada man for allegedly setting two wildfires on public lands in northern Nevada.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, on or about June 17, 2022, Henry Conrad Vogler set a wildland fire designated as the Lookout Springs Fire in the Spring Valley area of Nevada. Later, on July 7, 2024, he allegedly set a wildland fire designated as the North Creek Fire, in the Spring Valley area. Both fires occurred on publicly owned land. Vogler does not have the authority to set fire upon public lands.
Vogler is charged with two-counts of timber set afire. The maximum statutory penalty is 5 years’ imprisonment. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Trevis Guy, Special Agent in Charge, Bureau of Land Management, made the announcement.
The Bureau of Land Management investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Randolph J. St. Clair is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
New Orleans Man Indicted for Violating the Federal Gun Controlled Act and Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On March 5, 2026, ERIN ALONZO (“ALONZO”), age 28, of New Orleans, was indicted for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, illegal possession of a machinegun, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C), and Title 18, United States Code, Sections, 922(g)(1), 922(o), 924(a)(2), 924(a)(8), and 924(c)(1)(A), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court records, on or about December 8, 2025, ALONZO allegedly possessed, with the intent to distribute, forty grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine; possessed firearms including a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, a Palmetto State Armory Model PA-15, multi caliber AR pistol, and an Imez Makarov Model K.B.I. nine milli-meter pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possessed a machinegun, a Glock Model 23, .40 caliber pistol with an attached conversion device. Additionally, ALONZO is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition, due to a prior felony conviction for obstruction of justice related to a homicide investigation.
If convicted of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, ALONZO faces a minimum term of five (5) years up to a maximum term of forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four (4) years of supervised release. If convicted of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, ALONZO faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years up to life imprisonment to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five (5) years of supervised release. If convicted of illegal possession of a machinegun, ALONZO faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. If convicted of illegal possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, ALONZO faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. He also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each charged offense.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
***
New Orleans Man Indicted for Fentanyl Distribution, Illegal Possession of Firearm and Ammunition during Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On March 5, 2026, KENTRELL WILLIAMS (WILLIAMS), a/k/a “Fire,” age 43, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was charged by superseding indictment on March 5, 2026 for distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C), and Title 18, United States Code, Sections, 922(g)(1), 924(a)(8), and 924(c)(1)(A), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on or about August 13, 2025, WILLIAMS allegedly distributed 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl in New Orleans. On or about February 3, 2026, WILLIAMS allegedly possessed with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.; allegedly possessed a firearm, a Glock Model 21 GEN, .45 caliber pistol, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Finally, WILLIAMS is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition due to his prior felony convictions in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court.
If convicted of distribution of fentanyl, WILLIAMS faces a minimum term of five (5) years, up to a maximum term of forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, and at least four (4) years of supervised release. If convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, WILLIAMS faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and at least (3) years of supervised release. If convicted of possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking crime, WILLIAMS faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five (5) years up to life imprisonment, to run consecutive to any other term of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five (5) years of supervised release. If convicted of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, WILLIAMS faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. As to each charged offense, he also faces payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Louisiana State Police, the Major Crimes Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
* * *
Nevada Man Indicted for Smuggling and Selling Misbranded Erectile Dysfunction and Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Henderson, Nev., resident made his initial appearance in court on Friday in connection to a 17-count superseding indictment charging him for allegedly smuggling misbranded prescription drugs under the brand names “Ride,” “Kinky Kong,” “Stif,” “TBone,” and “Kinky Pink.”
According to allegations in the superseding indictment, David Ralph Webber owned and operated Passion Plus Enterprises Inc. and Whole Science Health. He was not a registered pharmaceutical manufacturer with the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nor was he licensed to administer prescription drugs or as a wholesaler of prescription drugs.
As alleged, from at least 2018 to present, Webber used his companies to import hundreds of thousands of misbranded prescription drug capsules and tablets containing sildenafil, sildenafil citrate, and tadalafil — the active ingredients in Viagra and Cialis — into the United States. The prescription drugs were manufactured in India at facilities that were not registered with the FDA. To evade customs detection and enforcement, Webber falsely declared that the wire transfers to the manufacturers were for business management consultancy services; and he allegedly paid a packaging company to list false ingredients and false claims that the drugs were “100% Natural” and did not require a prescription.
Webber allegedly sold the misbranded prescription drugs to smoke shops, convenience stores, and adult novelty stores in Nevada and throughout the southwestern United States, and directly to consumers through a website he operated. In total, he made more than $1.9 million dollars in revenue from his sales of misbranded prescription drugs.
A federal grand jury returned the superseding indictment charging Webber with one count of introduction of a misbranded drug into interstate commerce; four counts of wholesale distribution of prescription drugs without a license; seven counts of smuggling; and five counts of mail fraud.
A jury trial is set for September 29, 2026, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. The maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in custody.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Robert M. Iwanicki of the FDA’s Office of Criminal Investigations Los Angeles Field Office, and Inspector in Charge Glen Henderson for the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Phoenix Division made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FDA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Oliva and Kimberly Frayn are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know has taken these products and/or suffered adverse health effects as a result of these products, please contact investigators at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/email/oc/oci/contact.cfm.
A Superseding Indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
Monkton Woman Charged with Distribution of Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 16, 2026, Jodi Palmer, 48, of Monkton, Vermont, appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Palmer was charged on September 11, 2024 by criminal complaint with distribution of cocaine base (crack cocaine). She appeared in federal court yesterday pursuant to a writ of habeas corpus, as she is currently detained in the Vermont Department of Corrections. A detention hearing is scheduled for March 19, 2026.
According to court records, Palmer distributed approximately four grams of cocaine base to an informant during an operation by Homeland Security Investigations on July 26, 2024.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Palmer is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Palmer faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Special Assistant United States Attorney Craig S. Nolan. Palmer is represented by Federal Public Defender Alejandro Fernandez.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
A Mississippi man was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison for carjacking and for brandishing a firearm during the carjacking.
According to court documents, Un’Darius Dickerson, 24, of Jackson, Mississippi, brandished a firearm to take the victim’s motor vehicle by force. On Nov. 19, 2024, Dickerson, wearing a ski mask, approached the victim, pointed a rifle in her face, and demanded, “You know what this is. Give me those keys.” The victim gave Dickerson her car keys, and he drove away in the victim’s vehicle.
A day later, Southaven, Mississippi, Police Officers arrested Dickerson, still driving the victim’s car, after he attempted to flee police from a traffic stop. During an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Dickerson admitted to “robbing” the victim and assisted law enforcement in recovering the firearm he brandished during the carjacking.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Memphis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Marcus Johnson and former Trial Attorney Shriram Harid of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
Mississippi Man Sentenced to 9 Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Mississippi man was sentenced yesterday to nine years in prison for carjacking and for brandishing a firearm during the carjacking.
According to court documents, Un’Darius Dickerson, 24, of Jackson, Mississippi, brandished a firearm to take the victim’s motor vehicle by force. On Nov. 19, 2024, Dickerson, wearing a ski mask, approached the victim, pointed a rifle in her face, and demanded, “You know what this is. Give me those keys.” The victim gave Dickerson her car keys, and he drove away in the victim’s vehicle.
A day later, Southaven, Mississippi, Police Officers arrested Dickerson, still driving the victim’s car, after he attempted to flee police from a traffic stop. During an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Dickerson admitted to “robbing” the victim and assisted law enforcement in recovering the firearm he brandished during the carjacking.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Memphis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Marcus Johnson and former Trial Attorney Shriram Harid of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Musselwhite for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee and surrounding areas. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
###
CRM
26-260
If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Miami Jury Convicts Tennessee Man of Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Minor and Attempted Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Tennessee man was convicted by a federal jury on Feb. 24 of attempting to sex traffic a minor living in Colombia and attempting to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving the victim.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Ramon Arellano Sandoval, 65, of Antioch, Tennessee, exchanged thousands of text and video messages with a female victim living in rural Colombia who was only 14 years old at the time. Despite knowing the victim was underage, Sandoval repeatedly solicited sexually explicit videos from her and directed her to produce CSAM, often in exchange for electronic payments. Sandoval also traveled to Colombia to engage in commercial sex with the minor victim.
“The jury’s verdict delivered justice for a 14-year-old victim who was targeted and exploited by a 65-year-old man who knew exactly what he was doing,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The evidence showed that this defendant pressured a child to create sexually explicit videos and even traveled overseas to abuse her. That conduct is predatory, criminal, and intolerable. The Southern District of Florida will continue working with our federal partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute anyone who seeks to exploit children online or anywhere else.”
The jury found Sandoval guilty of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and attempted production of visual depictions of the sexual exploitation of a minor. He faces up to life in federal prison for attempted sex trafficking and up to 30 years for attempted production. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
HSI Miami is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tim Farina and Camille Smith are prosecuting 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 at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20519.
###
Member of Chilean ATM Robbery Crew Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Commit Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A member of an ATM robbery crew, Francisco Antonio Marin Ilbaca, 46, of Chile, pleaded guilty Monday to conspiracy to commit bank robbery arising from a string of robberies of banks and ATMs throughout California, Oregon, and Washington, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Marin Ilbaca and his co-defendants were part of a South American theft group that conspired to break into and steal money from financial institutions between May and October of 2024. Conspirators rented cars on the black market to transport themselves to and from the robberies and to scout potential robbery locations in advance of each crime. Once they identified ATMs in vulnerable locations, they used construction-crew disguises, blowtorches, and cellphone jammers, among other sophisticated tactics, to break into the banks and ATMs and steal cash. Marin Ilbaca and nine other coven-conspirators are currently charged for their roles in the conspiracy. During the entire period of the conspiracy, the total loss amount caused in furtherance of the conspiracy exceeded $5.5 million.
Marin Ilbaca is set for sentencing on June 8, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sherriff. He faces a maximum statutory sentence of five years in prison for conspiracy to commit bank robbery. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the police departments of the cities of Fresno, Citrus Heights, Clovis, Elk Grove, Fresno, Modesto, Rocklin, Roseville, and Sacramento; and the Placer County Sheriff’s Office. Assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office, and the Seattle Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Veneman-Hughes and Justin J. Gilio are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Manitowoc Resident Indicted on Child Obscenity, Production of Child Pornography, and Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by a Registered Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that on March 17, 2026, Brandon M. Lemerond (Age: 20) of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was indicted on two counts of Obscene Visual Depictions of the Sexual Abuse of Children in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1466A, a count of Production of Child Pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a), and three counts of Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by an Individual Required to Register as a Sexual Offender in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A.
The indictment alleges that the violations occurred on various dates in July 2025. If convicted of the child obscenity offense, Lemerond faces a mandatory minimum15 years’ imprisonment and up to 40 years’ imprisonment. The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum 25 years’ imprisonment and up to a maximum of 50 years in federal prison. If convicted of committing a new criminal offense against a child while on the sex offender registry, the defendant must be given a mandatory 10 years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other sentence. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and must serve from 5 years to a lifetime on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the City of Manitowoc Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on X
Media AdvisoryRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office will hold a press conference to announce the successful prosecution of a three-year investigation into a cocaine distribution conspiracy in Teton County, Wyoming and Teton County, Idaho.
The fifth and final defendant was recently sentenced in the case. Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Agency, United States Postal Inspection Service, Teton County Sheriff’s Office in Idaho and the Idaho State Police investigated the crime.
WHO:
- Darin Smith, United States Attorney for the District of Wyoming
- Ronnie Jones, Director of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation
- Dave Olesky, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration
WHAT: Press Conference
WHERE: U.S Attorney’s Office Headquarters
2120 Capitol Avenue, 5th Floor
Cheyenne, WY 82001WHEN: 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 20, 2025
WHY: This press conference is being held to announce the successful prosecution of five individuals involved in a large cocaine distribution conspiracy in Teton County, WY and Teton County, ID.
Please let us know if you can make it by Thursday, March 19. RSVP to Lori Hogan, Public Affairs Officer: [email protected], 307-772-2124.
A virtual option is available. Please request the link with your RSVP.London Woman Sentenced for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving COVID Relief LoansRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A London woman, Nicole Pennington, 50, was sentenced on Tuesday to 44 months by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom for wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, arising out of a scheme to fraudulently obtain Economic Injury Disaster Loans and Paycheck Protection Program loans.
In March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States established the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which provided forgivable loans to small businesses as an incentive to keep their workers on the payroll, and expanded funding for the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which provided low-interest loans to small businesses to cover operational expenses. The Small Business Administration (SBA) administered both programs. According to her plea agreement, from March 2020 to May 2022, Nicole Pennington devised a scheme to defraud the government by making materially false statements on PPP and EIDL applications. In total, Pennington submitted about 30 PPP and EIDL applications on behalf of actual and fabricated businesses associated with herself and her husband, Joshua Pennington. All of these applications contained material falsehoods, and Nicole Pennington supported them with fraudulent tax returns, financial statements, and other records. Six of the loan applications were approved for a total of $1,090,398.35 in fraudulently obtained SBA loan proceeds.
After receiving the loan proceeds, Nicole Pennington and her co-defendant, Joshua Pennington, laundered more than $1,000,000 in criminally derived funds by engaging in a series of transactions in amounts of $10,000 or more. Specifically, they used the money to renovate their kitchen, pay for plastic surgery, purchase a Viking River Cruise trip, withdraw cash, purchase vehicles, and pay off loans and mortgages.
Joshua Pennington was previously sentenced to 22 months in prison for his role in the money laundering conspiracy.
Under federal law, Nicole Pennington must serve 85 percent of her prison sentence. Upon her release from prison, she will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Kelly K. Moening, Special Agent in Charge, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Great Lakes Field Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Detroit Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Smith prosecuted the sentencing on behalf of the United States.
The Fraud Section leads the Department of Justice Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
– END –
LeFlore County Resident Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Kenny Ray Smith, age 62, of Whitesboro, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 240 months in prison each for two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine. The Court ordered the sentences to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the District 16 District Attorney’s Office, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
On September 4, 2025, Smith was found guilty of the charges by a federal jury at trial. According to investigators, on June 27, 2024, Smith conducted a sale for 27.85 grams of methamphetamine in a controlled buy during an undercover investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN). On July 9, 2024, Smith conducted a sale for 52.9 grams of methamphetamine in a controlled buy during an undercover investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the OBN.
“Mr. Smith’s crimes and his long history of drug trafficking in Eastern Oklahoma have proven him to be deserving of this sentence,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “I commend the DEA and OBN for their work to combat drugs in our communities. Together, we have formed an effective partnership reflecting the high priority this office places on protecting public health and safety.”
“This was an outstanding joint investigation that aimed to remove a significant meth supplier in eastern Oklahoma,” said OBN Director Donnie Anderson. “Meth continues to be one of our state’s leading contributors in drug-related deaths. Our agency will continue to aggressively target those who endanger the health and safety of Oklahoma citizens by funneling meth onto our streets.”
“This sentence sends a clear and unwavering message: repeat offenders who profit from the distribution of this poison will be held fully accountable. Mr. Smith’s criminal history underscores a pattern of harm that we cannot and will not tolerate,” said Joseph B. Tucker, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Dallas Field Division. “The DEA is fully committed to working closely with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to disrupt drug trafficking networks and protect the safety and well-being of our communities.”
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Smith will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan Howanitz and Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing 10,000 Counterfeit Percocet PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to drug charges connected to a drug manufacturing ring.
Joshua Morales, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2026. Morales was charged in August 2025.
According to the charging documents, Morales was observed by law enforcement entering into a residence in Methuen and leaving with a large orange bag. According to court documents, investigators knew that the residence was an alleged drug distribution and manufacturing location. While under surveillance, Morales then drove to a location in Lawrence, where he was apprehended. During a search of Morales’ vehicle, 10,000 counterfeit Percocet pills believed to contain fentanyl were recovered.During a search of the residence in Methuen, an automated pill press was located, along with multiple kilograms of counterfeit Adderall and Percocet pills believed to contain fentanyl and methamphetamine. Numerous items used in the pill manufacturing process, including cutting agents, blenders, scales, bowls and bags full of suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine powders and binding agents were also recovered.
The charge of possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Methuen Police Chief Scott J. McNamara made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office, the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office, Peabody Police Department, Lawrence Police Department and Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Boston Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Law enforcement seized 11 kilograms of suspected fentanyl, cocaine from a Dayton man’s safe following his arrest on federal drug crimesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man has been charged federally in a narcotics trafficking case in which law enforcement seized approximately 11 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and cocaine.
Ke-Shawn Rivers, 46, appeared in federal court yesterday morning for a detention hearing. The Court ordered that he remain in custody pending trial.
According to the indictment, between September 2025 and January 2026, Rivers, who also goes by “JayZ,” distributed fentanyl on multiple occasions.
On March 11, law enforcement executed a search warrant and seized narcotics, a firearm and a safe. The safe contained approximately 11 kilograms of suspected fentanyl and cocaine and $260,000 in cash as well as an additional firearm.
“Illicit fentanyl destroys lives and directly threatens our national security,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “My office will continue to fight alongside our law enforcement partners at all levels of government to rid our streets of this deadly drug.”
“Fentanyl has been a scourge on our communities and has sadly taken many of our family and friends too soon,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “HSI will continue to vigorously investigate and dismantle narcotics trafficking networks across Ohio and Michigan to protect our communities. I want to thank our partners from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for their partnership in this investigation.”
“Fentanyl’s catastrophic impact on our communities is well-documented – when a tiny speck can cause an overdose, taking pounds off the streets makes Ohio exponentially safer,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “This task force and our BCI narcotics agents have my gratitude for a job well done.”
“Fentanyl continues to devastate families and communities throughout Montgomery County,” said Rob Streck. “The amount of fentanyl seized in this case had the potential to cause unimaginable harm in our community. This case is another example of what can be accomplished when federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies work together to identify and hold accountable those responsible for trafficking these deadly drugs.”
Rivers is charged with 13 counts of distributing fentanyl, a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost; Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck and members of the Regional Area Narcotics and Gun Enforcement Task Force (RANGE) announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Amy M. Smith and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Collins are representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
# # #
Lafourche Parish Resident Guilty of Furthering Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – MICHAEL LEWIS, (“LEWIS”), age 44, of Thibodaux, pled guilty on March 13, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long , to a superseding bill of information charging him with illegal use of communications facility to further a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §843(b) and Title 18, U.S.C. §2. At the sentencing, scheduled for June 16, 2026, he faces up to four years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
According to the charging document, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least June 5, 2024, LEWIS conspired with other individuals, mainly Linez Green and John Paul Gage Jr., to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, methamphetamine throughout the Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting narcotics to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications, and the use of multiple vehicles. On multiple occasions, LEWIS used his cell phone to further this conspiracy and helped others distribute methamphetamine to numerous customers in Thibodaux, Louisiana. Both Green and Gage Jr. have also previously pled guilty in this case.
The United States Attorney’s Office praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Federal Investigation into Crypto ‘Mogul’ Threats Against Party PlannerRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy pleaded guilty today to obstructing a federal investigation into a now-jailed, self-styled cryptocurrency businessman by lying that he never witnessed the wannabe crypto mogul threaten and extort $25,000 from a party planner at his Bel Air mansion.
Scott Allen Simpkins, 34, of Brea, pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice.
Prior to today’s hearing, Simpkins had been relieved of duty and placed on leave by LASD, but he has not yet left the department.
According to his plea agreement, Simpkins was a deputy assigned to LASD’s Lakewood Station and worked for LASD’s Special Enforcement Bureau and SWAT team. He also worked approximately six to eight shifts as a private security guard for Saavedra & Associates and received cash payments for his services.
Saavedra & Associates was a private company owned and operated by then-LASD Deputy and one-time federal task force officer Eric Chase Saavedra, 43, of Chino, that employed active LASD deputies and law enforcement officers and provided private security services for clients.
One of those clients was Adam Iza, 25, who resided in Beverly Hills and Newport Beach, was a self-styled cryptocurrency businessman who called himself “The Godfather,” and who has been in federal custody since September 2024. Iza pleaded guilty in January 2025 to one count of conspiracy against rights, one count of wire fraud, and one count of tax evasion, and awaits sentencing.
In August 2021, Iza hired Simpkins, fellow then-LASD Deputy Christopher Michael Cadman, 34, of Fullerton, and other law enforcement officers to provide private security at a party at his Bel Air mansion. At the time, Simpkins knew Iza possessed at least one firearm.
After the party ended, at around 3 a.m. or 4 a.m. on August 15, 2021, Simpkins learned the party planner – identified in court documents as “R.C.” – had been kicked out of the party for erratic behavior.
The next day, Simpkins worked another shift at Iza’s Bel Air mansion and – along with Cadman – escorted R.C. to Iza’s office and closed the door behind them. Iza – seated behind his office desk – then took steps to intimidate R.C. to obtain $25,000 by placing four or five rounds of live 9mm ammunition on his desk across from R.C. While speaking to the victim, Iza picked up the live ammunition and twirled a bullet in his hand as he spoke threateningly to R.C.
During this meeting, Iza accessed R.C.’s phone after demanding that $25,000 be transferred from R.C.’s bank account to an Iza-controlled bank account. After the transfer occurred, Simpkins and Cadman escorted R.C. out of Iza’s mansion.
After this incident, Iza hired Saavedra & Associates as his private security provider and made substantial payments to Saavedra and his employees. Simpkins and Cadman each earned $1,400 for their shifts during the August 2021 party and the August 16 incident with R.C.
In response to Simpkins and Cadman helping to secure a long-term contract with Iza, Saavedra & Associate paid them approximately 10% of the company’s total profits for the contract’s first month.
After Iza’s arrest in September 2024 and the R.C.-related conduct being charged – along with other crimes – in a federal criminal complaint and an indictment against Iza, the FBI executed a search warrant on Simpkins’ person and seized his phone.
In a November 2024 meeting with federal law enforcement concerning Iza and corrupt LASD deputies and in which Simpkins was warned that lying would result in criminal prosecution, Simpkins lied repeatedly to FBI agents and federal prosecutors that he saw no ammunition or shell casings inside Iza’s office during the incident with victim R.C. Simpkins further lied when he said he saw no financial transactions occur.
Simpkins admitted in his plea agreement that he knew his lies had the natural and probable effect of interfering with the criminal investigation and legal proceedings against Iza and were material to the investigation.
United States District Judge Percy Anderson scheduled a July 13 sentencing hearing, at which time Simpkins will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
Iza, Saavedra and Cadman, among others, have pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges and await sentencing.
On Monday, Judge Anderson sentenced former LASD Deputy Michael David Coberg, 44, of Eastvale, to 63 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $127,000 in restitution for helping Iza extort a rival and arrange the sham illegal drug possession arrest of another adversary in Paramount in 2021.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Maxwell K. Coll of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case.
Kent, Washington, woman sentenced to prison for defrauding VA programs designed to help severely disabled veteransRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Kent, Washington, woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 17 months in prison for her long-lasting fraud scheme that stole more than $1 million in benefits from the Veterans Administration, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Kelly M. Lee-Carroll, 58, recruited her sister and her son to the scheme to defraud Veterans Administration health care and disability benefits. Lee-Carroll claimed she was unable to walk or care for herself and needed round-the-clock care. In fact, Lee-Carrol was able to walk. She traveled on exotic vacations and purchased a second home in Las Vegas all while collecting benefits intended for the most disabled veterans. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James L. Robart said, “Ms. Lee-Carroll broke the trust she had with her fellow veterans. It was intentional and it went on for an extended period of time.”
“As a veteran, I find this type of fraud against our programs despicable,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “These benefits to pay for care, and for caregivers, need to be carefully utilized so that they serve veterans as intended. They should not go for second homes, cars, exotic trips, or casino gambling as they did in this case. This defendant not only pays the price for her conduct, she roped in her family members who now have felony convictions.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that individuals who steal VA benefits will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG will continue to identify and eliminate fraud by seeking prosecution of those who swindle VA benefit programs that are intended to help veterans, their families, and caregivers. We thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this investigation.”
According to records filed in the case, between July 2012 and October 2024, Lee-Carroll claimed to be disabled to such a degree that she needed full time care for daily living. She claimed to be bedridden with paralysis in one leg and arm. She repeatedly represented that she needed a wheelchair to leave home. The investigation revealed that Lee-Carroll did not require the use of a wheelchair outside her home and that she had use of both hands.
Lee-Carroll designated her sister and son as her caregivers so that the VA would pay them for the hours they claimed they cared for Lee-Carroll. Her sister and son claimed to be caring for Lee-Carroll while they were clocked in at other jobs such as driving a truck or working as an administrative assistant. On some of the occasions that they claimed to be caring for Lee-Carroll, she was traveling to Las Vegas, Tennessee, or internationally to Mexico or Jamaica, without any caregivers.
The scheme stole more than $1.1 million in VA funds. Lee-Carroll was ordered to pay $932,142 in restitution. Her son, Robert H. Nelson III, 28, was sentenced last November to 14 months in federal prison and was ordered to pay $282,698 in restitution. Her sister, Katoya F. Grant, 41, was sentenced earlier this month to a ‘time-served’ sentence with six months of supervised release and was ordered to pay $293,787 in restitution.
Lee-Carroll served in the Army for three months in 1986 and then joined the Army Reserves from 1986-1994. Lee-Carroll claimed a service-related disability in 2012 and received caregiver funding in 2013. Prosecutors acknowledged that Lee-Carroll did qualify for some disability payments but not the more than $11,000 per month that she was receiving.
In asking for an 18-month sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “For years, Lee-Carroll falsely claimed that she was wheelchair-bound and bedridden to secure over $1 million in VA benefits that are earmarked for severely disabled veterans. She recruited her sister and son into her scheme to defraud the VA and taxpayers out of funds that should have gone to veterans who are, in fact, bedridden and who require round-the-clock care. The VA benefits that she secured through lies funded a lifestyle that included two homes, one in Kent that is worth over $1 million and one in Las Vegas worth $772,000, multiple vehicles, gambling, and frequent international trips.”
All three defendants pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to commit theft of government property and a count of health care fraud.
The case was investigated by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yunah Chung.
Jury convicts owner of Amazon delivery business for fraud schemes and forging federal judge’s signatureRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – A federal jury has convicted Brittany Hudson of all 30 counts in an indictment that charged her with stealing nearly $10 million from Amazon based on fraud, laundering the fraudulent proceeds from that scheme, lying to a franchising company while on pretrial release, and forging the signature of former Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. on fake court documents.
“Hudson and her literal partner in crime brazenly stole nearly $10 million from Amazon through a fraud scheme involving fake vendors and invoices,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “A federal jury put an end to Hudson’s insatiable greed by returning a guilty verdict on 30 counts of conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and forgery.”
“The level of greed on the part of the perpetrators in this case was staggering,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Donovan of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “Leveraging personal relationships, she stole millions from Amazon and was so confident she wouldn’t be caught, she even forged the signature of a federal judge with the intent of defrauding a second company. Thanks to the diligent work of our agents and the prosecution team at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, her days of defrauding others have come to an end.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Brittany Hudson owned a business, Legend Express LLC, which contracted with Amazon to deliver packages. Hudson was in a romantic relationship with Kayricka Wortham a/k/a Kayricka Dupree a/k/a Kayricka Young, who worked as an operations manager at an Amazon warehouse in Smyrna, Georgia. In her position, Wortham supervised others and had the authority to approve new Amazon vendors and the payment of vendor invoices.
From about January 2022 to June 2022, Hudson and Wortham defrauded Amazon out of nearly $10 million based on a scheme involving bogus vendors and invoices. Wortham provided fake vendor information to unknowing subordinates and asked them to input the information into Amazon’s vendor system. Once the information was entered, Wortham and another co-conspirator at Amazon approved the fake vendors, enabling the vendors to submit invoices.
Hudson and Wortham then submitted fictitious invoices, falsely representing that the phony vendors had provided goods and services to Amazon. Wortham approved the invoices, causing Amazon to transfer approximately $9.4 million to bank accounts controlled by Hudson, Wortham, and co-conspirators. Hudson and Wortham purchased expensive real estate and luxury cars with Amazon’s money, including a nearly $1 million home in Smyrna, Georgia, a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a 2021 Dodge Durango, a 2022 Tesla Model X, a 2018 Porsche Panamera, and a Kawasaki ZX636 motorcycle.
In September 2022, Hudson and Wortham were charged in federal court with defrauding Amazon. In January 2023, while on bond, they lied to a potential business partner, claiming that their Amazon-related criminal charges had been dismissed. To support that lie, the two emailed fake court documents that purported to dismiss the charges and contained the forged signatures of Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr., who has since retired, and Cobb County Magistrate Judge Norman L. Barnett, who was then one of the prosecutors on the case. Hudson also emailed doctored bank statements and personal financial statements that fraudulently inflated the balances in her and Wortham’s accounts.
On March 13, 2026, a jury convicted Hudson of 30 counts, including two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, 17 counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, nine counts of money laundering, and one count of forgery of the signature of a federal judge. The jury also found that money seized from Hudson’s bank account and Hudson’s residence in Smyrna, Georgia, were forfeitable as fraudulent proceeds of the Amazon scheme.
On June 27, 2023, Kayricka Wortham, 34, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to 16 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $9,469,731.45 in restitution to Amazon. More than $3 million in fraudulent proceeds seized from multiple bank accounts, the Smyrna home, and the vehicles purchased with fraudulent proceeds were forfeited. Wortham was convicted of the Amazon fraud charge on November 30, 2022, after she pleaded guilty. On October 6, 2025, she pleaded guilty to forgery of the signature of a federal judge. She is scheduled to be sentenced on the forgery charge on March 25, 2026, at 10 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown.
Sentencing for Brittany Hudson, 40, of Atlanta, Georgia, is scheduled for June 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., before Judge Brown.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen H. McClain and Angela Adams are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Judge Finds Probable Cause to Charge D.C. Man for Shooting Man at Point-Blank RangeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – On Tuesday, Judge Rainey Brandt determined that probable cause exists to charge Niwatilagu Anthony Long, 45, of Washington, D.C., with second-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing 44-year-old D.C. resident Melvin Saunders in the early morning of December 19, 2025, in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Long was arrested at the D.C. Superior Court after the completion of a preliminary hearing for an assault with a deadly weapon case where Long was charged with pistol whipping another victim, Donald Cook, on Saturday, January 3, 2026. A status hearing is scheduled for October 9, 2026.
According to the affidavit in support of Long’s arrest, Saunders, the victim, and several other people were present in an apartment at the North Capitol Commons, John and Jill Ker Conway residence in the 1000 block of North Capitol Street, NE, when Long claimed to be a member of the “Crips” and accused Saunders of being a member of the “Bloods” before shooting the victim execution-style in his left temple. Long left the scene on foot and discarded some of his clothing to alter his appearance to evade detection by law enforcement.
At the preliminary hearing on March 17, 2026, Judge Brandt ordered that Long remain held and determined that there was no condition or combination of conditions of release that the Court could set to reasonably assure the safety of the community. In evaluating the evidence at the hearing, Judge Brandt described the killing of Saunders as a “close-range assassination” where the victim was “shot point-blank” in the head.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marybeth Manfreda and Rashmika Nedungadi.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Iowa City Man Sentenced to over 9 Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – An Iowa City man was sentenced March 17, 2026, to 110 months in federal prison for receiving child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip that accounts, later determined to be associated with Nong Chatchanok Press, 23, received and uploaded files containing child sexual abuse material. In December 2023, law enforcement seized electronic devices during a search of Press’s Iowa City residence. Law enforcement also seized a phone from Press when he was arrested in February 2025. A forensic examination of the seized electronic devices showed that Press used the devices to receive, view, and possess more than 117,000 images and 300 videos containing child sexual abuse material.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Press will be required to serve a 15-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Press was also ordered to pay $123,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The University of Iowa Police Department investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Investment advisor pleads guilty to defrauding elderly client out of nearly $10 millionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Eijroghene Okuma, a former investment advisor, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud after defrauding an elderly client out of nearly $10 million over a three-year period.
“This was the ultimate act of financial betrayal,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Instead of abiding by his fiduciary obligations, Okuma exploited an elderly man’s trust and stole millions. We will aggressively prosecute investment professionals who scheme to steal clients’ funds, rather than protect their financial interests.”
“Eijroghene Okuma abused a position of trust to carry out a calculated scheme that stole millions from an elderly victim,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “The FBI is committed to protecting older Americans from financial exploitation and will continue working with our partners to ensure criminals who target seniors are held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between 2010 and May 2023, Okuma was a financial and investment advisor with Edward Jones. In that capacity, Okuma had complete access to the Edward Jones brokerage accounts of an elderly client (“Victim-1”), who was born in 1944.
Okuma’s fraudulent scheme began in February 2022 after his appointment to administer the estate of Victim-1’s sister. Beginning in March 2022, Okuma began embezzling from Victim-1 by falsely representing that the sister’s estate needed funds. Victim-1 permitted Okuma to transfer $500,000 from one of Victim-1’s brokerage accounts to a bank account purportedly held for the estate, but Okuma ultimately transferred the money to a bank account in the name of his wife’s company without Victim-1’s knowledge. Similarly, in June 2022, Okuma stole approximately $400,000 by transferring funds he deceived Victim-1 into paying.
After embezzling nearly $1 million from Victim-1, Okuma set up fraudulent accounts to steal millions more. In early February 2023, Okuma opened an unauthorized Vanguard brokerage account in the name of a revocable trust, which Okuma was involved in creating in Victim-1’s name, as well as using Victim-1’s personal identifying information and a fraudulent email account that Okuma created. Victim-1 had no knowledge of the Vanguard account until Okuma’s scheme was uncovered more than two years later. On the same day that Okuma opened the fraudulent Vanguard account, he added himself as a custodian to a bank account in Victim-1’s name, which gave him full authority to withdraw funds without Victim-1’s approval.
Approximately two weeks later, Okuma began transferring funds from Victim-1’s brokerage accounts to the fraudulent Vanguard account. By the end of February 2023, Okuma had transferred approximately $9 million of Victim-1’s funds to the Vanguard account without Victim-1’s knowledge. Between August 2023 and March 2025, Okuma embezzled approximately $9 million of Victim-1’s funds from the Vanguard account by writing checks to bank accounts controlled by him or his wife and electronic transfers.
Okuma used the stolen money to build a $5.2 million residence in Vinings, Georgia, join a beach club and purchase a fractional share of a beach house for approximately $1.4 million, and donate approximately $340,000 to his church.
Sentencing for Eijroghene Okuma, 43, of Lithia Springs, Georgia, is scheduled for June 23, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Geraghty.
On January 30, 2026, the Securities and Exchange Commission filed a settled action against Okuma relating to the above scheme in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. On February 18, 2026, a final judgment was entered against Okuma under which he agreed to pay more than $13 million, including more than $1 million in prejudgment interest and a $3 million civil penalty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance from the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to help older Americans and to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud, please visit https://www.justice.gov/elderjustice. The Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.
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.
International Trafficker Extradited to the United States and Charged with Importing Opioids and Money Laundering in Homeland Security Task Force InvestigationRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Sebastien Rollin (49, Quebec, Canada), a/k/a “Sticks” or “Stix,” has been charged by federal indictment with conspiracy to import protonitazene, distribution of protonitazene for importation into the United States, and international promotional money laundering. If convicted on all counts, Rollin faces a maximum penalty of 120 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Rollin that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Rollin, a Canadian national residing in a suburb of Montreal, Canada, began arranging the sale of synthetic opioid pills disguised as oxycodone knowing that the pills would go to Tampa. Rollin sold more than 10,000 such pills on May 13, 2024, to an undercover officer. He later sold 25,000 pills to an undercover officer on July 9, 2024. Rollin accepted payment for these sales via cryptocurrency that was sent from an undercover cryptocurrency wallet in the Middle District of Florida to Canada.
In mid-July 2024, Rollin negotiated the sale of 300,000 synthetic opioid pills to the United States; however, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police stopped the vehicle of an organization courier and seized the pills. That same day, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police executed search warrants at two clandestine laboratories in Quebec, Canada used for the manufacturing of synthetic opioids, resulting in the seizure of millions of synthetic opioid pills, recipes for synthetic drugs, and a firearm.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The Spanish National Police provided critical assistance in locating and apprehending Rollin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Spain to secure the arrest and Feb. 20 extradition from Spain of Rollin. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
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 Region 20 (Tampa) comprises agents and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Illegal Aliens from Guatemala and Honduras Sentenced for Re-entering the U.S. Without AuthorizationRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Two Guatemalans and a Honduran have been sentenced for illegally entering the United States after being previously deported from the country. These cases are separate and not related. All defendants previously pleaded guilty to Illegal Entry of a Removed Alien, in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code 1326. Upon completion of their sentences, they will be subject to a detainer from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and will be taken into administrative immigration custody for removal from the U.S.
- Nixion Lopez-Peralta, 28, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to time served.
- Wilson Lux-Solis, aka Jose Roberto Lemus-Solis, 25, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to six months in prison.
- Manuel Lux-Tum, 51, a citizen of Guatemala, was sentenced to time served.
These investigations were conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station.
The prosecutions were led by Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Spryszak and Matt Simko for the Northern District of Ohio.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and to protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Results in Guatemalan Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 24 Years for Multimillion Dollar Drug Conspiracy That Used Corrupt Officials and Murdered a RivalRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Marlon Alexis Aguilar Reyes (age 44), a criminal alien from Guatemala who was living in Miami under an alias before his 2024 arrest, has been sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for conspiring to import more than 5 kilograms of cocaine into the United States. He pleaded guilty on July 23, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Aguilar Reyes had an oversight role within an organization that received vessels of cocaine from South America off the coast of Guatemala, transported the cocaine to the northern border of Guatemala, then smuggled the cocaine into Mexico for ultimate importation into the United States. Members of the organization included a cartel member in Mexico, a corrupt law enforcement officer, and the former mayor of Tecun Uman, Guatemala. Throughout 2018, the investigation revealed that Aguilar Reyes was negotiating multimillion dollar cocaine deals in Mexico; receiving updates on the murder of a rival; and getting notified through a corrupt law enforcement officer about the presence of Guatemalan police vehicles in the vicinity of a drug smuggling operation.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Coast Guard, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Guatemalan Seccion de Investigaciones Sensitives – Subdireccion General de Analisis de Informacion Antinarcotica. The U.S. Marshals Service provided critical assistance in locating and apprehending Aguilar Reyes. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
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 Region 20 (Tampa) comprises agents and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Guilty Pleas Entered for Five Drug TraffickersRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Mario Swanston of Port St. Joe, 45, Shannon Jarbar Clayton of Panama City, 45, Santana Wyvonne Harris of Ellenwood, Georgia, 41, Shontel Reshard Fedd of Port St. Joe, 48, and Elizabeth Gray of Panama City, 36, pleaded guilty as charged in federal court to charges in connection with the unlawful distribution of controlled substances. The pleas were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Swanston, Clayton, and Harris were charged with and pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana. Fedd and Gray were charged with and pleaded guilty to distribution of marijuana.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Dismantling this drug trafficking network required close collaboration and cooperation between our state and federal law enforcement officers, and I am proud to report their hard work has paid off with these successful prosecutions of the traffickers. The Homeland Security Task Force launched by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi will continue to identify, target, and dismantle drug trafficking networks like this one, and my office will follow up with aggressive prosecutions of the traffickers to ensure the citizens of the Northern District of Florida get the safe, drug-free communities they deserve.”
According to court records, between November 2023 and April 2024, Swanston conspired with Clayton and Harris to obtain cocaine and marijuana from the State of Georgia for distribution in the Northern District of Florida. During a traffic stop of Harris, officers located and seized 1,497 grams of cocaine. When officers attempted a subsequent traffic stop of Swanston’s vehicle, Swanston threw a bag containing 222 grams of cocaine out of his vehicle’s window and fled from officers. Officers ultimately stopped Swanston’s vehicle and arrested him, after which they recovered the discarded cocaine.
During the investigation, agents determined that Gray conspired with Swanston and others to store and distribute marijuana at Swanston’s direction. During January 2024, Fedd flew into the Northwest Florida Beaches International Airport via commercial airline, carrying over 5 kilograms of marijuana inside of his luggage, which Fedd and Swanston conspired to distribute in the Northern District of Florida.
Sentencing hearings are scheduled before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker in the Federal Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida on the following dates and times:
Mario Swanston is scheduled for sentencing on April 17, 2026, at 3:00 pm;
Shannon Jarbar Clayton is scheduled for sentencing on March 19, 2026, at 1:00 pm;
Santana Wyvonne Harris is scheduled for sentencing on April 2, 2026, at 3:00 pm;
Shontel Reshard Fedd is scheduled for sentencing on March 30, 2026, at 11:00 am; and
Elizabeth Gray is scheduled for sentencing on March 20, 2026, at 11:00 am.
The pleas were the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Gulf County Sheriff’s Office, the Panama City Police Department, and the Springfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Joseph A. Ravelo.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
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.
Guatemalan national extradited to the Eastern District of Texas to face international drug trafficking chargesRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – A Guatemalan national has been extradited to the United States to face drug trafficking charges in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Elmer Antonio Pancan Barrios, aka “Chepio,” 42, was extradited from Guatemala to the United States on March 5, 2026, after being charged in a federal indictment in the Eastern District of Texas with drug trafficking violations.
The indictment alleges that Pancan Barrios conspired with and assisted other international drug traffickers to manufacture, distribute, and transport significant quantities of cocaine into the United States for further distribution.
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.
If convicted, Pancan Barrios faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division in conjunction with DEA Guatemala City Country Office; DEA Bogota Country Office; DEA Cartagena Resident Office; DEA Panama Country Office and DEA San Jose Country Office.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Guatemala and its prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for making the extradition possible. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Guatemala.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Georgia Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Failing to Register as a Sex Offender in Madison County, FloridaRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Tavaris Andre Donaldson, 30, of Madison, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of failing to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping our kids safe from disgusting sexual predators like this defendant is one of my office’s top priorities, and ensuring sex offenders abide by the legal requirements to register their presence wherever they live is a key component of ensuring they cannot victimize others.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant was convicted of child molestation in May 2014 in Lowndes County, Georgia, and as a result, was required to register as a sex offender in each county where he lived and worked. Although the defendant had been registering as a sex offender as required in Lowndes County, Georgia, he absconded from there in October 2024 and traveled to Madison County, Florida, where he lived and worked. Employment records showed that the defendant began employment in Madison County, Florida, in early-2025; however, the defendant knowingly failed to report his employment and residence as required by SORNA.
Donaldson faces up to ten years’ imprisonment, up to a lifetime term of supervision, and a $250,000 fine.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Madison County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2026, at 11:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Fully Suspended Sentence Handed Down for Robbery and Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derrick West, 18, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, for a spree of robberies and carjackings that took place in September 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
West, who was seventeen years old at the time of the offenses and who was charged pursuant to Title 16, pleaded guilty on August 29, 2025, to one count of armed carjacking, one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of robbery. At West’s sentencing on March 13, 2026, the United States requested a sentence of twelve years of incarceration, representing a sentence at the top of his sentencing guidelines for each count, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Honorable Judge Jennifer DiToro sentenced West to a fully suspended sentence of 48 months, with 18 months of supervised probation. The Court’s sentence was entered pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, which permits a sentence beneath the mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration for carjacking and five years of incarceration for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
According to the proffer of facts, on September 19, 2024, at approximately 10:31 p.m., in the 500 block of 48th Place NE, West, his co-defendant Antonio Gaither and two additional suspects, pulled up next to the first victim, while she was parking her car. Two of the suspects exited their vehicle and one pointed a firearm at the victim and ordered her to exit her vehicle. Two of the suspects took the victim’s car, and all four suspects fled the scene.
Separately, on September 20, 2024, at approximately 12:45 a.m., in the 800 block of P Street, NW, West, Gaither and additional suspects approached the victim, who was sitting in his vehicle with his doors unlocked. One of the suspects opened the driver’s side door and ordered the victim to exit the vehicle, while another suspect assaulted the victim, striking him about the face and body. The victim exited the vehicle and fled in fear of his safety. The suspects fled the scene in the victim’s vehicle, taking with them the victim’s wallet, credit cards and phone which were inside the car.
In addition, on September 30, 2024, at approximately 5:21 p.m., in the 100 block of 35th Street, NE, West and Gaither approached a third victim, who was talking on his cell phone as he walked away from his vehicle. One of the defendants grabbed the victim’s phone out of his hand. Both West and Gaither demanded the victim’s car keys. Out of fear for his safety, the victim handed over the keys, but he was still punched in the face several times by both defendants. The defendants took the victim’s cell phone and fled the scene in his vehicle.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Roberts and Ben Helfand, who prosecuted the case.
2024 CF3 011076