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Thursday 12 March 2026
Mexican Man Charged with Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Deyvi Daniel Corona-Sanchez, 24, a Mexican citizen recently living in South Burlington, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326 – Illegal Reentry of a Removed Alien.
According to court records, Corona-Sanchez unlawfully entered the United States in October of 2021 near Eagle Pass, Texas. He was located by immigration authorities at a detention facility in Dilley Texas in March of 2022 and removed from the United States shortly thereafter. Immigration authorities learned that Corona-Sanchez returned to the United States after his arrest for driving under the influence in Middlebury, Vermont on January 15, 2026.
On the morning of March 11, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office learned of a civil enforcement operation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO) personnel in South Burlington, Vermont had resulted in vehicular flight by a person ICE-ERO believed to be Corona-Sanchez, motor vehicle collisions on Dorset Street, and flight by Corona-Sanchez into a nearby residence. ICE-ERO subsequently requested criminal process related to Corona-Sanchez, who was believed to still be present inside the Dorset Street residence. A criminal complaint and federal arrest warrant were obtained, charging Corona-Sanchez with violating 8 U.S.C. § 1326. A federal search warrant was also obtained, allowing for entry to the Dorset Street residence to effectuate the arrest of Corona-Sanchez. The search warrant was thereafter executed by ICE-ERO personnel, who made entry into the Dorset Street residence. The occupants of the residence were identified, and Corona-Sanchez was found not to be present in the residence. The arrest warrant for Corona-Sanchez remains active.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Corona-Sanchez is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Corona-Sanchez faces up to 2 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt recognized the substantial efforts of the South Burlington Police Department, the Burlington Police Department, and the Vermont State Police in balancing the public’s right to peacefully protest ICE-ERO activities, while ensuring protestors and federal law enforcement remained safe throughout the day on March 11, 2026.
Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 10+ Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced today for distributing methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Tony Lamar Carthran, 31, was sentenced to 126 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According court records, law enforcement began an investigation into Carthran for distributing methamphetamine in the Charlotte area. Between June and August 2023, Carthran sold methamphetamine to an individual working with law enforcement on five occasions. While selling drugs to an individual, Carthran also sold that individual a Ruger LC9s 9mm handgun with one live hollow point round chambered, and an empty magazine inserted, as well as 10 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Carthran is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The ATF and CMPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte was in charge of the prosecution.
Louisville Man Faces at Least 35 Years in Prison Following Conviction at Trial on 9 Federal Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was found guilty by a federal jury of nine federal child exploitation charges last week.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul L. Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Quinnton Dawson, 35, of Louisville, used an electronic storage device to record himself engaging in sexual acts with a four-year-old child after having been previously convicted in Jefferson Circuit Court of possessing and distributing child pornography. Dawson also used his email account to seek out and trade child sexual abuse materials.
Dawson committed these horrific crimes after being granted shock probation in Jefferson Circuit Court for his prior offenses of possessing and distributing child pornography pursuant to case number 20-CR-2017. Dawson has also been convicted of robbery in the second degree in Jefferson Circuit Court pursuant to case number 22-CR-2095.
On Thursday March 5, 2026, Dawson was found guilty of all nine counts he was charged with at the conclusion of a weeklong jury trial in Louisville, Kentucky. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11, 2026.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “It is hard to quantify the depravity it takes for a man to film himself engaging in sex acts with a four-year-old child. It truly demonstrates that evil is among us. My heart goes out to this innocent little girl and her family. I want to commend the prosecutors and law enforcement officers that diligently worked to ensure this monster was convicted and removed from Louisville for decades.”
Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson stated, “A jury of his peers confirmed what the FBI and our investigative partners already know to be true. Quinnton Dawson is a multiple time sex offender who not only committed horrific offenses against a young, innocent girl, but then sought to profit off of her exploitation. This guilty verdict will ensure Dawson is where he belongs—behind bars with zero access to vulnerable children.”
Chief Paul L. Humphrey stated, “Crimes involving the exploitation of children are among the most disturbing cases we investigate. We appreciate the hard work of the detectives who tirelessly built the case against this dangerous offender. This conviction shows what is possible when local and federal partners work together. We will continue pursuing child predators and doing everything we can to keep them behind bars for as long as possible.”
Dawson faces a minimum sentence of 35 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 340 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Danielle M. Yannelli and Stephanie Zimdahl prosecuted the case with the assistance of paralegal Carissa Moss.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Local Businessman Charged with Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former manager of a Lowell, Mass. temporary employment agency has been arrested and charged with tax crimes that deprived the U.S. Treasury of approximately $980,000 in revenue.
Siharath Panyanouvong, 56, of Dunstable, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of a false tax return. Panyanouvong was arrested today and released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.
According to the charging documents, Panyanouvong was the manager of Viscosity Inc. It is alleged that, between approximately 2017 and 2019, Panyanouvong deliberately failed to report more than $3.5 million of Viscosity’s gross receipts to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). As a result, Viscosity allegedly avoided paying more than $980,000 in federal income taxes.
The indictment alleges that Panyanouvong, often using the alias “Mike Pan,” cashed more than $4.5 million in customer checks. Panyanouvong allegedly used a substantial portion of the cash to operate an off-the-books cash payroll for Viscosity employees and to pay himself.
The charge of aiding and assisting in the filing of false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of $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 and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury Finds Castle Rock Man Guilty of Fraud, Money Laundering Charges for $2.4 Million COVID-Era Hand Sanitizer SchemeRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that a federal jury convicted Rico Tomas Garcia, 51, of Castle Rock, of nine counts of wire fraud and six counts of money laundering for devising a scheme in which he falsely promised to procure bulk quantities of hand sanitizer during the early months of the COVID-19 Pandemic.
According to the facts established at trial, beginning around April 2020 and continuing until June 2021, Garcia, doing business as Botani Labs, LLC., claimed he would source millions of bottles hand sanitizer as part of a multi-million-dollar deal to supply the product upstream to large national retailers. After receiving a $2.4 million deposit from victim businesses to finance the product, Garcia instead procured none and falsely claimed under oath in civil arbitration that he had wired the deposit to a Chinese hand sanitizer manufacturer. He provided false documents to support his claim. Investigation by the FBI revealed that Garcia established shell companies to use the $2.4 million deposit to pay off personal debts and buy property in California, Nevada, and Colorado, and also move over a million dollars of the remaining money into offshore accounts in the Caribbean.
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the trial.
The FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Albert Buchman, Bryan Fields, Laura Hurd, and Aly Mance handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00106-NYW
Jurors Convict Former Missouri Police Officer of Civil Rights Violation, Other ChargesRead the Press Release
A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Wednesday convicted a former Northwoods, Missouri police officer of charges related to the assault of a handcuffed man in 2023.
Jurors found Samuel Davis, 28, guilty of one count of deprivation of rights under color of law, one count of witness tampering by way of misleading conduct for making a misleading statement to a police dispatcher and one count of falsifying records in a federal investigation for turning off his body-worn camera. He was found not guilty of one count of conspiracy.
Jurors acquitted another former officer, Michael Hill, 54, of all charges.
“Law enforcement officers are given immense public trust because of the gravity of the work they do to keep communities safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “The defendant violated that trust when he took matters into his own hands and savagely beat the victim rather than processing him for the alleged theft. The jury’s verdict makes clear that these violations of trust will not be tolerated.”
Evidence and testimony at the trial, which began March 2, showed that Northwoods police were called to a Walgreens store on the evening of July 4, 2023, about a shoplifter, C.G. C.G. had shoplifted from the store before and was known to Davis. Davis handcuffed C.G., who was compliant and cooperative, and then placed him in Davis’ police vehicle. Instead of taking him to jail, Davis drove him to an empty field in a desolate area of Kinloch. C.G. testified during the trial that Davis pepper-sprayed him, beat him with a baton while he was still handcuffed, breaking his jaw, and then tased him. A passerby interrupted the attack, causing Davis to flee, evidence and testimony showed. She returned and found C.G., bloodied and crying out for help. C.G. told responding St. Louis County Police Department officers and medical personnel that he had been beaten by a Northwoods officer. Medical records documented the broken jaw. Davis’ TASER records indicated that it had been used around the time of the attack.
Davis did not file a report about the arrest of C.G., the trip to Kinloch or any use of force. He also turned off his body-worn camera.
Davis faces up to 10 years in prison for the deprivation of rights under color of law charge and 20 years in prison for the other charges.
The FBI and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug of the Eastern District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
Jamestown woman arrested, charged with possession of methamphetamineRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Taylor Hernandez, 31, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on January 15, 2026, members of the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force executed a search warrant of Hernandez’s person and her Falconer Street residence, seizing approximately 181 grams of methamphetamine, approximately 23.5 grams of suspected fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and $4,165.00 in cash.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Acting Chief Scott Forster, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Jamaican illegal alien who volunteered as local teacher, youth minister sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – An illegal alien from Jamaica who volunteered as a teacher and youth minister in Worthington was sentenced in federal court here today to 160 months in prison for distributing, receiving and possessing child pornography.
Andrew Brown, 51, of Columbus, possessed a total of 15 terabytes of child sexual abuse material across multiple devices. Brown’s IP address was flagged by the Franklin County Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) as the most active IP address in the state of Ohio using peer-to-peer software to download child pornography.
“This defendant, who overstayed his visa in the United States, was such a prolific perpetrator that when agents arrived at his apartment to execute a search warrant, he was at his computer actively downloading and exchanging images and videos of children being sexually abused, including child pornography depicting infants and toddlers,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “Adding to the alarm, Brown placed himself in a position of trust with children as a religion teacher and youth minister. Our children undoubtedly are safer with Brown serving this significant term of imprisonment.”
Further investigation revealed that Brown was using the computer where he volunteered at Worthington Adventist Academy and Worthington Seventh-Day Adventist Church to download child pornography when not at home. In fact, the IP address for the church and school was flagged as the third most active IP address in Ohio downloading child pornography.
Between October 2023 and April 2024, Brown possessed more than 40,000 files of minors engaged in sex acts.
Brown was charged by a bill of information and pleaded guilty in March 2025.
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; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin and other members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s ICAC Task Force; Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley; and Ohio ICAC Task Force Commander David Frattare announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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.
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Independence Man Charged After 24 Kilograms of Methamphetamine and Multiple Firearms Seized from ResidenceRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been charged by criminal complaint for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Marceil Wortham, 38, appeared in federal court on the two-count complaint earlier today.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2026, law enforcement served a federal search warrant at Wortham’s residence and seized 24 kilograms of methamphetamine. Investigators also seized seven firearms, four of them with no make, model, or serial number listed on the weapons.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, Independence Police Department, and Kansas City Mo Police Department.
Homeland Security Task Force
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 Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 72 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- DeAndre Johnson, 42 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Johnson was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between October 2023, and March 2024, Johnson conspired with his co-defendant, Fernando Porras, Jr., and others to distribute controlled substances on six occasions. Porras was previously sentenced to 96 months incarceration.
“The Defendant has forfeited the next six years of his life for agreeing to peddle this poison in our communities, and it is through the cooperative efforts of the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lake County Combined Task Force - Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) that the Defendant was caught, prosecuted, and sentenced,” said Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Lake County Combined Task Force - Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration’s North Central Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Toth.
Illegal alien with prior sexual assault conviction sentenced to federal prison for returning to the United States a sixth timeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 42-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the United States again, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
Jose Mario Cervantes-Luna pleaded guilty Dec. 10, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has now ordered Cervantes-Luna to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In imposing the sentence, the court noted Cervantes-Luna's repeated removals, significant criminal history, and the danger he posed to the community given his previous sexual offense conviction.
Cervantes-Luna has prior convictions for illegal reentry and sexual assault of a minor under 14 years of age.
Authorities previously removed him from the United States in 2004, 2011 and three times in 2012. On Dec. 17, 2020, law enforcement discovered him once again in the United States with no authorization to be in the country.
Cervantes-Luna has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda Alum and Benjamin Hostetter prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal alien pleads guilty to firearm possession as a part of Operation Take Back AmericaRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, MS – A Mexican national, illegally in the United States, pled guilty to the illegal possession of firearms in front of United States District Court Chief Judge Debra M. Brown. Sentencing will be held at a later date at which the defendant faces a statutory maximum penalty of fifteen years in prison.
According to court documents, Daniel Mireles-Reyna was arrested on December 26, 2025, on the Natchez Trace Parkway near Tupelo, Mississippi. Upon arriving at the scene, law enforcement Rangers with the National Park Service discovered that Mireles-Reyna had a loaded stolen handgun in his pocket. Rangers also located two other firearms including a Glock handgun and a Draco 7.62 firearm in the defendant’s car. Information provided during the defendant’s guilty plea also noted that Rangers located ammunition for these firearms and suspected narcotics.
During the investigation into the defendant, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) learned that Mireles-Reyna was not a citizen of the United States and was illegally and unlawfully present in the United States following his illegal entry from Mexico.
Scott Leary, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, reiterated that “Beginning in 2020, our borders were opened and drugs and undocumented aliens poured into our country. Crime rates rose as drug prices dropped. To combat this reality, Operation Take Back America was initiated to protect communities from the rise of violent crime and cheap narcotics and to combat transnational criminal organizations that have so decimated our communities. As part of this initiative, federal law enforcement has worked tirelessly to stop illegal immigration. The right to possess firearms does not extend to those who enter our country illegally. Rangers with the National Park Service did an outstanding job seizing deadly firearms from an illegal alien in our district. Our law enforcement officers place themselves in harm’s way every day protecting the people of our State, I applaud them. We thank the Rangers of the National Park Service and HSI for their diligent work on this case.”
“This case demonstrates the importance of vital partnerships among federal law enforcement agencies,” stated Matt Wright, acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI. “HSI remains firmly committed to protecting public safety, and we are proud to have worked with the Rangers of the National Park Service to bring Mireles-Reyna to justice for his federal firearms violations.”
The law enforcement Rangers of the National Park Service and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Herzog Jr. is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal Alien from Mexico Indicted After Agents Seized Large Quantities of Narcotics, Including 22 Pounds of Fentanyl PowderRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment against an alleged drug trafficker, living in the United States illegally, for multiple drug crimes after agents seized large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine from defendant’s residence.
FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task ForceRuben Flores Enriquez, 28, of Mexico, illegally residing in West Valley City, Utah, was initially charged by complaint on February 2, 2026.
According to the allegations in court documents, beginning in February 2026, the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF), initiated a criminal investigation into Enriquez and other members of a drug trafficking organization believed to be distributing large quantities of narcotics in the District of Utah. On February 23, 2026, a search warrant was executed on Enriquez’s residence in West Valley City. During the search, agents located and seized approximately 1,466 grams of blue counterfeit pills which field-tested positive for fentanyl; 9,811 grams of a powder-like substance, which tested positive for fentanyl; 1,373 grams of field-tested positive methamphetamine; and 679 grams of field-tested heroin. Enriquez was arrested.
FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task ForceEnriquez is charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force (WMDTF). Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Assistant United States Attorney Seth A. Nielsen of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Attachments:
ruben_flores_enriquez.indictment.pdf ruben_flores_enriquez.complaint.pdf rubenfloresenriquez.dm_.pdfIllegal Alien Indicted for Possessing Firearms and Selling CocaineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An El Salvadoran national illegally living in Tulsa was indicted for possessing firearms and ammunition unlawfully and distributing drugs in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Geovanny Alexander Pineda-Cubias, 25, is charged with being an Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; and Possession of Firearms in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes.
Agents began investigating Pineda-Cubias after he made several posts on social media showing that he was selling drugs, possessed firearms, and was selling a firearm and a machine gun conversion device, known as a “Glock switch.” While investigating Pineda-Cubias, agents discovered that he is unlawfully inside the United States, has been removed, and is not legally allowed to possess a firearm.
Pineda-Cubias was the passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over during a traffic stop. During the traffic stop, law enforcement found two firearms, cocaine, and cash in the vehicle. Agents then obtained a search warrant for his home and recovered more than 300 rounds of ammunition, cocaine, and drug distribution paraphernalia.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a
court of law.The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Tulsa Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Honduran nationals illegally residing in the U.S. indicted in firearms casesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned two separate indictments involving firearms against Honduran nationals illegally residing in the United States.
According to court documents, Joni Javier Claro-Rivera, 30, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien and one count of illegal possession of a machine gun. Claro-Rivera is accused of possessing four firearms and ammunition.
In a separate case, according to court documents, Francisco Perez-Perez, 51, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. Perez-Perez is accused of having two firearms and ammunition.
The Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the cases.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the cases.
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Jose Manuel Garcia-Cartagena, 45, an El Salvadorian national illegally residing in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
Julio Cesar Lopez-Cruz, 33, a Guatemalan national illegally residing in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting this case.
Edy Adolfo Pacheco-Arita, 40, a Guatemalan national illegally residing in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Delfino Rojas-Morgas, 48, a Mexican national illegally residing in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Honduran National Illegally in the United States Sentenced to over Eight Years for Trafficking Firearms, Including A Machinegun, and DrugsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Honduran man illegally present in the United States was sentenced to prison yesterday for trafficking guns, including a firearm fitted with a machinegun conversion device known as a “switch,” and drugs, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Eddie Cathey of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
Michael Naun Antunez Vasquez, 22, was sentenced to 101 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to trafficking in firearms, possession of a machinegun, transfer of a machinegun, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. After serving his prison sentence, Vasquez will be removed from the country and is forbidden from returning to the United States.
“Vasquez was in the country illegally and profited by putting dangerous guns on our streets—including a firearm converted into a machinegun,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “When someone traffics guns and drugs and utterly disregards our nation’s laws and public safety, federal prison is the appropriate punishment.”
“Firearms trafficking makes our communities less safe by putting guns in the hands of prohibited and possibly dangerous individuals,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “ATF, along with all of our law enforcement partners, is committed to stopping the illegal exchange of firearms and making sure that those who threaten our communities are held accountable.”
According to court documents, Vasquez was a Honduran national who was in the United States illegally. On July 9, 2024, Vasquez sold a Romarm/Cugir pistol with a 30-round magazine to an individual working with the ATF. Vasquez also told the individual that he was able to sell additional firearms, machinegun conversion devices, and controlled substances. On July 18, 2024, Vasquez met with an undercover ATF agent, who told Vasquez he was purchasing guns to resell in another state for profit. Vasquez sold the agent two firearms: a Glock Model 30, .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol with a 25-round magazine, and a Glock, Model 19, 9mm semiautomatic pistol. The Model 19 was assembled from different parts that were stolen.
Court documents show that on August 1, 2024, the ATF agent bought two more firearms from Vasquez. The first firearm was a Glock, Model 19, 9mm pistol that had been converted to a machinegun. The second firearm was a Glock, Model 48. During that meeting, Vasquez told the agent that he could also obtain pounds of methamphetamine. Vasquez agreed to sell the agent a machinegun, a Romarm/Cugir pistol, and a pound of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Vasquez was riding in the front passenger seat of a car on the way to meet with the undercover agent when the vehicle was stopped by Union County Sherriff’s deputies. The deputies seized from the vehicle a machinegun conversion device, a Romarm/Cugir pistol, a Glock pistol, a Beretta pistol, a Palmetto State Armory pistol, several high-capacity magazines, ammunition, and approximately 28.7 grams of methamphetamine.
Vasquez will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and the Union County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Hawaiian Child Sex Trafficker ConvictedRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted Darren Patrick Riley, 45, of Honolulu, Hawaii, yesterday of 12 counts related to his trafficking and sexual exploitation of five minor boys in Oahu in 2019 and 2020.
According to evidence presented at trial, Riley used the app, Grindr, to meet the minors who ranged from 14 to 16 years old. After beginning the conversation with the victims on Grindr, Riley then arranged sexual encounters with them, enticing them with money, electronics, or drugs. Riley then engaged in a pattern of systematic sexual abuse, which included filming and later distributing videos he took of their sexual acts. In one video, Riley directed one of his victims to announce that he was 14 years old, his age at the time. Riley abused his victims in multiple locations, including his apartment, car, at the beach, and hotel rooms that Riley paid for. On one day, Riley abused two victims during separate assaults in the same hotel room.
Riley knowingly took advantage of his victims’ financial needs. For example, one victim was struggling to afford consistent meals, and another was saving money because he feared being expelled from his family home. During his abuse, Riley provided controlled substances to several of his victims. After Riley provided one victim MDMA and other pills, the victim described drifting in and out of consciousness while Riley abused him. Multiple victims tried to refuse Riley’s sexual advances, but Riley persisted. Riley’s crimes were finally uncovered when he was arrested by DEA at the Los Angeles airport for attempting to traffic methamphetamine into Hawaii. A search of his phone revealed a collection of child sexual abuse material, which prompted his charges.
“This verdict is the next step to holding Darren Riley fully accountable for his egregious pattern of preying upon and abusing children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “We commend the victims who bravely testified at trial despite the trauma they endured from a serial predator. Their testimony, along with the good work of law enforcement and the prosecutors, exposed Riley’s horrific, repeated exploitation. The work of the jury now ensures that Riley will not be a threat to other children in the future. The Department of Justice will continue prosecuting offenders like Riley, as one of the Department’s highest callings is protecting America’s children.”
“Our community is safer now that a Hawaii federal jury has held the defendant accountable for his predatory crimes against children,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “The evidence at trial was overwhelming, and the courage the five young victims demonstrated in recounting for the jury their abuse at the hands of Riley was instrumental in putting this child predator behind bars. We will continue to aggressively pursue, charge, and convict predators like Riley that victimize our children and threaten our families.”
“The defendant’s heinous acts and repetitive exploitation of victims were put to an end with this verdict,” said Special Agent in Charge David Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “This is the direct result of the relentless work of our agents and partners to protect the children in our communities. There is no corner of the internet or crevice on the globe where these predators can hide, as the FBI will use every resource at its disposal to bring them to justice.”
The court has not set Riley’s sentencing yet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison on particular charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI Honolulu and Los Angeles investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Gwendelynn Bills of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Perlmutter for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Hampton man sentenced to 17 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man was sentenced today to 17 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2023, Skylar James Duvall, 24, used a screen recording application that allowed him to create videos of what he was viewing on his computer screen to record a live streaming of a minor being sexually abused by her guardian. As the live stream was being recorded, Duvall chatted with the guardian to arrange a determined amount of time and payment to the guardian for certain sex acts to be committed against the victim.
Investigators found additional CSAM on Duvall’s electronic devices, including over 500 images and 700 videos of CSAM and thousands of files of potential CSAM and CGI/animated child exploitive videos and images.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and the Hampton Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Devon E.A. Heath prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-25.
Hammond Man Sentenced to 151 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Jeremiah Hicks, 38 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to distributing heroin and cocaine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Hicks was sentenced to 151 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Hicks sold heroin and cocaine to another person on two occasions in August 2023. During an execution of a search warrant on his residence, law enforcement recovered a semi-automatic pistol and U.S. currency. Hicks has multiple felony convictions, including a 2012 possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and a 2018 dealing in a narcotic drug.
“The Defendant has forfeited over 12 years of his life because he chose to peddle this poison in our communities. We appreciate the hard work of the professionals at the BATFE and the Hammond Police Department that went into the investigation, arrest, and prosecution of this repeat offender. The Northern District of Indiana is safer due to their efforts,” said Mildred.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the Hammond Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin M. Padula.
Guatemalan Illegal Alien Indicted for Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JACOBO EDUARDO US-REAL (“US-REAL”), age 18, a native of Guatemala, was indicted on March 5, 2026, for assaulting a federal officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 111(a)(1), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on or about January 14, 2026, US-REAL assaulted an Officer of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), during the performance of her official duties, inflicting bodily injury upon the federal officer. While conducting illegal immigration field operations in Metairie, Louisiana, ICE-ERO approached a vehicle owned by a known alien with a prior order of removal. The occupants of the vehicle refused to exit the vehicle and attempted to flee in the vehicle. One of the occupants exited the vehicle and fled on foot. A scuffle ensued between law enforcement officers and the remaining two occupants during which pepper spray was deployed. The driver fled on foot but was ultimately caught and arrested. US-REAL was handcuffed and placed in the rear of a law enforcement vehicle. While an ICE-ERO agent was assisting US-REAL by flushing his eyes with water, he headbutted the agent, bit her, and fled on foot while handcuffed behind his back. US-REAL was later apprehended by ICE agents.
If convicted, US-REAL faces up to eight (8) years of imprisonment, followed by up to three (3) years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory 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.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Veters, Jr. and Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Kippers of the General Crimes Unit.
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Grand jury indicts New York man charged with federal sexual exploitation crimesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal grand jury indicted the New York man who was arrested in late February on federal sexual exploitation charges filed in the Southern District of Ohio after investigation into a missing Colerain teenager revealed he was previously involved with the minor.
Kyle D. Lawrence, 43, of Buffalo, New York, appeared in federal court in Cincinnati on March 10 and was ordered to remain in custody pending trial. His two-count indictment was filed today.
According to charging documents, on Feb. 16, Colerain Township police began investigating the circumstances surrounding a missing teenager. Officers reviewed video surveillance from the minor’s home and discovered that in January, the teenager entered a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with New York license plates. License plate readers and receipts confirm that Lawrence allegedly rented the vehicle and that he and the minor stayed at a Cincinnati hotel together on Jan. 31.
It was discovered that Lawrence was the subject of a report to the FBI in May 2024. Lawrence was confronted by a citizen vigilante group while in Canada for allegedly traveling to Canada to have sexual contact with a purported 15-year-old girl. Agents in Buffalo had previously been in contact with Lawrence in response to the report.
Further investigation by the FBI revealed two cyber tip reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding Lawrence’s Snapchat account and child exploitation activity.
On Feb. 26, FBI agents in Buffalo executed a federal search warrant at Lawrence’s residence and seized several electronic devices, which contained child sexual abuse material.
An affidavit details that Lawrence told agents he communicated with the minor from Colerain on Snapchat and traveled to the Cincinnati area twice in January to meet up. He used the location services on Snapchat to locate the minor when he picked her up.
Law enforcement’s investigation into the whereabouts of the missing teenager remains ongoing.
The indictment charges Lawrence with transportation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity (a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison) and transportation of child pornography (five to 20 years in prison).
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the charges.
This is a joint investigation being conducted by the FBI divisions in Cincinnati and Buffalo, Colerain Township Police Department, New York State Police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s 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.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments yesterday. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Madison Felon Charged With Resisting Arrest, Drug and Gun Crimes
Daquan Thompson also charged with damaging law enforcement vehicle
Daquan Thompson, 21, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with damaging government property, forcibly resisting a federal law enforcement officer; methamphetamine and cocaine trafficking, possessing a firearm as a felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The indictment alleges that on February 24, 2026, Thompson resisted, opposed, impeded, and interfered with Deputy Marshals of the United States Marshals Service during an arrest. The indictment also alleges that Thompson used his legs and feet to cause over $1,000 in damage to a vehicle belonging to the United States Marshals Service. Additionally, the indictment alleges that Thompson illegally possessed a Glock 23 handgun as a felon, possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and cocaine intended for distribution, and possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
If convicted of the methamphetamine trafficking charge, Thompson faces a minimum penalty of 5 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison. If convicted of the felon in possession charge, Thompson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking charge carries a minimum penalty of five years and a maximum of life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the charge involving cocaine. Finally, he faces a maximum of 1 year in prison for resisting and impeding, and a maximum of 10 years for damaging the government vehicle.
The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, FBI, and the Monona Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis Glinzak is handling the case.
Rice Lake Man Charged With Distributing Child Pornography
Jenson Clements, 20, Rice Lake, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing child pornography. The indictment alleges that he distributed two images of child pornography on May 17, 2025.
If convicted, Clements faces a minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by the Wausau Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, the Rice Lake Police Department, and the Barron County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the case .
This investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Madison Man Charged with Cocaine Trafficking
Christian Garrett, a.k.a. “Tone,” 26, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing cocaine base intended for distribution. The indictment alleges that on February 25, 2026, Garrett possessed approximately 280 grams or more of cocaine base intended for distribution.
If convicted, Garrett faces a mandatory minimum of ten years and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Dane County Narcotics Task Force, Madison Police Department, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins is handling the case.
Madison Man Charged with Distributing Cocaine
Damien J. Thomas, 43, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing cocaine. The indictment alleges that Thomas distributed the cocaine on August 22 and August 30, 2022.
If convicted, Thomas faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count.
The charges against him are the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Dane County Narcotics Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson is handling the case.
Dunn County Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition
Andrew V. Johnson, 30, Menomonie, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Johnson possessed a Ruger 9mm pistol and Ruger 9mm ammunition on October 22, 2025 .
If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Menomonie Police Department, the Dunn County Sheriff’s Office, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington is handling the case.
Minnesota Man Charged With Traveling in Interstate Commerce for Purpose of Illicit Sexual Conduct With a Minor
Creighton Mithaugen, 37, Faribault, Minnesota, is charged with traveling in interstate commerce to have illicit sexual conduct. The indictment alleges that on February 13, 2026, Mithaugen traveled to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
If convicted, Mithhaugen faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office, the Rhinelander Police Department, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the case.
This investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
La Crosse Man Charged with Distributing Cocaine and Fentanyl
Jerome Sinclair, 35, La Crosse, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing cocaine and fentanyl and maintaining a premises for drug distribution. The indictment alleges that Sinclair distributed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine on October 13 and November 10, 2025, and distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine on November 4, 2025. The indictment alleges that Sinclair maintained a drug premises from November 4, 2025, to December 17, 2025.
If convicted of the charges involving distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, Sinclair faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. The remaining drug distribution charge and the maintaining a drug involved premises charge each carry maximum penalties of 20 years in prison.
The charges against Sinclair are the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington is handling the case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department 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.
Gorham Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Gorham man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Cody J. Merrill, 33, to 25 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. Additionally, Judge Walker ordered Merrill to pay $105,000 in restitution to identified victims whose images he possessed. Merrill pleaded guilty on June 18, 2025.
According to court records, Merrill, who had been previously convicted of unlawful sexual conduct involving a minor in York County Superior Court, sent video files depicting child sexual abuse material to undercover agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) over a messaging application. In February 2025, HSI executed a search warrant at his residence, resulting in the seizure of multiple digital media devices. During a recorded interview with investigators, Merrill admitted to accessing, viewing, and distributing child sexual abuse material over various internet-based applications. Investigators forensically reviewed his devices and located over 5,000 child sexual abuse images. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is limiting identifying information to protect the privacy of the minor victims who were depicted in these abuse materials.
HSI investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
Fresno Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a three-count indictment today against John Angel Sanchez, 56, of Fresno, charging him with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Jan. 15, 2026, Sanchez was found to be in possession of three firearms and nearly 2 pounds of methamphetamine. As an 11-time convicted felon, Sanchez is prohibited from possessing firearms. His felony convictions include possession of controlled substances, possession of controlled substances for sale, transportation of controlled substances for sale, and the manufacture or import of an unlawful weapon. At the time of his arrest, Sanchez was serving a term of post‑release community supervision following his most recent felony convictions in Fresno County.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arelis M. Clemente and Nicholas E. Karp are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Sanchez faces a minimum statutory penalty of five years for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Any sentence, however, would 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. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Four Pomona Gang Members and Mexican Mafia Associates Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Murder, RacketeeringRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang who controlled and extorted Latino street gangs in the Pomona area and three of his underlings were sentenced today to life in federal prison for racketeering-related crimes, including the June 2020 murder of a federal inmate in Los Angeles.
Michael Lerma, 69, a.k.a. “Pomona Mike” and “Big Mike,” was sentenced by United States District Judge George H. Wu, who also ordered him and the three other defendants to pay $10,365 in restitution.
Judge Wu also sentenced the following defendants to life in federal prison:
- Carlos Gonzalez, 42, a.k.a. “Popeye”;
- Juan Sanchez, 33, a.k.a. “Squeaks”; and
- Jose Valencia Gonzalez, 44, a.k.a. “Swifty.”
At the conclusion of a 20-day trial, a jury in March 2025 found all four defendants guilty of one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of violent crimes in aid of racketeering (VICAR) murder, and one count of first-degree murder within the special maritime and territorial jurisdiction of the United States.
The jury also found Lerma and Valencia Gonzalez guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (methamphetamine and heroin) at MDC Los Angeles (a federal prison in downtown Los Angeles) and in the Pomona area. Finally, the jury found Gonzalez and Valencia Gonzalez guilty of one count of being felons in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Sanchez was found not guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
All four defendants have been in federal custody since 2018.
From February 2012 to June 2020, Lerma – a full member of the Mexican Mafia prison gang – controlled and extorted drug proceeds from Latino street gangs in and around Pomona, as well as from incarcerated Latinos in Calipatria State Prison in Imperial County. Members of Lerma’s criminal enterprise also engaged in robberies, identity theft and fraud, drug trafficking, and other acts of violence.
In June 2020, Lerma directed three Mexican Mafia-linked Pomona gang members to enter a cell at MDC Los Angeles and kill a victim – identified in court documents as “S.B.” S.B. was murdered in retaliation for S.B. failing to pay drug debts deemed owed to Lerma’s cell of the Mexican Mafia prison gang.
“[Lerma’s] role as the leader of a violent criminal enterprise reflects the danger he remains to the community,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “His direct involvement in the murder of an inmate at a [Federal Bureau of Prisons] facility and attempts to cover-up the crime reflects his cruelty, his cunning, and his power.”
Federal prosecutors so far have secured nine convictions in this case, including that of Cheryl Perez-Castaneda, 63, of Pomona, who is serving a 12-year prison sentence for using her power on the street as a “señora” – a high-level female associate of Lerma’s – to solicit a murder and for participating in a carjacking attempt that resulted a July 2013 shooting.
The FBI’s San Gabriel Valley Safe Streets Task Force (SGVSSTF), which is comprised of agents and officers with the FBI, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, the Pomona Police Department, the El Monte Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigated this matter in conjunction with the FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Violent Crime Task Force. The Pomona Police Department is the sponsoring agency of the SGVSSTF and has been the headquarters for the task force since its inception in 2008.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle W. Kahan of the General Crimes Section, Kellye Ng of the Major Crimes Section, and Jason A. Gorn of the Transnational Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Former Veterans Affairs Nursing Assistant Sentenced for Fraudulently Obtaining PPP LoanRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Veterans Affairs Nursing Assistant was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
Wigenie Francois, 44, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to one year of probation. Francois was also ordered to pay $62,499 in restitution. In December 2025, Francois pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Francois was charged in October 2025.
In April 2021, Francois submitted an application seeking a PPP loan. In the application, Francois made false claims regarding gross income purportedly earned from a sole proprietorship. To support these false claims, Francois attached fraudulent tax documents as part of the application. The PPP loan application was approved and Francois received $20,833. Francois used that money on personal expenses. However, in March 2024, Francois submitted a loan forgiveness application that falsely claimed the entire $20,833 was spent on payroll. Based on the misrepresentation, the entire loan was forgiven.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.Former St. Louis Building Inspector Accused of $1.6 Million FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A former building inspector with the City of St. Louis has been indicted and accused of steering $1.67 million meant for the repair of decrepit buildings in St. Louis to himself and relatives.
Adebanjo “Banjo” Popoola was indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Wednesday with three counts of wire fraud. He is in custody and will be in court Friday for his initial appearance.
The indictment says that while a building division inspector with the City of St. Louis, Popoola steered money that was meant to renovate and rehabilitate privately-owned buildings into companies owned by his sister and his wife.
Popoola had his sister, who lives in Texas and has no construction background, register a company in Missouri in October of 2022 called Farst Construction LLC. Popoola’s longtime paramour (and later wife) incorporated a Missouri business called Premier Finish Contractors LLC in February of 2021.
The indictment says Popoola steered about $1.4 million to Farst from the city’s Stable Communities STL program and about $339,500 from the city’s Prop NS program for purported rehabilitation and stabilization work. Popoola caused about $1.3 million from the Stable Communities STL program and about $1 million from the Prop NS program to be awarded to Premier, the indictment says.
Of the 59 contracts awarded through the Stable Communities STL program, Popoola caused 13 to be awarded to Farst and 10 to be issued to Premier, the indictment says, for a combined total of about 42% of the $7.99 million awarded. Of the 144 contracts awarded through the Prop NS program, Popoola caused 8 to be awarded to Farst and 23 to be awarded to Premier, the indictment says, for about 24% of the $5.6 million total. Stable Communities was funded through federal American Rescue Plan Act funds received by the city. Prop NS was funded through city-issued general obligation bonds.
Farst and Premier did not perform the contracted work on multiple properties, but Popoola falsely certified to the city’s Comptroller that the work had been performed completely and properly, the indictment says.
Popoola and his wife had one or more joint bank accounts where the city funds were deposited. He had the same arrangement with his sister. In one example provided in the indictment, when Farst received a $29,500 check from the Prop NS program in February of 2023, Popoola’s sister immediately issued herself a $15,000 check from the Farst business account and deposited it into her personal bank account, then immediately wrote a $10,000 check to Popoola.
Popoola, his sister and his wife obtained about $1.67 million after paying subcontractors for purported work on the stabilization projects, the indictment says. Popoola used the money for residential mortgage payments, multiple vehicle purchases and repairs, travel expenses, his September 2023 Hawaii wedding, casino gambling, and other dining and entertainment expenses, the indictment says.
Popoola lied on city documents when he falsely stated that he had no personal interest, directly or indirectly, in a contract with the City of St. Louis and that he had no interest in any business, the indictment says. His sister and wife lied on contract documents when they falsely claimed that “No officer, employee, or member of the governing body of the City of St. Louis, Missouri who exercises any functions or responsibilities in connection with the carrying out of the Project to which this Contract pertains shall have any private interest, direct or indirect, in this contract,” the indictment says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.The FBI investigated the case, with substantial cooperation from the City of St. Louis Comptroller’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Goldsmith prosecuted the case.
public_indictment.pdfFormer Robeson County Sheriff’s Deputy and Family Plead Guilty to Stealing over $542,000 in Fraudulent Covid LoansRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Robeson County Sheriff’s deputy, his wife, and two adult sons engaged in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and by submitting false loan applications which resulted in the disbursement of $542,288 in loan proceeds pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Ricky McMillian, 50, Erica McMillian, 46, Dwayne McMillian, 29, and Derian McMillian, 27, face a maximum term of thirty (30) years in prison, and a $1,000,000 fine when sentenced later this year. They will also be ordered to pay a Forfeiture Money Judgment of $542,288.
“Although the Covid loans may have stopped, our government continues to dole out billions in other forms of loans, subsidies, and programs. This office will continue to hold accountable anyone who defrauds any of our taxpayer funded programs. This entire family of Covid fraudsters learned this lesson the hard way. CHEATERS. NEVER. WIN.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Deputy McMillian and his family members submitted five EIDL and PPP loan applications for four different businesses located in Robeson County. The McMillians and a co-conspirator made false representations about the number of employees and gross revenues. They also submitted false and fraudulent tax forms and bank statements. Following approval of each loan application, the government disbursed funds into personal accounts controlled by the McMillians.
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert Jones accepted the guilty pleas from the defendants. The FBI and the IRS-CI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-126-FL, 7:25-CR-113-FL, 7:25-CR-120-FL, 7:25-CR-122-FL.
Former Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang Member Sentenced to 80 Months for Assault Against RivalRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Club was sentenced in federal court today for his involvement in an assault against a member of a rival motorcycle club.
Mark A. Crump, also known as “Navajo,” 55, of Lee’s Summit, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 80 months in federal prison without parole for assault resulting in serious bodily injury in aid of racketeering.
On July 20, 2023, Crump, Jarrid A. Hammer, and Mark A. Cottman assaulted a lone rival motorcycle gang member at a bar & grill in North Kansas City, Mo. Hammer told the victim that they were there to shut the victim’s club down, then flipped a table over knocking the victim to the ground. Once on the ground, Hammer, Crump and Cottman began stomping, kicking and punching the victim. The victim later told law enforcement that those who assaulted him were wearing steel-toed boots. Crump, Hammer and Cottman fled the bar & grill before any law enforcement arrived. The victim was later transported by ambulance to a local hospital, suffering from a head contusion (bruise on the brain), rib fracture, hemothorax (accumulation of blood in the area between the chest wall and lungs), a left pulmonary contusion (bruising of the lung), pneumothorax (collapsed lung) and a traumatic brain injury.
Hammer pleaded guilty to the assault on June 18, 2025, and Cottman pleaded guilty on Nov. 4, 2025. Both are awaiting sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Homeland Security Task Force
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 Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Former Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang Member Pleaded Guilty for Armed Assaults Against RivalsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former member of the Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays for his involvement in a series of armed assaults against rival motorcycle club members.
James W. Prettyman, also known as “Rugby,” 44, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty today to one count of attempt to commit assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On Sept. 3, 2022, Prettyman and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club travelled to Topeka, Ks., to carry out a revenge attack against another rival motorcycle gang. The plan was to “catch a stray” and “smash on sight” any rival member they saw. The Pagan’s were aware that the rival motorcycle gang was having an event in Topeka that day, and the plan was to use either an axe handle or a gun on one of the rival gang members. After arriving in Topeka, a rival member was spotted in a hotel parking lot. As a member of the Pagan’s prepared to shoot the rival, a disagreement occurred among members, and the group returned to the Kansas City area.
On Sept.17, 2022, Prettyman and other members of the Pagan’s and their support club chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo. Various members of the Pagan’s and the support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. Prettyman and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg.
Under federal statutes, Prettyman is subject to a sentence of not less than five years and up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Homeland Security Task Force
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 Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Former Medical Case Management Coordinator Pleads Guilty to Tampering with Prescription MedicationsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Shelbi Wolken, 35, of Wheat Ridge, Colorado, pleaded guilty to one count of tampering with a consumer product.
According to the plea agreement, as a case management coordinator for Intermountain Health, Wolken had access to electronic medical records and patients’ personal identifying information. In July 2024, officials at Intermountain Health discovered that the Wolken had used a patient’s information to pick up a prescription for oxycodone at the in-house pharmacy at Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Denver. Wolken replaced the stolen medication with loratadine, an allergy medication. During further investigation, Wolken admitted to being addicted to opiates, and investigators found she had picked up approximately 139 prescriptions for approximately 127 patients between December 2023 and July 2024. Wolken replaced the stolen medications with a variety of ibuprofen, aspirin, acetaminophen, and lotradine. Several patients whose prescriptions were tampered with reported significant pain and post-surgical complications because they were unknowingly ingesting the wrong medication.
United States District Judge Nina Y. Wang presided over the hearing.
Sentencing will be held June 10, 2026.
The investigation was handled by Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorney Bryan Fields is handling the prosecution.
Case Number: 26-cr-00023-NYW
Former Bank CFO Convicted at Trial of Bank Fraud Scheme Involving a Columbus Car Wash and Undisclosed Debts in $4.3 Million Loan FraudRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that a federal jury in the District of Nebraska convicted Aaron T. Luneke, 44, of Columbus, Nebraska, on both counts of a federal indictment charging him with bank fraud and attempted bank fraud. The jury returned its verdict on Friday, March 6, 2026, following a two-week trial before the Honorable Brian C. Buescher, United States District Judge, in Omaha, Nebraska.
Luneke, who served as the Chief Financial Officer of Bank of the Valley in Columbus, from July 2018 through May 2022, was found guilty of one count of bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1344 (Count II) and one count of attempted bank fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 1344 and 2 (Count I).
The evidence at trial established that from approximately February 2021 through June 2021, Luneke devised and executed a scheme to defraud two federally insured financial institutions in connection with Legacy Express Wash, a car wash construction project in Columbus.
As to the attempted bank fraud, the jury found that Luneke attempted to defraud Stearns Bank, located in St. Cloud, Minnesota, by using fraudulent and inflated contractor invoices to artificially inflate the valuation of the car wash property in pursuit of a $3.5 million refinancing loan. The evidence further established that Luneke failed to disclose significant personal debts owed to family members in connection with the Stearns Bank loan application.
As to the bank fraud, the jury found that Luneke defrauded Bank of the Valley by submitting fraudulent and inflated invoices from contractors as the basis for additional construction loan proceeds, obtaining two loans totaling approximately $4,320,000. The evidence showed that Luneke, who was the bank’s own CFO at the time, exploited his position to facilitate the fraud from the inside.
Trial testimony from witnesses including Bank of the Valley’s president, its former chief credit officer, and compliance personnel revealed the extent of Luneke’s scheme. The government presented evidence that Luneke orchestrated a pattern of inflated invoices, and undisclosed financial obligations to deceive both lending institutions into advancing funds and approving loans they otherwise would not have approved. The evidence also showed that Luneke relied on a series of corporate shell entities to conceal that additional individuals were benefiting from his ownership interest in the car wash.
Luneke faces a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment on each count, as well as fines of up to $1,000,000 per count. Sentencing is scheduled for June 10, 2026.
“Mr. Luneke exploited his position of power to conceal a pattern of deception that defrauded his employer. Financial crimes erode public trust and confidence in our country’s economy, so we will remain steadfast in our efforts to investigate those using illegal means to enrich themselves for personal gain. The FBI is thankful for the investigative work by our partners that led to the conviction of Mr. Luneke,” said Eugene Kowel, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Omaha Field Office.
“This case highlights the risk that trusted bank insiders will abuse their position to perpetrate fraud, and in this instance obtain millions of dollars from financial institutions,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin R. Bundy of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Kansas City Region. “The FDIC OIG stands firm in its commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and bring to justice individuals who seek to threaten the safety and soundness of our Nation’s financial institutions, especially those who exploit their positions to do so.”
“The Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General (FHFA-OIG) will continue to relentlessly investigate and pursue the prosecution of those who defraud financial institutions, particularly the Federal Home Loan Bank and its members, no matter who commits the crimes. Officers of financial institutions who have a duty to conduct honest business must be held accountable. We are proud to have partnered with the United States Attorney’s Office along with our colleagues with the FRB-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and the FBI,” said Acting Inspector General Chris Schrank.
“Aaron Luneke abused his position as a bank executive to orchestrate a fraud scheme for his own personal gain and has now been brought to justice for his actions,” said Michael E. Horowitz, Inspector General for the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. “We are proud to have worked alongside our federal law enforcement partners to achieve this result.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Omaha Field Office; the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General; the Federal Housing Finance Agency, Office of Inspector General; and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Office of Inspector General.
The case was investigated and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sean Lynch and Sarah Hinrichs and tried with the assistance of Special Assistant United States Attorney Alejandro A. Abreu.
Five Sentenced for Helping Overseas Scammers Defraud Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a man who participated in a scheme that stole millions of dollars from elderly victims in ten states to four years in prison.
Judge Schelp also ordered Sital Singh, 43, to pay $6.6 million in restitution to victims.
Singh, Dariona Lambert, 24, Zhamoniq Stevens, 24, Chintankumar Parekh, 52, and Mehulkumar Darji, 42, all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Lambert and Stevens were couriers who picked up gold bars or coins from scam victims. Darji, Parekh and Singh were the “handlers” who collected the gold and paid the couriers in cash.
Overseas scammers contacted elderly victims via telephone calls and electronic messages, falsely claiming that the victims’ savings and retirement accounts had been compromised. They told their victims that they needed to transfer their funds to keep their accounts secure, often via the purchase of gold bars or coins. The government believes that the overseas scammers netted $9.3 million from victims.
One of the victims, an 82-year-old St. Louis woman, was contacted by someone claiming to represent a computer software support team and told that her financial accounts had been compromised. Among other things, they told her to buy about $250,000 worth of gold bars. They sent Lambert to pick up the gold. On May 1, 2024, she flew from Gainesville, Florida to St. Louis. Parekh rented a car and drove Lambert to a parking lot near the victim’s home. She then took a rideshare to the victim’s home, where she was intercepted by law enforcement agents. After Parekh was alerted by Lambert that she had been apprehended, he fled to Pittsburgh.
Singh worked as a handler in gold bar pickups from victims in Collierville, Tenn.; Universal City, Texas; and Greendale, Wis. Parekh worked as a handler in pickups from victims in Yuma and Scottsdale in Arizona; Placentia and La Jolla in California; Largo, Florida; Chapel Hill, N.C.; and Pittsburgh, Penn. Darji worked as a handler in pickups from Scottsdale, Largo and La Jolla. Lambert worked as a courier in Scottsdale; Placentia; La Jolla; Largo; Universal City; Hanover, Mass.; and Erie, Penn. Stevens worked as a courier in gold bar pickups from victims in Yuma; La Jolla; Collierville; Largo; Greendale; Oxnard, Calif.; Long Island, N.Y.; and Cincinnati, Ohio.
Darji and Parekh have been sentenced to four years in prison. Lambert was sentenced to two years in prison and Stevens was sentenced to 18 months. All were also ordered to pay restitution
Parekh and Darji are in the United States unlawfully and will be deported upon their release from prison. Parekh overstayed his work visa and Darji was removed from the country in 2014.
“Sital Singh and his co-conspirators in the U.S. and overseas are parasites. Their crimes devastated their elderly victims by robbing them of their life savings. In one example, an elderly couple in their 90s lost all the money they had saved to ensure their disabled adult child would be taken care of for life,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “The FBI will continue to aggressively dismantle these types of organized networks operating in the U.S., while working with our international law enforcement partners to go after the ringleaders overseas.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations in Tampa, Florida. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
If someone you know is a victim of a cyber scam, report it to the FBI. You can file the complaint online with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov or use 1-800-CALL-FBI.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Welcomes New Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys at Office TrainingRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – On March 3, 2026, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone gave welcoming remarks to the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys at the New AUSA Training in Syracuse. The training included an introduction to the federal criminal process and the role of the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney, as well as topics including drug prosecutions, cooperators, the use of informants, and firearms prosecutions, presented by Deputy Criminal Chief and Narcotics and Firearms Chief Nico Commandeur; topics surrounding Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”), presented by PSC Coordinator Michael Gadarian; and the use of search warrants, presented by Senior Litigation Counsel Lisa Fletcher.
Participants at the training included Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul DerOhannesian, Jeff Brown, Michael Whalen, and Kevin Cheung, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Berger (Saratoga County), Kathleen Hofman (Montgomery County), Joseph Frandino (Saratoga County), Marissa Olsen (Madison County), Meghan Horton (Saratoga County), Jed Hudson (Onondaga County), Nolan Pitkin (Jefferson County), Manpreet Kaur (Montgomery County), Sam Rodgers (Madison County), Michael Johnson (Herkimer County), and Arne Soldwedel (Social Security Administration).
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone also welcomed the staff and remarked, “We are extremely grateful to have you join the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York. We eagerly look forward to the contributions you will make as we work together to uphold our mission and serve the public as civil servants.”
Pictured above (left to right and back to front): SAUSAWilliam Berger, SAUSA Kathleen Hofman, SAUSA Joseph Frandino, SAUSA Marissa Olsen, SAUSA Meghan Horton, SAUSA Jed Hudson, SAUSA Nolan Pitkin, SAUSA Manpreet Kaur, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarcone, Senior Litigation Counsel Lisa Fletcher, SAUSA Sam Rodgers, AUSA Paul DerOhannesian, AUSA Jeff Brown, SAUSA Michael Johnson, SAUSA Arne Soldwedel, AUSA Michael Whalen, and AUSA Kevin Cheung.
Final Defendant in Large York County Drug Conspiracy Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Jarman Lamar White, 39, of Rock Hill, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine and methamphetamine.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that White was responsible for selling drugs that were obtained from members of the Darryl Hemphill drug organization. Agents learned that drugs obtained by this group included pills that resembled Roxicodone 30 mg tablets, also known in the generic form as a oxycodone. The counterfeit pills were produced by members of the organization. The pills were clandestinely manufactured with fentanyl at various locations in the Rock Hill and Charlotte area.
During the investigation, multiple phone calls were intercepted between White and other members of the organization in which it was learned that White was acquiring cocaine and methamphetamine, in addition to fentanyl, from other members. Agents also learned that White allowed the organization to use the basement of his girlfriend’s home in Rock Hill to set up multiple pill-press machines used to manufacture the fentanyl-laced pills. White and others were surveilled and observed moving the pill-press machines into the basement of the residence. White allowed multiple members of the Hemphill organization to utilize this residence to store and later operate multiple pill-press machines to clandestinely manufacture these fentanyl-laced pills. On one occasion, White and members of the organization made approximately 50,000 fentanyl-laced pills in the basement of the residence during a single day. White was paid a quantity of fentanyl-laced pills and several thousand dollars in return for using his residence.
At the time of White’s arrest in June 2018, agents conducted a search at this residence and located multiple pill-press machines, pill binder, masks/respirators, an industrial mixing machine, and a 9mm pistol which was in a backpack belonging to White.
In addition, after the arrest of the other members of the organization, agents of the York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit completed three separate controlled purchase of fentanyl pills from White. Through these controlled purchases, agents learned White had continued to conspire with others to distribute fentanyl-laced pills after his initial arrest.United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced White to 180 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 10-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
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 with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, York County Multijurisdictional Drug Enforcement Unit, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.###
Federal grand jury indicts former Rochester school teacher for promoting prostitution from his residenceRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Eric Simpson, a/k/a Major Hands, 66, of Macedon, NY, with use of interstate facilities to promote, manage, establish, carry on, and facilitate a prostitution enterprise. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey L. Chalbeck, who is handling the case, stated that Simpson was recently a public-school teacher in Rochester, who lived on Canandaigua Road in Macedon, NY. According to the indictment, between 2021, and December 2025, Simpson maintained and utilized his Canandaigua Road residence as a location where commercial sex workers met with customers and engaged in commercial sex transactions. Simpson regularly promoted, managed, and carried on prostitution parties, arranging to have commercial sex workers present and available to perform commercial sex acts with himself and with those he invited to the parties.
Simpson promoted the prostitution parties via email. In these emails, he detailed how many women would be present, sometimes identifying them by first name. Simpson managed the terms of the prostitution parties, including setting a cover charge for admission to the party, designating what rooms and other accommodations would be available, and telling prospective customers where to park, to avoid being parked too close to his house. The emails directed customers to negotiate “donations” for services directly with the “dancers.”
In addition to the prostitution parties, Simpson promoted, established, and carried on prostitution activity by authorizing commercial sex workers to use his residence to meet with customers and engage in prostitution services even when he was not present. Simpson utilized the internet to advertise which commercial sex workers were working out of his residence, and to inform prospective commercial sex customers what specific sex acts the commercial sex workers would perform.
Simpson was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on conditions.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Macedon Police Department, under the direction of Chief John Colella, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal grand jury indicts 3 defendants on charges related to public shootingsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Three defendants allegedly involved in public shootings in Cincinnati have now been indicted by a federal grand jury.
Franeek Cobb, 24, and Derrick Long, 29, were originally charged by federal criminal complaint last week. They face felon-in-possession charges for their alleged involvement in a mass shooting on March 1 at Riverfront Live.
Shaquille Ferguson, 24, was allegedly involved in an October 2025 shooting outside the City Bird restaurant on Fountain Square in downtown Cincinnati. He was also originally charged by criminal complaint last week.
According to charging documents for Cobb and Long, on March 1, Cincinnati police officers responded to Riverfront Live on Kellogg Avenue for a report of a shooting inside the night club and event venue. Nine individuals were wounded in the incident.
Cobb and Long were identified as the two alleged shooters based on a review of surveillance footage from Riverfront Live and the recovery of a firearm and ammunition.
Cobb is charged in an indictment filed today with illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition.
Long’s indictment charges him with illegally possessing eight .45 cartridge cases.
As previously convicted felons, Cobb and Long are prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. Cobb has a 2022 felony conviction of having weapons while under disability. Long has several prior felony convictions, including two separate cases involving trafficking in heroin, trafficking in fentanyl, failure to comply, carrying concealed weapons, arson and receiving stolen property.
According to Ferguson’s charging documents, in October 2025, Ferguson fired three shots and struck two individuals outside City Bird. He was allegedly involved in an altercation inside the restaurant. After exiting the restaurant, he allegedly brandished and fired his weapon. His indictment charges him with illegally possessing three 9mm cartridge cases.
In July 2025, Ferguson was convicted of aggravated assault, prohibiting him from possessing ammunition.
Each of the defendants faces up to 15 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Cincinnati Interim Police Chief Adam Henni; and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the charges. Members of the ATF & Cincinnati Police Department Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) participated in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Brucato is representing the United States in these cases.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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FBI Ten Most Wanted Fugitive Charged in Double Homicide Apprehended in MexicoRead the Press Release
Samuel Ramirez Jr., 33, of Federal Way, Washington, was apprehended without incident on Tuesday, March 10, at 11:13 a.m. PT in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico, only one hour and 13 minutes after being announced as the 538th addition to the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives list. The previous record for shortest arrest time was Billie Austin Bryant, arrested in 1969 two hours after being added to the list.
“Unlike the prior Administration, this Department of Justice is arresting the FBI’s Top Ten Most Wanted criminals as quickly as they are added to the list,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “President Trump has unleashed American law enforcement against the worst criminals in our country — Director Patel is doing great work to Make America Safe Again.”
“Samuel Ramirez Jr.’s apprehension is a direct result of the FBI’s relentless pursuit of justice for victims and their families,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “His senseless acts of violence placed him on the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List, and it is that same commitment to the victims that brought him to justice today. There is no border, no amount of time, and no place to hide from the full force of the FBI and its partners.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office supports the pursuit of justice in both federal and state prosecutions,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd for the Western District of Washington. “This case is an example of how a charge of unlawful flight to avoid prosecution can open investigatory avenues and resources to help assist our local law enforcement partners pursue critical prosecutions. Mr. Ramirez’s addition to the FBI’s 10 Most Wanted List brought attention to a case that has deeply affected our community and resulted in a swift apprehension of a dangerous fugitive.”
“This capture shows the power of local, federal, and international law enforcement working together, armed with timely and actionable information from the public,” said Special Agent in Charge W. Mike Herrington, of the FBI Seattle field office. “Assistance from the public quickly helped us learn where Mr. Ramirez was hiding and successfully bring him back to King County to face justice.”
“We are deeply grateful for the FBI’s partnership and the swift coordination among local, federal, and international law enforcement that led to Samuel Ramirez Jr.’s capture so quickly,” said Federal Way Police Chief Andy Hwang. “This arrest is an important step toward justice for the victims, Jessyca Hohn and Katie Duhnke, and toward bringing some measure of closure to their families and our community. We remain committed to ensuring that the suspect is held fully accountable.”
Ramirez Jr. is a U.S. citizen who was deported from Mexico to the United States to face murder charges in King County Superior Court. Ramirez Jr. returned to Washington state Wednesday night. His next court appearance will be his arraignment, which will be approximately two weeks after he is booked into jail in King County, Washington. Questions about the prosecution of this case should be directed to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Samuel Ramirez Jr. was wanted for his alleged involvement in the murders of two female victims on May 21, 2023, at the Stars Bar and Grill in Federal Way, Washington. A third person was also injured in the shooting. After the homicide, Ramirez Jr. was believed to have fled the state and country. Ramirez Jr. was considered armed and dangerous.
On May 24, 2023, the King County Superior Court, State of Washington, issued an arrest warrant for Ramirez Jr. after he was charged with Murder in the First Degree, Murder in the Second Degree, and Attempted Murder in the First Degree. On Nov. 14, 2025, a federal arrest warrant was issued for Ramirez Jr. in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington after he was charged with Unlawful Flight to Avoid Prosecution.
On Dec. 10, 2025, the FBI announced a reward of up to $25,000 for information leading to his arrest and conviction. On March 10, the FBI increased that amount and offered up to a $1 million reward. Ramirez Jr. was the first new individual added to the Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List to receive the new standard reward amount of up to $1 million, increased from the previous standard reward of up to $250,000.
FBI Seattle credits the FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Mexico City, Mexico, Secretaria de Seguridad y Protección Ciudadana (SSPC), Secretaría de la Defensa Nacional (SEDENA), the Instituto Nacional de Migracion (INM), and the U.S. Attorney’s Office Western District of Washington in coordinating the apprehension of Ramirez Jr.
Charging documents contain only allegations of criminal misconduct, and defendants are presumed to be innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
To protect the privacy of individuals and to ensure the public’s continued cooperation and incentivization for future assistance, the FBI does not confirm the identity of individuals who assist the FBI by providing information or share whether or not reward money is paid, to whom, and in what amounts. The FBI offers monetary rewards to incentivize the public to come forward with tips and information when they have information that law enforcement is seeking to further an investigation and keep the public safe. The FBI has paid reward money to tipsters who have provided valuable information and continues to do so. Receiving tips from the public remains one of the FBI’s best tools in preventing, detecting, and deterring crime.
The FBI’s Ten Most Wanted Fugitives List is one of the longest running and most recognizable law enforcement initiatives in U.S. history. Since its creation in 1950, the program has relied on national publicity and public participation to assist in the capture of dangerous fugitives. 538 fugitives have appeared on the list, and 501 have been apprehended or located, many due to tips from citizens.
Over the years, 12 Ten Most Wanted Fugitives have been FBI Seattle cases. In addition, eight fugitives on the list were arrested in Washington state with seven fugitives arrested in the Seattle area and one in Spokane. Additional information and wanted posters in English and Spanish can be found at this link: www.fbi.gov/wanted/topten
Eight New Indictments Returned & Seven Illegal Aliens Convicted of Immigration Offenses in FebruaryRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA and TALLAHASSEE – Today, United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced that eight previously deported illegal aliens have been indicted separately by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States, and seven illegal aliens were convicted of federal crimes in the month of February.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office continues to make positive contributions to the success of Operation Take Back America as we follow the directive set forth by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to aggressively prosecute criminal aliens who have repeatedly violated our immigration laws and endangered the safety of our communities. Those who try to lie, cheat, and steal their way into our country will be met with swift justice and quick deportations.”
According to court records, eight illegal aliens indicted in the month of February include:
- Franklin Zelaya-Funez, 33, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in June 2025, after previously being deported in 2021. Trial is set for March 16, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
- Mario Lopez-Martinez, 33, of Mexico, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Madison County in November 2025, after previously being deported in 2017, 2019, and 2020. Trial is set for March 31, 2026, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
- Benancio Cuyuch-Pelico, 37, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in January 2026, after previously being deported in 2013. Trial is set for April 20, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
- Santos Gonon, 25, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in January 2026, after previously being deported in 2019. Plea and Sentencing are set for March 25, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
- Pablo Cuyuch-Garcia, 35, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in January 2026, after previously being deported in 2011. Trial is set for April 20, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
- Jose Francisco Santizo-Perez, 41, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in January 2026, after previously being deported in 2010, twice in 2019, and 2021. Change of plea is set for March 10, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho.
- Gordolias Perez-Ramirez, 32, of Guatemala, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Okaloosa County in February 2026, after previously being deported in 2018. Trial is set for April 6, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
- Antonio Isidro-Lopez, 44, of Honduras, allegedly reentered the United States illegally and was located in Escambia County in February 2026, after previously being deported in 2025. Trial is set for April 6, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
The penalty for illegally reentering the United States after deportation is a maximum of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Zelaya-Funez and Santizo-Perez each face a maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine pursuant to allegations of prior convictions qualifying for an increased maximum sentence.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In addition to the indictments filed, seven previously indicted defendants were convicted in the month of February for being unlawfully present in the country after a prior removal. The illegal aliens convicted in the month of February include:
- Juan Salgado, of Mexico, who was previously removed in September 2012. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on November 8, 2025.
- Jose Alberto Orozco-Sanchez, of Mexico, who was previously removed in August 2019 and November 2019. He was encountered in Okaloosa County on November 19, 2025.
- Kevin A. Perez-Portillo, of El Salvador, who was previously removed in August 2017. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on December 9, 2025.
- Emin Perez-Mendez, of Mexico, who was previously removed in August 2018. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on December 23, 2025.
- Robin Quinones-Valles, of Honduras, who was previously removed in March 2014. He was encountered in Santa Rosa County on December 10, 2025.
- Brahayan Vargas-Pinzon, of Columbia, who was previously removed in July 2025. He was encountered in Leon County on December 9, 2025.
- Abel DeJesus Ronquillo-Martinez, of El Salvador, who was previously removed in January 2014. He was encountered in Florida on October 8, 2025.
The cases involved investigations by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, and Enforcement and Removal Operations with assistance from the Madison County Sheriff’s Office, the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
Assistant United States Attorneys Brooke DiSalvo, Eric Welch, Alicia H. Forbes, Jeffrey M. Tharp, Jessica S. Etherton, Justin M. Keen, Joseph A. Ravelo and Christopher C. Patterson are prosecuting the cases.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Dominican National Sentenced to More Than Ten Years for Unlawful Reentry into the United States and for Trafficking Fentanyl and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Dominican National Sentenced to More Than Ten Years for Unlawful Reentry into the United States and for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine
CONCORD – A Dominican man was sentenced today in federal court for illegally reentering the United States and drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Robely Eladio De Jesus Guerrero, 38, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Landya B. McCafferty to 125 months in federal prison and 5 years of supervised release. In September 2025, De Jesus Guerrero pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien and one count of distribution of a controlled substance, specifically methamphetamine.
“The defendant is a repeat offender who entered the country illegally and distributed dangerous drugs in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Today’s sentence reflects the serious threat posed by those who deal in dangerous drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl, and the serious sanction that must follow.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message to those who think they can violate our borders and poison our communities with deadly drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division “By trafficking both fentanyl and methamphetamine, this individual showed a blatant disregard for human life and the laws of this country. This sentence ensures that a repeat offender is removed from our streets and held accountable for the harm he sought to inflict on New England families. The DEA, alongside our federal and local partners, will never waver in our mission to dismantle the networks that bring these lethal substances into our neighborhoods.”
According to the court documents and statements made in court, in 2020 and 2021, De Jesus Guerrero, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was convicted of identity theft and a child sex offense in Massachusetts. In November 2021, ICE deported him to the Dominican Republic. The fingerprints on De Jesus Guerrero’s deportation documents match the prints taken when he was arrested in Massachusetts.
After his deportation, De Jesus Guerrero reentered the United Sates and sold fentanyl and methamphetamine to a DEA cooperating source. Between August and September 2024, a DEA cooperating source negotiated the sale of fentanyl and methamphetamine from De Jesus Guerrero. Through two sales in August, De Jesus Guerrero sold the cooperator approximately 120 grams of Fentanyl. In September, De Jesus Guerrero sold the cooperating source approximately one pound of methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Hunter prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Dominican Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Participation in Cocaine Trafficking Organization While Serving State SentenceRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States illegally has been sentenced in federal court to eight years of imprisonment, to be followed by four years of federal supervised release, on his drug trafficking conviction, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Santos Castro-Mota, 46.
According to information presented to the Court, a joint investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, determined that Aliquippa drug trafficker Kijana Lowe frequently communicated with Castro-Mota while Castro-Mota was serving a five-to-ten year sentence at State Correctional Institution Phoenix (Collegeville, Pennsylvania) on a drug trafficking conviction. Recordings of calls between Lowe and Castro-Mota revealed that Lowe would order kilogram quantities of cocaine from Castro-Mota, with the defendants referring to a kilogram of cocaine as a “white car.” After Castro-Mota negotiated the sale with Lowe, Castro-Mota would then direct a co-defendant, who Castro-Mota referred to as “the mechanic,” to deliver the controlled substances to Lowe. The investigation established that Lowe would then supply the drugs to another co-defendant, Anthony Tusweet Smith Jr., who would subsequently sell them to end users.
In November 2021, investigators learned that an in-person delivery of kilogram quantities of cocaine was planned to Lowe in the Western District of Pennsylvania, and, during a surveillance operation, observed Lowe accept a suitcase outside of a Coraopolis motel. Law enforcement detained the individuals involved and executed search warrants on the suitcase, a motel room, and Lowe’s vehicle. The suitcase contained nearly 10 kilograms of cocaine, while Lowe’s vehicle contained over $280,000 that was to be used to purchase the seized cocaine. In conjunction with the interdiction, law enforcement obtained search warrants for cell phones found in the possession of Lowe and a co-defendant (“the mechanic”), with digital extractions from these devices revealing numerous communications and photographs between the conspirators regarding their drug trafficking activity, in addition to Castro-Mota’s involvement in the conspiracy.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman emphasized that Castro-Mota entered the country illegally and then engaged in drug trafficking. Judge Stickman stated that Castro-Mota learned “absolutely nothing” from his prior sentence and observed that Castro-Mota has nothing but disregard for the laws of the United States. Finding that Castro-Mota served as the “point person for the distribution of an enormous amount” of drugs into the district, the judge also denied Castro-Mota’s request to have his federal sentence run concurrent to his undischarged state sentence, explaining to the defendant that “Repeat offenders don’t get a discount; they get an enhancement.”
Following the completion of his sentence, Castro-Mota will be deported from the United States.
Judge Stickman previously sentenced Castro-Mota’s co-defendants Kijana Lowe to 10 years of imprisonment and Anthony Tusweet Smith Jr. to five years of imprisonment for their roles in the conspiracy.Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kara Cotter prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Castro-Mota and his co-conspirators.
Davenport Man Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Ammunition as a FelonRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on March 12, 2026, to 170 months in federal prison for possessing ammunition as a felon.
According to public court documents, Diamonte Eugene Thomas, 27, discharged a firearm three times from a vehicle toward two individuals entering a Davenport apartment building in October 2023. There were three children in the car with Thomas when he fired the gun. Law enforcement collected three spent shell casings Thomas fired from the scene. Thomas is prohibited from possessing ammunition because he is felon, including a 2023 conviction for unlawful possession with intent to deliver cannabis in the Illinois Circuit Court for Rock Island County.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Thomas will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department investigated the case.
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.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 54 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearms as a FelonRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on March 12, 2026, to 54 months in federal prison for possessing firearms as a felon.
According to public court documents, Gregory Francis Young, III, 27, pointed a firearm at victims while at a Davenport gas station in March 2025. During a subsequent traffic stop, law enforcement searched Young’s vehicle and found two loaded firearms in the hood of the vehicle. Young has prior felony convictions, including a 2024 conviction for possession of cocaine, third or subsequent offense, from the Iowa District Court for Scott County, for which he was on probation at the time of the offense.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Young will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Davenport Police Department, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.
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.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Darius DeShawn Countee, 48, of Browns Summit, N.C. was sentenced yesterday to 70 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegal possession of a firearm, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Curtis Cheeks, III, of the High Point Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, Countee was previously convicted in North Carolina of Assault with a Deadly Weapon Inflicting Serious Injury and Second Degree Murder. As a result, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
“Countee is the type of repeat violent offender federal firearms laws are designed to stop,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “Despite prior convictions for serious violent crimes, Countee got hold of illegal guns and used them, putting lives at risk. Time and again Countee has shown reckless disregard for the law and now he will face federal consequences.”
“Repeat offenders have a detrimental effect on the public safety of our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Jones. “ATF is proud to join our law enforcement partners in all efforts to identify and hold accountable those who disregard our laws and threaten our safety.”
Court documents show that on July 8, 2023, law enforcement responded to an altercation at a QuickTrip convenience store in Charlotte. A review of the store’s surveillance video showed Countee entering the convenience store where an individual was arguing with one of Countee’s associates. Countee then ran to a vehicle parked at a gas pump and retrieved a rifle. He then confronted the individual outside the store and stole his firearm.
The individual returned to his vehicle and attempted to flee but was pursued by Countee and his associates in two vehicles. Over the course of the pursuit, numerous shots were fired at the victim’s vehicle. Countee later returned to the convenience store and was detained by law enforcement. Law enforcement found inside the vehicle an American Tactical 5.56 caliber AR-type weapon with a high-capacity magazine, a black Taurus .40 caliber handgun, and a black Springfield .45 caliber handgun, which was stolen from the individual involved in the altercation.
Court documents show that Countee was later charged in the Middle District of North Carolina for illegal firearm possession in connection with a separate investigation. Countee pleaded guilty to that charge, and the case was transferred to the Western District of North Carolina. The 70-month sentence resolves both federal cases pending against Countee.
Countee is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The ATF and the High Point Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Columbia Woman Who Coerced Minor Boy to Engage in Sex Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ALYSON CRANICK, 44, of Columbia, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 240 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for coercing a minor boy to engage in sexual activity.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cranick, first using text messaging and Snapchat, and then using the internet chat service Discord, coerced an 11-year-old boy to engage in sexually explicit conduct with her. Several times during the summer and into the fall of 2022, Cranick induced the minor victim to leave his house after midnight to meet up with her. Cranick sexually assaulted the minor victim during these meetings.
Between July and October 2022, Cranick exchanged more than 4,700 messages with the minor victim on Discord.
Cranick was arrested on related state charges on November 14, 2023, and has been detained since November 28, 2023. She was federally charged in July 2024. On November 18, 2025, she pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force and the Connecticut State Police’s Eastern District Major Crime Unit. The FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Katherine E. Boyles through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of Tolland for its close cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.
For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Colorado Man Charged with Drug Trafficking Crimes in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Colorado man is facing multiple drug charges after he allegedly attempted to traffic narcotics through the District of Utah. A federal grand jury returned an indictment on March 10, 2026, charging the defendant after he was arrested during a traffic stop when law enforcement located and seized meth, fentanyl, and heroin from the vehicle he was driving.
Travis Christopher Schultz, 37, of Grand Junction, Colorado, was arrested on February 13, 2026, in Blanding, Utah.
According to the allegations in court documents, on February 13, 2026, San Juan County Sheriff Deputies conducted a traffic stop on a truck that Schultz was driving during which deputies suspected Schultz was trafficking illegal narcotics. A K-9 was deployed and detected illegal narcotics. During two separate searches of the vehicle, deputies located and seized from the bed of the vehicle and in a hidden compartment of the vehicle, a total of 30 packages wrapped in cellophane, automotive grease and coffee grounds. The packages consisted of 25.5 pounds of field-tested positive methamphetamine, 2.3 pounds of blue M30 suspected fentanyl pills, 1.1 pounds of field-tested positive fentanyl powder, and 56.7 grams of field-tested positive heroin.
Schultz is charged with possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 2B at the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the San Juan County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph M. Hood of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Brooklyn Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Cocaine ChargeRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Brooklyn, New York, man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Judge Gregrory B. Williams accepted the plea.
According to court documents, New Castle County Police officers were on patrol in the area of the Christiana Mall when they saw a car commit several traffic violations. Officers stopped the car and identified Daniel Fernandez, 44, as one of the passengers. Officers called for a drug sniffing dog, which gave a positive alert to the presence of drugs in the car. During a later search of the car, officers discovered approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine, 3 pounds of methamphetamine, and over 300 grams each of heroin and fentanyl. Fernandez admitted that the drugs were his.
Fernandez pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for July 28, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace and DEA, Philadelphia Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Thomas Hodnett made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from the New Castle County Police Department, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Thurstlic-O’Neill is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 26-cr-004.
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Bridgeport Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Prison for Gunpoint Robberies of Retail Stores, Amazon Delivery TruckRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICKYEEM PROFIT, 22, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 102 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his participation in the violent armed robberies of multiple retail stores and an Amazon delivery truck in December 2022.
According to court documents and statements made court, Profit and others committed gunpoint robberies of Omega Deli, located at 999 Maplewood Avenue in Bridgeport, on December 15, 2022; Milford Convenience & Tobacco, located at 784 Boston Post Road in Milford, on December 21, 2022; an Amazon delivery truck and merchandise in Bridgeport on December 23, 2022; and Smoke Shop, located at 2175 Boston Avenue in Bridgeport, on December 23, 2022. In addition, Profit’s associates committed a gunpoint robbery of Cumberland Farms, located at 1290 West Broad Street in Stratford, on January 2, 2023.
During the store robberies, Profit and his accomplices entered businesses with firearms, threatened employees, forced victims to the ground, and stole money and property. At Milford Convenience & Tobacco, Profit stepped on a victim while holding a gun to her head. During the Amazon truck robbery, Profit and his accomplices forced the driver into the back of the truck at gunpoint where they assaulted him.
Profit has been detained since his arrest on January 2, 2023. On October 2, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (“Hobbs Act robbery”) and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bridgeport Police Department, the Stratford Police Department, and the Milford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathaniel J. Gentile.
Brazilian National Unlawfully Residing in U.S. Charged with Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that MAX MOTA PINHO, 45, a citizen of Brazil residing in Stamford, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with possession of child pornography.
As alleged in court documents, a cloud-based storage company that provides services for wireless customers made multiple CyberTipline reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) that a user, subsequently identified as Pinho, had videos and images of child sexual abuse stored on the account. Subsequent investigation confirmed that child sex abuse material was stored on Pinho’s account.
Pinho was arrested yesterday at his Stamford residence. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport and was released on a $50,000 bond. Pinho, who overstayed a tourist visa issued in 2003, was then taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody.
Possession of child pornography carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Stamford Police Department, the Watertown Police Department, and the Westport Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Bowling Green Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison followed by 20 Years of Supervised Release for Using AI to Create Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Bowling Green man was sentenced on March 9, 2026, for using artificial intelligence (AI) to produce over 1,300 images of child sexual abuse material.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Kori Beck Bumgarner, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin W. Jackson of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville made the announcement.
Ray Gordon, 37, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison, followed by a 20-year term of supervised release, for one count of producing obscene visual representations of child abuse and one count of possessing obscene visual representations of child abuse.
For more than a year, Gordon used an AI image generator to create detailed and obscene images of minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. In many instances, the images Gordon created depicted young toddlers and preteen girls engaged in sexual activity with adults and in pain. In December 2023, Gordon was found in possession of over 1,300 unique images of child sexual abuse material that he had created.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Unfortunately, child predators are using AI to produce child sexual abuse material. It is tragic how deviants continually adapt new technology to further their twisted and evil fetishes. Our office will continue to work with law enforcement to ensure that these deviants are stopped and sent to federal prison.”
Warren County Commonwealth’s Attorney Kori Beck Bumgarner stated, “The Office of the Commonwealth’s Attorney is pleased with the outcome in this case. Justice was served, and this offender has been held accountable for his actions. The twenty-year period of supervision will provide an important safeguard for our community, helping to protect children and ensure continued oversight. Measures like this are valuable tools that help keep our communities safe.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by HSI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie M. Zimdahl prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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