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Tuesday 10 March 2026
U.S. Attorney General Bondi presents awards for Southern District of Georgia child exploitation caseRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GEORGIA: United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi presented awards to Emanuel County law enforcement personnel and prosecutors Monday, March 9, 2026, at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Brunswick following her remarks at graduation ceremonies for the first 2026 trainee class for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The Attorney General’s Award for Exceptional Policing recognized the cooperative efforts of the Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office, the Middle Judicial Circuit (MJC) District Attorney’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia in identifying and charging five individuals in a child sexual exploitation and trafficking operation in Swainsboro, Georgia, leading to a 16-count superseding federal indictment returned in January in USA v. Williams et. al. The presentation included MJC Chief Investigator Rocky Davis (from left); Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherri A. Stephan; AG Pam Bondi; MJC District Attorney Tripp Fitzner; Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Margaret E. “Meg” Heap; Emanuel County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Sgt. Michael Reddish; and, Emanuel County Sheriff Jeffrey Brewer.
Two Former NYPD Officers Charged with Federal Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a three-count indictment was unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging Justin McMillan and Justin Colon, two former New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers, with felony conspiracy against rights and willfully depriving an individual of her constitutional rights while acting under color of law, in connection with an incident that occurred while they were on duty in the 115th Precinct in Queens, New York in July 2024. The defendants were arrested today and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Cross-Goldenberg. They resigned from the NYPD in March 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department, announced the charges.
“As alleged, the defendants’ response to a 311 complaint about prostitution on their beat was to commit multiple criminal acts that shock the conscience and violated the civil rights of a vulnerable victim,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Upholding the integrity of law enforcement and holding accountable those who violate their sworn duty will always be a priority of our Office. These defendants will be vigorously prosecuted because the community and their former colleagues in the NYPD deserve nothing less.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Queens District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in the matter.
“Former NYPD officers Justin McMillan and Justin Colon allegedly failed to appropriately respond to a non-emergency call and instead used their official authority to commit a series of criminal acts, violating the rights of a vulnerable individual,” stated FBI Assistant Director Barnacle. “In doing so, they allegedly betrayed their sworn commitment to serve and abused the power entrusted to them while on duty. While the overwhelming majority of NYPD officers uphold the highest standards of integrity and honor, the FBI will continue to hold accountable those who tarnish the badge.”
“We hold our police officers to the highest standards and have zero tolerance for misconduct of any kind," stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The alleged actions taken by Justin McMillan and Justin Colon are despicable and a complete violation of the public's trust in the NYPD. Let me be perfectly clear: Any officer who violates their oath will be investigated, exposed, and held fully accountable. That standard will never change. I want to thank the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau and the U.S. Attorney's Office for their work on this investigation.”
As alleged in court documents, McMillan and Colon were police officers on duty in the 115th Precinct on July 19, 2024, when they responded to a 311-call related to prostitution inside a residential building on 89th Street near Roosevelt Avenue in Jackson Heights, Queens. When the officers arrived at the location, they shut off their body-worn cameras and stole a key to the entrance door from a woman who had just exited the premises. Without reporting the contact, the officers then proceeded with their foot patrol duties.
Approximately eight hours later, at about 4:50 a.m. on July 20, 2024, the defendants returned to the location, unlocked the entrance door with the stolen key and found a woman engaged in sex with a customer. The customer fled, leaving the victim naked and alone in the dark with the defendants. While Colon kept watch, McMillan stole money from the woman’s purse and groped her bare breast and buttock. The victim fled, and the officers returned to their patrol and ultimately to their stationhouse.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charges, McMillan and Colon face up to ten years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorney Erin Reid is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
JUSTIN MCMILLAN
Age: 26
Atlantic Beach, Long IslandJUSTIN COLON
Age: 24
Long Island City, QueensE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-49 (FB)
Tucson Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Deadly Human Smuggling Related Crash Near ArivacaRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Samuel Lopez-Ozuna, 20, of Tucson, Arizona, was sentenced to 10 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez after pleading guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit, Resulting in Death, stemming from a deadly crash in 2024.
On Aug. 9, 2024, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to pull over a Chevrolet Tahoe on suspicion that the driver, Lopez-Ozuna, was smuggling illegal aliens near Arivaca, Arizona, about five miles north of the border. Instead of yielding to law enforcement, Lopez-Ozuna fled at a high speed, causing the Tahoe to crash and roll almost immediately. Lopez-Ozuna was smuggling seven aliens, all of whom were ejected from his vehicle during the crash. One person died and three others were seriously injured.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-6035-TUC-AMM (EJM)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-047_Lopez-Ozuna
Thirteen members of a prison-based methamphetamine distribution ring sentencedRead the Press Release
ROME, Ga. – Thirteen members of a prison-based methamphetamine distribution ring have been convicted and sentenced. Before they were identified by federal agents, state inmates Edward Kelvin Pope, David Wilson, and Kevin Josue Campos Rivera coordinated with Jose Santos Isaola Cisneros, a federal inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution in Atlanta, to distribute methamphetamine to couriers and customers throughout north Georgia. At the time of the offense, Pope, also known as “Paw Paw,” was a 68-year-old felon serving life imprisonment plus 70 years for armed robbery, kidnapping, and other violent crimes.
“From behind prison walls, these defendants egregiously continued to violate the law by coordinating the distribution of massive amounts of methamphetamine throughout north Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “The prison sentences imposed in this case without the possibility of parole follow a multiyear, closely coordinated partnership among federal, state, and local law enforcement to protect our communities from the spread of deadly drugs.”
“Methamphetamine continues to fuel addiction, violence, and instability in our communities,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Field Division. “These defendants believed they could orchestrate a drug trafficking organization from inside a correctional facility, but the sentences show that law enforcement will pursue traffickers wherever they operate. DEA will continue working tirelessly to disrupt and dismantle networks responsible for distributing dangerous drugs.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service, in conjunction with our partners at the DEA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and state agencies, will never stop in our efforts to bring criminals to justice,” said Chief Deputy John B. Stevens, U.S. Marshals Service, Northern District of Georgia. “It doesn’t matter if you are already in custody, if you continue to violate the laws of the United States, we will come for you, and you will be held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The investigation began in November 2020 when law enforcement learned that Pope and Wilson were using couriers outside of Central State Prison in Macon, Georgia, to distribute methamphetamine to customers in and around the metro Atlanta area. Agents identified other inmates involved in the methamphetamine ring, including Isaola, a federal inmate, and Campos Rivera, a fellow state inmate at Central State Prison. The investigation also identified Marcelo Ibarra, a distributor who sold kilogram quantities of methamphetamine on behalf of Isaola to various customers.
The investigation established that the organization repeatedly distributed large quantities of methamphetamine in north Georgia, including:
- On April 30, 2021, Pope, Wilson, and Isaola supplied Ibarra with approximately two kilograms of methamphetamine that Ibarra distributed at a gas station in Cartersville, Georgia.
- On June 14, 2021, Wilson and Campos Rivera conspired with Luis Cisneros Ruiz to sell approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine that Cisneros Ruiz distributed in a restaurant parking lot in Stockbridge, Georgia. Two weeks later, agents searched Cisneros Ruiz’s residence in Stockbridge, Georgia, where they found an active methamphetamine conversion lab and seized more than 3,000 kilograms of methamphetamine.
- On August 11, 2021, Wilson and Campos Rivera conspired with Carlos Ruben Ramirez Romero to supply approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine to a drug customer who was actually an undercover DEA agent. Agents later searched Ramirez’s apartment in Norcross, Georgia, and located approximately 13 kilograms of methamphetamine, $49,000 in bulk U.S. currency, and a rifle.
The following defendants were sentenced in this case:
- Jose Santos Isaola Cisneros, 35, of Hampton, Georgia, was sentenced to 25 years in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering.
- Ramon Rodriguez, Jr., 46, of Dalton, Georgia, was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by twenty years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Carlos Ruben Ramirez Romero, 41, of Norcross, Georgia, was sentenced to 19 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering.
- David Wilson, 53, of Carrolton, Georgia, was sentenced to 18 years, and four months in prison to be followed by eight years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering.
- Kevin Josue Campos Rivera, 27, of Snellville, Georgia, was sentenced to 15 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering.
- Gustavo Omar Martinez, 37, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, was sentenced to 14 years in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
- Luis Cisneros Ruiz, 27, of Stockbridge, Georgia, was sentenced to 12 years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Edward Kelvin Pope, 72, of Commerce, Georgia, was sentenced to serve ten years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
- Marcelo Ibarra, 33, of Dalton, Georgia, was sentenced to eight years six months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering.
- Julio Estuardo Mijangos Chinchilla, 37, of Atlanta, Georgia, was sentenced to six years five months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Kelyn Roxana Ortiz Flores, 36, of Norcross, Georgia, was sentenced to four years and three months in prison, after pleading guilty to assault of a federal agent and conspiracy to engage in concealment money laundering.
- Max Donald Whitlock, 55, of Nicholson, Georgia, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
- Oscar Valdez Samaniego, 45, of Rex, Georgia, was sentenced to three years and five months in prison to be followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service, with valuable assistance provided by the Cartersville Police Department, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, and the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel B. Milam and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua May prosecuted this 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.
These prosecutions are also part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
The Department of Justice Approves Historic Number of Settlements to Camp Lejeune Victims and FamiliesRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice Civil Division announced the approval of 649 Elective Option (EO) offers in the past three weeks, totaling $175 million, under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act.
Since Jan. 20, 2025, the Department of Justice has paid more than $421 million in EO settlements to compensate service members who were exposed to contaminated water at Camp Lejeune. This brings the total approved settlement offers since the 2023 announcement of the EO to 2,531, totaling more than a half billion dollars (approximately $708 million).
“At the direction of the President and Attorney General, this Department of Justice has reprioritized approving settlements for Camp Lejeune victims and families, many of whom sadly had to wait years for justice,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “I am proud of the work we have done in the past year to speed up the compensation approval process and we will continue to approve settlements on a weekly basis.”
The “Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022” or the “Honoring our PACT Act of 2022” (“PACT Act), Public Law 117–168, was signed into law on Aug. 10, 2022. Section 804 of the PACT Act, the “Camp Lejeune Justice Act of 2022,” aims to compensate service members and others who were exposed to contaminated water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, between 1953 and 1987 and developed cancer or another disease that was at least “as likely as not” caused by the exposure. During the relevant time period, two of the eight Camp Lejeune water supply systems were contaminated, and one other intermittently received contaminated water during water shortages. The estimated face value of claims submitted to the Department of the Navy exceeds $335 trillion.
In 2023, the Department of Justice, in conjunction with the Department of the Navy, implemented an EO program. The EO serves as an off-ramp to litigation, creating a faster and easier way for those with qualifying illnesses to settle their claims and avoid the cost and time-consuming nature of litigation. Payments to an individual claimant under the EO range from $100,000 to $550,000 and are available to qualified claimants regardless of whether they were present in a part of the base that received contaminated water.
Texas Trio to Serve More Than 22 Years in Federal Prison Collectively Following Attempted Armed Robbery of Brink's TechnicianRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – RAYMOND ISHUN EDWARDS, 33; MARCUS ELEBY-KING, 33; and HAROLD ELEBY-KING, 35, of Texas, have been sentenced to serve cumulatively 273 months in federal prison for attempted armed bank robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on September 30, 2024, an armed Brink’s technician was working on an ATM in Midwest City when he was approached by two masked men. One of the men, later identified as Harold Eleby-King, pointed a firearm at the victim’s head while the other masked man, later identified as Edwards, unsuccessfully attempted to access the ATM. The men then took the victim’s firearm after a physical struggle before they fled in a car driven by Marcus Eleby-King. The three were arrested the following day in Wichita, Kansas.
On December 3, 2024, a federal Grand Jury charged Edwards, Harold Eleby-King, and Marcus Eleby-King with attempted armed bank robbery. The three defendants have since pleaded guilty and admitted they knowingly attempted to take money controlled by a bank by force, violence, and intimidation.
At a sentencing hearing on March 5, 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy D. DeGiusti sentenced Edwards to serve 92 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Harold Eleby-King and Marcus Eleby-King were previously sentenced, with Harold receiving 97 months and Marcus receiving 84 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release for both.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Midwest City Police Department, and the Wichita Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nichols, Jr. prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Tennessee Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to $80M Pandemic-Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — The owner of a tax preparation business in Tennessee pleaded guilty today to orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that steered approximately $80 million in pandemic relief funds designed to help small businesses and workers to herself and her clients.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Renata Walton, 45, of Mississippi, owned and operated a tax preparation business in Moscow, Tennessee. From approximately March 2022 through August 2023, Walton conspired with one of her employees to file false tax returns for clients seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit. Congress created both the ERC and the paid sick and family leave credit to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The employee, Nicole Jones, also known as Nicole Dickerson, of Cordova, Tennessee, previously pleaded guilty on Aug. 15, 2025, for her role in the offense.
Among other schemes, Walton and Jones reported fictitious wages on clients’ tax returns to fraudulently claim the ERC and paid sick and family leave credits, knowing their clients had not paid wages to their employees in those amounts and were not entitled to the credits. Walton also filed false applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, government funding intended to provide financial assistance to Americans suffering economic harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. To support these false claims, Walton submitted false tax forms to the SBA. As a result of the scheme, clients received tax refunds, often exceeding $100,000, and then Walton and Jones received a fee from the clients, which was typically around $15,000 per return.
When the IRS began contacting clients to recover the fraudulently issued pandemic program funds, Walton obstructed the IRS’s efforts. She gave the clients letters to provide to the IRS falsely asserting, among other things, that the fictitious wages Walton and Jones reported on their tax returns to claim the ERC were legitimate. Walton and Jones also did not file tax returns for tax year 2022, so they did not pay taxes on the income they earned through their criminal schemes.
In total, Walton filed tax returns and other documents claiming nearly $80 million in pandemic funds and tax refunds that she and her clients were not entitled to receive, causing a loss of more than $52 million to the United States. Jones was also responsible for a portion of these fraudulent claims.
Both Walton and Jones face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for willful failure to file a return. Walton also faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Walton is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Caroline Pearson of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bateman and Tony Arvin for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
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CRM
26-236
If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Tennessee Tax Preparer Pleads Guilty to $80M Pandemic-Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a tax preparation business in Tennessee pleaded guilty today to orchestrating a massive fraud scheme that steered approximately $80 million in pandemic relief funds designed to help small businesses and workers to herself and her clients.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Renata Walton, 45, of Mississippi, owned and operated a tax preparation business in Moscow, Tennessee. From approximately March 2022 through August 2023, Walton conspired with one of her employees to file false tax returns for clients seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit. Congress created both the ERC and the paid sick and family leave credit to aid struggling businesses during the COVID-19 global pandemic. The employee, Nicole Jones, also known as Nicole Dickerson, of Cordova, Tennessee, previously pleaded guilty on Aug. 15, 2025, for her role in the offense.
Among other schemes, Walton and Jones reported fictitious wages on clients’ tax returns to fraudulently claim the ERC and paid sick and family leave credits, knowing their clients had not paid wages to their employees in those amounts and were not entitled to the credits. Walton also filed false applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, government funding intended to provide financial assistance to Americans suffering economic harm during the COVID-19 pandemic. To support these false claims, Walton submitted false tax forms to the SBA. As a result of the scheme, clients received tax refunds, often exceeding $100,000, and then Walton and Jones received a fee from the clients, which was typically around $15,000 per return.
When the IRS began contacting clients to recover the fraudulently issued pandemic program funds, Walton obstructed the IRS’s efforts. She gave the clients letters to provide to the IRS falsely asserting, among other things, that the fictitious wages Walton and Jones reported on their tax returns to claim the ERC were legitimate. Walton and Jones also did not file tax returns for tax year 2022, so they did not pay taxes on the income they earned through their criminal schemes.
In total, Walton filed tax returns and other documents claiming nearly $80 million in pandemic funds and tax refunds that she and her clients were not entitled to receive, causing a loss of more than $52 million to the United States. Jones was also responsible for a portion of these fraudulent claims.
Both Walton and Jones face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count of wire fraud, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering, a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for willful failure to file a return. Walton also faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for obstruction of justice.
A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Walton is scheduled to be sentenced on June 18. Jones is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant of the Western District of Tennessee made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Caroline Pearson of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bateman and Tony Arvin for the Western District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Swiss Businessman Extradited to the United States Pleads Guilty to International Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Swiss executive pleaded guilty today to participating in a multimillion-dollar securities fraud scheme after living abroad as a fugitive for nearly 11 years.
According to court documents, Martin Schlaepfer, 67, a Swiss national, identified himself to victims as the Chief Executive Officer of Malom Group AG, a purported Swiss investment company. Beginning as early as October 2009, Schlaepfer and his co-conspirators located in Switzerland and Las Vegas, Nevada, orchestrated a scheme in which they promoted investments that they knew to be fictitious. Schlaepfer and his co-conspirators told victims that, for an up-front payment, Malom would provide access to lucrative investment opportunities and substantial cash loans. To effectuate this scheme, the co-conspirators provided victims with fabricated bank documents purporting to show that Malom held hundreds of millions of dollars in overseas bank accounts. When victims wired their money into an escrow account controlled by the co-conspirators, the money was released and disbursed to, among others, Schlaepfer for his own personal use. As a result of the scheme, victims were defrauded of approximately $6 million.
Schlaepfer was indicted in December 2013. He was arrested in Italy in September 2024, pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice, and extradited to the United States in July 2025. Three of Schlaepfer’s co-conspirators, Anthony Brandel, James Warras and Sean Finn, were found guilty of conspiracy and multiple counts of wire fraud and securities fraud following separate jury trials in 2015 and 2020 and each sentenced to 87 months in prison. A fourth defendant, Joseph Micelli, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud in 2015 and was sentenced to 60 months in prison. A fifth defendant, Hans-Jurg Lips, remains at large outside the United States. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Schlaepfer pleaded guilty to securities fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
The FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case.
Senior Counsel Anna G. Kaminska and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez for the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Italian authorities to secure the extradition of Schlaepfer from Italy.
Swiss Businessman Extradited to the United States Pleads Guilty to International Securities Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS — A Swiss executive pleaded guilty today to participating in a multimillion-dollar securities fraud scheme after living abroad as a fugitive for nearly 11 years.
According to court documents, Martin Schlaepfer, 67, a Swiss national, identified himself to victims as the Chief Executive Officer of Malom Group AG, a purported Swiss investment company. Beginning as early as October 2009, Schlaepfer and his co-conspirators located in Switzerland and Las Vegas, Nevada, orchestrated a scheme in which they promoted investments that they knew to be fictitious. Schlaepfer and his co-conspirators told victims that, for an up-front payment, Malom would provide access to lucrative investment opportunities and substantial cash loans. To effectuate this scheme, the co-conspirators provided victims with fabricated bank documents purporting to show that Malom held hundreds of millions of dollars in overseas bank accounts. When victims wired their money into an escrow account controlled by the co-conspirators, the money was released and disbursed to, among others, Schlaepfer for his own personal use. As a result of the scheme, victims were defrauded of approximately $6 million.
Schlaepfer was indicted in December 2013. He was arrested in Italy in September 2024, pursuant to an Interpol Red Notice, and extradited to the United States in July 2025. Three of Schlaepfer’s co-conspirators, Anthony Brandel, James Warras and Sean Finn, were found guilty of conspiracy and multiple counts of wire fraud and securities fraud following separate jury trials in 2015 and 2020 and each sentenced to 87 months in prison. A fourth defendant, Joseph Micelli, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and securities fraud in 2015 and was sentenced to 60 months in prison. A fifth defendant, Hans-Jurg Lips, remains at large outside the United States. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Schlaepfer pleaded guilty to securities fraud and is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2026. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI’s Las Vegas Field Office is investigating the case.
Senior Counsel Anna G. Kaminska and Assistant United States Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Italian authorities to secure the extradition of Schlaepfer from Italy.
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St. Louis Man Accused of Robbing Vietnam Veteran at Veterans Administration HospitalRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis man has been accused of robbing someone in the parking lot of the John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital in St. Louis.
Lafayette Hutchins, 68, was indicted in U.S. District Court on February 18 with one count of robbery within the special territorial jurisdiction of the United States, namely the parking lot of the John J. Cochran Veterans Hospital. Hutchins was arrested Tuesday, appeared in court and pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have Hutchins held in jail until trial accuses Hutchins of robbing a Vietnam veteran at gunpoint.
A charge set forth in an indictment is merely an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 162 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a felon to 13 1/2 years in prison for carjacking a woman in St. Louis in 2024.
On Jan. 5, 2024, Deionte Grice approached the woman, who had just parked her 2020 Kia Optima in the 5300 block of Devonshire Avenue in St. Louis. Grice pointed a gun at her, demanded her belongings and took her car, phone and purse. Grice later struck a curb as he drove into Forest Park, disabling the vehicle. He abandoned it and got on a MetroBus.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped the bus and found Grice with the stolen purse and two handguns.
Grice, 31, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty in October to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He also admitted violating his supervised release in a 2020 case in which he pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Area Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Distributor Sentenced to 19 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a man involved in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in the St. Louis area to 19 years in prison.
Neil Phifer, 40, was one of 13 defendants charged with drug conspiracy in 2023. All have pleaded guilty. Phifer was the last to be sentenced.
Phifer pleaded guilty on August 5, 2025, to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. He admitted receiving multiple kilograms of meth and fentanyl from his supplier in California and distributing those drugs in the St. Louis area through his network. Investigators repeatedly conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Phifer and seized cocaine, meth and fentanyl from someone who bought it from Phifer. Investigators also intercepted a total of $40,300 in proceeds of drug sales being mailed back to California and 5.8 kilograms of meth that were being shipped to St. Louis.
During an August 2022 court-approved search of an apartment in St. Louis, investigators found 5.4 kilos of fentanyl, 1.4 kilos of meth and other drugs as well as Phifer’s handgun and $16,850 in drug proceeds. After Phifer moved apartments, he was caught with cocaine base, fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, drug proceeds and 1.6 kilos of meth, his plea agreement says. At his next apartment, investigators found cocaine base, 1.5 kilos of fentanyl and another pistol.
California-based drug supplier Stanley Harris, 51, is serving a 200-month sentence and another supplier, Victor Medina, 43, of Los Angeles, is serving a sentence of 120 months. During the investigation, packages mailed by Harris containing more than 14 kilos of meth and two kilos of fentanyl were seized and more than $90,000 in cash from drug sales heading to Harris were intercepted.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. With the collaborative efforts of our federal law enforcement partners, Postal Inspectors investigate those utilizing the U.S. Mail for illicit activities, including the distribution of narcotics. Today’s sentencing reflects the diligent investigative work by Postal Inspectors, and our law enforcement partners,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, Mary Johnson, who leads the Chicago Division, which includes the St. Louis Domicile Office.
“The exceptional work of the DEA’s agents and partners broke down a criminal drug trafficking network stretching from California to Missouri,” DEA St. Louis Field Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. "Our investigation led to the removal of kilogram quantities of poisonous drugs and firearms from an organization known for inciting fear. Now, Neil Phifer is staring down a 19-year sentence in federal prison for his role pushing fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine into our communities. Our agents work tirelessly to save American lives and reduce violent crime fueled by drug trafficking and this sentencing is a testament to our resolve.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case with assistance from officers with the North County Police Cooperative and police departments in St. Louis, St. Louis County, Shrewsbury, Ballwin and St. Charles City.
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.
Springfield Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., resident, was sentenced for illegally possessing a firearm.
Joseph Bradley Garrison, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 46 months imprisonment for his illegal possession of a firearm. Judge Bough also ordered the sentence to run consecutively with his prior state conviction in Lawrence County, Mo., case number 12LW-CR01381, for second degree burglary, stealing, and tampering with a motor vehicle.
On June 30, 2023, Springfield, Mo., police officers conducted a traffic stop of Garrison, as he was walking in the street despite a sidewalk being present. As they contacted Garrison, he was asked if he had anything illegal or dangerous on him. Garrison admitted he had a firearm on his person, but that the firearm did not work. Officers conducted a search of Garrison and found a firearm and a small improvised explosive device. Upon review, the explosive device was safety denotated by the Springfield, Mo,, Fire Marshal. Law enforcement then evaluated the firearm found on Garrison’s person and it was determined that the firearm could readily be repaired and returned to a functional status. Officers confirmed Garrison was a convicted felon, with two prior convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm, as well as 11 other felony offenses for various crimes that include first degree assault, burglary, resisting arrest, tampering with a motor vehicle, possession of a controlled substance, and forgery. Any of these felony convictions made Garrison a prohibited person from possessing either the firearm or the improvised explosive device.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Springfield, Missouri, Police Department.
South Florida Tax Preparer and Two Others Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud Covid 19 Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The final defendant in a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act has been sentenced in federal court.
U.S. District Judge Ed Artau sentenced Max Alberto Mera Ulloa to 27 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
“This scheme exploited emergency relief programs funded by the American taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “These defendants submitted more than 165 fraudulent loan applications and then demanded kickbacks from the very funds meant to keep workers employed. Today’s sentence closes out this case and sends a clear message: those who steal from programs designed to help our communities will be investigated, prosecuted, and held accountable.”
“These sentences stand as a reminder that stealing from federal programs is stealing from taxpayers—and we will not let those crimes go unanswered,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office. “IRS Special Agents, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continue to safeguard taxpayer dollars by ensuring criminal conduct carries real consequences.”
According to court documents, between May 2020 and March 2021, Christian Mendoza, Guillermo Lopez Carrazana, and Mera Ulloa, all residents of Miami‑Dade County, conspired to submit more than 165 false and fraudulent PPP loan applications to the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA administered the emergency relief program under the CARES Act to help small businesses maintain payroll and cover essential expenses during the Covid‑19 pandemic.
The defendants owned and operated several businesses, including G LUX LLC, Global Tax & Accounting Group Corp., CM Logistics Systems LLC, and Max Mera Corporation. Through these entities, they submitted fraudulent loan applications that misrepresented payroll expenses and employee information in order to obtain substantial loan amounts under false pretenses.
The conspirators also carried out a kickback scheme where they had the borrower pay them a portion of the money they received from submitting the fraudulent loan applications. Rather than using the PPP loan proceeds for their intended purposes, the defendants used the funds for personal enrichment.
Mendoza and Lopez Carrazana also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
Mendoza, a tax preparer, was sentenced on Dec. 19, 2025, to 33 months in federal prison, followed by 12 months of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,287,855 in restitution.
Lopez Carrazana was also sentenced on Dec. 19, 2025, to 22 months in federal prison, followed by 18 months of supervised release. A restitution hearing for Lopez Carrazana is scheduled for March 10.
A restitution hearing for Mera Ulloa is scheduled for May 6.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Loecker of IRS-CI, Florida Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and IRS‑CI, Florida Field Office, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Cruz prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 25-cr-20178.
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Second Man Charged with Murder Relating to Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – A second man, Taliau Tauvela-Afalava, 31 of Aiea, Hawaii, was charged and made his initial appearance in court today for his role in a murder stemming from the victim’s alleged failure to pay for methamphetamine. This superseding indictment adds Tauvela-Afalava as a co-defendant with Filimone Tavake, 38, of San Francisco, whom the grand jury indicted on March 21, 2024 and law enforcement arrested on March 22, 2024.
According to court documents, on March 27, 2021, Tauvela-Afalava and Tavake allegedly killed the victim in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy. The victim was shot multiple times as he was standing outside his home. Video surveillance footage obtained during the investigation showed a vehicle with no license plates driving near the victim’s home shortly before the shooting. Subsequently, the vehicle parked and video captured two males walking toward the street where the victim’s residence was located. A few minutes later, gun shots were heard on the surveillance video, and the same two males were seen running from the direction of the victim’s residence toward the vehicle. Law enforcement identified and located the vehicle seen in the video. A law enforcement analysis connected the vehicle’s infotainment system to phone numbers linked to Tavake and Tauvela-Afalava.
Tauvela-Afalava is charged with carry, use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; causing the death of a person through use of a firearm; killing while engaged in conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
If convicted, Tauvela-Afalava faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii; Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office; and Interim Chief Rade K. Vanic of the Honolulu Police Department made the announcement.
“The Second Superseding Indictment charging Taliau Tauvela-Afalava as the second shooter in the death of victim Malakai Maumalanga demonstrates our firm commitment to investigating and charging the violent crime often associated with drug trafficking,” said United States Attorney Ken Sorenson.
“These allegations underscore the devastating reality that where illegal drugs flow, violence inevitably follows,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The FBI, alongside our local partners, is committed to protecting our communities by removing the most violent offenders from our streets.”
“The Honolulu Police Department worked closely with the FBI during this investigation,” said Lieutenant Deena Thoemmes, HPD Criminal Investigation Division, Homicide Detail. “We remain committed to partnering with federal authorities to hold those responsible for violent crimes accountable.”
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI and Honolulu Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar and Trial Attorney Christina Taylor (detailee) of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
Second Man Charged with Murder Relating to Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A second man, Taliau Tauvela-Afalava, 31 of Aiea, Hawaii, was charged and made his initial appearance in court yesterday for his role in a murder stemming from the victim’s alleged failure to pay for methamphetamine. This superseding indictment adds Tauvela-Afalava as a co-defendant with Filimone Tavake, 38, of San Francisco, whom the grand jury indicted on March 21, 2024 and law enforcement arrested on March 22, 2024.
According to court documents, on March 27, 2021, Tauvela-Afalava and Tavake allegedly killed the victim in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy. The victim was shot multiple times as he was standing outside his home. Video surveillance footage obtained during the investigation showed a vehicle with no license plates driving near the victim’s home shortly before the shooting. Subsequently, the vehicle parked and video captured two males walking toward the street where the victim’s residence was located. A few minutes later, gun shots were heard on the surveillance video, and the same two males were seen running from the direction of the victim’s residence toward the vehicle. Law enforcement identified and located the vehicle seen in the video. A law enforcement analysis connected the vehicle’s infotainment system to phone numberes linked to Tavake and Tauvela-Afalava.
Tauvela-Afalava is charged with carry, use and discharge of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; causing the death of a person through use of a firearm; killing while engaged in conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
If convicted, Tauvela-Afalava faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division;U.S. Attorney Kenneth M. Sorenson for the District of Hawaii; Special Agent in Charge David K. Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office; and InterimChief Rade K. Vanic of the Honolulu Police Department made the announcement.
The FBI and Honolulu Police Department are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Christina Taylor (detailee) of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Nammar for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
San Diego Man Indicted for $6 Million Counterfeit U.S. Postage Stamp SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO –Wayne Fister, aka Wayne Wong, was indicted by a federal grand jury for selling millions of counterfeit U.S. postage stamps, earning more than $6 million as part of the scheme.
The indictment, unsealed yesterday, charged Fister with Mail Fraud, Selling Counterfeit Stamps, and Money Laundering.
According to court documents and statements made in court, since July 2024, Fister used his account in an online marketplace to sell the counterfeit U.S. postage stamps.
In one instance, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service intercepted five different packages intended for Fister, in total containing more than one million counterfeit stamps. Fister is alleged to have procured the counterfeit stamps from a manufacturer in China as part of the mail fraud scheme.
Fister is also accused of using a significant portion of criminal proceeds from counterfeit stamp sales to purchase a home in San Diego.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan Brooks and Alyssa Sanderson.
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
DEFENDANT Case Number 26cr0723
Wayne Fister Age: 38 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Mail Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1341
Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison and $1 million fine
Selling Counterfeit Stamps – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 501
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 1957
Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
United States Postal Inspection Service
Sacramento Woman Pleads Guilty to Fraudulent Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
Maria Dickerson, also known as “Dulce Pino,” “Maria Dulce Pino Dickerson,” and “Dulce Brubaker,” 49, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud and one count of securities fraud, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, from 2020 through 2024, Dickerson created an investment scheme through which she sold interests in an illusory shell company, Creative Legal Fundings of CA (CLF), to investors. Dickerson promised investors that their investments were safe and secure, and backed by substantial starting capital. To appear credible and to attract investors, Dickerson falsely claimed to some investors that CLF was associated with a multinational casino and resort corporation’s CEO. She promised investors at least a 10% rate of return per month on their principal investment with additional compounding monthly interest if they left their money invested with her. In reality, Dickerson did not register the sale of her securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and she used new investor money to pay off older investors and to fund a lavish lifestyle. This lavish lifestyle included vacations, gambling, private jet travel, as well as high-end purchases like Mercedes-Benz vehicles and a home in Sacramento. Through her false statements, Dickerson induced approximately 156 investors to contribute more than $10 million to her scheme.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and IRS Criminal Investigation are conducting the investigation with assistance from the Alabama Securities Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma is prosecuting the case.
Dickerson is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on July 28, 2026. She faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine on the wire fraud count, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $5 million on the securities fraud count. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Registered Sex Offender Convicted Rapist Sentenced for Producing Video of Child Sex AbuseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Shawn Keith Green, 55, to 27 years in federal prison for Production of Child Pornography. Green pleaded guilty to the offense.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, a cloud storage service reported to the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children one of their users uploaded child sexual abuse material (child pornography) to an account. The North Carolina SBI linked the account to Inmate Green, a registered sex offender, living in Duplin County. The United States Secret Service executed a search warrant on Inmate Green’s account, finding over 10,000 images and videos depicting the rape and abuse of children, some as young as newborn infants. Law enforcement executed a residential search warrant at Inmate Green’s house. They seized digital devices that contained additional child sexual abuse material.
“We will never tolerate disgusting behavior like this. These spiders think they can lurk in the dark corners of the internet and hurt innocent children, but we will shine the light on them and stomp them out. We thank the SBI, United States Secret Service, and the Duplin County Sheriff for catching this pervert.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
“The United States Secret Service (USSS), collaborating with United States Attorney’s Office (Eastern District), NCSBI and Duplin County Sheriff’s Office, successfully removed a significant threat from our community. This case highlights the importance of inter-agency cooperation in maintaining public safety,” said USSS Special Agent in Charge Steven Gutierrez.
In February of 2022, Inmate Green used the internet to communicate with an unknown female, likely outside the United States. Inmate Green sent a live stream of him sexually abusing a child. Inmate Green encouraged the woman to sexually abuse a 10-year-old child and agreed to pay her if she did. Inmate Green recorded the video chat to preserve it, and uploaded the video to his cloud account. The woman and the child have not been identified.
In 2007, Inmate Green pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree sexual offense and two counts of second-degree rape for the sexual assaults against three adult women. On three separate days in 2005 and 2006, he raped the women while threatening them with a knife. He bragged about raping these women in text messages found on his phone.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The United States Secret Service, NC SBI and the Duplin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson 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-33.
Raleigh Man Arrested for Child Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The FBI arrested Andrew Swenson, 42, of Raleigh, on a federal warrant in downtown Raleigh. The FBI obtained the warrant after a U.S. magistrate judge signed a federal criminal complaint. The Complaint accuses Swenson of sexually soliciting one minor online and traveling to sexually abuse another minor.
According to the complaint, Swenson met a thirteen-year-old online after another criminal advertised her for sexual abuse. Swenson chatted with her on social media platforms Zangi and Discord and persuaded her to send images of child sexual abuse material. He made plans to drive to her home in Nebraska, pick her up, and bring her to North Carolina to continue to sexually abuse her.
The FBI executed a search warrant at Swenson’s residence. His roommate reported that Swenson routinely travels out of town to have sex with what Swenson claimed were women. In Swenson’s bedroom, investigators found bags containing rope, zip ties, and duct tape:
The FBI also discovered that Swenson had recently met a woman on the internet who had an infant baby, traveled to visit her in New York, and produced images and videos of him sexually abusing the baby.
“Those who prey on children and solicit them to produce child abuse sexual material are morally reprehensible and will be held accountable for their heinous crimes,” said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina. “The FBI remains committed to protecting our children.”
Swenson is charged with coercion and enticement of a minor and production of child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of fifteen years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted of all charges.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. FBI, Wake County Sheriff’s Office, Raleigh Police Department, and Apex Police Department are investigating the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.5:26-mj-1351-RJ.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Previously Deported Jamaican National Sentenced to Prison for Passport Fraud OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MARLON DAMIAN WHITE, also known as Damian Marlon White, 47, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to six months of imprisonment for making a false statement in a U.S. passport application.
According to court documents and statements made in court, White was admitted to the U.S. as a lawful permanent resident in 1995. In subsequent years, he was convicted of various offenses, including a state conviction in New York for assault in the second degree, and a federal conviction in the Southern District of New York for a narcotics distribution offense for which he was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment. After his federal conviction, White lost his status as a lawful permanent resident of the U.S. and, in February 2006, was deported to Jamaica.
White returned to the U.S. and, on May 6, 2024, used a false name, false birth date, and false place of birth to apply for a U.S. passport in Hartford. During the application process, White provided a counterfeit birth certificate and driver’s license falsely representing that he was born in and resided in California.
White has been detained since his arrest on October 9, 2025. He pleaded guilty to the offense on December 15.
White will be removed to Jamaica when he completes his prison term.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
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.
Pocahontas County Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Paul Charles Clement, 43, of Hillsboro, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failure to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA) after relocating from Virginia to West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about March 8, 2024, through in or around December 2024, Clement resided in the Ronceverte area of Greenbrier County, West Virginia, after relocating from Virginia. Clement knew he was required to comply with the provisions of SORNA because of his conviction on two felony counts of carnal knowledge of a child 13 to 15 years old in Botetourt County, Virginia, Circuit Court on December 2, 2002.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS) and the West Virginia State Police.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-89.
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Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Failing to Surrender for 10-Year Term of Imprisonment and Distributing Fentanyl and Heroin While a FugitiveRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to failure to surrender for a term of imprisonment and to violating a federal narcotics law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Julian Thompson, 33, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy to one count of failure to surrender and one count of distributing a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on November 21, 2024, Thompson was sentenced in the Western District of Pennsylvania to 10 years of imprisonment on his convictions for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, with the Court granting a request to allow Thompson to self-surrender to the Bureau of Prisons at a later date. Thompson failed to surrender on the date instructed, leading to a search and investigation by the U.S. Marshals Service Western Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force.
In the summer of 2025, authorities learned that Thompson had returned to Pittsburgh and was distributing controlled substances as part of a new drug investigation being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In September 2025, the FBI purchased controlled substances from Thompson, which included a mixture containing fentanyl and heroin packaged across more than 250 glassine bags (with one glassine bag commonly considered a single dose). Authorities then executed federal search warrants upon Thompson and a residence, along with the arrest warrant related to Thompson’s failure to surrender. The searches resulted in the seizure of a loaded drum magazine, jewelry, and $65,900.
Judge Hardy scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2026. The maximum total penalty for the failure to surrender count is up to 10 years in prison, which must be served consecutively to any other offense, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. The maximum total penalty for the distribution of controlled substances count is up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $2 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Pending sentencing, Judge Hardy ordered Thompson remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The U.S. Marshals Service and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Thompson.
Pasco Man Sentenced to 5 Years Imprisonment for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that on March 5, 2026, District Court Judge United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke, sentenced Ricardo Velazquez Reyes, age 23, of Pasco, Washington, to five years of imprisonment for the Receipt of Child Pornography. Judge Dimke also ordered that following his sentence, Velazquez Reyes serve a 15 year term of supervised release, register as a sex offender, and abide by a number of conditions pertaining to Velazquez Reyes’s use and access to electronic devices. Velazquez Reyes was also ordered to pay $154,000 in restitution to minor children depicted and identified in the sexual exploitation files he received, possessed and distributed.
According to court documents, a Special Agent with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) conducted an undercover investigation into individuals utilizing an online platform to distribute, receive and possess files known to law enforcement to constitute child pornography. On multiple occasions spanning from December of 2023 through March of 2024, Velazquez Reyes distributed known child pornography files depicting minor children to the undercover Special Agent. In March of 2024, a search warrant was executed at Velazquez Reyes’s residence in Pasco. HSI agents and members of the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (SER-ICAC) served the warrant. Multiple electronic devices were seized from Velazquez Reyes’s residence. An HSI forensic examiner located more than 1,000 child pornography files on Velazquez Reyes’s electronic devices. These files depicted minor children, including those under the age of 12, engaged in sex acts, bondage and defecation. Velazquez Reyes was interviewed by detectives with the SER-ICAC on scene. Velazquez Reyes admitted that he had obtained child pornography utilizing the dark web and that he was sexually stimulated by child pornography. Velazquez Reyes also advised that he was enrolled as a student in a cybersecurity program at a local college at the time of his arrest.
“Mr. Velazquez Reyes distributed sickening images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minor children in our community and abroad” stated First Assistant Serrano. “This material often depicts the worst day of a young child’s life, yet Mr. Velazquez Reyes distributed these images and videos and gained personal gratification from them. Thanks to the proactive work of Homeland Security Investigations and the Southeast Regional ICAC team, Mr. Velazquez Reyes was identified, apprehended and prosecuted for his conduct, preventing the further distribution of these horrific images and videos.”
“Every image or video of child sexual abuse represents a real child who was victimized,” said Damon Jansen Commander of the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children (SER-ICAC) Task Force. “When offenders download, possess, and distribute this material, they are continuing the cycle of abuse for those victims. This case highlights the importance of proactive investigations and strong partnerships between Homeland Security Investigations and our Southeast Regional ICAC Task Force. Together, we are committed to identifying offenders, rescuing victims, and holding those who exploit children accountable.”
“By leveraging our advanced cyber capabilities, HSI relentlessly pursues those who traffic in the abuse of children and ensures they are brought to justice,” said HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “Together with our local partners, we are protecting vulnerable victims and helping to rescue children worldwide from this horrific exploitation.”
The case was investigated by the Southeast Regional Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which is comprised of special agents with Homeland Security Investigations and local detectives from the Richland, Kennewick, and Pasco Police Departments, along with the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laurel J. Holland.
4:24-CR-6015-MKD
Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Selling MacHine Gun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Alaisjah Dayshawn Perkins, 22, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to receipt, possession, transfer, and making of a firearm which is not registered in the National Firearms Registration & Transfer Record and not identified by a serial number. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Operation Take Back America was launched to devote the full might of the Department of Justice toward protecting our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and this successful prosecution delivers on that mission. Our brave state and federal law enforcement partners are on the front lines of the fight against violent criminals, and my office will continue to back up their efforts with aggressive prosecutions to keep our citizens safe.”
Court documents reflect that on April 26, 2025, law enforcement officers observed posts on a Facebook profile advertising the sale of machinegun conversion devices (MCDs). Subsequently, an undercover officer began communicating with the defendant. Between April and May 2025, law enforcement conducted multiple undercover purchases of several MCDs from the defendant. Pursuant to a search warrant for the defendant’s home, officers located tools and supplies for manufacturing MCDs. The defendant was arrested and a bag of 13 MCDs was located in his pocket. The MCDs were sent to the Firearms and Ammunition Technology Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives for technical examination, and were determined to be designed to convert AR-style firearms from semi-automatic to fully automatic.
Perkins faces up to ten years’ imprisonment. If Perkins is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, such term could be followed by up to a three-year term of supervised release. Thus, if Perkins were to violate any conditions of his release, he could potentially face an additional period of incarceration related to violating his supervision.
This case was a joint investigation by Escambia County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
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.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Postal Carrier RobberyRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 21-year-old man has pleaded guilty to his role in robbing a postal carrier of the key used to open U.S. Mail collection boxes. The robbery was part of a larger conspiracy to steal checks and later cash them for personal benefit and use.
Je’Vion Tolliver-Maddox, of Cleveland, pleaded guilty on March 9 to the following charges in the superseding indictment:
- Robbery of Mail, Money, or Other Property of the United States
- Stealing Keys Adopted by the Post Office
- Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud
- Bank Fraud
According to court documents, Tolliver-Maddox was one of the individuals who robbed a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) worker while delivering mail on Cleveland’s West 48th Street on the afternoon of Sept. 9, 2025. Co-conspirator Terran Johnson, 29, also of Cleveland, allegedly used a firearm to threaten the postal worker with violence and demanded the arrow key that opens USPS mailboxes. The postal worker complied, and the defendants fled the scene in Tolliver-Maddox’s white Ford sport utility vehicle (SUV). Later that same evening, Tolliver-Maddox went to the Cleveland Division of Police’s Fifth District to report that his car, a white Ford SUV, was stolen, despite evidence showing he was in the car during the robbery.
Following the robbery of the arrow key, agents discovered Tolliver-Maddox was altering checks—that had been stolen out of USPS mailboxes—with his name to deposit into his bank accounts. He also recruited others on social media platforms to further the conspiracy and fraudulently deposit checks into their own bank accounts. Victim banks implicated in the scheme were insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and included: U.S. Bank, Citizen’s Bank, PNC Bank, Huntington, Citi Bank, Fifth Third Bank, and First Bank.
A federal grand jury indicted co-conspirator Johnson on March 4 for his role in the conspiracy and was additionally charged with using a firearm to threaten the postal worker with violence. He faces up to 30 years in prison. An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Defendants are entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Tolliver-Maddox is scheduled to be sentenced July 9 and faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years.
The investigation in this case was conducted by The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Cleveland Division of Police.
Assistant United States Attorney Brenna L. Fasko for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.
About the United States Postal Inspection Service
USPIS is the law enforcement branch of the United States Postal Service. To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit uspis.gov/report. For more information about combatting mail theft visit uspis.gov/project-safe-delivery.
New York woman pleads guilty to mail fraudRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A New York woman accused of selling diet pills laced with methamphetamine through the mail admitted to charges today, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Carrie Ann Taylor, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. Taylor faces 20 years of imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set at a later date. Taylor was released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on September 5, 2023, victim John Doe 1 submitted an online tip regarding the sale of diet pills laced with methamphetamine. John Doe 1 said he ordered “Skald” brand diet pills on eBay in February of 2023 and started taking them in May. John Doe 1 was drug tested by his employer in June and failed a drug test. John Doe 1 believed the “Skald” diet pills were laced with illegal drugs. An FBI special agent met with John Doe 1 and collected what was left of the “Skald” diet pills. The pills were tested and showed positive results for methamphetamine.
The investigation revealed Taylor also mailed diet pills to a woman in Montana, Jane Doe 1. Taylor sent Jane Doe 1 six bottles of pills labelled “Skald Oxydynamic Fat Scorcher” in March of 2023. Jane Doe 1 told the FBI she used the pills for several months but did not experience weight loss, so she stopped taking them. She threw out most of the remaining pills but still had one bottle. Agents took custody of the bottle, tested the pills, and determined they contained methamphetamine.
On April 3, 2024, an FBI undercover agent ordered two kinds of diet pills from Taylor’s eBay account, “PhenQ Ultra” and “PhenGold.” Both orders were sent to Billings, and both tested positive for methamphetamine. At the same time, agents ordered bottles of “PhenQ Ultra” and “PhenGold” directly from the manufacturers. Those pills tested negative for methamphetamine.
On April 4, 2024, agents learned Taylor sent Jane Doe 2, located in Randolph, Wisconsin, illicit diet pills. The FBI reached out to local law enforcement and were able to collect the pills from Jane Doe 2. They were tested and also tested positive for methamphetamine.
In total, the FBI collected pills from five separate shipments sent by Taylor. Some were sent in 2023 and some in 2024. Every single pill tested had methamphetamine in it. Taylor fraudulently sold every bottle of pills by falsely claiming the pills were legitimate diet supplements manufactured by real supplement companies including brand names “Skald,” “PhenQ,” and “PhenGold.” The pills were shipped and delivered in bottles falsely labelled as these products.
The FBI determined Taylor began selling the counterfeit diet pills through eBay on October 27, 2021 and continued to do so until April 5, 2024.
Several customers told Taylor her pills were counterfeit and one manufacturer sent her a cease-and-desist notice accusing her of selling counterfeit versions of their products. Taylor’s victims were harmed in various ways. John Doe 2, a member of the U.S. Army, tested positive for meth during a random urinalysis and had to spend a significant sum of money hiring a lawyer to defend against allegations he was abusing drugs. John Doe 3 reported being fired from his job after testing positive for meth following a workplace drug test.
During the entire scheme, Taylor sold approximately 1,517 bottles of counterfeit diet pills and made about $56,454.26 in profits.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI conducted the investigation.
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New York City Man Sentenced for Trafficking EcstasyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nan Wu, age 38, of New York, New York, was sentenced on March 5, 2026, to 78 months in prison for trafficking methylenedioxymethamphetamine, commonly referred to as “MDMA” or “ecstasy,” through the mail. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations, Buffalo Office, made the announcement.
As detailed in Wu’s plea agreement, Wu worked with a drug trafficking organization that used the dark web and postal system to traffic MDMA from points outside of the United States to New York City for distribution. Wu received packages in the mail containing MDMA and delivered the MDMA to a co-conspirator in New York City. The packages entered the United States through the Champlain, New York Port of Entry and were seized by HSI. In total, HSI seized more than 10 kilograms of MDMA meant for Wu and his co-conspirators as part of the case.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow Wu’s release from prison.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “Nan Wu thought he could hide behind the anonymity of the dark web and misuse the U.S. mail to flood our communities with dangerous drugs. He was wrong. Thanks to the vigilance of federal law enforcement, this trafficking scheme was shut down and more than 10 kilograms of MDMA were seized. This case underscores the importance of continuing to marshal the resources, partnerships, and vigilance needed to stop criminals from exploiting the U.S. mail system to traffic dangerous drugs into our communities.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “Nan Wu’s 78‑month prison sentence reflects the damage caused by his role funneling ecstasy into New York and fueling addiction and potential crime in our neighborhoods. This investigation disrupted a global supply line, removed more than 10 kilograms of MDMA from circulation, and shielded the community from drugs meant to slip through undetected. HSI Albany and our law enforcement partners are relentless in tracking and dismantling international narcotics schemes that exploit our ports of entry and the postal system.”
HSI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer prosecuted this case.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Conspiracy and Interstate Transport of Stolen VehiclesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – On February 24, 2026, CHRISTOPHER MYERS (“MYERS”), age 33, a resident of Slidell, was sentenced on February 26, 2026 by United Stated District Judge Susie Morgan, after previously pleading guilty, to six months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. A $100 mandatory special assessment fee was also imposed.
According to the indictment, MYERS, and others, devised a scheme to create fake credit profiles to secure funding for auto loans. The credit profiles used both stolen and fake social security numbers, drivers’ license numbers, and dates of birth. Once they secured the loan they would purchase vehicles from local car dealerships. Once the group took possession of the vehicles, they would never pay back the auto loan, sell the vehicles for their personal enrichment, or use the vehicles for their personal enjoyment.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana State Police, and Pearl River County Sherriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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More than 50 Charged in Thefts of Millions of Dollars in California Benefits for Low-Income FamiliesRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – More than 50 defendants have been charged in a yearslong crackdown on organized theft rings – many with ties to Romania – that steal millions of dollars in public assistance benefits from low-income families who depend on those funds for food, housing, and other necessities.
The cases are part of an ongoing enforcement effort in the Southern District of California targeting crews that allegedly exploit the government’s Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) system. Investigators say members of these rings often descend on ATMs, often in the pre-dawn hours almost immediately after the funds are dispersed by the state, rapidly draining funds from compromised accounts and leaving vulnerable victims without the benefits they rely on to survive.
“These criminals target people living one paycheck away from crisis,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Exploiting that vulnerability is as cruel as it is criminal.”
“These charges underscore the serious consequences faced by individuals who exploit federal programs for personal gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This scheme diverted valuable taxpayer funds from programs designed to support people most in need. Working closely with our law enforcement partners, HHS‑OIG will continue to pursue those who target the vulnerable and compromise public trust in government assistance programs.”
“The U.S. Secret Service and our partners on the Southern California Cyber Fraud Task Force are committed to combatting EBT fraud and credit card skimming,” said Andre Remy, the Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service’s San Diego Field Office. “This years-long investigation is a testament to the hard work and tireless dedication of law enforcement to actively investigate and arrest criminals that target our most vulnerable community members.”
Four of the most recent defendants appeared in federal court last week to face charges that they each stole public assistance benefits from low-income families that need the funds to pay for food, housing, and other necessities.
The four defendants are Razvan Balu, Juan Trandafir, Hassib Baraekzay, and Veronica Ochoa. Balu and Trandafir, both Romanian, are respectively accused of stealing $160,000 and $145,250 from victims’ CalWORKS benefit accounts. CalWORKS administers grants from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that are designed to help families remain housed. Baraekzay and Ochoa, who are U.S. citizens, are each charged with stealing more than $20,000 of CalWORKS benefits.
Last week’s arrests bring the total number of people charged with stealing CalWORKS benefits by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Diego to 52 since 2023. These federal arrests are the work of the U.S. Secret Service’s Southern California Cyber Fraud Task Force (SoCal CFTF).
The defendants sentenced so far in this crackdown are collectively responsible for stealing at least $4 million from the EBT accounts of hundreds of California victims, including scores of San Diego County residents. Please see chart below for status of all cases charged.
EBT theft has significantly impacted California, with substantial losses reported in recent years. Between June 2022 and January 2026, more than $310 million was stolen from EBT beneficiaries in California, primarily through unauthorized ATM withdrawals.
Balu was arrested March 1 in Los Angeles County for Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud during a SoCal CFTF operation targeting EBT card skimming fraud at ATMs, while Baraekzay and Ochoa were arrested in San Diego County on March 2 and 3.
According to the complaint charging Balu, between January 1, 2026, and March 1, 2026, Balu used the public assistance account information of approximately 210 victims who live in San Diego, Fresno, Los Angeles, Kern, Kings, and Tulare counties. He used this account information to make unauthorized withdrawals at Los Angeles County ATMs in which he accessed, attempted to steal, and stole from the victims’ public assistance benefit accounts.
During this period, Balu attempted to withdraw $196,650 and successfully withdrew $159,990 from the victims’ accounts.
EBT is a card-based system used to distribute government assistance benefits like CalFresh (food assistance) and CalWORKs (cash aid). It works like a debit card, allowing recipients to purchase food and withdraw cash at participating retailers and ATMs.
According to charging documents, the U.S. Secret Service has gathered evidence indicating members of what appear to be one or more criminal enterprises are stealing California EBT account information by installing skimmers on point-of-sale terminals and inside ATMs, often in communities with higher concentrations of public benefit recipients. The skimmed data is then often re-encoded onto the magnetic strips of cards that members of the conspiracy use to make unauthorized withdrawals and purchases.
These re-encoded cards are sometimes referred to as “cloned” cards. Cloned cards can be a blank white plastic card, or another debit, credit, or gift card. Cloned cards may have names or numbers embossed on the physical face of the card. A common feature of cloned cards is that the account number encoded on the card’s magnetic strip will not match the number embossed on the card’s face. To facilitate the use of the stolen EBT benefits, members of the scheme will commonly put stickers bearing the account’s PIN on the physical cards, or access devices, that are swiped at a point-of-sale terminal, along with the account balance.
Once in possession of the cloned cards, account PIN, and anticipated balance, the thieves will go to ATMs, often in the pre-dawn hours, to drain those benefits before the rightful recipients can access them.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sabrina Fève.
If you or someone you know has had EBT benefits stolen, San Diego County’s Department of Health & Human Services Agency requires that the theft be reported within 10 days. More information for San Diego County victims is available at:
https://www.sandiegocounty.gov/content/sdc/hhsa/programs/ssp/ebt_fraud.html.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24MJ1234
Razvan Balu 35 Drobeta Turnu Severin City, Romania
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Access Device Fraud – Title 18, 18 U.S.C. §§ 1029(b)(2), 1029(a)(2), 1029(a)(4), and (c)(1)(A)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the pecuniary gain or loss
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
U.S. Secret Service’s Southern California Cyber Fraud Task Force
San Diego District Attorney’s Office
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General
California Department of Social Services
San Diego Police Department
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Office of Inspector General
Homeland Security Investigations
Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office
United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
LAST NAMEFIRST NAMECourt Case #
Date of Arrest
Disposition
Restitution Ordered
MIHAIBEATRICE23CR0794
3/17/2023
16 months
$305,274.52
GROSURADU23CR1164
6/3/2023
10 months
$25,700.00
CALINRICHARD23CR1165
6/3/2023
18 months
$95,304.06
IONITAGABRIEL23CR1165
6/3/2023
18 months
$21,510.00
IRIMIACONSTANTIN23CR1300
6/1/2023
18 months
$139,780.00
PIPKINSDEVONTE23CR1303
6/2/2023
11 months
$17,030.00
TROFINTUDOR23CR1655
7/18/2023
21 months
$186,450.00
CICAFLORIAN24CR0229
7/14/2023
State Custody TX
IORDACHEGABRIEL24CR0229
1/24/2024
20 months
$446,535.87
UDRICAROBERT24CR0229
1/29/2024
33 months
$446,535.87
UDRICAGABRIEL24CR0229
1/29/2024
20 months
$446,535.87
PUICUTAMIHAELA24CR0229
Fugitive
BUDAIOAN24CR0510
2/12/2024
6 months
$13,360.00
IONITAVASILE24CR0819
4/1/2024
6 months
$5,730.00
GEANGASUANDREI24CR0819
4/1/2024
6 months
$5,730.00
UNGURU DUCILADUMITRU24CR0822
4/2/2024
12 months + 1 day
$32,290.00
CALINROBERTO24CR0822
4/2/2024
6 months
$1,140.00
DOGARUMARIAN24CR0823
4/1/2024
30 months
$182,530.00
GASPARRAZVAN24CR0878
4/2/2024
10 months
$12,860.00
CRACIUNCATALIN24CR0967
4/16/2024
30 months
$223,240.00
PETRACHENICUSOR24CR1610
6/29/2024
14 months
$37,640.00
BUCURAURELIAN24CR2116
8/21/2024
8 months
$37,320.00
UNGURU DUCILAMARINELA25CR1815
4/30/2024
18 months
$22,710.00
TRANDAFIRJUAN24MJ1736
3/3/2026
Pending removal to SDCA
ARTENIANDREI24CR2103
9/5/2024
24 months
$483,650.00
ARTENIALIN25CR2872
6/23/2025
24 months
$483,650.00
FUMEASANDU24CR1877
8/13/2024
14 months
$47,060.00
BALAZSALIN24CR2047
9/9/2024
24 months
$154,260.00
IGNATIONUT24CR2009
8/28/2024
14 months
$30,060.00
STOICAROBERT24CR2194
9/23/2024
15 months
$88,040.00
STEFANMIHAI24MJ3480
fugitive
MIHAILESCUDORIN24CR2485
10/8/2024
37 months
$397,265.00
ARDELIANUVASILE25CR4656
10/29/2026
Motion Hearing/Trial Setting set for 03/20/2026
PARASCHIVCARMEN25CR4656
10/29/2026
Motion Hearing/Trial Setting set for 03/20/2026
IONITANICOLAE25CR1476
3/31/2025
16 months
$152,240.00
CHIVEAALBERTO25CR2983
7/2/2025
7 months
$199,100.00
YORDANOVYORDAN25CR0126
12/4/2024
14 months
$41,660.00
Chaabani Chaima24CR2713
9/24/2024
Sentencing set for 4/13/2026
StoicaFlorin25CR1148
3/4/2025
13 months
$46,160.00
VirtanRemus Cristian25CR0926
3/4/2025
14 months
$72,597.00
Nazaire
Devon25CR03054
5/29/2025
Sentencing set for 3/20/2026
PavelescuCristian25MJ2246
Fugitive
FrumosuAurelian25MJ2246
State Custody CA
MaresPetre Daniel25CR2002
5/2/2025
Sentencing set for 4/14/2026
MoldovanMarius Liviu25CR3822
5/5/2025
10 months
$41,460.00
MoiseiAdrian Florin25CR3061
7/11/2025
24 months
$142,240.00
OpreaViorel26MJ0156
2/10/2026
Preliminary Hearings 3/10/2026
BuleandraFlorin26MJ0156
2/10/2026
Preliminary Hearings 3/10/2026
MicaAlexandruIonut26MJ0156
2/10/2026
Preliminary Hearings 3/10/2026
BaluRazvan Alezandru26MJ1127
Pending removal to SDCA
BaraekzayHassib26MJ1140
3/2/2026
Preliminary Hearing 3/17/26
OchoaVeronica26MJ1184
Preliminary Hearing 3/19/2026
Michigan Man Sentenced for Role in Cocaine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Westland, Michigan, has been sentenced in federal court on his conviction of cocaine trafficking, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Robert J. Colville imposed a sentence of three years of probation on Roy Brown, 57, also ordering Brown to serve the first 30 days of his probation period on home detention. Brown previously pleaded guilty in the case to conspiring to distribute cocaine between August 2023 and August 2024.
According to information presented to the Court, Brown was part of a drug trafficking conspiracy based in Detroit and in New Castle, Pennsylvania. Specifically, Brown participated by assisting with cocaine trafficking in Detroit.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Lawrence County Drug Task Force, New Castle Police Department, Michigan State Police, Pennsylvania State Police, Mercer County Drug Task Force, United States Postal Inspection Service, Department of Homeland Security, and Douglas County (Nebraska) Sheriff’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Brown.
This prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement toward identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations that have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Mexican Transnational Criminal Organization Co-Leader Gets 30 years in Federal Prison, $500K Money Judgment for Deadly Alien Smuggling OperationRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio Monday to 365 months in prison for his leadership role in a conspiracy to transport hundreds of illegal aliens, resulting in at least one death, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Pedro Luis Martinez-Jaquez, 36, of Piedras Negras, was a leader in an alien smuggling organization (ASO) that operated in southwest Texas from at least January 2021 through July 2022. Martinez-Jaquez and another co-conspirator supplied and organized the illegal alien loads and crossed them into the U.S. for the first leg of their journey. In one instance, Martinez-Jaquez called a co-conspirator, Miguel Angel Rivera, and said that one of the illegal aliens being transported had “passed out” and that he would “deal with it.” A search of Rivera’s phone during the investigation revealed photos of the alien, who was deceased.
Martinez-Jaquez’s phone number was found to be linked to the ASO via WhatsApp messages with Rivera, Rivera’s sister Luz Rivera, and co-conspirator Erica Aracely Carmona. A subsequent search of Martinez-Jaquez’s residence resulted in the discovery of 74 phones, 14 of which were seized. The remaining 60 phones were suspected to belong to illegal aliens who had been transported into the U.S. The majority of the 285 audio messages between Martinez-Jaquez and Luz Rivera referenced pickup coordination, as well as the storage and harboring of illegal aliens. ICE Homeland Security Investigations learned that the ASO was charging $9,500 per illegal alien to be smuggled into the U.S., with half of the proceeds going to Martinez-Jaquez.
The ASO smuggled more than 500 illegal aliens and generated over $4.7 million in proceeds between January 2021 and July 2022. Throughout their operation, the ASO used custom made “tow-behind” trailers to transport illegal aliens. The ASO began using an 18-wheeler with a false compartment inside the tractor trailer that held up to 40 aliens, but that trailer was interdicted by federal law enforcement on the first smuggling attempt.
Martinez-Jaquez was named in an initial indictment on Aug. 17, 2022, and in a superseding indictment on Feb. 28, 2024. He was arrested March 8, 2024, and on Nov. 26, 2024, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens resulting in death. In addition to the 30-year imprisonment, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses ordered a $500,000 money judgement.
“Martinez-Jaquez is one of the most prolific facilitators of alien smuggling in the last decade,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Over the course of an 18-month operation, he made hundreds of thousands of dollars transporting illegal aliens into the United States. The work we have done to secure the border over the last year has made it very difficult for ASOs like this one to operate and enrich themselves while endangering the lives of those they smuggle. This is a fight worth having, and it is one in which we, in the Western District of Texas, will continue to engage.”
Co-conspirators Evan John Herrera and Miguel Rivera were sentenced in May 2025 to 151 months and 216 months in federal prison, each with credit for time served. In January, Carmona was sentenced to 132 months in prison. The final defendant, Jose Eduardo Rodriguez Moreno, is scheduled to be sentenced on March 25.
ICE HSI investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bexar County Sheriff’s Office, and the Maverick County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner 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.
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Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Involving the Forced Labor of Mexican WorkersRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL — Alexander Villatoro Moreno, age 53, also known as Quichi, pleaded guilty in federal court in Tampa, Florida, to conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida had previously returned a six-count indictment against multiple defendants for their roles in the conspiracy, which victimized Mexican H-2A workers who, between 2015 and 2017, had worked in the United States harvesting fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products.
“Exploiting our nation’s immigration laws to victimize people seeking legitimate employment is not only illegal but unconscionable,” said U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Florida Gregory W. Kehoe. “The conspirators in this case deliberately deceived and trafficked individuals into the United States, then subjected them to deplorable conditions for profit. Diligent investigation and cooperation by our law enforcement partners assured that these criminals were brought to justice.”
According to court documents, Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants operated and managed Los Villatoros Harvesting (LVH), a farm labor contracting company, that functioned as a criminal enterprise compelling victims to work in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia and North Carolina. Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants fraudulently recruited Mexican nationals to come into the United States on short-term, H-2A, agricultural visas and misled the United States to secure visas for the victims. Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants charged workers exorbitant recruitment fees to work for LVH and lied to the victims about how much they would be paid, the hours they would work, the working conditions and the reimbursement they would receive for paying recruitment fees and other expenses. The workers were then compelled to provide long hours of physically demanding agricultural labor, six to seven days a week, for far less pay than they were entitled to under the law.
In addition to the work conditions, Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants used various coercive means to compel the victims’ labor, including imposing debts on workers; confiscating the workers’ passports; subjecting workers to crowded, unsanitary and degrading living conditions; verbally abusing and humiliating the workers; threatening workers with arrest, jailtime and deportation; isolating workers by preventing them from interacting with anyone other than LVH employees; and threatening to physically harm the workers’ family members back in Mexico if the workers failed to comply with their demands.
When officials began investigating, Villatoro Moreno obstructed the federal investigation by helping to prepare false payroll information to conceal underpayments to the workers and distributing fake reimbursement receipts to the victims to make it appear that LVH was complying with the law by reimbursing the workers for their travel-related expenses.
Villatoro Moreno’s four co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the scheme. Bladimir Moreno, Alexander Villatoro Moreno’s brother, owned LVH and pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Efrain Cabrera Rodas and Christina Gamez, LVH supervisors, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act while Guadalupe Mendes Mendoza, another LVH supervisor, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation. In 2022, Bladimir Moreno was sentenced to 118 months in prison and ordered to pay over $175,000 in restitution to the victims while Rodas and Gamez were sentenced to 41 months and 37 months in prison, respectively. Mendoza was also sentenced in 2022 to serve eight months of home detention and a $5,500 fine to be paid over 24 months of supervised release.
The Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. The Task Force received assistance from the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Colorado Legal Services Migrant Farm Worker Division, Legal Aid Services of Oregon Farmworker Program and Indiana Legal Services Worker Rights and Protection Project.
The Government of Mexico, including the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), provided significant assistance in the extradition of Villatoro Moreno to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Villatoro Moreno.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa Spergel for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section are prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney and current Assistant U.S. Attorney Maryan Zhuravitsky for the District of Maryland also prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy Involving the Forced Labor of Mexican WorkersRead the Press Release
Alexander Villatoro Moreno, age 53, also known as Quichi, pleaded guilty in federal court in Tampa, Florida, to conspiracy under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. A federal grand jury in the Middle District of Florida had previously returned a six-count indictment against multiple defendants for their roles in the conspiracy, which victimized Mexican H-2A workers who, between 2015 and 2017, had worked in the United States harvesting fruits, vegetables and other agricultural products.
According to court documents, Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants operated and managed Los Villatoros Harvesting (LVH), a farm labor contracting company, that functioned as a criminal enterprise compelling victims to work in Florida, Kentucky, Indiana, Georgia and North Carolina. Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants fraudulently recruited Mexican nationals to come into the United States on short-term, H-2A, agricultural visas and misled the United States to secure visas for the victims. Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants charged workers exorbitant recruitment fees to work for LVH and lied to the victims about how much they would be paid, the hours they would work, the working conditions and the reimbursement they would receive for paying recruitment fees and other expenses. The workers were then compelled to provide long hours of physically demanding agricultural labor, six to seven days a week, for far less pay than they were entitled to under the law.
In addition to the work conditions, Villatoro Moreno and his co-defendants used various coercive means to compel the victims’ labor, including imposing debts on workers; confiscating the workers’ passports; subjecting workers to crowded, unsanitary and degrading living conditions; verbally abusing and humiliating the workers; threatening workers with arrest, jailtime and deportation; isolating workers by preventing them from interacting with anyone other than LVH employees; and threatening to physically harm the workers’ family members back in Mexico if the workers failed to comply with their demands.
When officials began investigating, Villatoro Moreno obstructed the federal investigation by helping to prepare false payroll information to conceal underpayments to the workers and distributing fake reimbursement receipts to the victims to make it appear that LVH was complying with the law by reimbursing the workers for their travel-related expenses.
Villatoro Moreno’s four co-defendants previously pleaded guilty in connection with their roles in the scheme. Bladimir Moreno, Alexander Villatoro Moreno’s brother, owned LVH and pleaded guilty in 2022 to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act and conspiracy to commit forced labor. Efrain Cabrera Rodas and Christina Gamez, LVH supervisors, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the RICO Act while Guadalupe Mendes Mendoza, another LVH supervisor, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to obstruct a federal investigation. In 2022, Bladimir Moreno was sentenced to 118 months in prison and ordered to pay over $175,000 in restitution to the victims while Rodas and Gamez were sentenced to 41 months and 37 months in prison, respectively. Mendoza was also sentenced in 2022 to serve eight months of home detention and a $5,500 fine to be paid over 24 months of supervised release.
The Palm Beach County Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations and the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case. The Task Force received assistance from the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor Wage and Hour Division, the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, Colorado Legal Services Migrant Farm Worker Division, Legal Aid Services of Oregon Farmworker Program and Indiana Legal Services Worker Rights and Protection Project.
The Government of Mexico, including the Fiscalía General de la República (FGR), provided significant assistance in the extradition of Villatoro Moreno to the United States. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Villatoro Moreno.
Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ilyssa Spergel for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. Former Trial Attorney and current Assistant U.S. Attorney Maryan Zhuravitsky for the District of Maryland also prosecuted the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Mexican National Living Illegally in West Virginia Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Federal Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jose Alfredo Cruz-Perez, 22, a Mexican national living illegally in Nitro, pleaded guilty today to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents and was sentenced to time served. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has an immigration detainer on Cruz-Perez for his transfer to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 16, 2026, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Nitro and encountered Cruz-Perez working there. Investigators determined that Cruz-Perez used a counterfeit Immigration Form I-551, also known as a Permanent Resident Card or Green Card, to obtain employment at the restaurant from on or about November 26, 2024, to on or about January 16, 2026.
Cruz-Perez is among six foreign nationals indicted following the execution of the January 16, 2026, search warrant on charges alleging they were working at the restaurant without legal status. Restaurant owner Miguel Aguirre-Arello Sr., 65, and manager Miguel Angel Aguirre, 42, both of Nitro, were indicted on charges alleging each aided and abetted alien harboring. That indictment further alleges that Miguel Angel Aguirre aided and abetted the unlawful employment of aliens and aided and abetted fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. The indictments against Miguel Aguirre-Arello Sr., Miguel Angel Aguirre, and the other defendants remain pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is the result of Operation Country Roads, conducted by ICE with state and local law enforcement partners in January 2026 and yielding over 650 arrests throughout West Virginia.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Nitro Police Department, and the St. Albans Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-12.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced in Federal Court in Rhode Island for Trafficking More Than Three Pounds of Crystal MethRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Lawrence, Massachusetts man who trafficked more than three pounds of crystal methamphetamine was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Hector Gonzalez Michel, 35, was sentenced on March 5, 2026 by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to 121 months of imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
“Methamphetamine trafficking continues to pose a serious threat to public safety and well-being of our communities,” said United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “This sentence holds the defendant accountable and reflects the tireless work of our law enforcement partners to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs throughout New England.”
“Trafficking pounds of crystal meth isn’t just a crime, it’s a direct attack on the safety and health of our communities,” said Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge, New England Field Division. “When someone moves this amount of methamphetamine, the damage reaches far beyond one neighborhood. Our mission is to stop that pipeline and hold those responsible accountable.”
Court records show that members of the Rhode Island DEA Task Force developed information that Gonzalez Michel was preparing to deliver a substantial quantity of crystal meth to an individual in Boston.
Rhode Island and Boston DEA Task Force agents and Boston Police Detectives later intercepted the delivery as he arrived outside a Boston residence where he was delivering the drugs. Police recovered approximately 3.4 pounds of crystal methamphetamine stored inside a small cooler that Gonzalez Michel was carrying.
Gonzalez Michel previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey A. Erickson.
The Rhode Island DEA Drug Task Force is comprised of personnel from the DEA, Rhode Island State Police, the East Providence, Cranston, Coventry, Newport, North Kingstown, Pawtucket, Providence, South Kingstown, Warwick, West Warwick, and Woonsocket Police Departments, Amtrak Police, and the Rhode Island Attorney General’s Office Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation.
Members of the DEA Boston Task Force Group 5 assisted in the investigation and arrest of Gonzalez Michel.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Maryland Woman Sentenced for Laundering Funds Stolen from Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Maryland woman received a federal-prison sentence today, in connection with a money laundering scheme.
U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Tanoa Tanoh, 35, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, to 30 months in prison and ordered her to repay $1,037,762 to victims of the fraud scheme.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office.
In December 2025, Tanoh pled guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Tanoh acknowledged that she conspired with others to conceal the source of fraudulently obtained funds stolen from victims in Maryland and other states. She funneled the stolen funds through numerous bank accounts she created using false aliases. Additionally, Tanoh opened these bank accounts in the names of non-existent businesses registered with the State of Maryland. In total, between January 2019, and May 2021, Tanoh laundered or attempted to launder at least $3.8 million, from at least 27 victims, through her various shell companies.
Tanoh opened these shell companies with the State of Maryland by using false identification documents bearing her photograph. She opened “Hoch Investments LLC,” using the alias, Linda Hochman, and “Easy Supplies LLC,” using the alias, Anita Rawlings. The sole purpose of these companies was to open bank accounts in the companies’ names. After creating the bank accounts, co-conspirators used them to receive funds from victims of romance scams, elder-fraud scams, business-email compromises, and other fraud schemes.
Once Tanoh’s co-conspirators tricked victims into sending funds to her fake accounts, she transferred the fraudulently obtained funds between her own accounts or to others. These types of transfers make it more difficult for victims and law enforcement to trace and recover the fraud proceeds, which are often ultimately transferred to fraudsters directly scamming victims who are commonly located overseas. Individuals like Tanoh, who engage in laundering fraudulent funds, typically receive a percentage as a commission.
Co-conspirators Olumide Obidare, 32, and Steven Oseghale, 32, both Nigerian nationals, previously received sentences in the District of Minnesota. Obidare and Oseghale are currently serving 108-month and 56-month prison terms, respectively, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Each received two additional years for aggravated identity theft. A third co-conspirator, Emmanuel Okereke, 42, also a Nigerian national, is awaiting trial in the Northern District of Ohio.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI Baltimore and FBI Minneapolis Field Offices for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darren S. Gardner and Elizabeth Wright who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Maryland Man Who Conspired with Doctor to Illegally Distribute Promethazine-Codeine and other Controlled Substances Sentenced to 42 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – The first defendant sentenced for conspiring with Dr. Rotimi Iluyomade, an Annandale-based doctor convicted of distributing more than 7,000 oxycodone pills, 34,000 milliliters of hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution (also known as “Tussionex”), and 107,000 milliliters of promethazine-codeine solution (also known as “lean”), will serve 42 months in federal prison and forfeit $100,000 to the government.
Zion Oluwademilade Adeduwon, 24, of Bowie, Md., was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Roanoke. Adeduwon pled guilty in April 2025 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute oxycodone and hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution, and to obtain possession of promethazine-codeine by fraud. He is the first of the co-conspirators charged with drug distribution to be sentenced.
Also charged in the conspiracy and awaiting trial or sentencing are: Obioma Alozie Ndubuka; Raymono Alfonzo Russel II; Cameron Isaiah Lewis; Elhadj Malick Diallo; Kenechukwu Brian Okwara; and Yared Michael Tesfaye.
According to court documents, in at least 2023 and 2024, Iluyomade and the co-conspirators entered into an agreement to distribute oxycodone pills and hydrocodone-chlorpheniramine solution to pharmacies in multiple states, including California, Colorado, Nebraska, Arizona, Missouri, Florida, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey, Delaware, Rhode Island, Georgia, Wisconsin, Texas, West Virginia, and in the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia. At least 70 of the illegal controlled substance prescriptions were transmitted to and/or filled at pharmacies in the Western District of Virginia.
As part of the conspiracy, multiple individuals visited Iluyomade’s medical clinic to obtain fraudulent prescriptions. The individuals provided Iluyomade with lists of multiple “patients” with fake identifying information or different variations of names and false addresses, and requested prescriptions be sent to pharmacies throughout the United States for the “patients” on the lists.
Adeduwon frequented Iluyomade’s clinic in Annandale on a regular basis to obtain fraudulent prescriptions for oxycodone, Tussionex, and lean. He paid approximately $300 per fraudulent prescription. Adeduwon requested the prescriptions be written in fake patient names and addresses and directed Iluyomade to send the prescriptions to pharmacies in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Virginia State Police, Russell County Sheriff’s Office, Salisbury, Maryland Police Department, Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Police, HHS-OIG, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lena Busscher is prosecuting the case.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Christopher C. Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge DEA Washington Division, and Darren B. Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
Man Sentenced for Threatening to Murder Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Johnathan Trent Thomas, 27, of Linwood, N.C., was sentenced today to 15 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for making threats to murder federal officers to impede, intimidate, or interfere with the performance of their official duties, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Mark Zito, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“Threatening the lives of law enforcement officers is a serious federal crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “We take every threat against law enforcement seriously. Today’s case sends a clear message: those who threaten violence against law enforcement will be held accountable in federal court.”
“Ensuring the safety of our law enforcement officers is paramount,” said Special Agent in Charge Zito. “Threats of violence against federal agents and our local partners undermine the rule of law and jeopardize the security of our communities. HSI remains committed to working with our partners to investigate and bring to justice those who seek to intimidate or harm officers in the performance of their duties.”
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on Wednesday, May 14, 2025, at approximately 12:00 p.m., a caller, later identified as Thomas, contacted the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) and threatened to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and CMPD officers if immigration enforcement actions did not stop. During a second telephone call with a CMPD officer, Thomas warned that he was coming to Charlotte with armor piercing ammunition, night vision devices, and body armor to kill law enforcement officers and threatened to “shoot them all” if he observed anyone making arrests. Thomas was referencing arrests made previously by ICE federal agents on Albemarle Road in Charlotte.
Court documents show that Thomas stated that if a police officer pointed a gun at him, he was just going to open fire. He also said that he would “Swiss cheese” the officers if they were doing the same thing they did before, meaning making arrests.
Thomas additionally threatened that if law enforcement came to arrest him, he had Tannerite (an explosive) all around his house. He threatened that he “could do a whole lot better than” April 29, 2024, the day four law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in Charlotte.
Thomas’s threats did not deter law enforcement, who not only arrested him, but executed a search warrant at Thomas’s residence, seizing three rifles, a handgun, and a variety of ammunition.
According to court records, Thomas has an extensive history of threatening law enforcement, to include the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office and CMPD, and had previously followed CMPD officers in marked patrol cars while they were performing their official duties.
Thomas is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended HSI for the investigation of the case and thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Middle District of North Carolina, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the Waxhaw Police Department, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Kelly and Stephanie Spaugh of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Louisville Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Louisville, Ky., man, Keith Wayne Bishop, 47, was sentenced on Tuesday to 120 months, by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom, for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, beginning in January 2023 through September 2023, Bishop conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Specifically, during this timeframe, Bishop was obtaining upwards of pound quantities of methamphetamine, which he would then distribute to mid- and low-level drug dealers and end drug users in Laurel County. Bishop admitted to also supplying several other drug dealers in Knox, Whitley, Floyd, and Pike Counties.
Under federal law, Bishop must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Jim Scott, Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Mike Smith, Knox County Sheriff’s Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, KSP, and Knox County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Dotson is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Licensed Mortgage Loan Officer Charged with Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL –A grand jury has returned a federal indictment charging Jason Morales (44, Chagrin Falls, Ohio) with six counts of bank fraud. If convicted, Morales faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Morales concocted and executed a mortgage fraud scheme targeting a financial institution. To ensure that otherwise unqualified borrowers were approved for mortgage loans, Morales created fictitious and fraudulent paystubs and other employment documents in the name of a construction company and consulting company that his clients never worked for. The bogus income documents falsely indicated that his clients had worked at these companies and had monthly earnings. Additionally, Morales altered legitimate bank statements provided by the borrowers and created fictitious bank statements that he submitted to the financial institution falsely representing that the borrowers had sufficient assets to qualify for the mortgage loans. Morales submitted the fictitious documents he created to the financial institutions who relied on them when making underwriting decisions.
To further deceive the financial institution, Morales created websites for the construction and consulting companies listing his email and phone number so that when the lenders called to verbally verify employment Morales impersonated company executives and falsely verified employment.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General, and Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
KC Man Sentenced to 11 Years after Detective Witnessed ShootingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man who shot at another man with a firearm was sentenced in federal court today for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possessing methamphetamine.
Clifford E. Porter, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
On Sept. 11, 2025, Porter pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of methamphetamine.
On July 1, 2025, a Kansas City, Mo. Police Department detective observed a male riding a bicycle in the roadway on Spruce Avenue in Kansas City, Mo. The detective observed the male arguing with a group of approximately five people. The detective observed Porter run after the male, remove a firearm from his waistband, and fire a single round in the direction of the male on the bicycle.
The detective immediately notified uniformed officers of the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department, who contacted Porter within seconds of the shooting. Porter refused verbal commands by the officers to raise his hands in the air and lie on the ground. Officers eventually arrested Porter and searched him incident to arrest.
Porter had a small bag containing approximately 2.73 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket. Officers located a Hi-Point, Model C9, 9mm semi-automatic pistol on the sidewalk, just to the south of where Porter was arrested. The firearm was loaded with a live round of ammunition in the chamber and additional live ammunition in the magazine.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Porter has two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and prior felony convictions for unlawful possession of a firearm, burglary in the first degree, and robbery in the second degree.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced for Possessing Gun as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Jefferson County man has been sentenced for illegal possession of a firearm, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Jerrell Demichael Dunson, 47, of Birmingham, to 30 months in prison. In October, Dunson pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the plea agreement, on October 10, 2022, an officer with the Birmingham Police Department was dispatched to an apartment complex in Birmingham for a trespass call at a vacant apartment. When the officer arrived, he encountered Dunson at the vacant apartment. The officer asked Dunson for his identifying information so that the officer could write an incident report. Dunson had already left the scene when the officer discovered that he had 14 outstanding misdemeanor warrants. A short time later, the officer arrested Dunson in the Legion Field parking lot. Upon his arrest, Dunson was in possession of a Smith & Wesson .40 caliber pistol.
Dunson is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to prior felony convictions for burglary and robbery.
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 ATF investigated the case along with the Birmingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples prosecuted the case.
Jamaican National Sentenced for Role in Lottery Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A Jamaican national is headed to federal prison in connection with a lottery fraud scheme.
U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced Nickoy Campbell, 30, to 42 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Judge Hurson also ordered him to pay $3,074,765.28 in restitution.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Postal Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) – Washington Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Javan S. Wilson, U.S. Treasury, Office of Inspector General (Treasury OIG); and Chief George Nader, Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD).
According to public filings, beginning in September 2022, and continuing through February 2024, Campbell conspired with others to use the mail to obtain money from victims across the United States. Many victims impacted by the scheme were elderly.
Perpetrators use a lottery fraud scheme to lead victims to believe they won a large cash prize through a lottery or sweepstakes. When it’s time to collect the purported winnings, the victim is falsely led to believe that they must pay taxes or other fees in advance. The victim never receives their winnings, but instead, loses their advanced fees or payments.
In this case, Campbell and his co-conspirators solicited victims and led them to believe that they won a lottery or sweepstakes. Then they misled the victims to think that they were required to pay taxes and other fees in advance to Campbell and his co-conspirators’ attention. The conspiracy caused more than 10 victims to lose money in purported taxes and fees and to lose their winnings. Some victims of the scheme lost most of their life savings. In total, the court found that the victims lost more than $3 million, with Campbell receiving more than $500,000 of the victims’ funds.
Co-conspirators Tavoy Farquharson, 34, a Jamaican national, and brothers Wayne Henry, 36, and Dwayne Henry, 34, both of Landover Hills, Maryland, previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Farquharson and Dwayne Henry both face a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Sentencing for Dwayne Henry is scheduled for Tuesday, March 17, and Farquharson’s sentencing is slated for Monday, March 23.
Wayne Henry faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in federal prison, including a mandatory sentence of two years consecutive to any other imposed sentence, for aggravated identity theft. Sentencing for Wayne Henry is scheduled for Wednesday, September 2.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative, which seeks to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a collaborative and comprehensive response to the growing threat to public safety and national security. The HSTF integrates personnel, including law enforcement agents, intelligence analysts, and professional staff, from federal agencies to combat crime in our communities.
Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement’s efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older, and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available. Call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Department of Justice Hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers through assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps, including identifying appropriate reporting agencies, providing information to callers to assist them in reporting or connecting them with agencies, and providing resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed from 10 a.m.-6 p.m., Monday through Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. Learn more about the Department’s Elder Justice Initiative at www.elderjustice.gov. If you have information about criminal activity in your community should contact ICE’s Tip Line at 866-DHS-2-ICE or submit a tip online.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPIS, HSI, Treasury OIG, and PGPD for their investigative efforts. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Motsay who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Individual in Stanislaus County Fentanyl and Firearm Trafficking Ring Sentenced to over 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Oleg Arreola, 28, of Modesto, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 11 years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm in connection with a drug and firearm trafficking conspiracy in Stanislaus County, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Operation Blue Death, an investigation into drug trafficking and illegal firearm trafficking in Stanislaus County, resulted in the arrest of seven individuals engaged in distributing fentanyl pills and firearms between September 2022 and June 2023.
The indictment alleges that throughout March and April 2023, co-defendant Arturo Madrid sold several firearms and thousands of fentanyl pills, including one instance on April 21, 2023, where Madrid sold 6,000 fentanyl pills and a Draco (PAK 9 9 mm Luger) rifle.
The indictment alleges that on June 13, 2023, Arreola and co-defendants Arturo Madrid, Andrew Rodriguez, and Enrique DeLeon arrived at a location for a pre-arranged purchase of 50,000 fentanyl pills. Officers arrested the four defendants shortly after they arrived. Officers seized an AK-style Draco rifle Arreola brought to the drug deal and had at his feet during his arrest. Co-defendant DeLeon had approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills inside a briefcase in his vehicle when officers arrested him.
In total seven individuals were charged with drug and firearm trafficking offenses in a 17-count indictment. Their status, based on court records, includes:
- Arturo Madrid, 29, of Modesto, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm as a felon. He was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on Nov. 17, 2025.
- Enrique Cruz DeLeon, 28, of Salida, pleaded guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 30,000 fentanyl pills. He was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on April 21, 2025.
- Ebony Lambert, 48, of Turlock, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. She was sentenced to two years in prison on Aug. 25, 2025.
- Donnell Mays, 50, of Turlock, pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2026. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison.
- Andrew Madrid and Andrew Rodriguez are set for trial on Sept. 22, 2026. Madrid is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and distributing fentanyl. Rodriguez is charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, two counts of distributing fentanyl, two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon, and using or carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. If convicted, both face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison. Rodriguez faces an additional mandatory minimum of five years in prison for carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
The Stanislaus Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Illegal Alien with Prior Conviction for Attempted Rape of Minor Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Samuel Sotero Ambrocio-Vicente, 34, a citizen of Guatemala, pled guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States after a prior order of removal that followed his conviction for the New York State felony offense of attempted rape in the second degree (involving a minor who was less than 15 years old). First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
As part of his plea, Ambrocio-Vicente admitted that on February 4, 2020, he pled guilty to attempted rape in the second degree in Montgomery County Court. On February 12, 2020, Ambrocio-Vicente was removed to Guatemala. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ("ICE") officers apprehended Ambrocio-Vicente on December 18, 2025, while conducting targeted immigration enforcement operations in the city of Albany. Ambrocio-Vicente admitted during a subsequent interview that he had not received authorization to reenter the United States.
At sentencing on July 8, 2026, Ambrocio-Vicente faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to three years. He also faces deportation and removal in immigration court. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
“Samuel Sotero Ambrocio-Vicente was removed from the United States after attempting to rape a child, yet he brazenly returned in violation of federal law,” First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone said. “Individuals who commit serious crimes and then defy a lawful removal order have no place in this country. Cases like this make clear why the United States must maintain strong border security and strict immigration enforcement to prevent previously removed offenders from illegally reentering and putting our communities at risk. HSI’s targeted enforcement operations catch people like this, who belong as far away from our country as they can get.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated, “The arrest and resulting plea of Ambrocio-Vicente, previously convicted of attempted rape of a minor, is indicative of HSI’s ongoing effort to secure the safety of our communities and the rule of law. HSI Albany, in coordination with ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and our federal partners, remains committed to identifying and arresting predators whose violent criminal histories pose an ongoing threat to the communities we are sworn to protect."
HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Paul V. DerOhannesian are prosecuting the case.
Honduran National Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a Firearm and Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Missouri – A Honduran national was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm and illegally reentering the United States after previously being deported.
Jhader Hernandez-Padilla, 33, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark to 24 months in prison without parole for being an alien in possession of a firearm and for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported. Hernandez-Padilla pleaded guilty on Aug. 13, 2025.
On May 13, 2025, Hernandez-Padilla was pulled over by Kansas City Police Department Officers for a traffic infraction. When officers contacted Hernandez-Padilla, he was unable to produce a driver’s license and instead handed officers a Honduran passport. Officers asked Hernandez-Padilla if he had any weapons in his car, and he responded that he did not. After officers obtained permission to search the car, they discovered that Hernandez-Padilla had a loaded 9mm Century Arms Canik, Model TP9SA, between the driver’s seat and center console. Officers also located methamphetamine, suspected black-tar heroin, a digital scale, and unused plastic baggies, all of which are indicative of drug distribution. During a search incident to Hernandez-Padilla’s arrest, officers discovered more methamphetamine in his wallet. The defendant later admitted that he was in the country illegally and had been deported in 2019.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department, the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the United States Department of Homeland Security.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Hobbs-based Drug Trafficking Network Supplied by Mexican Illegal Alien DismantledRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A previously deported Mexican national, together with his Hobbs‑based distributor and her associates, has been charged in federal court with running a methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking network that brought large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and armed drug dealers into the Hobbs community.
According to court documents, Arturo Chihuahua‑Martinez, 61, a Mexican national previously deported from the United States, is alleged to have served as a source of supply bringing multi‑pound quantities of methamphetamine from California into Lea County, New Mexico, for redistribution in and around Hobbs. On or about February 17, 2025, Chihuahua‑Martinez was allegedly returning from Los Angeles when a Lea County Sheriff’s deputy stopped the truck on New Mexico Highway 380, near Tatum, and, following a positive canine alert, discovered a cooler and backpack containing 20 vacuum‑sealed packages with nearly 20 pounds of pure methamphetamine.
In a separate indictment, Natasha Ruiz, 33, is alleged to be a Hobbs‑based distributor who obtained methamphetamine and fentanyl from Chihuahua‑Martinez and coordinated retail‑level distribution through a network of local associates. On or about March 17, 2025, Ruiz allegedly met Chihuahua‑Martinez at a Hobbs hotel, where she picked up 421 grams of pure methamphetamine and 34.3 grams of fentanyl, which officers later recovered from a black backpack during a traffic stop.
The indictment further alleges that Ruiz used trusted associates to expand the organization’s reach by managing street‑level sales and insulating herself from direct contact with customers. On or about September 3, 2025, Ruiz allegedly agreed to sell fentanyl to an undercover agent and directed Erik L. Almaguer, 32, to complete the transaction. Almaguer then allegedly delivered 5.2 grams of fentanyl to the undercover agent for $500.
Ruiz also allegedly used Lorenzo Luna‑Espinoza, 30, Eli G. Rodriguez, 54, and Taylor Lydick, 31, to move methamphetamine into neighboring communities. On or about October 8, 2025, Ruiz allegedly supplied methamphetamine to Eli Rodriguez at a cabin in Seminole, Texas. When Eli Rodriguez left the cabin, officers stopped his vehicle and seized 44.56 grams of pure methamphetamine.
On the following day, October 9, 2025, Ruiz allegedly coordinated with Lydick to pick up methamphetamine from her the same cabin, and Lydick was later stopped while transporting 153.2 grams of pure methamphetamine.
Luna‑Espinoza, a Mexican national who had previously been removed from the United States, is alleged to have acted as both a methamphetamine and fentanyl supplier and a broker of firearms for the organization. On or about November 13, 2025, Luna‑Espinoza allegedly stored an AR‑15 rifle at another person’s residence, possessed 8.29 grams of pure methamphetamine and 22.89 grams of fentanyl in a vehicle, and discussed selling firearms, narcotics, and a ballistic vest. During one of the calls, Luna-Espinoza stated that he was not working and that he was instead concentrating on his narcotics trafficking.
The indictment charges Ruiz with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, and use of a communication facility to further a drug trafficking crime. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. Almaguer is charged with conspiracy and distribution of fentanyl and faces up to 20 years in prison. Eli Rodriguez is charged with conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and use of a communication facility, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison. Lydick is charged with conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.
Luna‑Espinoza is charged with conspiracy, distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute, multiple communication‑facility counts, illegal reentry after removal, and being an alien in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison.
In separate but related cases, two associates of Ruiz, Jamus Clydrell White, 38, and Gabriel Tercero, 48, are alleged to have possessed firearms and ammunition despite prior felony convictions. White is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition based on alleged conduct on or about July 10, 2024, while Tercero is charged with being a felon in possession of two handguns and ammunition on or about March 17, 2025. If convicted of the current charges, both men face up to 15 years in prison.
In another related case, Pedro Rene Palacios allegedly arranged to sell methamphetamine to a customer through Luna-Espinoza at a residence in Hobbs. On March 4, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at that residence and recovered approximately 3.5 grams of methamphetamine from Palacios’s bedroom and a firearm from his person. Palacios is charged with distribution of methamphetamine. If convicted of the current charges, Palacios faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kirk Williams and Renee Camacho are prosecuting these cases.
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 Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Hartford Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that RAFAEL ORLANDO GARCIA, 35, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment and four years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl and cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force identified Garcia, who has a prior federal conviction, as a significant Hartford-area narcotics trafficker. Between February and April 2025, investigators made three controlled purchases of narcotics from Garcia. Investigators purchased approximately 36 grams of fentanyl and 28 grams of cocaine on February 28, approximately 80 grams of fentanyl on March 12, and approximately 100 grams of fentanyl and 280 grams of cocaine on April 1.
Garcia was arrested on April 8, 2025. On October 15, 2025, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, fentanyl and cocaine; possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl; and possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine.
Garcia, who is released on bond, is required to report to prison on May 11.
This investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean P. Mahard.
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.