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Wednesday 12 August 2026
11 Defendants Charged in Dismantling of Decade-Long Nationwide Marriage Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, Attorney General for the United States, Todd Blanche, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Pete Gizas, Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Joseph B. Edlow, and Westchester County District Attorney, Susan Cacace, announced today the unsealing of a two-count Indictment charging AMY CHENG, a/k/a “Amy Zhou,” XIAO MEI CHAN, a/k/a “Carmen,” CHRISTINE LU, a/k/a “Lily,” JING YAN YE, a/k/a “Serene,” XIAO YAN CHEN, a/k/a “Anna,” GANG ZHENG, a/k/a “Michael,” a/k/a “Mike,” ANTHONY CHENG, MICHELLE DUENAS, ANGELA DUENAS, SIGRID CETINO, and ERIKA JOHNSON, with conspiring, over the course of more than a decade, to orchestrate more than 1,000 sham marriages to fraudulently obtain immigration status for foreign nationals, primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China. 10 of the defendants were arrested this morning and are expected to be arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court.
“The defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly operated a nationwide and international, multimillion-dollar marriage fraud scheme, using participants to abuse United States immigration laws for their own profit,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Today’s arrests have dismantled a central component of one of the largest marriage fraud schemes charged in United States history. As this prosecution shows, we and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue those seeking to corrupt and exploit our nation’s lawful immigration system.”
“This Department of Justice is rooting out fraud everywhere—including in our immigration system,” said Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The individuals who were arrested today allegedly orchestrated elaborate schemes to illegally obtain citizenship for foreign nationals through sham marriages. Schemes like this are a deliberate affront to the United States and our laws and will not be tolerated under the Trump Administration.”
“For over a decade, this alleged criminal network treated our immigration system like a business opportunity—charging foreign nationals exorbitant fees, recruiting U.S. citizens into sham marriages, and manufacturing false evidence to deceive the federal government,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas. “Their alleged conduct struck at the heart of a lawful process, placing personal profit above fairness, accountability, and the public’s trust. When fraudsters game the system, they don’t just break the law—they cheat every person who plays by the rules and waits their turn, and they erode the confidence that legitimate institutions depend on to serve the public. HSI New York, as a co-leader of the Homeland Security Task Force, is resolute in its mission to dismantle these fraud networks, protect the integrity of our institutions, and safeguard New Yorkers’ neighborhoods, communities, and livelihoods.”
“Anyone willing to lie, cheat or steal their way to legal immigration status is a direct threat to America's national security,” said USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow. “U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is aggressively pursuing marriage fraud schemes and the criminal organizations and ringleaders who profit from them. USCIS will continue to expose fraud, defend the rule of law, and ensure immigration status is reserved for those who truly qualify.”
“Those who deliberately arrange sham marriages to circumvent our nation’s immigration laws are not only undermining the sanctity of this institution, but they are also committing a crime,” said Westchester County District Attorney Susan Cacace. “This complex investigation, which our office proudly helped uncover, was worked in partnership with HSI, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. This case demonstrates the power and importance of strong cooperation between all law enforcement agencies.”
According to the Indictment:(1)
From at least 2016 through July 2026, the defendants operated a nationwide and international marriage fraud network that arranged sham marriages between foreign nationals—primarily citizens of the People’s Republic of China—and United States citizens. Although based principally in New York City, the network allegedly arranged sham marriages throughout the United States and overseas, including in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Florida, Vanuatu, and China.
The network included facilitators who oversaw the scheme and identified foreign-national customers; recruiters who found willing United States citizens and helped ensure their continued participation; and assistants who prepared immigration paperwork and coordinated the submission of fraudulent lawful permanent residency (“Green Card”) applications to United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (“USCIS”). The scheme also relied on marriage officiants, attorneys, tax preparers, insurance providers, and other service providers. Foreign nationals paid facilitators as much as approximately $100,000 for a sham marriage and assistance obtaining lawful permanent resident status. Facilitators, in turn, allegedly paid participating United States citizens as much as approximately $30,000—generally in installments tied to milestones in the Green Card application process—and paid recruiters commissions of as much as approximately $5,000 for each citizen recruited. In total, the defendants and their co-conspirators recruited hundreds of United States citizens to enter into sham marriages:
The defendants executed the fraud by pairing foreign nationals with United States citizens—who often met for the first time immediately before obtaining a marriage license, arranging sham wedding ceremonies, and staging photographs designed to make those marriages appear legitimate. Some examples are below, including a photograph of a sham marriage that took place in China:
After the ceremonies, scheme participants manufactured evidence to make the marriages appear genuine, including by staging additional photographs, opening joint financial and utility accounts, filing joint tax returns, and obtaining insurance policies. The defendants and their co-conspirators then prepared and submitted Green Card applications containing materially false statements and, when interviews with USCIS were required, coached the marriage participants on how to conceal the true nature of their relationships and provide false answers to immigration officers.
The defendants caused at least hundreds of fraudulent Green Card applications and supporting documents to be submitted to USCIS. Based on the scale and duration of the scheme, the defendants’ network is believed to have collected tens of millions of dollars from foreign nationals seeking lawful permanent resident status.
At the time the defendants were arrested, law enforcement executed premises search warrants at locations in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, Flushing, Queens, and Staten Island.
* * *
AMY CHENG, 72, of Brooklyn, New York, XIAO MEI CHAN, 64, of Queens, New York, CHRISTINE LU, 52, of Queens, New York, JING YAN YE, 43, of Staten Island, New York, XIAO YAN CHEN, 48, of Brooklyn, New York, GANG ZHENG, 61, of Queens, New York, ANTHONY CHENG, 47, of Staten Island, New York, MICHELLE DUENAS, 35, of Staten Island, New York, ANGELA DUENAS, 26, of Staten Island, New York, SIGRID CETINO, 32, of Peekskill, New York, and ERIKA JOHNSON, 43, of Ossining, New York, have each been charged with one count of conspiracy to commit marriage fraud and immigration fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and one count of conspiracy to encourage the unlawful residence of aliens in the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. McDonald thanked HSI, Hudson Valley; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Safe Streets Task Force; the USCIS Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate; the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division; the Westchester County District Attorney’s Office; the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida; and Homeland Security Investigations, Jacksonville for their outstanding investigative work.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jake Sidransky and Reyhan Watson are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Tuesday 11 August 2026
Wytheville Man to Serve More than 14 Years for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Wytheville, Virginia man with criminal convictions dating to the late 1990s was sentenced yesterday to a total of 174 months in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material.
Christopher Matthew Marsh, 49, recently pled guilty in the Western District of Virginia to possessing child sexual abuse material involving infants and toddlers.
According to court documents, in 1997, Marsh was convicted in Florida of attempted sexual battery of a minor under the age of twelve and was sentenced to 13 years in prison. As a result of that conviction, Marsh was required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
In 2017, Marsh was convicted in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Virginia for violating his registration requirements under SORNA.
In February 2025, while Marsh was on supervised release for his 2017 SORNA conviction, the U.S. Probation Office conducted an unannounced search of the motel room where Marsh was staying in Wytheville, Virginia. The U.S. Probation Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation analyzed the contents of one of Marsh’s cell phones. The phone contained approximately 2000 images of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, and most of the images involved toddlers and infant girls. The analysis revealed that Marsh used the phone to search the internet for images of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and download the images.
In addition to his prison sentence, the Court ordered Marsh to serve five years of supervised release after prison, and pay $71,500 in restitution to identified victims.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Probation Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Pierce is prosecuting the case.
West Rutland, Vermont Man Charged with Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
BURLINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Andrew Buzzell, 34, of West Rutland, Vermont, has been charged by criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography, also known as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
On August 10, 2026, Buzzell appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Buzzell be released subject to, among other conditions, home incarceration, which restricts Buzzell to 24-hour-a-day lock-down at his residence.
According to court records, in or around November 2024, Buzzell is alleged to have distributed materials containing child pornography, also known as Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) through a free instant messaging mobile application. According to a Cyber Tip submitted by the messaging platform to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), account user “kinkyvt1231” shared four files to other users via private chat messaging on the messaging platform, including, one .mp4 video file categorized as apparent child pornography. Law enforcement’s investigation revealed that the IP address and email address submitted with the Cyber Tip are both associated with Buzzell.
In June 2026, an FBI Online Covert Employee (OCE) working within a different application posted a message offering sex that was “Taboo Young.” During that conversation with the OCE, Buzzell solicited photos of the supposed nine-year-old girl who was available for sex and made various statements to the OCE discussing the specifics of a desired sexual encounter. Open-source information identified Buzzell as being an elder at a church in West Rutland, Vermont, and as the state director of the Child Evangelism Fellowship of Vermont.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Buzzell is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Buzzell faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the FBI, including the Violent Crimes Against Children Unit.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Arra. Buzzell is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Barclay Johnson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Virginia Man to Plead Guilty to $7.1 Million Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A dual national of the United States and the Philippines was charged and has agreed to plead guilty to stealing more than $7.1 million from his employer over the course of a decade.
Ricardo Fontanilla, 66, of Fairfax, Va., was charged with wire fraud and has agreed to plead guilty. Fontanilla was arrested at his home in May 2026 and was later ordered detained pending trial.
According to court documents, between 2013 and December 2025, Fontanilla worked at the Victim Company, a global financial services company which had its U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts, as a Security Administration Services employee. Fontanilla’s role allegedly gave him access to the Victim Company’s financial systems, which tracked borrowers’ mortgage payments in connection with residential mortgage-backed securities – a kind of financial instrument that allows investors to purchase ownership in a pool of residential mortgage loans. Beginning in 2013, Fontanilla allegedly altered the Victim Company’s records to make it appear that the Victim Company was receiving excess payments from mortgage servicing companies that were collecting borrower payments. As alleged, Fontanilla fraudulently transferred these supposedly “excess” payments back to one mortgage servicer (Company A), and then falsely informed Company A representatives that the Victim Company had mistakenly refunded these amounts. In directing Company A to return the mistaken refunds to the Victim Company, Fontanilla allegedly directed Company A to wire the funds to a personal bank account he controlled at Wells Fargo.
Records obtained during the investigation show Fontanilla allegedly received more than $7.1 million in wires from Company A between 2013 and 2025, and that Fontanilla allegedly made payments from his accounts of more than $4.78 million in personal credit card payments to Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo and American Express; $873,000 in mortgage and loan payments; more than $200,000 in cash and cash-equivalent withdrawals in the United States and abroad; at least $300,000 in deposits to brokerage accounts at JPMorgan Chase; and approximately $125,000 in payments to Toyota – amounts far exceeding the approximately $83,000 annual salary Fontanilla received from the Victim Company. According to court documents, Fontanilla’s spending included substantial purchases of luxury brands and premium air travel through the United States, the Caribbean and Asia.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater, restitution, and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Office of Inspector General made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Frauds Unit, is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Utah Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Woman with KnifeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Utah man admitted he assaulted the victim and threatened her with a pocketknife while she was holding an infant child.
According to court records, on October 11, 2023, Kubert Yanito, 54, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, went to the victims’ residence near Sheep Springs, New Mexico, where he assaulted her by striking, biting, and scratching her. When the victim attempted to leave with her infant daughter, Yanito threatened her with a pocketknife. Yanito fled after family members heard the victim’s cries for help. Yanito had previously been convicted of domestic violence, making him a habitual offender.
Yanito pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon, and according to the plea agreement faces between 60-70 months in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nichola J. Marshall.
U.S. Department of Justice Awards over $3 Million to Oregon Communities to Improve Public SafetyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— The Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component under the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, awarded over $3 Million in Fiscal Year 2025 to support Oregon’s state, local, and tribal governments in criminal justice activities to keep Oregon communities safe.
The awards, provided through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, represent the nation’s leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. Across the United States nearly $290 million was awarded. For more than 20 years, the JAG program has provided critical funding to support law enforcement’s ability to protect the communities they serve, supporting critical needs such as personnel, equipment and supplies, technology, training, information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, and other operational priorities. JAG funding also supports a wide range of programs that strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses.
In addition to foundational uses of JAG funds, specific areas of emphasis were included to the JAG funding opportunities highlighting and encouraging state and local jurisdictions to join federal law enforcement in addressing the most pressing public safety challenges. For Fiscal Year 2025, these areas of emphasis included combatting violent crime, immigration enforcement, safe communities, and safe houses of worship.
In Oregon for 2025 many of our cities received grant assistance to support their work in public safety.
All recipients for both state and local JAG awards can be found here.
About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; promote fair and impartial administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking or SMART Office – can be found at ojp.gov.
U.S. Department of Justice Awards More than $12 Million to New Hampshire State and Local Governments to Improve Public SafetyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON ―The Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component under the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, awarded almost $290 million to support state, local, and tribal governments in criminal justice activities to keep American communities safe, including $12,109,172 distributed to state and local government in New Hampshire during the 2025 fiscal year.
The awards, provided through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, represent the nation’s leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. For more than 20 years, the JAG program has provided critical funding to support law enforcement’s ability to protect the communities they serve, supporting critical needs such as personnel, equipment and supplies, technology, training, information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, and other operational priorities. JAG funding also supports a wide range of programs that strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses.
“This funding strengthens our state, local, and tribal partners’ ability to address violent crime, support officers on the front lines, and keep our Nation’s communities safe,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “The JAG Program continues to provide essential resources that help jurisdictions meet today’s public safety threats and uphold the rule of law.”
“These funds go to hard working local police departments, state and county prosecutors and to directly compensate victims of crime,” said Erin Creegan, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Hampshire. “This is crucial assistance that strengthens our ability to collaborate on the local, regional and national level with law enforcement to disrupt illegal activity, make arrests, seek convictions, and keep dangerous criminals out of our neighborhoods.”
In addition to foundational uses of JAG funds, specific areas of emphasis were included to the JAG funding opportunities highlighting and encouraging state and local jurisdictions to join federal law enforcement in addressing the most pressing public safety challenges. For Fiscal Year 2025, these areas of emphasis included combatting violent crime, immigration enforcement, safe communities, and safe houses of worship.
BJA awarded more than $199 million in state JAG funding across 56 awards and more than $90 million in local JAG funding across 895 awards.
Examples of initiatives supported by these grants include:
- Providing specialized training to strengthen the prevention, detection, and response to human trafficking and to enhance proactive crime‑reduction efforts through improved officer readiness and increased patrol capacity.
- Enhancing local crime‑fighting efforts by integrating innovative technology, training, and equipment, and using comprehensive crime‑data analysis to guide decision‑making, measure performance, and strengthen strategies addressing violent crime and other public safety issues.
- Strengthening enforcement efforts by supporting investigations related to gang activity and narcotics through targeted operations carried out by specialized units.
- Improving officer safety and readiness by replacing outdated ballistic helmets with modern protective equipment used during high‑risk incidents, tactical operations, active threat responses, warrant service, civil disturbances, and other dangerous calls for service.
All recipients for both state and local JAG awards can be found here. New Hampshire JAG funding awards include nearly $5.6 million for the New Hampshire Department of Justice Victim Compensation grant, $600,000 to enhance DNA testing capacity and reduce backlog for the New Hampshire Department of Safety, as well as grants to Cheshire and Rockingham counties as well as the cities of Manchester, Portsmouth, Concord, Laconia and Rochester. A complete list of FY 2025 New Hampshire awardees for U.S. Department of Justice JAG grants can be found here.
About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; promote fair and impartial administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking or SMART Office – can be found at ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney Announces $2.26 Million in Law Enforcement and Public Safety Grant AwardsRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA — U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey has announced Department of Justice grant awards totaling $2.265 million for law enforcement partners and community service organizations across the Northern District of West Virginia.
“Our district is strongest when law enforcement and outreach services are well-equipped to serve our neighbors and keep them safe,” said U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey. “This funding not only assists the recipients in their good work, but it improves the lives of every person living in those communities.”
The awards, provided through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, represent the nation’s leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. For more than 20 years, the JAG program has provided critical funding to support law enforcement’s ability to protect the communities they serve, supporting critical needs such as personnel, equipment and supplies, technology, training, information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, and other operational priorities. JAG funding also supports a wide range of programs that strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses.
“This funding strengthens our state, local, and tribal partners’ ability to address violent crime, support officers on the front lines, and keep our Nation’s communities safe,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. “The JAG Program continues to provide essential resources that help jurisdictions meet today’s public safety threats and uphold the rule of law.”
The Office of Justice Programs has awarded $124,358 in Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance grants to five law enforcement offices in the Northern District of West Virginia to enhance officer safety, investigative services, and technology. Those departments awarded are:
- The Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office - $23,697 for officer body armor
- The Randolph County Sheriff’s Office - $12,287 for firearms accessories and ammunition
- The Fairmont Police Department - $19,444 for technology equipment
- The Wheeling Police Department - $57,790 for investigative technology and equipment
- The Ohio County Sheriff’s Office - $11,140 for investigative technology and equipment
BJA awarded more than $199 million in state JAG funding across 56 awards and more than $90 million in local JAG funding across 895 awards.
In addition, the Office on Violence Against Women has awarded $2,141,039 in grant funding in West Virginia. The West Virginia Office of Justice and Community Services received $1,329,906 to strengthen law enforcement, prosecution, and court strategies to combat violent crime against women and to strengthen victim services in domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking cases. The office also received $811,133 to support rape crisis centers and non-profit organizations that provide services to victims of sexual assault.
For more information on the awards, funding availability, and applying for Department of Justice grants, go to https://www.ojp.gov/funding.
Trinitarios Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Participating in 2023 Double MurderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios pleaded guilty today to racketeering charges, including his participation as an accessory after the fact to two murders and one shooting.
Israel Garcia Vasquez, a/k/a “Menol,” 25, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity, more commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy and drug conspiracy. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Nov. 19, 2026.
The Trinitarios is a violent criminal enterprise comprised of thousands of members across the United States. The Trinitarios adhere to a Magna Carta, employ an internal hierarchy to coordinate and execute violence, and undertake extensive efforts to maintain the secrecy of the organization and its members.
During today’s court proceedings, Israel Garcia Vasquez admitted to his membership in the gang as well as to his participation in a shooting on Aug. 27, 2023, in Lynn, and as an accessory after the fact to the Sept. 2, 2023, murder of Jandriel Heredia and Abraham Diaz, in Lynn. Both incidents were retaliatory shootings in order to avenge the recent killing of a Trinitarios member by a rival gang.
During the Sept. 2, 2023 incident, three members of the Trinitarios drove by Essex Street in Lynn and discharged numerous rounds at people gathered outside. The gathering was a party celebrating a young man who was heading off to college. Seven people were shot during this incident, including Abraham Diaz and Jandriel Heredia who later died from the gunshot wounds they sustained. Garcia Vasquez admitted that after the shooting, the driver and two shooters were brought to his residence in the Lawrence area, where they were harbored.
In February 2025, federal racketeering charges were unsealed against 22 leaders and members of the Trinitarios. The charges were the result of a multijurisdictional investigation, which began in the aftermath of four murders as well as a series of attempted murders and shootings that took place in Lynn in 2023, allegedly committed by the Trinitarios criminal enterprise and its members. In March 2025, a Lynn member of the Trinitarios was sentenced to 10 years in prison. In June 2025, two members of the Trinitarios were charged with kidnapping a drug supplier. In July 2025, the leader of the Lynn Chapter was sentenced to 14 years in prison. In December 2025, two members of the Lynn Chapter, Michael Miliano and James Jimenez pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy. In April 2026, Luis Enrique Santana pleaded guilty. In May 2026, Westyn Lantigua pleaded guilty. In June 2026, Luis Jeffrey Santana pleaded guilty. In August 2026, Kelvin Liranzo Roman pleaded guilty.
On June 9, 2026, additional federal racketeering and drug charges were unsealed charging 26 additional leaders, members and associates of the Lawrence, Haverhill and Boston Chapters of the gang. According to court documents, the Trinitarios have allegedly participated in five additional murders in Essex County since 2017, bringing the total of federally charged murders to 11. Israel Garcia Vasquez is the 13th defendant to plead guilty in the case.
The charge of conspiracy to conduct enterprise affairs through a pattern of racketeering activity (also known as “racketeering conspiracy” or “RICO conspiracy”) provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation following any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Massachusetts State Police Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble; and Lynn Police Chief Christopher P. Reddy made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
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.
Three Sentenced in Plot to Rob Marijuana Dealer in RadfordRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – Three men who plotted to rob a Radford, Virginia marijuana dealer in April 2025, and the man who they targeted to rob, were sentenced recently in U.S. District Court to federal prison time.
Trevion Trevor Johnson, 23, of Roanoke, was sentenced to 108 months. Dominick Latrell Anderson, 24, of Roanoke, was sentenced to 96 months. Sidney Elijah Schwartz, 23, of Elliston, Va., was sentenced to 48 months, and Robert Jason Leonard Jr., 48, of Fairlawn, Va., was sentenced to 36 months.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2025, Johnson, Anderson, and Schwartz entered the residence of Leonard with the intention of stealing his marijuana. To prepare for the robbery, Anderson obtained Leonard’s contact information. The morning of the robbery, Anderson, using an alias, arranged with Leonard a transaction involving approximately one and one-half pounds of marijuana.
Leading up to the robbery, Anderson, Schwartz, and Johnson agreed upon their respective roles. Anderson would distract Leonard by feigning a payment transfer, Schwartz would seize the marijuana, and Johnson – who obtained a firearm from a juvenile accomplice earlier and agreed to wait in the getaway vehicle- would maintain control of Leonard to ensure the group’s safe retreat.
On the night of the planned robbery, the three robbers entered the home, proceeded to the kitchen and began discussing the purported transaction with Leonard. During the encounter, Johnson suspected that Leonard’s wife was armed, causing Johnson to brandish a 9mm pistol and aim it at Leonard’s wife. A physical altercation ensued between Johnson and Leonard, during which Johnson discharged his firearm, shooting Leonard in the buttocks. Schwartz then grabbed a portion of the marijuana and the three men fled. As they fled, Leonard fired multiple rounds at the fleeing assailants, striking Schwartz in the back.
Anderson, Johnson, and the juvenile accomplice dropped Schwartz off at a hospital and divided the stolen marijuana among them.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosives and the City of Radford Police Department investigated the case.
Three Members of Florida Keys Cocaine Trafficking Organization Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Three members of a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization operating in the Florida Keys have been sentenced to federal prison for their roles in a years-long conspiracy to distribute cocaine throughout Monroe County.
U.S. District Judge Rodolfo A. Ruiz II sentenced John Robert Strama Jr., 44, Pedro Luis Lugo Jr., 38, and Elvis Lazaro Ruiz, 34, all of Marathon, to 120 months, 85 months, and 65 months in prison, respectively.
Strama and Ruiz previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. Lugo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
“Fishing for ‘square groupers’ in the waters off the Florida Keys is not a harmless pastime; it is drug trafficking, and it carries serious consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “These defendants recovered kilogram quantities of cocaine from the sea and distributed them throughout the Florida Keys for years. Their sentences send a clear message: whether drugs arrive by land, air, or sea, we will work with our law enforcement partners to find the traffickers, dismantle their networks, and bring them to justice.”
The three were among 27 defendants charged in a federal indictment stemming from a long-running cocaine distribution network that operated from at least 2020 through 2023.
According to court records, Strama, identified as a leader of the organization, obtained much of the cocaine he distributed by locating and recovering “floaters” — waterproof-wrapped kilogram packages of cocaine found at sea. A professional boat operator, Strama used his knowledge of local waterways, tides, and currents to recover dozens of kilograms of cocaine over the course of the conspiracy. He then distributed the cocaine to co-conspirators and other buyers throughout the Florida Keys.
Strama, Ruiz, and Lugo were held responsible for distributing between 15 and 50 kilograms of cocaine during the conspiracy.
To date, 25 defendants have been sentenced. Kizmet Yatz Qualls and Daniel Fernando Ramirez are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean McLaughlin and Frank Tamen are prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20386.
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Six Illegal Aliens Sentenced, Four Charged for Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND and TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office has announced immigration enforcement actions in the Northern District of Ohio. These are separate cases and are not related.
The following individuals were sentenced by a U.S. District Court judge after each previously pleaded guilty to their roles in violating federal immigration laws. All defendants will remain detained after serving their sentences, pending deportation from the United States.
Santos DeJesus Gomez, 46, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being Oct. 26, 2024. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, in Sandusky County, on March 7.
Alonso Diaz-Espinosa, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least three occasions with the most recent being Feb. 13, 2026. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, in Sandusky County, on March 7.
Rigoberto Gomez-Arguijo, 46, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to 10 months in prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Oct. 28, 2010. He was found in Marion, Ohio, in Marion County, on Jan. 8.
Alan Ramos-Capultitla, 21, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Feb. 14. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, in Sandusky County, on March 7.
Carlos Sauceda-Alvarez, 38, a citizen of Honduras, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being Sept. 23, 2025. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, in Sandusky County, on March 7.
Raul Tiburcio-Mavarro, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least five occasions with the most recent being Oct. 30, 2019. He was found in Wauseon, Ohio, in Fulton County, on March 28.
Additionally, federal grand juries returned indictments charging the following individuals:
Moises Aldana-Barrientos, 53, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being April 3, 2012. He was found in Painesville, Ohio, in Lake County, on March 28, 2022.
Edin Lopez-Herrera, 41, a citizen of Guatemala, was charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being on January 29, 2020. He was found in Wickliffe, Ohio, in Lake County, on June 13, 2026.
Jose Manuel Lujan-Sanchez, 44, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least three occasions with the most recent being Dec. 20, 2017. He was found in Toledo, Ohio, in Lucas County, on July 21.
Fernando Mata Hernandez, 39, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Aug. 17, 2017. He was found in Edgerton, Ohio, in Williams County, on July 8.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Spryszak, Ava Rotell Dustin, Brett Hammond, and Gene Crawford for Northern District of Ohio.
These investigations were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Cleveland Office.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Shiprock Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Sexual Abuse ChargeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty in federal court to sexually abusing a victim in 2023.
According to court records, in December 2023, Jasper Lee Gray, 63, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, knowingly engaged in sexual acts with Jane Doe without her consent, including through coercion.
Gray pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and faces up to life in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
Shelbyville Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Firearms Conspiracy, Dealing, Smuggling and False StatementsRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Shelbyville, Kentucky, man was sentenced on August 6, 2026, to 5 years in prison for conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, dealing in firearms without a license, attempted smuggling of firearms from the United States and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Acting Special Agent in Charge Bobby Kuszynski of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Detroit Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Luis Garcia, 29, of Shelbyville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 5 years in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for conspiracy to deal in firearms without a license, dealing in firearms without a license, attempted smuggling of firearms from the United States and making false statements during the purchase of a firearm.
From April 8, 2021, to January 12, 2024, Garcia conspired with others to obtain firearms by means of false and fictitious statements; engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license; and obtained money and profit by illegally dealing in firearms without a license and exporting firearms from the United States to Honduras. During the conspiracy, Garcia purchased 83 firearms from various firearms dealers in Hardin, Jefferson and Nelson Counties. At the time of purchase for each firearm, Garcia made a false and fictitious written statement to a licensed dealer of firearms that he was the actual purchaser of the firearm.
On November 14, 2023, a package containing 7 firearms purchased by Garcia was intercepted by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The package was examined by U.S Customs and Border Protection. After x-ray inspection of the package revealed unusual materials, the package was seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Inside a large box of household items, a DeWalt Planer contained 7 firearms and magazines shipped to Honduras.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Illegal firearms trafficking to third-world countries serves to arm drug cartels and fuels violence throughout the Western Hemisphere. In turn, these cartels attempt to flood the United States with poisonous drugs that undermine society and destroy lives. We will continue to combat illegal firearms trafficking by aggressively prosecuting these defendants.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes stated, "Federal firearms laws are designed to facilitate the lawful sale and transfer of firearms while preventing prohibited individuals from obtaining them. Garcia knowingly violated those laws by illegally purchasing firearms and smuggling them out of the United States. ATF remains committed to working alongside our partners on the HSTF to aggressively investigate firearms trafficking and straw purchasing schemes while disrupting the illegal flow of firearms."
“Illegal firearms trafficking is a serious threat that extends beyond our borders and fuels transnational criminal activity,” said HSI Nashville Special Agent in Charge Dennis M. Fetting. “This sentence reflects HSI’s commitment to working with our federal, state and local partners to investigate those who illegally acquire, conceal and attempt to export firearms from the United States.”
"The illegal trafficking and smuggling of firearms not only threatens public safety but also undermines the integrity of our financial systems. IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to disrupt criminal networks that profit from these dangerous schemes. Today’s sentencing demonstrates our resolve to follow the money, dismantle illicit operations, and protect communities both here and abroad," said Robert Kuszynski, Acting Special Agent in Charge for IRS-CI Detroit.
“Illegally trafficked firearms are far more likely to end up in the hands of people who use them to commit crimes," said Louisville Metro Police Chief Paul Humphrey. “This case is a great example of what we can accomplish when local and federal agencies work together to stop illegal activity and hold those responsible accountable.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the ATF Louisville Field Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, DEA Louisville Field Division and the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Louisville comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, and IRS, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
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Salinas Acosta Plaza Norteño Gang Member Sentenced to Thirty Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Raul Coronel Suarez a/k/a “Ray” was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for racketeering conspiracy related to his involvement in the Salinas Acosta Plaza (SAP) Norteño criminal street gang based in Salinas, California. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman handed down the sentence.
Coronel, 22, of Salinas, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 18, 2024. Coronel pleaded guilty on January 27, 2026, to one count of racketeering conspiracy, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1962(d), along with a special sentencing factor that he agreed to conduct the affairs of the enterprise through murder. According to the plea agreement, Coronel admitted to being associated with Norteño criminal street gangs (including SAP) from at least mid-2022 through at least April 2024. Between January 2023 and April 2024, as a member of SAP, Coronel participated in six separate shootings: four as a shooter (resulting in two victims wounded and three victims targeted but missed), and two in a supporting role (resulting in two victims killed and two victims wounded). He also admitted to possessing a firearm, methamphetamine, and cocaine in July 2023.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Freeman sentenced the defendant to a 3-year period of supervised release. The defendant was immediately remanded into custody.
According to the indictment, the SAP Norteños are a street gang that originated in a Salinas apartment complex by the same name. The group is now recognized as a clique within the larger collection of Norteño criminal street gangs. Members of the gang “meet and work together” to carry out crimes for the benefit of the gang, its members, the larger Norteño organization, and the Nuestra Familia prison gang. Crimes are perpetrated by gang members to protect and uphold its power, territory, and profits and gang members are expected to engage in shootings, robberies, drug sales, and other criminal conduct to gain entry into, and improve a member’s status in, the gang. The indictment lists more than four dozen criminal acts that the defendants are alleged to have committed, including murders and attempted murders between July 2014 and April 2024 of perceived rival gang members, transient individuals, and former gang members.
Sixteen other Salinas Acosta Plaza Norteño gang members have been charged in the indictment and subsequent superseding indictment with racketeering conspiracy. Five have pleaded guilty and been sentenced.
DefendantAgeChargeSentenceJose Saldana a/k/a “Chepe”21Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. §1962(d)264 months in prison, 5 years’ supervised releaseSalvador Mexicano a/k/a “Jumpshot”22Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. §1962(d)228 months in prison, 3 years’ supervised releaseRigoberto Ramirez a/k/a “Scooby”38Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. §1962(d)208 months in prison, 3 years’ supervised releaseGil Vasquez a/k/a “Rhino”38Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. §1962(d)72 months in prison, 3 years’ supervised releaseJose Mexicano a/k/a “Armani”27Racketeering Conspiracy, 18 U.S.C. §1962(d)60 months in prison, 3 years’ supervised releaseThe other cases remain pending. An indictment or superseding indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and those remaining defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Jeff Brannigan made the announcement.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Organized Crime Section. Assistant U.S. Attorneys George Hageman and Jared Buszin are in charge of the prosecution. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Salinas Police Department and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office.
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.
Registered sex offender arrested on new child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Eric A. Brown, 42, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with distribution and possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 40 years.
According to the complaint, in February 2025, the New York State Police began investigating Eric Brown after receiving a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). NCMEC received a tip from Quora, a social question-and-answer platform, stating that files of suspected child pornography were uploaded by an account subsequently traced to Brown. On June 24, 2026, investigators executed a search warrant at Brown’s Van Buren Street residence and seized two cell phones. A preliminary review of one of the cell phones determined that it contained suspected child pornography.
Brown is a Level-1 Sex Offender in New York State following a 2015 Conviction for Possessing Sexual Performance by a Child.
Brown made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing on August 12, 2026.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas A. C. Penrose. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Anthony Patrone.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Previously Convicted Killer Pleads Guilty to Possessing Loaded PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rocky Lee Brown, 53, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in connection with his unlawful possession of a SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Brown pleaded guilty before Judge Richard J. Leon to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Judge Leon scheduled sentencing for Dec. 21, 2026.
According to court papers, Brown was wanted on an active warrant out of Maryland for escape from a Bureau of Prisons facility when he was arrested Dec. 29, 2025, by the United States Marshals Service on the 5200 block of Hayes Street, NE. An officer with the Metropolitan Police Department responded and recovered a SCCY CPX-1 9mm pistol from Brown’s jacket pocket. The firearm contained nine rounds of 9mm ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber.
Brown previously was convicted in D.C. Superior Court on a charge of second-degree murder and on May 5, 2006, he was sentenced to 25 years in prison. As a convicted felon, Brown was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative by Assistant U.S. Attorney David B. Liss.
Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump's Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
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Port Charlotte Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years for Enticing a Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – James Gregory Ford (34, Port Charlotte) was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sheri Polster Chappell to 15 years in federal prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexual activity. Ford was also sentenced to a 30-year term of supervised release and ordered to register as a sex offender. He pleaded guilty on May 6, 2026.U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, in October 2025, law enforcement began investigating Ford after a minor’s parent had reported observing conversations with Ford and seeing nude photographs and videos that had been sent on a social media platform on the minor’s cellphone.
On October 28, 2025, law enforcement interviewed Ford concerning his sexual communications with the minor using a social media application. Ford admitted to engaging in conversations and exchanging inappropriate messages and images with the minor, that he had initiated communications with the minor, and acknowledged receiving and sending explicit photographs. Ford also admitted to requesting inappropriate images from the minor, including images of the minor’s intimate body parts and suggestions of sexual acts.
A forensic examination of Ford’s cellphone revealed that the social media account belonging to Ford had been used to communicate with the minor, and images and videos of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct were located.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Fort Myers Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office, and with assistance from law enforcement in Texas. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 11½ Years in Prison for Multiple Robberies Targeting Armored TrucksRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Dante Shackleford, 27, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced this morning to 138 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and $119,100 in restitution by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for his role in multiple area robberies targeting armored trucks.
The defendant was charged by superseding indictment in January and pleaded guilty in April to one count of Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of attempted Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
As detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, Shackleford, with others, participated in the following crimes:
- the July 15, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
- the July 22, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa.
- the August 12, 2025, robbery of a Brinks truck in Elkins Park, Pa.
- the October 3, 2025, attempted robbery of a Brinks truck in Philadelphia
In total, the defendant admitted to stealing $119,100 from Brinks, Inc.
Shackleford’s co-defendant, Mujahid Davis, 24, also of Philadelphia, pleaded guilty in March to two attempted Hobbs Act robberies, two Hobbs Act robberies, and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced last week to 11 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Robert Eckert and Kwambina Coker.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced for Interstate Travel to Have Sex with a ChildRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Matthew Kilgus, age 30, of Berwick, Pennsylvania, was sentenced July 15th, 2026, to 70 months in federal prison for a charge of interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement.
In August 2025, during an operation targeting child predators, Kilgus responded to an online advertisement on a website known for prostitution and the trafficking of underage children. As part of his guilty plea, he admitted he contacted the advertiser and arranged to pay $300 to have sex with who he believed was a 13-year-old child. On August 27, 2025, Kilgus traveled from his home in Pennsylvania and paid an undercover agent $300 in cash to carry out the planned encounter.
“Law enforcement must remain unwavering in our commitment to identifying and stopping child predators,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III. “This defendant traveled across state lines fully intending to exploit what he believed was a 13-year-old child. Thanks to the decisive actions of our partners at the FBI, his intentions were exposed and stopped, and he will not be able to endanger any children for a very long time. We will continue to use every available tool to protect children and seek long prison sentences for offenders like Kilgus.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Mr. Kilgus devised a disturbing plan to travel from Pennsylvania to the Northern District to have sex with a child he believed was a 13-year-old. Thanks to the swift actions of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, the only trip he’ll be taking for a while is to federal prison. The FBI remains deeply committed to aggressively investigating and holding accountable these dangerous predators who are looking to harm our children.”
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also sentenced Kilgus to serve a 10-year term of supervised release to begin after Kilgus is released from prison. Kilgus will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case, with assistance from the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Gillis prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Onondaga County Man Charged with Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRAUCSE, NEW YORK Theron Feidt, age 54, of Liverpool, New York, appeared in federal court today on a charge of possessing child pornography.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The complaint filed against Feidt alleges that on or about August 10, 2026, Feidt knowingly possessed on his iPad material depicting the sexual abuse of children as young as four years old.
The charge carries a statutory maximum prison term of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000 and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. Feidt if convicted will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison. The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Feidt was arraigned today in Syracuse, New York, before United States Magistrate Judge Miroslav Lovric and was detained pending further proceedings.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “The disturbing nature of this complaint is intensified by the defendant’s access to and proximity to, children through his martial arts business. I am deeply grateful to our partners at the FBI and the New York State Police, who work tirelessly to identify, investigate, and arrest those who target and exploit children. My office will continue to use every tool and every resource available to ensure that individuals who prey on children are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated, “The allegations against Mr. Feidt are incredibly concerning, especially given his profession. The response from FBI Albany’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was immediate and resulted in serious charges that, if convicted, will send him to federal prison for his alleged behavior. We will continue to dedicate every resource needed for this investigation and ask anyone with information to call 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
Individuals with additional information regarding Feidt who owns and operates Impact Martial Arts & Fitness – Team Feidt are encouraged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Albany Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force and the New York State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian S. LaRochelle and Geoffrey Brown are prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Oneida County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing and Coercing a Minor and Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Oneida County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Enticing and Coercing a Minor and Receiving Child Pornography
ALBANY, NEW YORK – John Secor, Jr., age 46, of Rome, New York, was sentenced on July 21, 2026, in federal court to 240 months (20 years) in federal prison for enticing and coercing a minor and for receiving child pornography.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Anthony Patrone, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea in the case, Secor admitted that in May of 2025, he began chatting online with a 16-year-old girl. Secor’s chats with the child quickly became sexual in nature, with Secor requesting that the child send him sexually explicit images and videos of herself, which she did. Secor also admitted that he arranged a meeting with the child during which Secor planned to engage in sex acts with the child.
In addition to the term of imprisonment, Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed an 15-year term of supervised release that will begin once Secor is released from prison. Secor was ordered to pay restitution to victims of his offenses and will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “With today’s sentencing, our children are safer. A child predator is off the streets for the next 20 years, and can no longer hide behind a screen to exploit vulnerable children. We are grateful to our partners at Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police for their outstanding investigative work.”
Acting Special Agent in Charge HSI Buffalo, Anthony Patrone stated, “John Secor Jr. admitted to coercing a 16-year-old child into sending sexually explicit images and videos, and arranging to meet the child for the purpose of engaging in sex acts, conduct that is both predatory and profoundly damaging. Protecting children from sexual exploitation is among our most urgent responsibilities, and HSI Syracuse, together with the New York State Police and our federal partners, will not stop working with confront these depraved crimes wherever they occur.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “The exploitation of a child is a reprehensible crime that causes lasting harm to victims and their families. This 20-year sentence demonstrates that those who prey upon children online will be identified, investigated, and held accountable. I commend our investigators and our federal partners for their dedication to protecting children and bringing this offender to justice.”
HSI and NYSP investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adrian LaRochelle as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Northern District of Ohio Agencies Receive More Than $4M in Grant Awards to Support Criminal Justice ActivitiesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The Bureau of Justice Assistance, a component under the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, awarded almost $290 million to support state, local, and tribal governments in criminal justice activities to keep American communities safe. Of this amount, more than $4 million has been awarded to agencies in the Northern District of Ohio including in Akron, Cleveland, Canton, Lima, Lorain, Toledo, Warren, Youngstown, Lake County, and Mahoning County.
The awards, provided through the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (JAG) Program, represent the nation’s leading source of federal justice funding to state and local jurisdictions, the District of Columbia, and all U.S. territories. For more than 20 years, the JAG program has provided critical funding to support law enforcement’s ability to protect the communities they serve, supporting critical needs such as personnel, equipment and supplies, technology, training, information systems for criminal justice or civil proceedings, and other operational priorities. JAG funding also supports a wide range of programs that strengthen crime prevention efforts and enhance the effectiveness of prosecutors, courts, corrections agencies, and services for crime victims and witnesses.
“This funding allows our district’s agencies to remain vigilant in their missions to protect our communities and enforce laws,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Whether it’s to acquire new police vehicles and body armor, or to purchase the latest technology to examine and process evidence, these grant awards will make a positive impact toward upholding the rule of law.”
In addition to foundational uses of JAG funds, specific areas of emphasis were included to the JAG funding opportunities highlighting and encouraging state and local jurisdictions to join federal law enforcement in addressing the most pressing public safety challenges. For Fiscal Year 2025, these areas of emphasis included combatting violent crime, immigration enforcement, safe communities, and safe houses of worship.
BJA awarded more than $199 million in state JAG funding across 56 awards and more than $90 million in local JAG funding across 895 awards.
Examples of initiatives supported by these grants include:
- Providing specialized training to strengthen the prevention, detection, and response to human trafficking and to enhance proactive crime‑reduction efforts through improved officer readiness and increased patrol capacity.
- Enhancing local crime‑fighting efforts by integrating innovative technology, training, and equipment, and using comprehensive crime‑data analysis to guide decision‑making, measure performance, and strengthen strategies addressing violent crime and other public safety issues.
- Strengthening enforcement efforts by supporting investigations related to gang activity and narcotics through targeted operations carried out by specialized units.
- Improving officer safety and readiness by replacing outdated ballistic helmets with modern protective equipment used during high‑risk incidents, tactical operations, active threat responses, warrant service, civil disturbances, and other dangerous calls for service.
All recipients for both state and local JAG awards can be found here.
About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation's capacity to prevent and reduce crime; promote fair and impartial administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering and Tracking or SMART Office – can be found at ojp.gov.
For current funding opportunities, visit ojp.gov/funding/explore/current-funding-opportunities.
New York Woman Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Illegal Aliens from CanadaRead the Press Release
A New York woman pleaded guilty today for her role in an international alien smuggling conspiracy that brought aliens primarily from India into the United States across the northern border.
According to court documents, Stacey Taylor, 43, of Plattsburgh, New York, was involved in a failed human smuggling event in January 2025 involving aliens from India brought illegally into the United States. U.S. Border Patrol agents stopped the defendant’s vehicle near Churubusco, New York, in the early morning hours of Jan. 20, 2025, and discovered four men inside her vehicle. Agents then determined the four men, three from Indian and one from Canada, were illegal aliens and had just crossed the U.S.-Canadian border illegally, without inspection, in the freezing cold. When law enforcement later examined the defendant’s cellphone, they learned that Taylor had received coordinates for the aliens’ location and instructions for picking them up. The four aliens illegally entered the United States by foot through a wooded area and got into Taylor’s waiting vehicle, and she then drove them away from the border and further into the interior United States. After law enforcement stopped her vehicle, Taylor admitted that she picked up the four aliens and expected to receive payment for doing so. Additional review of Taylor’s phone revealed text messages that indicated that she had been involved in multiple other human smuggling events in the days prior. Following her January 2025 arrest, she was subsequently stopped in a suspected alien smuggling venture in August 2025 and was again implicated in alien smuggling in September 2025.
Taylor pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in alien smuggling and four counts of alien smuggling for profit. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 3 and faces a statutory minimum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Anthony Patrone of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Buffalo made the announcement.
HSI Rouses Point, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), and U.S. Border Patrol Champlain Station are investigating the case. HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington D.C. and CBP’s International Interdiction Task Force provided significant assistance.
The investigation and indictment were supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including HSI and CBP, Border Patrol and Office of Field Operations, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 477 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 431 U.S. convictions; and more than 370 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Deputy Chief Rami Badawy of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffry Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
New York Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Queens, N.Y., man has been charged for allegedly travelling across state lines to engage in illicit sexually conduct with a 13-year-old minor in Massachusetts.
Andre Jamal Bennett, 33, was charged with interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor. Bennett was arrested yesterday in the Eastern District of New York and remains detained pending a future hearing.
According to the charging documents, Bennett is employed by Delta Air Lines as a ground controller at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. In September 2025, Bennett allegedly created multiple social media accounts – including two Instagram accounts and a Snapchat account – using the fictitious name “Chris.” Using the accounts, it is alleged that Bennett falsely presented himself to be a 16-year-old boy allegedly to contact the minor victim.
In November 2025, Bennett allegedly took a flight from New York City to Boston. Upon landing in Boston, Bennett allegedly contacted the minor victim, informed her that he was in the area and coerced her into meeting him in person. When Bennett met the minor victim, who still believed he was “Chris,” the 16-year-old boy he had purported to be online, Bennett allegedly wore a hooded sweatshirt that concealed his face.
According to the charging documents, Bennet then brought the minor victim to a hotel and raped her. Bennett also allegedly recorded the sexual assault on his phone. Following the encounter, Bennett allegedly continued to contact the minor victim through social media over the course of several months and sought to entice her to meet with him again, including by offering to pay her. The minor victim refused.
The charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Michael Cox, Commissioner of the Boston Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s New York Field Office and United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, of the Major Crimes Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking in Large Quantities of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today in federal court to two separate drug trafficking conspiracies, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Joseph Lara, 50, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, specifically methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph N. Laplante scheduled Lara’s sentencing for November 23, 2026.
According to the court documents and statements made in court, beginning in early 2022, the DEA identified Lara as a New Hampshire-based drug trafficker. DEA’s investigation determined that from late-2020 or early 2021 and continuing through February 2022, Lara conspired with Robert Perez, a California-based drug trafficker, to purchase a total of 30 pounds of methamphetamine over three occasions from Perez in California that Lara shipped back to New Hampshire for distribution. Perez previously pleaded guilty to the conspiracy and in 2023 was sentenced to ten years in federal prison.
Lara also pleaded guilty to a second drug trafficking conspiracy investigated by the FBI. From late-2023 through July 2025, Lara obtained large quantities of methamphetamine for distribution in New Hampshire from a Massachusetts-based drug trafficking organization led by Alexander Aguasvivas-Pena, who was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his crimes.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance carries a mandatory minimum prison sentence of ten years up to life, not less than 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The investigation was led by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Burau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer C. Davis and Yasir Sadat are prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Hampshire comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, IRS, DEA, ATF, USMS, and DSS with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire.
Minneapolis Man Indicted for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Ted Matthew Bennett, 58, of Minneapolis, has been indicted by a grand jury for his alleged role in knowingly persuading, inducing, enticing, and coercing a minor to engage in sexual activity from on or about January 1, 2025, through on or about November 11, 2025.
Bennett had his initial appearance hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shannon G. Elkins on August 10, 2026.
According to state court documents, on November 10, 2025, police responded to a Ramsey County high school regarding a report of an alleged inappropriate relationship between a teacher and student. Law enforcement’s investigation revealed that Bennett groomed and communicated with a minor student for months via text messages and emails. Text messages recovered during the investigation showed that Bennett repeatedly offered the minor student alcohol and drugs, and that Bennett and the minor student engaged in sexual activity on at least one occasion.
This case was the result of an investigation by the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Secret Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Evan Gilead is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Prison for Investment FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Haverhill man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for fraudulently obtaining $350,000 in investor funds.
Luciano Schipelliti, 29, was sentenced byU.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release with six months of home confinement. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $350,000. In April 2026, Schipelliti pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. He was charged in March 2026.
In the fall of 2018, Schipelliti established the Superstars Fund and raised roughly $275,000 to invest in cryptocurrency. By 2019, through a series of bad investments, Schipelliti lost all the money in the Superstars Fund. He did not, however, tell any of the investors that he had lost the money. Instead, beginning in approximately November 2020, Schipelliti began sending monthly newsletters to investors that falsely reported that the Superstars Fund continued to grow in value.
Based on the misrepresented performance of the Superstars Fund in approximately February 2021, Schipelliti launched a new fund, the TTM Fund, through which he raised approximately $350,000 to invest in cryptocurrency. Schipelliti lost all the money in the TTM fund by September 2021. According to the charging documents, Schipelliti lost most of the money in the TTM Fund investing in cryptocurrency and also used some of the money in a manner inconsistent with the terms of the TTM Fund’s operating agreement.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Manitowoc Resident Indicted on Child Obscenity and Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by a Registered Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on August 11, 2026, Maurilio Mares (age 19) of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, was indicted on two counts of Obscene Visual Depictions of the Sexual Abuse of Children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1466A, and two counts of Commission of a Felony Sex Offense by an Individual Required to Register as a Sexual Offender in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2260A.
The indictment alleges that the violations occurred on two separate dates in May 2026. If convicted of either child obscenity offense, Mares faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to 40 years’ imprisonment. If convicted of committing a new criminal offense against a child while required to register as a sex offender, the defendant must be given a mandatory 10 years’ imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence. He may also be fined up to $250,000 and must serve a term of supervised release ranging from five years to life.
This case was investigated by the City of Manitowoc Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Man Admits Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material When a Minor, Distributing as AdultRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A man from Wayne County, Missouri on Tuesday admitted distributing child sexual abuse material that he produced as a minor.
Tanner Stevens, 23, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of receiving child pornography. He admitted viewing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) beginning when he was 13 or 14. Stevens took pictures of two minors when he was a minor and uploaded them to X when he was 21. The investigation began when the Missouri State Highway Patrol Special Victims Unit received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding someone who uploaded CSAM into Google Photos. Investigators traced the account to Stevens. Stevens’ cellular phone contained over 100 videos and over 400 images containing CSAM.
Stevens is scheduled to be sentenced on November 17. The charge carries a penalty of five to 20 years in prison.
The Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Hunter is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Little Water Man Sentenced for 2024 ShootingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Little Water man was sentenced to 46 months in prison for shooting the victim during a drunken altercation.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on July 29, 2024, Anthony Sandoval, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, and the victim were intoxicated when they got into a disagreement at a residence in Little Water, New Mexico. During the altercation, Sandoval shot the victim with a .22 caliber rifle. Sandoval then called emergency dispatch, reported that he had shot someone, and remained at the scene until law enforcement arrived.
Responding officers found the victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the head and transported him to a local hospital, where they were later airlifted to a regional hospital for treatment. Before additional officers arrived, Sandoval fled the scene. Law enforcement located and arrested him later that evening at another residence. During the investigation, officers recovered the rifle and collected evidence from the scene. The victim underwent multiple surgeries to treat injuries sustained during the shooting.
Sandoval pled guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Upon his release from prison, Sandoval will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
Las Vegas Man Pleads Guilty to Pointing Laser at Police HelicopterRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty today to aiming a laser pointer at a police helicopter.
According to court documents, on September 24, 2025, Daveon Lamar Horn aimed the beam of a laser pointer at and in the flight path of a Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department helicopter.
Horn pleaded guilty to one count of aiming a laser at an aircraft. Sentencing has been scheduled for November 13, 2026. The statutory maximum penalty is five years in prison.
Pointing a laser pointer at an aircraft is dangerous and can have serious consequences. Aiming a laser beam at an aircraft poses a serious safety risk for those on board and on the ground. Laser beams can cause disorientation, temporary blindness, and in some cases permanent vision problems or blindness, all of which could potentially cause a midair collision or other incident. According to the FAA, pilots reported 10,993 laser strikes in 2025.
“Shining a laser at any aircraft, including a police helicopter is a malicious, intentional act that can lead to danger not only to the pilot, crew, and passengers but to people on the ground,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Office. “A laser beam directed at an aircraft is not a trivial offense - it can have deadly consequences. The FBI will continue to thoroughly investigate incidents involving lasers aimed at aircraft and pursue those responsible.”
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Office made the announcement.
The FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney James Gaeta is prosecuting this case.
If you spot someone aiming a laser at an aircraft, you can report it to the FBI by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or visiting tips.fbi.gov. You can also report laser strikes to local law enforcement and the FAA.
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Lakeland Drug Dealer Sentenced to 25 years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Curtis Charles Tinsley (47, Lakeland) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven D. Merryday to 25 years in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and MDMA in and around Lakeland. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, from an unknown date and continuing through June 2025, Tinsley was part of a conspiracy and drug trafficking organization (DTO) in Polk County. Between April and June 2025, members of the conspiracy distributed approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine, two kilograms of cocaine, one kilogram of fentanyl, and one kilogram of MDMA on a monthly basis. Tinsley typically sold or purchased methamphetamine by the ounce or pound – sometimes multiple pounds per transaction. He also regularly purchased and sold large quantities of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lakeland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erik W. Daab and David J. Pardo.
Kansas City Man Sentenced to Nearly 12 Years in Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City man was sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm. Authorities recovered the firearm while arresting the suspect in a 2024 homicide.
Tracy Parker, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 139 months in federal prison without parole. The sentence consists of 115 months for being a felon in possession of a firearm and an additional 24 months to be served consecutively, for violating the terms of the federal supervised release he was serving for a 2017 firearm conviction. Following his release from prison, Parker will serve a three-year term of federal supervised release.
On Oct. 23, 2024, deputies with the U.S. Marshals Service and the Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force arrested Parker pursuant to a federal arrest warrant for supervised-release violations. As deputies moved in to execute the arrest, Parker fled on foot. During the chase, a deputy saw Parker retrieve a handgun from his waistband, which Parker then dropped behind a parked car.
Deputies detained Parker moments later and found the loaded 9mm handgun that Parker had dropped. The firearm had been reported stolen in Olathe, Kansas.
After being taken into custody, Parker admitted he possessed the firearm, stating he had found it several days earlier. Parker acknowledged he was a convicted felon and said he discarded the handgun while fleeing because he feared being caught with it.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Justice Department to Conduct Election Monitoring in Minnesota Primary ElectionRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Today, the Department of Justice is monitoring polling sites in two Minnesota counties for the state’s primary election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.
“Minnesota is DOJ’s next stop on its nationwide effort to ensure free and fair elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The DOJ is committed to nondiscriminatory monitoring throughout the primary and general election seasons.”
“Election monitoring is critical to ensuring our elections have the trust of Minnesotans,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “We are proud to partner with the Civil Rights Division in this effort.”
The DOJ, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting laws which protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens. The DOJ regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws in communities across the country, as it did in Minnesota in the 2020, 2022, and 2024 federal elections.
The DOJ is monitoring polls in Hennepin and Ramsey counties with approximately 20 staff from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. Already this primary season the DOJ has deployed over 50 monitors across seven counties.
This monitoring initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
From now through the general election on November 3, 2026, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to federal voting rights laws. If you have a question or complaint or would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at [email protected].
Justice Department to Conduct Election Monitoring in Minnesota Primary ElectionRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) is monitoring polling sites in two Minnesota counties for the state’s primary election to ensure transparency, ballot security, and compliance with federal law.
“Minnesota is DOJ’s next stop on its nationwide effort to ensure free and fair elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The DOJ is committed to nondiscriminatory monitoring throughout the primary and general election seasons.”
“Election monitoring is critical to ensuring our elections have the trust of Minnesotans,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “We are proud to partner with the Civil Rights Division in this effort.”
The DOJ, through the Civil Rights Division, enforces federal voting laws which protect the voting rights of all eligible citizens. The DOJ regularly deploys staff to monitor compliance with federal civil rights laws in communities across the country, as it did in Minnesota in the 2020, 2022, and 2024 federal elections.
The DOJ is monitoring polls in Hennepin and Ramsey counties with approximately 20 staff from the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section and Minnesota’s U.S. Attorney’s Office. Already this primary season the DOJ has deployed over 50 monitors across seven counties.
This monitoring initiative is aimed at promoting transparency and an open flow of communication between poll observers and election monitors. The Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section enforces various federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Civil Rights Acts.
From now through the general election on Nov. 3, Civil Rights Division personnel will be available to receive questions and complaints from the public related to federal voting rights laws. If you have a question or complaint or would like to request election monitoring in a particular jurisdiction, please contact the Voting Section at [email protected].
Justice Department Secures $150,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Kentucky LandlordRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Danny Bell, the owner and manager of residential rental properties in Somerset, Kentucky, agreed to pay $150,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that he sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
“Tenants should not be forced to choose between safety and keeping a roof over their heads,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This case involved a landlord’s sexual harassment of female tenants, including threats to evict tenants who refused his advances. The Justice Department will continue to hold landlords accountable for using their power to violate the rights of vulnerable women.”
“Housing should never be used as a tool to exploit vulnerable people in our community,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This settlement sends a clear message that our office will not tolerate sexual harassment in housing and will vigorously protect the rights of tenants to feel safe in their homes.”
The Justice Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in April 2023, alleges that Bell sexually harassed female tenants for over a decade, including in their homes. The suit alleges that Bell offered to forgive rent in exchange for sexual contact, subjected tenants to unwelcome sexual touching, made unwelcome sexual comments and sexual advances, let himself into female tenants’ homes without notice or permission, and threatened to evict tenants who refused his demands.
Pursuant to the proposed consent order, which still must be entered by the court, the defendant must pay $140,000 to tenants who were harmed by his harassment and a $10,000 civil penalty to the United States. The consent order governs the sale of Bell’s current residential rental properties, and bars Bell from managing any future residential rental properties and from contacting tenants harmed by his harassment. It also mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination in his rental properties.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 53 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered over $19 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Files Complaint to Stop Washington Firm from Manufacturing and Selling Adulterated Food ProductsRead the Press Release
The United States filed a complaint seeking to permanently enjoin a Washington state pet food manufacturer from manufacturing and selling adulterated pet food.
In a civil complaint for permanent injunction, filed on Aug. 7, the United States alleges that Gary T. Tashjian, through his business, Arrow Reliance Inc., also doing business as Darwin’s Natural Pet Products, violated the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by failing to follow preventive controls requirements and causing uncooked pet food to become adulterated.
“Pet food manufacturers must ensure the safety of their products,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Given the high likelihood that consumers will come into direct contact with pet food products, the Department of Justice will continue to work closely with FDA and take action against food manufacturers that operate under insanitary conditions.”
“Every American pet owner deserves confidence that the food they feed their animals is safe and will not pose health risks to their families,” said Timothy Schell, Ph.D., director of FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine. “Despite repeated FDA warnings, this company continues to manufacture and distribute products contaminated with harmful bacteria. When a company does not take responsibility for product safety, FDA will intervene to protect public health.”
The complaint, which was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, alleges FDA found the presence of pathogenic bacteria, including Salmonella, Listeria monocytogenes (L. mono), and Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC) in the company’s finished pet food products in samples collected from 2017 through 2025. In 2024, FDA investigators also found Salmonella in the company’s Tukwila facility. Infections from L. mono, Salmonella, or STECcan cause symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting in healthy adults. For vulnerable consumers — including pregnant women, the elderly, and the immune-compromised — L. mono, Salmonella, and STEC can each cause more serious effects including death. L. mono can cause stillbirths and miscarriages.
The complaint further alleges Arrow Reliance’s products have repeatedly infected consumers over several years. After multiple Arrow Reliance customers complained of humans or pets suffering from health problems, FDA investigators detected the presence of pathogenic bacteria in unopened samples of the company’s product. In 2024, a four-year-old child fell ill with a STEC infection and developed Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome after the family dog was fed Arrow Reliance’s products. Third party laboratory testing of the family’s unopened pet food from Arrow Reliance confirmed the presence of both Salmonella and STEC bacteria.
According to the complaint, Arrow Reliance’s pet food products are sold throughout the country. The government’s lawsuit seeks an injunction that would require Tashjian and Arrow Reliance to make sanitation improvements and comply with preventive controls regulations and other federal food safety requirements before making or distributing any more pet food.
Trial Attorney David Crockett of the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch is handling the case with the assistance of Assistant U.S Attorney Kayla C. Stahman for the Western District of Washington, and Associate Chief Counsel Rachel E. King of the FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Jacksonville Beach Dentist Indicted for Evading Personal Income Taxes, Failing to Pay Employment Taxes, and Attempting to Obstruct IRS InvestigationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jon Christopher Williams with four counts of attempting to evade and defeat individual income taxes, eleven counts of failing to withhold and pay employment taxes, and one count of endeavoring to obstruct and impede the administration of the internal revenue laws. Each tax evasion and employment tax offense carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. The obstruction offense carries a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Williams is a dentist with a practice in Jacksonville Beach. He filed a personal income tax return and paid the associated taxes to the IRS every year from 2002 through 2012. He submitted requests to the IRS for extensions of time to file his tax returns for 2013 and 2014, but never filed any returns for those years or for any year thereafter.
The indictment alleges that from 2020 through 2023, Williams failed to report gross income from his business totaling approximately $3,371,657 and that he failed to pay approximately $1,079,136 in taxes due on that income. It is further alleged that Williams filed employment tax returns and paid the associated taxes to the IRS for the years 2008 through 2013, but that he has not filed such a return or paid any employment taxes since 2013. For the period encompassing the second quarter of 2020 through the fourth quarter of 2022, Williams failed to report and pay over to the IRS employment taxes totaling approximately $133,360.
The obstruction charge alleges that Williams became aware that he was being criminally investigated by the IRS when he was served with a summons on October 21, 2021. Wiliams subsequently, over the period of November 2021 through May 2024, sent multiple emails and letters to the investigating agent and others—including the agent’s supervisor, a Florida Member of Congress, Florida’s two U.S. Senators, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Attorney General, the Commissioner of the IRS, and an IRS District Director—in an attempt to stop the investigation. Among these communications were statements that the agent’s actions were causing him “harm, injury and loss,” demands that the agent “cease and desist” all activities against him, and statements that the agent could be held personally liable for her actions. Williams sent invoices demanding payment of $525,000 by the agent, the IRS, the Department of the Treasury, and the Attorney General but said that they could “avoid paying the invoices by the immediate termination of [the agent] from her current position of employment, along with her prevention from working at any other agency of the US government.” He also stated that, to settle the matter, “A simple note from you, or your superiors, stating that I, and anyone associated with me, are no longer under investigation and that no further action will be taken against me, my coworkers, or my loved ones, as there is no evidence of any criminal intent to commit a crime, will suffice.”
An indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Arnold B. Corsmeier.
On April 7, 2026, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
International Fugitive Pleads Guilty to Healthcare Fraud Conspiracy and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Herbert Leon Kimble, 60, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and failure to appear.
In 2019, Kimble was charged for his role in a $1.2 billion telemedicine and durable medical equipment scheme. Kimble previously plead guilty to conspiring to commit healthcare fraud, violate the anti-kickback statute, and defraud the United States. Kimble was scheduled to be sentenced in Fall 2024, but he failed to appear in federal court on three separate occasions. He fled to the Philippines and remained a fugitive.
On June 4, 2026, the FBI announced the creation of the Most Wanted Fraudsters List and identified Kimble as one of FBI’s eight most wanted fraudsters. On June 8—just four days later—Kimble was apprehended in the Philippines and sent back to the United States. Shortly thereafter, he was charged with three counts of failing to appear for a statute conference and two sentencing hearings, as part of the 2026 National Health Care Fraud Takedown.
As part of the plea agreement, Kimble and the United States stipulate that the Court should impose a sentence between 15 and 20 years’ imprisonment. Kimble has further agreed to pay nearly $200 million in restitution, including $9 million at his sentencing. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson Jr. accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Kimble after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General and the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Usher is prosecuting the case.
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Indiana County Man Indicted for Theft of Social Security BenefitsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Indiana, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of theft of government property, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The two-count Indictment named Curtis John Shupe, 61, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, from in and around September 2021 until in and around July 2025, Shupe stole and knowingly converted to his personal use more than $1,000 in Social Security benefits belonging to someone else. Shupe did so through his role as representative payee for the benefits.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Barbara K. Doolittle is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 154 Months in Prison for Carjacking, Shooting in St. LouisRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Venice, Illinois was sentenced Tuesday to 154 months in prison for the armed robbery and carjacking of one man in St. Louis in 2024 and for shooting at another man an hour later.
On Sept. 4, 2024, Harry Moore, 21, was driving a Cadillac that had been stolen in Belleville, Illinois, and was accompanied by two other armed people, including a juvenile. They spotted an SUV in the Tower Grove East neighborhood in St. Louis and decided to rob the driver. Moore’s two passengers got out and demanded the victim’s wallet, iPhone and keys. Then Moore, who was also armed, got out and demanded that the victim unlock his phone and provide his debit card PIN so that the three could loot his accounts. Moore then drove to a gas station, followed by his accomplices, and used the victim’s debit card to withdraw more than $200 from an ATM. He used the victim’s phone to transfer $200 from the victim to an associate via Cash App.
About an hour later, Moore was in the front passenger seat of the stolen SUV when he spotted someone from a rival group walking near Ballpark Village in downtown St. Louis. Moore opened fire with a .45-caliber handgun as his target fled into a parking garage. Later that day, investigators found the juvenile and the SUV in East St. Louis.
On Oct. 10, 2024, Moore was arrested inside a home in Cahokia Heights, Illinois. Investigators found three firearms there, including the Glock used in the shooting.
Moore’s conduct risked the lives of his victims and anyone near the shooting, Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin said in court Tuesday. The carjacking and shooting followed a “staggering amount of crimes” that began at a young age, Martin said, adding that Moore was one of a small subset of individuals responsible for a large amount of violent crime.
Moore, 21, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in April to one felony count of carjacking and one felony count of possession and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI and the St. Clair County (Illinois) Sheriff’s Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Martin prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal Immigrant Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Have Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
UTICA, NEW YORK – Bryan Silva, age 34, pled guilty on July 28, 2026, to one count of attempting to persuade or entice a minor to engage in prostitution. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Silva is a Brazilian citizen illegally present in the United States. On April 29, 2025, Silva responded to an online advertisement offering access to a minor for commercial sex. The defendant was told repeatedly that the girl was 12. Despite this, he went to meet her and paid $100 for a “quick visit.” After handing over the money, the defendant was arrested.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “This case highlights the serious threat posed when illegal aliens unlawfully enter the United States and commit crimes. As alleged, this criminal alien attempted to pay who he believed was a 12‑year‑old child for sex. Thanks to the swift and effective action of the FBI, his efforts were stopped. With today’s plea, Silva now faces a mandatory federal prison sentence of 10 years to life. Once he serves his sentence, he will be subject to deportation from the United States.”
Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli said: “With this plea, Mr. Silva admits he didn’t just respond to an ad but actually showed up and paid to have sex with a 12-year-old child. Those repulsive actions will now send him to federal prison for at least a decade, and possibly the rest of his life. The FBI, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to protect our children by aggressively investigating and holding accountable the sick predators who are trying to harm them.”
Silva will be sentenced on November 5, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Brindisi. Silva faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. After serving his sentence, Silva will be subject to deportation.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Walter is prosecuting the case.
Illegal Alien with Multiple Deportations and Felony Convictions Charged for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Honduran national who has a drug-related felony conviction and was previously convicted for illegal reentry made his initial court appearance today to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Darwin Gilberto Rodriguez-Betanco is charged with one-count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for August 25, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Elayna J. Youchah.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Rodriguez-Betanco is a citizen and national of Honduras who was previously deported on September 16, 2014, November 18, 2016, and March 18, 2022, and reentered the United States illegally.
On July 23, 2026, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) took Rodriguez-Betanco into custody after he was encountered in Palm Gardens, Nevada. Rodriguez-Betanco has a prior conviction for felony possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance in the Third District Court, Salt Lake City, Utah. Rodriguez-Betanco was sentenced to a term of one to fifteen years. Rodriguez-Betanco was also previously convicted for illegal reentry in the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Texas - the same offense with which he is now charged.
If convicted, Rodriguez-Betanco faces the maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada made the announcement.
The CBP Yuma, Arizona Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Leadership Role in Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An illegal alien from Mexico was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 420 months in prison for his role in a criminal conspiracy to import methamphetamine and heroin into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Juan Alberto Gutierrez-Guerra, 36, was one of five occupants in a vehicle pulled over by Uvalde County Sheriff’s Office deputies on Oct. 4, 2021. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement officers located a backpack with 10 bundles containing methamphetamine and one bundle containing heroin. An investigation revealed that Gutierrez-Guerra and co-defendant Oscar David Perez-Arita conspired together, intending to smuggle the narcotics to San Antonio before returning to Mexico.
Gutierrez-Guerra and Perez-Arita were named in a five-count indictment on Nov. 3, 2021. On May 16, 2022, Gutierrez-Guerra pleaded guilty to all five counts. Perez-Arita pleaded guilty only to count one, conspiracy to import methamphetamine, and was sentenced in November 2025 to 292 months in federal prison with credit for time served since the Oct. 4, 2021 arrest.
Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presided over the case.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
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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Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Five Year Prison Sentence for Tallahassee FelonRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Kelveont’a Lamar Dennis, 32, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor to 5 years in federal prison following his conviction at a jury trial on May 22, 2026. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office continues to deliver successful prosecutions of targets of the Homeland Security Task Force, which is fighting to eradicate the criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations flooding our streets with drugs and violence. Our HSTF partners are committed to delivering the safe, drug-free streets our citizens deserve, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute these offenders to fulfill that promise in the Northern District of Florida.”
Evidence at trial, and court documents, showed that Dennis was routinely selling drugs and possessing firearms, despite the fact he was a convicted felon who was legally prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. A federal search warrant was executed by law enforcement and electronic evidence seized. A jury found him guilty of possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it.
Dennis had previous convictions for carjacking, false imprisonment, two instances of possession of a controlled substance, possession of firearm by a convicted felon, and felony battery, and had previously served prison sentences of 48 months, 12 years, and 394 days.
“This recidivist criminal routinely shows a complete contempt for the law,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingengo. “This kind of behavior cannot be allowed to poison our communities. HSI, alongside our law enforcement partners, will continually work to hold these criminals accountable.”
Dennis’ 5-year federal prison sentence will be followed by 20 years on supervised release.
The case involved an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Tallahassee Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, DHS Customs and Border Protection, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Homeland Security Task Force Announces the Indictment and Arrests of Four CJNG Members for Narco-terrorism, Drug Trafficking, and Firearms Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of an indictment charging:
Name
Offenses
Maximum Penalties
Edgar Alejandro Lopez Velasco
(44, Mexico)
Conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism
Conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism
Drug importation conspiracy
Firearms trafficking conspiracies
Life ImprisonmentNoe Diaz Jimenez
(33, Mexico)
Conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism
Conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism
Drug importation conspiracy
Firearms trafficking conspiracies
Life ImprisonmentLeobardo Gaxiola Lopez, a/k/a “Bado” (63, Mexico)Drug importation conspiracy
Firearms trafficking conspiracies
Life ImprisonmentJose Miguel Alvarado Morales
(23, Mexico)
Conspiracy to commit narco-terrorism
Conspiracy to provide material support to terrorism
Drug importation conspiracy
Firearms trafficking conspiracies
Life ImprisonmentAccording to the indictment, Edgar Alejandro Lopez Velasco, Noe Diaz Jimenez, Leobardo Gaxiola Lopez, and Jose Miguel Alvarado Morales are all affiliated with the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG), a foreign terrorist organization and one of the most powerful and violent drug cartels in Mexico. Lopez Velasco was a representative of a high-level CJNG member; Diaz Jimenez was a fentanyl trafficker with a fentanyl lab in Mexico; Gaxiola Lopez was a broker of narcotics and weapons deals; and Alvarado Morales was a representative of another high-level CJNG member. In February 2026, Lopez Velasco and Diaz Jimenez negotiated the sale of machineguns and destructive devices from the Czech Republic to Mexico to commit acts of violence against rival cartels, civilians, police forces, and military personnel in Mexico. These weapons included different kinds of European machineguns, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, mortar launchers, and accompanying ammunition and ordnance. In exchange for the weapons, the defendants paid in the form of fentanyl and methamphetamine imported into the United States for distribution. All four were arrested in the Czech Republic in June 2026. On June 12, 2026, Mexican authorities dismantled Diaz Jimenez’s synthetic opioid lab in Zapopan, Jalisco, Mexico.
The indictment notifies the defendants that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture for the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
Lopez Velasco and Alvarado Morales were extradited to the Middle District of Florida, had their initial appearances yesterday, and were detained.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Czech authorities, Mexico’s Secretaria de Seguridad y Proteccion Ciudadana, and Mexico’s Secretaria de Marina. INTERPOL and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing the apprehension and Friday’s extradition of Lopez Velasco and Alvarado Morales. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region 20 (Tampa) comprises agents and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
IndictmentHomeland Security Task Force Announces Twenty-Five-Year Sentence for Colombian Drug KingpinRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Jose Ramiro Cardenas-Iguaran, a/k/a “Titi,” “Senor,” “Jefe” (47, Colombia) has been sentenced by U.S. Senior District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell to 25 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. He pleaded guilty on November 25, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Cardenas-Iguaran began his career about 15 to 20 years before his 2021 arrest by robbing drug traffickers. Over time, he began to assist other traffickers with maritime smuggling logistics before becoming the boss of his own organization. In August 2017, the United States Coast Guard interdicted the Togolese-flagged M/V FAT CROW in international waters with nine people and 1,500 kilograms of cocaine onboard. Cardenas-Iguaran admitted to his involvement in the planning and logistics of the smuggling operation aboard the M/V FAT CROW. Cardenas-Iguaran also admitted to smuggling cocaine for other traffickers as well placing up to 650 kilograms of his own cocaine on drug shipments. He further claimed responsibility for a seizure of cocaine in the Dominican Republic as well as a separate load of cocaine intended for Puerto Rico.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Colombian National Police’s Anti-Narcotics Directorate (DIRAN). The Department of Justice’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá and Office of International Affairs provided critical assistance in securing Cardenas-Iguaran’s extradition. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region 20 (Tampa) comprises agents and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
Hartford Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking ChargeRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that JOSE COLON, also known as “Uncle Benny,” 61, of Hartford, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Sarah F. Russell in New Haven to a cocaine trafficking charge.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in January and February 2026, an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force revealed that Colon attempted to purchase several kilograms of cocaine and was in possession of a large amount of cash to complete a purchase. On February 19, 2026, investigators arrested Colon and two associates at Colon’s residence on Pearl Street in Hartford. A court-authorized search of the residence revealed approximately $52,000 in cash.
Colon pleaded guilty to attempting to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years. Judge Russell scheduled sentencing for November 12.
Colon has been detained since his arrest.
Colon’s criminal history includes a federal heroin trafficking conviction in October 2015, and he is currently on state probation following a conviction for sexual assault in the second degree.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Reed Durham.
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.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty for Illegal Reentry into the United States After a Prior DeportationRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Guatemalan National who had a complaint brought by the United States Attorney’s Office, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with illegal reentry into the United States after being previously deported.
Jelber Gomez-Lopez, 33, pleaded guilty to the charge before U.S. Magistrate Court Judge David P. Rush. Under federal statute, illegally reentering into the United States after being previously deported is in direct violation of existing federal immigration law and is subject to a sentence of up to two years imprisonment. The maximum statutory sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney. It was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
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.