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Friday 6 March 2026
United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaints Against $15M in Funds Allegedly Linked to Iranian Oil Shipping NetworkRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice filed two civil forfeiture complaints today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $15.3 million allegedly used to fund an illicit Iranian oil distribution network. According to the complaints, the funds are subject to forfeiture because they afford a person a source of influence over the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the IRGC Quds Force (IRGC-QF), and are intended to promote ongoing violations of U.S. sanctions imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA). The IRGC and the IRGC-QF are designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
The complaints allege that Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani (Shamkhani) has operated a network consisting of companies and individuals (the Shamkhani Network) engaged in selling and shipping Iranian oil and other commodities in violation of U.S. sanctions and obfuscating the source of the oil and role of Iranian persons and entities in the transactions. According to the complaints, the funds in question were being used to operate multiple distribution companies in the Shamkhani Network.
According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which sanctioned Shamkhani on July 30, 2025, Shamkhani is “the son of Ali Shamkhani, a top political advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran.” Ali Shamkhani is the former head of Iran’s National Defense Council, according to the complaints.
In sanctioning Shamkhani, OFAC stated that the Shamkhani Network “comprises a vast fleet of vessels, ship management firms, and front companies — some posing as legitimate financial services firms — that launder billions in profits from global sales of Iranian and Russian crude oil and other petroleum products, most often to buyers in China.” OFAC further stated that “[t]he network employs significant measures to disguise its operations and obfuscate its ties to the Shamkhani family, Iran, and Russia.”
“Under President Trump's leadership, we have ZERO tolerance for foreign actors using the U.S. financial system to prop up our nation's enemies,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This defendant was allegedly supporting the IRGC with millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanctions — he will now pay a heavy price.”
“Today’s civil forfeiture complaints illustrate the Criminal Division’s steadfast mission to prevent Iranian-backed shadow companies from using the U.S. financial system to support terrorist organizations, in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran,” said Assistant Attorney General Tysen A. Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Shamkhani and the Shamkhani Network allegedly attempted to clandestinely use U.S. financial institutions to enrich themselves by evading sanctions on Iran and benefit Iran’s terrorist networks. The Department of Justice will use all of the tools at our disposal to prevent the U.S. banking system from being used in any manner to support Iran and its terrorist operations.”
“Shamkhani runs a vast network of shell companies used to evade U.S. sanctions and launder funds for the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s forfeiture actions reflect the National Security Division’s commitment to dismantling the illicit financial networks that have helped to enable Iran to oppress its own people at home and sow instability abroad, including through funding terrorism worldwide.”
“We will continue to aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against the Iranian regime that has sowed instability and violence in the Middle East,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Working with our partners, we will dismantle the Iranian regime’s ability to fund its illicit activities by seizing and forfeiting any funds that the regime launders through the U.S. financial system.”
“Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani and his network allegedly violated U.S. sanctions by running an illegal scheme to sell millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil, and today’s forfeiture complaints seek to seize funds that would otherwise enrich Shamkhani and benefit international terrorist organizations,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI will not sit back and watch as criminal actors threaten the integrity of our financial systems and jeopardize U.S. national and economic security. With our partners at home and abroad, we will continue following the money and hold accountable all who attempt to undermine international sanctions and fund terrorists.”
“By working alongside our law enforcement partners, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is fulfilling its mission to investigate and dismantle illicit financial networks that attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions and support foreign terrorist organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of the HSI Washington, D.C. Field Office. “The Shamkhani Network’s efforts to launder millions of dollars through front companies underscore the importance of our work to protect the integrity of the financial system and prevent funds from reaching dangerous criminals. I commend our HSI Washington, D.C. special agents for their hard work and dedication to this effort.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) remains steadfast in pursuing those who exploit the financial system to support terrorist organizations,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS-CI Washington, D.C. Field Office. “We will follow the money, wherever it leads, to protect national security. Today’s filing demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners commitment to protecting the integrity of the U.S. financial system.”
According to the complaint filed in case 26-cv-802, $12,973,529 of the seized funds were intended for use by Wellbred Capital Pte, Ltd. (Wellbred) and its subsidiary Wellbred Trading DMCC (Wellbred Trading), two companies that were acquired and operated by Shamkhani and his associates to maintain a “brand” that was not publicly perceived to be affiliated with Shamkhani or Iran. As alleged in the complaint, despite this public-facing image, Wellbred and Wellbred Trading were actually operated by Shamkhani and his close associates, not the nominal leadership of those companies, for the benefit of the Shamkhani Network and Iran. Shamkhani maintained organizational charts and diagrams showing Wellbred’s place in the Shamkhani Network:
Complaint No. 1:26-cv-00802, paragraph 63 Complaint No. 1:26-cv-00802, paragraph 67According to complaint 1:26-cv-00807, $2,400,000 of the seized funds were intended for use by Sea Lead Shipping Pte, Ltd. (Sea Lead) and its affiliate entity, Sea Lead Shipping Agency India PV (Sea Lead India). As alleged in the complaint, Sea Lead and Sea Lead India were intended to provide shipping services to the Shamkhani Network. The complaint alleges that, as with Wellbred, Shamkhani maintained organizational charts showing Sea Lead’s place in the Shamkhani Network:
Complaint No. 1:26-cv-00807, paragraph 66The FBI Minneapolis Field Office; HSI Washington D.C. Field Office; and IRS-CI Global Illicit Finance Team (GIFT) are investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Peter M. Nothstein and Trial Attorneys Mark H. Goldberg, Katlin K. O’Brien and Jonathan C. Lowry of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section (MNF); Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Barry for the District of Columbia; and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section (CES) are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
United States Attorney David Waterman Announces Southern District of Iowa Senior Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – U.S. Attorney David Waterman has announced appointment of the senior leadership team for the Southern District of Iowa:
Andrew Kahl, First Assistant U.S. Attorney. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kahl to continue his service as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, a role he has held since 2022. Kahl joined the Department of Justice 35 years ago and has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 1997. He has previously served as Criminal Chief, Appellate Chief, Senior Litigation Counsel, and as the district’s Professional Responsibility Officer. Kahl is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, where he serves on the Federal Practice Committee. Kahl is a graduate of New York University School of Law.
Andrea Glasgow, Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Glasgow to serve as the Criminal Chief. Glasgow also continues in her role as the supervisor and Branch Chief of the Davenport Office, a role in which she has served since 2024. Glasgow has 12 years of prosecution experience in both federal and state courts. Glasgow has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2018. Glasgow has successfully led investigations and prosecutions into a broad range of federal offenses including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and child exploitation. She has a recognized specialty in prosecuting overdose cases, including meaningfully contributing to the Southern District of Iowa’s rank as second in the nation in overdose-related drug-trafficking prosecutions. Glasgow is a graduate of Marquette University Law School.
Amy Jennings, Deputy Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Jennings to continue her service as Deputy Criminal Chief, a role she has held since 2023. Jennings has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2011. She has led successful investigations and prosecutions into a wide variety of federal crimes, including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, child exploitation, and sex trafficking. Jennings is a leading expert in federal prosecutions of sex trafficking, and significant contributor to the Southern District of Iowa’s rank within the top five districts nationally for human-trafficking enforcement. Jennings is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.
Adam Kerndt, Deputy Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kerndt as Deputy Criminal Chief. Kerndt has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2012. Kerndt has led successful investigations and prosecutions into an extensive range of federal crimes, including child exploitation, financial fraud, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. Kerndt also has substantial experience in threat, terrorism, and national security matters, serving as the district’s National Security and Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council coordinator since 2021. Kerndt is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.
Jason Griess, Branch Chief of Council Bluffs Office. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Griess to continue his service as Branch Chief of the Council Bluffs Office, a role in which he has served since 2023. Griess has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2000. Prior to serving as Branch Chief of the Council Bluffs Office, Griess served as Deputy Criminal Chief and Criminal Chief. Griess is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law.
Kyle Hanson, Appellate Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Hanson to serve as the Appellate Chief. Hanson joined DOJ in 2023, following his more than 15-year career with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Hanson has handled more than 600 appeals in the Iowa Court of Appeals, Iowa Supreme Court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court. Hanson is a graduate of Drake University Law School.
Richard Westphal, Senior Litigation Counsel. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Westphal to serve as Senior Litigation Counsel. Westphal joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1997 and has previously served as Branch Chief of the Davenport Office, Criminal Chief, and U.S. Attorney. Westphal has extensive litigation experience and will serve as a district-wide resource and mentor on litigation matters, including pre- and post-conviction motions, contested hearings, and trials. Westphal is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.
Deb Harvey, Administrative Officer. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Harvey to continue her service as Administrative Officer, a role in which she has served since 2012 when she joined DOJ after a thirty-year career with the Army, both in uniform and as an Army contractor. She has extensive experience in the logistics management field and served as a resource manager for several Department of Defense components. Harvey previously served on the EARS audit team and routinely mentors other Administrative Officers. Harvey is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in psychology.
Madison Lancaster, Supervisory Paralegal. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Lancaster to continue her service as Supervisory Paralegal, a role in which she has served since 2024. Lancaster has 17 years of federal service, including seven years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, following her service with the U.S. Probation Office and the U.S. District Court. Lancaster holds her master’s in criminal justice from Simpson College.
- Charlotte Kovacs, Victim Witness Coordinator Supervisor. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kovacs to continue her service as Victim Witness Coordinator Supervisor, a role she has held since 2019. Kovacs is also a Victim Advocate for the Department of Justice Sexual Misconduct Response Unit. Kovacs has 26 years of victim-centered service in a wide variety of cases, with a specialty in providing victim services in human trafficking and death cases. Kovacs excels at establishing rapport with victims, building trust, and connecting them to resources to aid in a successful prosecution and minimize re-victimization by the system. She is driven by a deep passion for empowering victims while ensuring their voices are heard in the criminal justice system. Kovacs is a graduate of Buena Vista University with a degree in sociology and criminal justice with an emphasis in psychology and human services.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 126 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 126 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On February 27, Ulises Gallardo, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, when the defendant applied for entry into the U.S. in his vehicle at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection officers inspected the vehicle and discovered a human foot sticking out of the gas tank. The officers removed the rear passenger seats and carpet and found an access panel in the metal flooring of the vehicle, secured by what appeared to be weld marks. An officer began to pry open the access panel and found a woman lying in a puddle of gasoline in a non-factory gas tank compartment. She seemed to be in distress, unable to exit the compartment. She was disoriented and had what appeared to be chemical burns on her legs and feet. The woman, a citizen of Mexico without legal documents to enter the U.S., was treated at a hospital. She later told officers she was in the gas tank for about 90 minutes, covered in sweat and soaked in gasoline and unable to breathe. She said she felt very dizzy from the gas fumes and felt like she was burning alive but couldn’t get out because she was trapped inside the gas tank.
- On February 27, Jose Angel Vidal Ayala, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents intercepted Vidal north of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in a group of undocumented immigrants. He was previously deported to Mexico through Calexico.
- On March 3, Benny Jesus Niz Ledezma, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered seven packages containing 19 pounds of cocaine concealed in a non-factory compartment behind the radio of the vehicle when he applied for entry into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending March 6, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 47 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 5 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 22 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 49 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for second degree murder, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, vehicle theft, immigration documents fraud, possession of a firearm by an alien, and prior immigration offenses.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Trumbull Man Admits Defrauding Amazon of More Than $3.5 MillionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AMEER NASIR, 25, of Trumbull, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to an offense related to his defrauding Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”) of more than $3.5 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Amazon Logistics, an Amazon subsidiary, contracts with various interstate trucking businesses to transport both empty trailers and trailers containing heavy loads of freight between cities and between warehouses and fulfillment centers operated by Amazon. Nasir registered 23 trucking businesses with Amazon Logistics. One of the accounts was created in the name of Nasir’s business, Pak Express Transport, LLC, and others were created under false names or by fraudulently using the names and identifying information of other trucking or transportation companies without the knowledge of the operators of those companies. Between approximately December 2019 and February 2021, Nasir used these accounts to sign up for more than 1,000 transportation assignments with Amazon Logistics, manipulated information in Amazon Logistics’ transportation management system to misrepresent that he had completed trailer movements when he had not, and submitted fraudulent invoices to Amazon Logistics that were subsequently paid. Through this scheme, Nasir defrauded Amazon of more than $3.5 million.
Nasir was arrested on May 8, 2025.
Nasir pleaded guilty to wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He has also agreed to pay restitution of $3,547,090.93.
Nasir is released on a $300,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 29.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Amazon. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.
Three Sentenced for Roles in Covid-19 Unemployment Scheme That Stole $669,124 from Virginia TaxpayersRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Three co-conspirators who stole more than $650,000 from Virginia taxpayers by using the personally identifying information (PII) of inmates at Duffield Regional Jail, and others who were ineligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, to file false unemployment benefits claims, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.
Jonathan Ricketts, 45, of Duffield, Va., was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison. He previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. He was also ordered to pay $669,124 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts.
Christopher Woliver, 37, of Big Stone Gap, Va., was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison. He previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. He was also ordered to pay $29,076 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts and Jonathan Ricketts.
Megan Caudill, 39, of Swords Creek, Va., was sentenced today to 30 days in prison and three years of supervised release, with 12 months being on home confinement. She previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. In addition, she was ordered to pay $166,204 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts and Jonathan Ricketts.
“I applaud our partners at the IRS, Department of Labor, and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding work on this case. Fraudsters who line their pockets at the expense of taxpayers will face accountability for their crimes,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA) was enacted, expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits to individuals who were not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or had exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits. To receive PUA, claimants had to certify they were unemployed or had their hours reduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and file weekly claims. Unfortunately, Virginia paid $1.1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021 in relation to this program.
These conspirators charged in the Western District of Virginia played a central role in contributing to this massive fraud, stealing a total of $669,124 in pandemic unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled.
Specifically, Jonathan Ricketts and his wife Farren Ricketts owned Ricketts Advisory LLC, a company that employed, at times, seven individuals for the sole purpose of filing fraudulent unemployment benefits claims during the Covid pandemic.
While he was incarcerated at Duffield Regional Jail, Jonathan Ricketts collected and sent Duffield inmates’ PII, as well as their signatures, by mail, to Farren Ricketts. She then used that PII to file fraudulent unemployment claims. In total, Ricketts Advisory was responsible for the filing of at least 101 false claims.
Caudill was an employee of Ricketts Advisory. In addition to the $21,368 in direct, fraudulent unemployment benefits she received, Caudill also assisted in eleven other individuals filing for, and receiving, fraudulent unemployment benefits, resulting in $166,204 in unwarranted payments.
Woliver, also an employee of Ricketts Advisory, received approximately $3,270 in pandemic unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled. In addition, recruited others to file their claims through the business, and, as a result, an additional $25,806 fraudulent claims were received by others.
Agencies that assisted with this investigation included The Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Norton Police Department in Wise County.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL OIG) made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone prosecuted the case.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending.
Three Individuals Sentenced for Attempted Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, the third and last defendant was sentenced for the attempted armed robbery of an employee of JC Jewelers Inc., a company doing business as Oro Centro, a commercial entity that operated pawn shops and jewelry stores in Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, on July 13, 2015, at approximately 6:50 p.m., the victim, an employee for Oro Centro Pawn Shops, was transporting gold from the pawnshops in the company van which was to be delivered for transport in interstate commerce to the continental United States. While driving on Highway 22 near the exit for Luis Muñoz Rivera in Santurce, Puerto Rico, close to the Minillas Tunnel, a white car crashed into the victim’s van. The van’s occupants began shooting at the victim. The victim was struck multiple times by gunshots fired by the assailants. The victim shot back injuring another assailant. The assailants fled without completing the robbery.
The assailants were:
- Josué Pilarte-Suárez: arrested on July 17, 2015, plead guilty on June 20, 2017, and was sentenced on May 19, 2025. He served approximately nine years in prison.
- Luis Resto-Cruz: arrested on October 19, 2018, plead guilty on December 1, 2025, and was sentenced on February 27, 2026. He served approximately eight and a half years in prison.
- Rafael Hernández-Maldonado: arrested on December 14, 2021, plead guilty on December 15, 2025, and was sentenced on March 6, 2026, to serve seven and 1/2 years (78 months) in prison.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz, Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Alum prosecuted the case.
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Texas Man to Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography While in IowaRead the Press Release
Fred Grell, 64, from Angleton, Texas, was sentenced on March 5, 2026, to 8 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty on October 17, 2025, to receipt of child pornography, in federal court in Sioux City.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between about March 1, 2022, and September 19, 2023, Grell received and possessed child pornography. On June 24, 2023, law enforcement received a report of a missing runaway foster child. In July 2023, Grell dropped a minor victim off at the Ida County Sheriff’s Office and left the scene without contacting deputies. During further investigation of Grell regarding this incident, a search of Grell’s phone records revealed two videos and six pictures of child pornography of the minor victim. The minor victim told officers Grell sexually assaulted her, that they had intercourse multiple times in Grell’s semi-truck and home before and after the minor victim’s sixteenth birthday. The victim also told law enforcement that Grell would routinely call her and told her to “keep things off texts” to avoid detection and thwart later investigations.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Grell to 96 months’ imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Grell was also ordered to pay $10,00 in fines and assessments to support victims of child pornography offenses. Grell remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and Ida County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4027. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Tea, South Dakota Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Tea, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 2, 2026.
Sean Blanchfill, 48, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Blanchfill was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 25, 2025.
Blanchfill was part of an organization that obtained methamphetamine in Arizona and then distributed it in and around Sioux Falls. Blanchfill’s role in the group was to distribute methamphetamine and investigators determined he was responsible for personally selling over eight pounds of it. The total amount of methamphetamine trafficked by the organization was over 100 pounds.
“Our law enforcement partners are working around the clock in Sioux Falls and communities across South Dakota to stamp out methamphetamine and other illegal drugs and put the dealers of these toxic substances behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “With their hard work, and our southern border as secure as it has ever been, progress is becoming evident, as the crime numbers just released by the Sioux Falls Police Department have shown. State, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement are united in this mission. And this substantial federal prison sentence is one more link in the chain.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Blanchfill was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Brandon Lewis Graham (44, Tampa) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington to 20 years in federal prison for distribution of a substance that contained cocaine and fentanyl that was used and resulted in death. Graham pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on March 30, 2022, a man and a woman bought a substance from Graham at a location in Riverview. They went to the woman’s home and used the substance, which they believed to be cocaine. The next morning, the man found the woman in her bed. She was unresponsive and appeared to be deceased. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a 911 call and found the deceased victim. Investigators also found a clear plastic baggie under the victim’s bra. The baggie contained a substance that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Department conducted an autopsy and determined that the cause of the victim’s death was intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol.
Based on witness interviews, surveillance videos, and evidence from the victim’s cellphone, HCSO detectives determined that Graham, known to the victim as “Homie Boog,” sold the cocaine and fentanyl mixture to the victim. When Graham was arrested on August 3, 2022, he was found in possession of two plastic bags that contained fentanyl and three bags that contained methamphetamine. Graham admitted to selling narcotics to the victim at a gas station in Riverview and told detectives that he had narcotics in his apartment. A search of Graham’s apartment resulted in the recovery of two plastic bags containing fentanyl and cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Michael Sinacore.
Tampa Man Indicted for Attempted Production, Receipt, and Transfer of Obscene Material to A MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Tavaris Marvidis Johnson (43, Tampa) has been charged by indictment with attempted production and receipt of child sex abuse material and transfer of obscene material to a minor. If convicted on all counts, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, between August 2 and August 9, 2025, Johnson attempted to use, persuade, and induce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. During the same time period, Johnson knowingly attempted to receive a visual depiction involving the sexual abuse of a minor. Between August 8 and August 9, 2025, Johnson knowingly transferred obscene material to an individual who he knew was under the age of 16 years.
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 FBI and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing the Fentanyl that Killed Another WomanRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place on March 2, 2026.
Anastasia Muggins, 33, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Muggins was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in May 2025. She pleaded guilty on December 11, 2025.
On December 15, 2024, Sheila Eastman, who was born in Flandreau and was an enrolled member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, was found deceased in her Sioux Falls residence. The coroner concluded Eastman died from fentanyl toxicity. Sioux Fall Police Detectives investigated the case and determined Muggins had distributed approximately 0.1 grams of fentanyl powder to Ms. Eastman. She ingested it and died.
“On December 15, 2025, the one-year anniversary of the death of Sheila Eastman from fentanyl poisoning, this Administration issued an Executive Order officially designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “As this case tragically shows, illicit fentanyl is much closer to a chemical weapon than a simple narcotic. Just two milligrams, an almost undetectable trace amount equivalent to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is a lethal dose. Hundreds of thousands of Americans like Sheila have been killed by the fentanyl smuggled into this country from China and the Mexican drug cartels. We are committed to doing everything we can to put an end to the death and misery these chemical weapons continue to cause.”
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Muggins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Shreveport Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Stalking and Threatening Speaker of the House of Representatives and Threatening President of the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT– On March 3, 2026, a federal grand jury in Shreveport returned a three-count indictment charging Justin Chadwick Butler, a 31-year-old Shreveport resident, with cyberstalking and threatening the Speaker of the House of Representatives and threatening the President of the United States. Butler faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for each count.
“Threats against public officials and our Nation’s leaders are threats to our democracy and our American way of life, and we will not tolerate them,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “For those who would use the mask of internet anonymity to threaten others, the message here is clear: our many state and federal law enforcement partners will track you down, and you will face justice.”
According to court documents, Butler used social media accounts to make a slew of menacing posts directed toward the Speaker while often tagging the Speaker’s social media account directly. These postings included stating, for example, that the Speaker “couldnt [sic] lie so smoothly with bullet holes in his face,” that the Speaker “is a traitor. Death to traitors,” and that Butler “really hope[s] I see lots of dead ICE agents and Traitor Mike with a patriotic bullet through his lying face soon” while also writing that he “think[s] holes in traitors faces is the next step.” Butler further wrote of the Speaker and the President that “[a] real patriot would kill some of these traitors” and that he and others would “drop those two traitors.”
The United States Capitol Police, the United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, the United States Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Gaskins with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 26-CR-00088.
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Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Second Spokane Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Running a Commercial Pill Press Operation in the Hillyard AreaRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice has sentenced Nicholas Adams, 37, of Spokane, Washington to a 20 year term of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of court supervision upon his release stemming from his role in running a commercial pill press operation out of his residence in the Hillyard neighborhood of Spokane.
According to court documents and information discussed during the sentencing hearing, Adams and his co-defendant Timothy Maddox obtained a commercial pill press via the mail from China and set up a ‘pill press operation’ in the basement of Adams’ residence, mixing powder fentanyl and cutting agents to make their own fentanyl pills for bulk distribution into the community.
Search warrants were executed at multiple locations in November 2023 and yield a massive amount of fentanyl powder, cutting agents, pill press parts, and multiple firearms along with an operational commercial pill press (below). Given the extremely hazardous conditions and contamination of nearly every flat surface created by operating a pill lab, the Department of Ecology assisted in the execution of the search warrant at Adams’ residence.
According to calculations by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the amount of fentanyl powder Maddox and Adams had on hand to produce pills was easily enough to make over 2,000,000 fentanyl pills containing a lethal dose. Put another way, the amount of fentanyl powder they had on hand to make these illicit pills could kill the entire population of Spokane County almost 4 times over.
In addition to their fentanyl pill production, Maddox and Adams possessed large quantities of methamphetamine, along with heroin, cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana. They each also armed with multiple loaded firearms in their respective residences, which included loaded (and chambered) handguns, loaded modified shotguns, and AK-type rifles. In Maddox’s residence, he also had a loaded (with a round chambered) firearm with a “Glock switch” making it a fully automatic machine gun, with a loaded large drum magazine as well as three sets of body armor.
Notably, Adams engaged in this conduct after being repeatedly involved in the criminal justice system. Since 2012, he has repeatedly perpetrated acts of violence against others and then disregarded court orders attempting to keep his victims safe from him. His history also shows a dedication to his controlled substance abuse despite multiple court interventions. In fact, when he was arrested for this offense, he was initially released from custody to attend inpatient drug treatment. However, he continued to use drugs and was returned to custody.
“Stopping the production and flow of fentanyl into our communities is one of the most challenging crises we face as law enforcement. This is a matter of importance as it will protect public health. This investigation and prosecution provide a tremendous example of the collaborative approach we take to fighting this serious and ever-increasing threat to our communities,” said First Assistant Serrano. “The volume of fentanyl that this investigation took of the street is truly staggering. I cannot overstate the impact our team made here, by identifying a repeat criminal who was manufacturing vast quantities of this deadly drug while heavily armed. Removing him for decades will protect this community in ways seen and unseen. We want the public to know that these threats exist and that our team is working tirelessly to combat them wherever and whenever they appear.”
“This 20-year sentence advances DEA’s unwavering commitment to a Fentanyl Free America,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “By possessing massive amounts of fentanyl powder and operating a commercial pill press capable of producing more than two million potentially lethal fentanyl pills, the defendant was directly placing lives in Spokane County at risk. Fentanyl Free America is our nationwide effort to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain, reduce its availability, and save American lives through relentless enforcement, education, increased public awareness, and strong strategic partnerships. Together, we will continue working to Make America Fentanyl Free.”
“HSI Seattle and its partners have removed a major public safety threat by securing decades long sentences for both defendants in one of Eastern Washington’s largest fentanyl pill manufacturing cases,” said HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “With both Adams and his co-conspirator Maddox now behind bars, HSI has safeguarded the community and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the American people. By shutting down their makeshift lab in a residential community, HSI helped eliminate an operation capable of producing over two million deadly pills—saving countless lives and protecting families from harm.”
“I am very pleased with news of the successful investigation, prosecution, and conviction of the people in this case.” Said Sheriff Nowels. “Those convicted clearly presented a danger to our entire region as they made the decision to flood our community with Fentanyl and other lethal drugs. This case highlights the importance of unwavering relationships and cooperation between local law enforcement and all our federal partners to bring justice and safety to Spokane and surrounding communities.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement & Narcotics (RAVEN) Task Force, and the Spokane Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard.
2:23-CR-00143-TOR-2Romanian National to be Sentenced for Participation in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Romanian national who participated in a large-scale fraud scheme, which used fake business websites to steal more than $1.8 million from consumers across the country, will be sentenced on March 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Las Cruces for the crime of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In his plea agreement, Claudiu Pesteleu, 44, a Romanian national illegally present in the United States, admitted that from May 2023 through June 2024, he participated in a nationwide fraud scheme that used fake websites impersonating legitimate businesses to trick victims into wiring money for various consumer products, such as cars and equipment. Victims believed they were making legitimate purchases, but the funds were instead directed to the bank accounts of shell companies that were created with fake passports other fraudulent identity documents.
Pesteleu, whose role in this scheme was to help conceal the fraudulently obtained money, obtained fake identity documents and used those to organize sham businesses. He then opened bank accounts for these shell companies using these fake identity documents. These shell companies and aliases included Zammer Equipment LLC (Matthias Zammer), Super Exotic Deals LLC (Samuel Der Saar), Premier E. Liquidators LLC (Fred Laport), Adler Pre Owned LLC (Boris Adler), Bittman Motors LLC (Fritz Bittman), Nikkos Cargo LLC (Nikos Adonis) and Becker Automotive LLC (Karl Becker). Pesteleu also used the alias Thomas Muller. Consumers were directed to wire funds to accounts associated with these entities, believing they were purchasing legitimate goods.
In total, approximately $1.8 million in fraudulently obtained funds was wired by victims to bank accounts that Pesteleu controlled. Pesteleu then conducted numerous financial transactions with the money to conceal the source of the funds and to hinder law enforcement from identifying the scheme and seizing the proceeds.
If you believe you were a victim of Pesteleu, please contact the Homeland Security Investigations tipline at 866-347-2423.
If you would like to attend the sentencing, please contact Victim Specialist Jacquie Gutierrez at (575) 522-2304 before the date of the hearing for more information.
The Homeland Security Investigations Deming investigated this case with assistance from the Gainesville, Florida Police Department. Las Cruces Criminal Chief Richard Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner are prosecuting the case.
Richmond felon returning to prison for methamphetamineRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield man was sentenced yesterday to seven years and eight months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on July 19, 2024, Chesterfield County Police (CCPD) officers observed Hunter Brandon Orlowski, 34, who had multiple pending arrest warrants, leave a residence with a tan backpack on his shoulder. Officers blocked the driveway before Orlowski could get on a motorcycle and flee. The backpack contained a loaded pistol, 67 rounds of ammunition, 72 needles, a digital scale, a knife, 11 suboxone packets, 9.59 grams of cocaine and fentanyl, oxycodone, 2.08 grams of marijuana, four morphine tablets, 45 amphetamine tablets, 107 Xanax tablets, and 118.49 grams of methamphetamine.
Orlowski was convicted in 2013 of possession of a controlled substance, in 2014 of distributing a controlled substance and of possessing ammunition as a convicted felon, in 2017 of possession of a controlled substance, in 2020 of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance, in 2024 of receipt of stolen goods and eluding police, and in 2025 of conspiracy by a prisoner to possess marijuana or a schedule III controlled substance.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and CCPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen H. Theisen 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-177.
Richland County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Arthur Ryans, Jr., 42, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed the Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested Ryans at a local motel for his involvement in a shooting incident.
During the arrest, Springdale Police officers acquired a search warrant for the motel room where Ryans was staying at the time of his arrest. During a search of the room, officers located a loaded 9mm pistol in a gym bad. Officers also located multiple plastic baggies containing a purple powder, plastic baggies containing a crystal substance, a digital scale, and multiple plastic baggies consistent with narcotics packaging material. Through ballistics testing, investigators confirmed that the firearm was used in the prior shooting.
Ryans was prohibited from possessing a firearm based upon a prior conviction for assault with intent to kill.
United States District Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Ryans to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and Springdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.
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Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Receipt, Distribution, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A 35-year-old repeat sex offender has been sentenced to prison for downloading and uploading images and videos of the sexual abuse of children to a social media platform.
Daniel Nutt, of Brewster, Ohio, has been sentenced to 122 months in prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Sara Lioi, after pleading guilty in December 2025 to Receipt and Distribution of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay a $6,000 assessment toward the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act, which was established in 2018 to provide monetary assistance for victims of child sexual abuse. Judge Lioi imposed the sentence on March 3. After imprisonment, Nutt will be required to register as a sex offender and undergo behavioral and psychological treatment.
Court documents show that in August 2024, federal agents began to investigate CSAM uploads to, and downloads from, a social media platform. The investigation led them to identify Nutt, and they learned that he was downloading CSAM while he was on the job at a car dealership. In December 2024, agents executed a search warrant and seized his cellphone and discovered more than 230 CSAM images, including images of a prepubescent minor under the age of 12. Investigators also learned that Nutt had been previously convicted of Illegal Use of a Minor in a Nudity Oriented Material and sentenced to seven years imprisonment with the Ohio Department of Corrections.
This investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Canton Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Alfred Leslie Pittman, 37, of Harper Heights, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A federal jury found Pittman guilty on May 5, 2025, following a one-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that on April 26, 2023, Pittman was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Beckley Police Department officers in Beckley. During the traffic stop, officers found that Pittman possessed a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol with a chambered round and an extended magazine containing 32 rounds in the vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Pittman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for robbery in the first degree in Raleigh County Circuit Court on June 2, 2015.
Pittman’s criminal history also includes prior convictions for conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, domestic battery, and unlawful assault.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-169.
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Providence Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns Related to Multi-Million-Dollar Catalytic Converter Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Providence to filing false tax returns after failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income that he received from selling stolen catalytic converters to a Rhode Island scrap yard, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Daniel Rivera, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns. Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2026. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to information presented to the court, Rivera received approximately $59,890 from stolen catalytic converter sales in 2021 and $224,750 in 2022 but failed to report those amounts on his federal income tax returns. As a result, Rivera’s false filings caused tax losses of approximately $13,426 for the tax year 2021 and $55,930 for the tax year 2022.
Charging documents reflect that from at least January 2021 until November 2022, Rivera and others canvased neighborhoods and parking lots in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in search of unoccupied vehicles from which they could steal catalytic converters. Many of the stolen catalytic converters were sold to a Providence company (identified in court documents as Company 1) that recycles catalytic converters. Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters ranged from $300 to $1,500.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney’s Paul F. Daly, Jr and Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Cranston Police Department, Providence Police Department, IRS-Criminal Investigations, United States Marshal Service, National Insurance Crime Bureau, Newport Police Department, Fitchburg State University Police, Watertown Police Department, Canton Police Department, Attleboro Police Department, Fall River Police Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs- Office of Inspector General-Criminal Investigations Division.
Previously Deported Mexican Drug Trafficker Sentenced in D.C. for Role in International Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alfredo Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 27, a previously deported Mexican national, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a multinational drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed wholesale quantities of fentanyl-laced pills across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Rodriguez-Gonzalez, aka “Alacran,” of Rosarito, Mexico, pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to a criminal information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony.
In addition to the 235-month prison term, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Rodriguez-Gonzalez to serve 10 years of supervised release.
“Rodriguez-Gonzalez, a previously deported Mexican national, poisoned our communities with large quantities of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. The impetus for the investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in D.C.,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.
“Law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of fentanyl traffickers that led to seizing more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms." U.S. Attorney Pirro continued. "Now this illegal alien can take the next 19 years to enjoy his new view of the America he worked so hard to infiltrate and undermine, from an American prison.”
Rodriguez-Gonzalez was one of 24 co-defendants arrested during 2023 in the District, Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, during the conspiracy Rodriguez-Gonzalez was a Mexico-based supplier to Los Angeles-area drug distributers of large quantities of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. He utilized social media platforms, most commonly Instagram, to facilitate the importation of thousands of counterfeit “M-30” pills per shipment.
Rodriguez-Gonzalez previously had been deported to Mexico from the United States following a conviction in Utah for distributing methamphetamine. On Oct. 4, 2019, he was sentenced to 36 months in prison. On June 13, 2021, he was released and deported to Mexico.
From December 2021, Rodriguez-Gonzalez was a member of the conspiracy that eventually distributed an estimated 36 kilograms of illegal fentanyl in the U.S. He remained a member of the conspiracy until April 3, 2024, when he was arrested after illegally re-entering the United States.
The illegal fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills that Rodriguez-Gonzalez sold to multiple LA-based traffickers were resold to redistributors in Washington, D.C., area and elsewhere. Communications evidence, as well as physical seizures, indicate that he facilitated the transfer of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Division in partnership with MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris Y. McCranie of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) Section.
DEFENDANT
AGE
LOCATION
CHARGES/SENTENCE
Hector David Valdez,
aka “Curl”
28
Santa Fe Springs, California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman
22
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Feb. 6, 2025, to 165 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.
Charles Jeffrey Taylor
22
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Aug. 19, 2025, to 98 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raymond Nava, Jr.
21
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced Sept. 17, 2024, to 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Ulises Aldaz
29
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Max Alexander Carias Torres
28
Bell Gardens,
California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”
36
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Dec. 19, 2025 to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marvin Anthony Bussie,
aka “Money Marr”
23
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marcus Orlando Brown
30
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Oct. 3, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Columbian Thomas, aka "Cruddy Murda”
28
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 160 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden
36
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced May 5, 2024, to 45 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Andre Malik Edmond,
aka “Draco”
24
Temple Hills, Maryland
Sentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Treyveon James Johnson,
aka “Treyski”
21
Alexandria, Virginia
Sentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Karon Olufemi Blalock,
aka “Fat Bags”
31
Alexandria, Virginia
Pleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2025, to Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Ronte Ricardo Greene,
aka “Cardiddy”
30
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced July 18, 2025, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”
40
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced June 20, 2025, to 75 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Darius Quincy Hodges,
aka “Brick”
35
Glen Allen, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Lamin Sesay,
aka “Rock Star”
29
Alexandria, Virginia
Sentenced May 30, 2025, to 110 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Paul Alejandro Felix
27
Glendale,
California
Sentenced Nov. 12, 2024, to 164 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Omar Arana,
aka “Frogs”
28
Cudahy,
California
Sentenced May 2, 2025, to 93 months, for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”
27
San Diego,
California
Sentenced May 8, 2025, to 148 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raul Pacheco Ramirez
31
Long Beach,
California
Sentenced Nov. 26, 2024, to 95 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Giovani Alejandro Briones
32
Victorville, California
Sentenced Feb. 20, 2025, to 90 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Alfredo Rodriguez-Gonzalez
27
Rosarito, Mexico
Sentenced March 6, 2026, to 235 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl
23cr73
Evidence photo.##
Previously Convicted Man Is Handed 8 Years in Prison for March 2025 Shooting Near D.C. Fire StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Davone Smith, 40, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges stemming from a shooting in Southeast in March 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Smith pleaded guilty on December 12, 2025, to one count each of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. On March 3rd, Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean sentenced the defendant to serve eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Smith was previously convicted and served a lengthy prison sentence for firearm and robbery charges stemming from an armed robbery in September 2009. He was released from prison in November 2024, appropriately four months prior to this offense, and was on supervised release at the time he committed this offense.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 11, 2025, a gunshot victim walked into D.C. Fire Emergency and Medical Services Engine 33 located at 101 Atlantic Street, SE. The victim was transported to a local area hospital for treatment, for injuries to his right shoulder. The victim was uncooperative and would not provide the exact location where he was shot. The victim’s wife arrived at the scene a short time later and stated that she was in their apartment when she heard people yelling for her, letting her know that her husband had been shot. She then transported the victim to the firehouse.
Officers were able to review surveillance cameras as they canvased the area and located the crime scene which showed a blood trail along the sidewalk of 20 Mississippi Avenue SE. Smith was identified through CCTV footage at the offense location which captured his face following the shooting. Smith was arrested on April 13, 2025, and he has remained in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll thanked those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Cook, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 004115
Palestine National Indicted for Being Illegal Alien in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MOHAMED H.M. ZEIDAN, a/k/a “Sebastian Marcello, a/k/a “Sebastian York,” age 33, a native of Palestine, was indicted on March 5, 2026, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A).
According to the indictment, on or about August 3, 2023, ZEIDAN, an alien illegally present in the United States, was found in possession of a MC9 semi-automatic pistol and a RF-15 semi-automatic rifle.
ZEIDAN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The United States Attorney’s Office reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Homeland Security Investigations and the Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Pensacola Man Faces Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Terry Terrell Crenshaw, 39, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine; one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; one count of use of a communication facility; and one count of maintaining drug-involved premises. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Crenshaw appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for April 6, 2026, at 8:30 am in Pensacola before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Crenshaw faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute count; 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count; up to four years’ imprisonment on the use of a communication facility count; and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the maintaining drug-involved premises count.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Non-Citizen Charged with Fraudulently Voting in Numerous ElectionsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Mexican national was arrested and appeared in federal court this week after he was charged with violating Alabama law by voting in multiple elections as a non-citizen, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
A complaint filed in U.S. District Court alleges that Homero Ramos, 51, is a lawful permanent resident who lives in Marion County but has never obtained U.S. citizenship. Nevertheless, Ramos registered to vote and voted – even though he knew that only U.S. citizens are permitted to do so under Alabama law. According to records maintained by the Alabama Secretary of State and the Probate Court of Marion County, Ramos voted in the 2022 and 2024 general elections.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the offense charged is 5 years in prison.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
New Federal Prosecutor Targets Social Security, Other Government FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The addition of a specially-funded prosecutor has resulted in the indictment of 14 people in the Eastern District of Missouri accused of defrauding the government out of $1 million via disability fraud, pandemic fraud and the theft of Social Security and other benefits.
Those charged include a home health aide accused of stealing a client’s Social Security retirement and Veterans Administration benefits, the owner of a pest control business who has been accused of fraudulently receiving disability benefits and others who stole benefits being paid to people who died.
“This new position is allowing us to expand our prosecutions of Social Security and other frauds and will mean that we can recover hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in the short term alone,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “These programs are designed to aid those who desperately need the money, and fraud and abuse will not be tolerated.”
“SSA OIG special agents work closely with prosecutors and our federal law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of Social Security fraud and hold offenders accountable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, SSA OIG, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. “These cases demonstrate the value of dedicated resources focused on identifying fraud schemes and ensuring that those responsible face justice.”
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe’s position is being funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and is one of nearly two dozen new positions across the country, bringing the total to 47 in 43 offices. More hires are expected. On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum entitled Preventing Illegal Aliens from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits. That memorandum authorized the expansion of a longstanding partnership with the Justice Department in which attorneys are detailed to U.S. Attorney Offices throughout the country. SAUSAs typically receive investigative referrals from SSA Office of Inspector General special agents and work with the agents to develop the referrals into prosecutable cases.
The memorandum has expanded SSA’s full-time fraud prosecution program to at least 50 U.S. Attorney Offices. It also requires SSA to “prioritize assigning new detailees to the 10 U.S. Attorney Offices whose jurisdictions encompass the largest known populations of illegal aliens, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.”
The memorandum also established a new fraud-prosecutor program between the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “with regard to programs administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.” HHS provides direct funding for these positions, enabling dedicated prosecution of beneficiary fraud within CMS programs.
March 5 was National “Slam the Scam” Day, meant to raise awareness of fraudsters who pretend to represent the SSA or other government agencies, and part of the Federal Trade Commission’s National Consumer Protection Week. More information on protecting yourself from imposter fraud is available at ssa.gov/scam/. Information on how to avoid, report and recover from scams is available at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
Please help investigators, and other scam victims, by reporting Social Security-related scams to oig.ssa.gov or 1-800-269-0271. Report other scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Charges set forth in indictments are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases were investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Nebraska Woman to Federal Prison for Iowa Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Wenona Oropeza, 48, from Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced March 5, 2026, to over ten years in federal prison. Oropeza pled guilty on October 22, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that a number of times over one year in 2024-2025, Oropeza would have other persons drive her from Omaha, Nebraska to Sioux Falls, South Dakota with several ounces of methamphetamine to distribute in Sioux Falls where she could double and triple her profits selling the methamphetamine. On March 2, 2025, a vehicle Oropeza was a passenger in was stopped for traffic violations near Sioux City. Law enforcement seized over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine that Oropeza admitted she planned to sell in Sioux Falls.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Oropeza to 130 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Oropeza is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4019. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jackie A. Johnson, age 40, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 5, 2026, to 180 months’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, between March 19, 2024, and April 17, 2024, Johnson sold over 200 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Stroudsburg area to an undercover State Police Trooper. At the time, Johnson was on federal supervised release for a prior heroin trafficking conviction which resulted in a five-year prison term. Johnson is still pending a supervised release violation hearing based on the above methamphetamine sales which could result in an additional term of imprisonment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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Miami Developer Charged with $85 Million Fraud Scheme Used to Fund Luxury Yacht and LifestyleRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal indictment unsealed today charges a Miami real estate developer with orchestrating an $85 million fraud scheme, failing to pay millions in taxes, and lying to financial institutions to obtain funds to purchase a luxury yacht.
According to court documents, Rishi Kapoor, 41, formerly of Miami, was the chief executive officer of Location Ventures, a Miami-based real estate development company that purported to develop projects in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.
“The indictment alleges an $85 million fraud scheme in which investor funds intended for real estate development were diverted for luxury purchases, including a 68-foot yacht,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “It further alleges that the defendant withheld payroll taxes from employees but failed to turn that money over to the government, effectively stealing from his own employees. These are serious allegations that will now be addressed in federal court. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
As alleged, although Kapoor raised approximately $85 million from investors, most of the promised real estate projects were never built. Despite being entitled to a capped salary of $400,000 plus certain fees, Kapoor diverted substantially more funds for personal use, including the purchase of a 68-foot yacht and a residence in Cocoplum.
The indictment alleges that Kapoor misrepresented to investors the amount of his personal financial contribution to Location Ventures, claiming he had invested $13 million alongside his business partner and family when, in reality, he contributed roughly half that amount. Kapoor also allegedly deceived escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condominium deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments. As a result, condominium projects in Coconut Grove and Miami Beach were never built.
In addition, Kapoor is charged with withholding payroll taxes from Location Ventures employees but failing to remit those taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Instead, Kapoor allegedly diverted more than $2 million from company accounts for his personal benefit.
The indictment further alleges that Kapoor failed to pay his own personal taxes from 2019 through 2023, despite earning more than $2.8 million in income in 2022 and 2023 alone.
Kapoor is also charged with falsifying bank statements to inflate his account balances, failing to disclose a significant mortgage on his Cocoplum residence, and misrepresenting that his tax returns had been filed with the IRS—all to obtain more than $9 million in financing. One bank extended a $5 million line of credit to Location Ventures, while another loaned Kapoor $4.2 million to finance the yacht purchase.
The indictment charges Kapoor with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit offenses against and to defraud the U.S., failure to pay payroll taxes, tax evasion, failure to file tax returns, and bank fraud. The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations, including a Rolex Daytona watch and 2.5 carat platinum ring.
If convicted, Kapoor faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud; up to 10 years for money laundering; up to five years for each count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S., failure to pay payroll taxes, tax evasion, and failure to file tax returns; and up to 30 years for each count of bank fraud.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also filed a civil action against Kapoor (Case No. 23-cv-24903).
U.S. Attorney Reding Quinoñes, Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Quinoñes commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and FBI Miami.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Young and Daya Nathan are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under Case No. 26-cr-20073.
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Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Carmelo Nolasco-Carbajal (42, Mexico) was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara to three years and one month in federal prison for illegal reentry by an aggravated felon. Nolasco-Carbajal pleaded guilty on December 19, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Nolasco-Carbajal is a citizen and national of Mexico. In February 2025, Nolasco-Carbajal was found by immigration authorities after an arrest for possession of cocaine in Hillsborough County, for which he was later convicted. Prior to being found, Nolasco-Carbajal had been removed from the United States on three prior occasions and had not received permission to reenter the United States. Nolasco-Carbajal had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including aggravated battery with serious bodily injury, aggravated assault, and illegal reentry.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Mexican Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Leading a $6.85M Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Legal Permanent Resident cardholder from Mexico was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 168 months in prison for healthcare fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, in 2008, Orlando Omar Garcia-Moya, 54, of Piedras Negras, founded an ambulance company known as Fleet Ambulance Service Inc., which operated in and around Brackettville. As part of a fraud conspiracy involving Garcia-Moya and two of his employees, Oscar Gutierrez and Melody Ann Villarreal, the three conspirators fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for services and received reimbursement they were not authorized or entitled to receive.
Garcia-Moya, Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal fraudulently created run sheets for patients that were not transported, transported patients in personal vehicles or in vehicles not approved for appropriate medical transfers, and used “ghost employees” in the run sheets.
From 2008 to 2012, Fleet Ambulance billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) more than $12.3 million. Medicare and Medicaid paid a total of $4,741,601.73. From Jan. 1, 2013, to April 2016, Fleet Ambulance billed Medicare, Medicaid and MCOs more than $5.6 million. Medicare and Medicaid paid a total of $2,142,491.12. The total amount paid out by Medicare and Medicaid as a result of the fraud was $6,856,186.85.
Garcia-Moya, Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal were named in a 13-count indictment on Aug. 21, 2019. On March 2, 2022, Garcia-Moya opted for a bench trial and was found guilty on all 13 counts of the indictment. Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal each pled guilty and were sentenced on March 1, 2023, to 60 months and 48 months in federal prison, respectively. During the sentencing hearing Thursday, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses also ordered Garcia-Moya to pay $6,856,186.85 in restitution.
U.S. Health and Human Services and the Office of Inspector General - Medicaid Fraud Control investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung prosecuted the case.
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Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Water Piks Stolen from Interstate ShipmentRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has pled guilty to one count of being in possession of goods stolen from interstate shipment. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea today.
Gregory Luss, 44, pled guilty on March 3, 2026 before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker. According to information presented in court, a semi-tractor trailer filled with Water Piks that were intended for shipment to Amazon was stolen from its Bledsoe Cove location in Memphis on October 20, 2023. Luss posted the Water Pik product to sell on an eBay account registered to him on the same day.
Luss is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2026 and faces up to 10 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Cargo theft from shipping containers and facilities disrupts and harms crucial interstate commerce here in Memphis, which is known as ‘America’s Distribution Center’. Instead of a luxury Water Pik, Mr. Luss will now have a standard prison-issued toothbrush in the Bureau of Prisons.”
“Thefts of interstate shipments disrupt the delivery of needed goods and drive-up costs for businesses and consumers alike,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This guilty plea is an example of the FBI's unwavering resolve and make it clear that anyone who threatens the nation’s supply chain will be tracked down and held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation Cargo Theft Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum and Lauren Delery are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Members of the “Shorty” Drug Trafficking Group Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
The final defendant in a group charged with drug trafficking crimes in the Cedar Rapids area was sentenced today to twenty-seven years in federal prison.
Lavelle Davies, age 32, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced to 324 months’ imprisonment and ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Davies was sentenced following a July 25, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Davies’ codefendants were previously sentenced as follows:
Tanea Browning, age 29, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced on September 4, 2025, to 156 months’ imprisonment and ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
Andre Corone McNairy, age 34, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on September 24, 2025, to 210 months’ imprisonment and ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Jeffery Lamonte Hayes, age 32, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on September 8, 2025, to 151 months’ imprisonment and ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term after pleading guilty to two counts of distribution of a controlled substance.
Javonte Carpenter, age 32, from Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced on August18, 2025, to 123 months’ imprisonment and ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence presented during court hearings showed that the group collectively was referred to as “Shorty.” Th group passed phones around taking calls and making deliveries of cocaine and methamphetamine in the Cedar Rapids, Iowa, area. In October 2023, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, law enforcement officers stopped a car that Davies, Browning, Hayes, and Carpenter were in. Officers found over five kilograms of methamphetamine in the car. While officers were later searching an apartment occupied by Davies and Browning, Davies threw a loaded gun out of a window. In April 2024, officers stopped McNairy driving in a car with over two kilograms of methamphetamine.
All five defendants were sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams and are in custody of the United States Marshal’s Service or the Bureau of Prisons.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and investigated by the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Muscatine County Drug Task Force, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-cr-43.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Massachusetts Man Arrested and Charged with Falsely Impersonating U.S. Army Veteran for over 30 YearsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Pittsfield, Mass. man has been arrested and charged with falsely impersonating a United States Army veteran for over 30 years to obtain medical care at Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers and other benefits.
James D. Sommers, whose age is unknown, has been charged with one count of false statements. Sommers was arrested yesterday in Pittsfield, Mass., where he was staying under the guise of a victim’s identity at Soldier On, a facility that provides transitional housing to United States military veterans. Sommers remains in federal custody and will next appear in federal court on March 9, 2026.
According to the charging documents, beginning as early as 1994, Sommers has falsely impersonated a United States Army veteran who served honorably from 1979 to 1982. It is alleged that Sommers used the victim’s stolen identity to obtain thousands of dollars in Social Security benefits and nearly $30,000 in medical care and medications from VA medical centers. Most recently, Sommers falsely impersonated the victim on Feb. 20, 2026, to obtain medical care at the VA Medical Center in Northampton, Mass.
It is further alleged that Sommers has numerous prior convictions in New York State in 1994, 1997, 2001 and 2011 all under the victim’s name, for offenses including: criminal possession of stolen property; intent to obtain transportation without paying; sale of a controlled substance; possession of a forged instrument; attempted grand larceny; grand larceny; and forgery.
The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years 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 and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office 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.
Mason City Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Luke Braniff, 26, from Mason City, Iowa, pled guilty on March 3, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City to felon in possession of ammunition. Braniff was previously convicted of two counts of Lascivious Acts with a Child in 2017, and Sex Offender Registry Violations, in 2018, 2023, and 2025, all convictions were in Iowa. These convictions prohibit Braniff from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
At the plea hearing, Braniff admitted to possessing ammunition knowing he was prohibited from doing so due to his previous convictions. Law enforcement became aware of Braniff’s illegal possession of ammunition during an investigation regarding reports of Braniff sending vulgar sexual messages on Snapchat to a minor female and requesting nude images of the child.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Braniff remains in custody of the United States Marshal and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Braniff faces a possible maximum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and not more than three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Mason City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3039. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Marion County man charged with assaulting mail carrier in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
MARSHALL, Texas – A Jefferson man has been arrested in connection with the alleged assault of a mail carrier in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Alton Ray Jackson, 43, was arrested pursuant to a federal complaint charging him with assault of a federal employee. Jackson was brought before U.S. Magistrate Judge Roy S. Payne on March 6, 2026, for an initial appearance.
Jackson faces up to eight years in federal prison if convicted.
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, to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Jefferson Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Farahnak and Whitney Tharpe.
A federal complaint is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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March Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the March Federal Grand Jury 2026-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Saul Flores-Sanchez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Flores-Sanchez, 27, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in November 2017 and January 2023. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-072
Ashley Lineth Godoy Lopez; Angel Gabriel Malvaez Alvarez. Drug Conspiracy. Godoy Lopez, 22, a Honduran national, and Malvaez Alvarez, 21, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring together and with others to distribute fentanyl. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-073
Luis Alberto Lopez-Quiroz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Lopez-Quiroz, 45, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in May 2010. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney William Dill is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-074
Christopher Joel Velasco. Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 1, 3, and 5); Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor Under 12 Years of Age in Indian Country (Counts 2, 4, and 6). Velasco, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act with three separate minor children under the age of 12. Additionally, Velasco is charged with knowingly causing sexual contact with three minor children under 12-years-old. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-077
Rodrigo Yepez-Balderas; Ana Fabiola Solis-Padilla. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 2); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premise (Counts 3 and 4). Yepez-Balderas, 30, of Tulsa, and Solis-Padilla, 39, a Mexican national, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine from August 2025 through February 2026. Solis-Padilla is additionally charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Lastly, both are charged with maintaining residences for drug distribution. The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nasar is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-071
Mansfield Man Arrested for Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Mansfield man was arrested yesterday for unlawfully possessing ammunition as a convicted felon. At the time of the alleged offense, the defendant was on supervised release for a prior 2021 conviction for being a felon in possession of ammunition.
Michael Kennedy, 48, was charged with one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition and remains detained in federal custody following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.
According to the charging documents, Kennedy had been ordering firearms parts online to be shipped to his residence, including parts utilized to complete and/or manufacture M-16 type and AR-15 type rifle. During a search of his Mansfield residence, it is alleged that numerous privately made firearms frames, a 3D printer and ammunition in varying calibers were located. One firearm, a 5.7 pistol, was allegedly found tucked into the arm of a reclining chair where Kennedy had been sleeping. The pistol was loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition including one round in the chamber. The ammunition allegedly recovered included CBC 9mm ammunition, JAG 9mm ammunition and FN 5.7 x 28mm ammunition.
Kennedy is prohibited from possessing ammunition due to prior convictions in the District of Massachusetts for bank robbery and felon in possession of ammunition and in Norfolk Superior Court for armed robbery and witness intimidation.
The charge of being a felon in possession provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years 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 and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Mansfield Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant United States Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes 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.
Manitowoc Resident Indicted for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 3, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Zachariah R. Breihof (Age: 27) of Manitowoc, Wisconsin, for transportation of child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(1).
The indictment alleges that in January 2025, Breihof “did knowingly transport and ship in interstate commerce … a visual depiction of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.” If convicted of the offense, Breihof faces a mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, a maximum $250,000 fine, and from 5 years to a lifetime on supervised release.
This case was investigated by the City of Manitowoc Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and is entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove his guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
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Mexican National Residing in Georgia Sentenced to 120 Months for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
United States Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Court Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Victorino De La Cruz, age 43, of Mableton, Georgia, to 120 months in federal prison following his conviction for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. The Court further sentenced De La Cruz to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered him to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon his release. De La Cruz, a Mexican national who is present in the United States on a now-revoked work visa, may also be deported from the United States upon completing his sentence.
De La Cruz used social media applications and the name “Code_Magnolia” to convince someone he believed was a 14-year-old girl in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to have an illegal sexual relationship with him. Over the course of several months, De La Cruz engaged in sexually explicit communications, among other things, to entice her to engage in sexual acts. The 14-year-old girl was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. De La Cruz also sent the undercover officer pictures of himself and his genitals and requested that she send him sexually explicit videos and images of herself. Further, De La Cruz asked for the undercover law enforcement officer’s location, expressed his desire to engage in illegal sexual acts in person, and discussed and planned an arrangement with the undercover law enforcement agent where De La Cruz would visit the undercover law enforcement agent in Baton Rouge to engage in illegal sexual activity. De La Cruz was arrested by law enforcement in December 2024.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Benjamin Anderson and Edward H. Warner, who also serves as Lead Homeland Security Task Force Trial Attorney, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross.
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 http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was also part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Long Island Man Charged with Sex Trafficking, Enticing, and Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
Jimmy Francois, also known as “Bentley Bugz,” will be arraigned this afternoon, in federal court in Brooklyn, on a six-count indictment charging him with the sex trafficking of a minor using force, fraud, and coercion; coercing and enticing a minor; sexually exploiting a child; and interstate prostitution. The charges in the indictment arise from the defendant sex trafficking a 16-year-old minor victim (Jane Doe) using force, fraud, and coercion, including physically assaulting the victim and intimidating the victim using threats and by physically assaulting other women in her presence. Francois also created sexually explicit images of Jane Doe, some of which were posted online in prostitution advertisements. Francois was arrested on January 29 in Miami, Florida, and transported in custody to the Eastern District of New York earlier this week by the United States Marshals Service. Today’s proceeding will be held before United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), and Frank Russo, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, New York (CBP), announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, the defendant preyed on a vulnerable child and sold her body for his own profit, while subjecting her to physical violence and threats,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “With today’s arrest, Francois is being held to account for his cruel and depraved crimes. Our Office will continue to prioritize the investigation and prosecution of sex trafficking that threatens the safety of our communities.”
“As alleged, the defendant’s exploitation and trafficking of an innocent teenager — across state lines and over the course of months — can only be described as depravity in its most vile form. He hid his dark life of threats and abuse behind a facade of power and luxury. Together with our law enforcement partners, HSI New York is wholeheartedly focused on protecting victims as we relentlessly pursue those who dehumanize and debase them for their own selfish gain and satisfaction,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso.
“This case began with the vigilance of our CBP officers, who recognized indicators of possible exploitation and took action,” stated CBP Director of Field Operations Russo. “From that first encounter, our Task Force Officers worked tirelessly with Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York, and state and local law enforcement across multiple states to help identify, locate, and apprehend the defendant. Their determination and close collaboration with our partners were critical to bringing this alleged trafficker into custody and protecting a vulnerable child from further harm.”
As alleged in court filings, between June 2024 and August 2024, Francois sex trafficked Jane Doe throughout multiple states, including in Queens, New York, and forced her to engage in commercial sex with multiple clients per day. Francois took sexually explicit photographs of Jane Doe and posted commercial sex advertisements of the victim online during that time period. Law enforcement also recovered a video in which Francois assaulted Jane Doe and made demeaning, and threatening statements to her, including stating in sum and substance and in part, (i) “You learned and understand that me and you are not equal”; (ii) “You speak when you’re spoken to”; (iii) “I’mma violate you... you gonna have broken bones... in your hotel room. No hospital, no nothing”; (iv) “I will personally break your bones.”
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Francois faces a minimum term of 15 years in prison, and up to life imprisonment.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Rachel A. Bennek and Molly Delaney are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
JIMMY FRANCOIS
Age: 37
Elmont, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-11 (DLI)
jimmy_francois_indictment.pdfLittle Rock Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Antonio Kimmons will spend the next 140 months in federal prison after again being convicted for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
On March 4, 2025, Kimmons, 47, of Little Rock, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a three-count Indictment for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition, possession of a machinegun, and possession of body armor. On September 30, 2025, Kimmons pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Judge Moody also sentenced Kimmons to one year of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
An investigation revealed that on June 30, 2024, deputies from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to a verbal altercation between Kimmons and two other men at a garage sale. The men arguing with Kimmons told deputies that Kimmons was angry and followed them in a white van while also shooting at them. No one was injured during the incident, however, investigators observed a bullet hole through the back of the victim’s vehicle, and also through the back of the driver’s seat. Deputies then searched the area for the white van and located it at Kimmons’ residence. After obtaining a search warrant for Kimmons’ residence, deputies conducted a search of the residence. During the search, deputies located approximately 17 firearms, including a machinegun, over 300 pounds of various ammunition, and various firearm accessories, including body armor. During an interview by an agent from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Kimmons admitted that he owned the firearms, ammunition, and firearm accessories, and purchased illegal firearm parts over the Internet.
Kimmons’ criminal history includes felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and aggravated robbery and several misdemeanor convictions for drugs, criminal trespass, assault, domestic battery, and disorderly conduct.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Bart Dickinson.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Leader of Violent Jewelry Theft Ring Pleads Guilty Mid-TrialRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The leader of an organized and violent theft ring that carried out armed robberies of jewelry stores in multiple states has pleaded guilty mid-trial, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
The federal trial of Deuntria Lamar Lyons, 45, of Valdosta, Georgia, began on Monday, March 2, 2026. After two days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Kenneth D. Bell, Lyons pleaded guilty without the benefit of a plea deal on Wednesday to the counts charged in the indictment, including conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery.
Lyons’ co-conspirators, Brandane Smith and Alzaah Wade, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and are awaiting sentencing.
“Robberies at gunpoint like Lyons and his crew carried out are terrifying,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Armed with guns and sledgehammers, they stormed jewelry stores, threatened employees, and stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in merchandise. We will do all that is necessary to put an end to these actions, and I am glad Mr. Lyons pled guilty before wasting more of the jury’s time.”
“After only a few days of trial, Mr. Lyons dramatically changed his tune and admitted his part in a multi-state violent jewelry theft ring. Despite the group’s use of heavy disguises and smash and grab tactics, the FBI and multiple field offices, local, state partners, and prosecutors identified them, uncovered their elaborate theft ring, and stopped them as they attempted to rob another store. While the criminals used hammers to break the jewelry displays, it is clearly the FBI who crushed violent crime in this case,” said Special Agent in Charge Davis.
According to filed documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, on July 11, 2023, at approximately 11:50 a.m., three hooded and masked individuals entered FINK’s Jewelry in Huntersville. All three robbers were brandishing handguns. The robbers corralled the employees to one side of the store at gunpoint. Two robbers then began to break display cases with sledgehammers while the third robber stood guard on the business entrance. In total, the robbers stole approximately $500K in diamonds and watches before they fled the scene.
U.S. v. Lyons et al. – Robbery in Huntersville, North Carolina
During the investigation, investigators determined that the group was responsible for a string of armed robberies of jewelry stores in South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Lyons was the leader who orchestrated the robberies with Wade, Smith, and others.
U.S. v. Lyons et al. – Robbery in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina
Ultimately, the FBI learned that Lyons was planning a robbery for the morning of December 1, 2023. in Dunwoody, Georgia. FBI agents in Atlanta and local law enforcement were waiting for the would-be robbers when they arrived at the location for the planned robbery. The crew had gloves, masks, firearms and sledgehammers.
U.S. v. Lyons et al. – Seized Evidence from Robbery Prevented in Dunwoody/Atlanta, Georgia
Lyons was remanded into federal custody following the guilty plea. At sentencing, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each charge. A sentencing date has not been set.
The investigation was led by FBI Charlotte, assisted by the Columbia, Atlanta, Nashville, and Richmond Field Offices. In addition, several local law enforcement partners assisted both in investigative capacities as well as preventing further robberies including, the Huntersville Police Department; the Raleigh Police Department; the Greenville County Sheriff’s Office (SC); the Mount Pleasant Police Department (SC); the Brentwood Police Department (TN); the Mt. Juliet Police Department (TN); the Georgia State Patrol; the Georgia Department of Corrections; and the Atlanta Police Department; the Dunwoody Police Department (GA); the Gwinnet County Police Department (GA); and the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office (GA).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Leader of Colombian Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Traffic Cocaine into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Rosbin Leonardo Duarte-Elvir (43, Honduras) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William F. Jung to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison and a $5 million forfeiture for conspiring to import cocaine into the United States. Duarte-Elvir pleaded guilty on December 11, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement and other court documents, beginning on an unknown date and continuing through 2024, Duarte-Elvir routinely owned and invested in cocaine shipments that were bound for the United States. With the help of a security supervisor and other corrupt airport employees, conspirators loaded commercial aircraft with cocaine disguised in boxes of fruit at Alfonso Bonilla Aragón International Airport in Cali, Colombia and intended for Gustavo Rojas Pinilla International Airport in San Andrés Island, Colombia. With the assistance of no fewer than 20 corrupt Colombian police officers, the conspirators exported the cocaine out of the San Andrés Island airport, then smuggled the narcotics by boat to either Nicaragua or Honduras, then to Mexico and the United States via land routes.
Historically, Duarte-Elvir and his co-conspirators owned and successfully trafficked thousands of kilograms of cocaine from Colombia to the United States. Their last drug trafficking endeavor was in May 2024. After the conspirators’ drug trafficking route was temporarily disrupted due to a seizure at the San Andrés Island airport in 2023, Duarte-Elvir and other leaders in his transnational criminal organization (TCO) decided it was time to re-open their illicit air route. On May 7, 2024, Duarte-Elvir’s couriers tried importing 540 kilograms of cocaine into the Cali airport, but Colombian law enforcement officers seized the load of cocaine. Had the importation been successful, this load of cocaine would eventually be bound for the United States.
(Photo of drug seizure)
Throughout his years owning and trafficking cocaine in Colombia, Duarte-Elvir and his TCO earned substantial profits. Duarte-Elvir used the proceeds of drug trafficking to furnish a lavish lifestyle, to include a large estate outside of Cali, Colombia.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service. Valuable assistance was provided by the Colombian National Police’s Dirreccion de Antinarcotics (DIRAN) and the Colombian Equipo de Trabajo Investigativo Control Aeronaves (ETICA). The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá worked with Colombian authorities to secure the arrest and March 2025 extradition from Colombia of Duarte-Elvir. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David J. Pardo. Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky is handling the forfeiture.
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.
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.
Lead Defendant in Significant Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization in Lubbock Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A Lubbock man responsible for trafficking thousands of pounds of methamphetamine into the Lubbock area was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Jeremiah “Chris” Arguijo, 40, of Lubbock, Texas, was indicted in August 2025 and pled guilty in November 2025 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He was sentenced on March 6, 2026, to 360 months in federal prison by United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to court documents, on July 22, 2025, federal agents executed search warrants at multiple locations in the Lubbock area Arguijo used to traffic drugs. They located several pounds of methamphetamine and items associated with large scale drug trafficking, some of which is depicted below:
Court records reflect that Arguijo was located near one of the search locations. He attempted to flee using a vehicle and then on foot, but was quickly captured and placed under arrest.
At the sentencing hearing, the court noted the staggering amount of drugs involved. Over a 12-month period, Arguijo was responsible for trafficking more than 1,200 pounds of methamphetamine, or 100 pounds per month.Five other individuals charged along with Arguijo have all pled guilty for their roles in methamphetamine trafficking. Adam Casas, Jr. was sentenced in February 2026 to 97 months by Judge Hendrix. The remaining codefendants will be sentenced in the coming weeks.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lubbock Police Department, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Long prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force 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.
Lawton Man Sentenced to Nine years in Federal Prison for Gun Charge after Shots Fired during Domestic DisputeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – STEVEN LYNN ENGLAND, 43, of Lawton, has been sentenced to serve 108 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of firearms after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on June 6, 2025, officers with the Lawton Police Department responded to a home after receiving reports of shots fired. When officers arrived, they observed England in the front yard arguing with a woman and discovered several cartridge casings on the ground. After officers separated the two, the woman told law enforcement that England had been inside the residence during the altercation and then directed law enforcement to an area inside where she knew England kept a firearm.
From that location, law enforcement recovered a pistol bearing no serial number that was loaded with ammunition matching the recovered casings. The pistol was fitted with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), which converts a semi-automatic weapon into a fully automatic machinegun.
England, who was found to be wearing an empty holster on his waistband, was detained.
Upon execution of a search warrant at the residence, officers also located a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, multiple large-capacity magazines, seven privately made silencers, various other gun parts, and a homemade explosive device.
Public records further show that England was previously convicted of possession of a controlled dangerous substance in Comanche County District Court case number CF-2014-113.
On October 17, 2025, England was charged by Information with being a felon in possession of firearms. He pleaded guilty on October 30, 2025, and admitted he possessed firearms despite having a previous felony conviction.
At the sentencing hearing on March 5, 2026, U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones, II, sentenced England to serve 108 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Jones noted the seriousness of the offense as well as the need to deter further criminal conduct and to protect the public.This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lawton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle M. Connolly prosecuted the case.
This case is part of “Operation 922,” “Shots Fired,” and “Project Switch Off,” which are all part of the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation 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 922” prioritizes prosecution of federal firearms violations connected to domestic violence. “Shots Fired” targets cases involving individuals who discharge firearms as part of their criminal activity, such as drive-by shootings or when shots are fired during robberies, domestic disputes, or other incidents. Meanwhile, “Project Switch Off” targets illegal machinegun conversion devices to address the significant danger these illegal devices present and to remove them from our streets.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Knox County Man Sentenced for Making False Declarations in Bankruptcy ProceedingRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Barboursville, Ky., man, Ray Dean, 58, was sentenced on Friday, to 5 months in prison and 5 months home detention, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier for making false declarations in a bankruptcy proceeding.
According to his plea agreement, on April 13, 2021, Dean filed an application, as “Ray Dean jr”, for funds under the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which the federal government administered to give economic relief to small businesses during the COVID-19 lockdowns. The Small Business Administration (SBA) approved the application for $200,000. Before receiving the funds, Dean electronically signed a Loan Authorization and Agreement in which he agreed that he would use the proceeds of the loan solely as working capital for his business to alleviate economic injury. After receiving the $200,000 loan, he withdrew the money, deposited it into a bank account associated with a church of which he was the pastor. Subsequently, Dean used $92,000 of the funds to purchase mobile homes.
On June 20, 2024, Dean filed a petition for bankruptcy and stated that his only liability was the $200,000 EIDL. As part of the bankruptcy filing, Dean was required to disclose any checking, savings, or other financial accounts. Dean only disclosed two accounts with a combined balance of $105 and fraudulently concealed his interest in the mobile homes and the bank account, which still had over $100,000 worth of EIDL proceeds.
Under federal law, Dean must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by USPIS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy Boone prosecuted the sentencing on behalf of the United States.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Kenton County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A Covington man, Lamar Crawley, 42, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 60 months in prison for the distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to his plea agreement, law enforcement identified Crawley as a methamphetamine and cocaine supplier, and used a confidential informant to make three controlled purchases of methamphetamine from him in April and May 2025. In total, Crawley distributed 1.954 grams of cocaine and 20.14 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant.
Under federal law, Crawley must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Paul C. McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Kenosha Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening to Murder Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced today that Andrew Stanton (Age 38) of Kenosha, Wisconsin, was convicted of threatening to murder a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer who was serving on the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force. Stanton pled guilty to violating Title 18, United States Code, Sections 115(a)(1)(B) and 115(b)(4), and that plea was accepted by the District Court. Stanton made his murder threat to interfere with his victim’s ability to perform his official duties as a federal law enforcement officer and to retaliate against him for the past performance of his duties.
Court records indicate that on August 29, 2025, Stanton posted a video to TikTok in which he stated, “We’re not getting through to them [politicians] with using our words. That’s never gonna happen. You have to use bullets.” In a separate video posted that same day, Stanton superimposed text over a video of himself, and that text stated, “I imply the very TRUE statement that a violent state can only be stopped with violence in return. / Also, I think we should be OFFING federal agents / Also, I support ‘terrorism’ by their standard. Anti-imperialist by mine.”
Members of the FBI Task Force attempted to interview Stanton, prompting him to post additional calls for violence on TikTok. These included a specific threat to the CBP Officer who had reached out to him. On October 4, 2025, Stanton posted a video to TikTok in which he stated, “What the f**k are we even talking about here? If ICE shows up to your neighborhood – I’m sorry, I’m just gonna say it. It’s time to start f**king shooting at them. If they show up to your neighborhood, and I’m talking to you, Border Patrol Officer Joe, it’s time we start shooting at y’all.”
Stanton also repeatedly posted images of weapons and body armor on TikTok, along with additional violent messages. Stanton’s videos, including his threat to the CPB Officer, were viewed hundreds of thousands of times on TikTok.
Stanton’s sentencing is scheduled for June 18th, 2026. At sentencing, Stanton faces a term of imprisonment of up to ten years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Taibleson is prosecuting it.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on XKansas Doctor Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison for $8 Million Medicare FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Catherine D. Perry on Friday sentenced a Kansas anesthesiologist to three years in prison for accepting hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks to order medically unnecessary health care for thousands of patients.
She also ordered Dr. Scott Taggart Roethle, 48, to pay restitution of $8.3 million.
From 2017 to 2020, Dr. Roethle played a central role in a massive telemarketing scheme that billed Medicare for medically unnecessary orthotic braces. Overseas call centers collected Medicare information from unsuspecting elderly patients. Doctors, including Dr. Roethle, signed fraudulent orthotic brace prescriptions without evaluating patients or their actual medical needs and while falsely claiming to be their treating physician and having examined and diagnosed them. The brace suppliers mailed out the braces and billing companies then submitted the fraudulent claims to Medicare. Dr. Roethle admitted providing no follow-up care after signing the orders.
Dr. Roethle was typically paid about $30 for each of his fraudulent orders and received a total of $674,000 from five companies for thousands of prescriptions. Medicare paid out at least $8 million while relying on his fraudulent orders.
“Dr. Roethle used his medical license to facilitate a scheme that exploited vulnerable Medicare patients and drained millions from a program meant to provide medically necessary care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ashley L. Collins of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “By ordering expensive medical equipment without ever examining patients, he betrayed his professional responsibilities and violated the trust of his patients. Today’s sentence demonstrates HHS-OIG’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who put personal profit above patient safety and the integrity of federal health care programs.”
Roethle, of the Kansas City area, pleaded guilty in April of 2025 to one count of health care fraud.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Wiseman and Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.