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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Monday 2 March 2026
Miami-Area Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Videos Depicting Sexual Torture of Baby MonkeysRead the Press Release
Note: the press release has been updated to include a quote from U.S. Attorney Quiñones.
Francisco Javier Ravelo, 36, of Coral Gables, Florida, pleaded guilty today to distributing videos depicting the torture of monkeys, in violation of the federal Animal Crushing statute. Ravelo was charged in October 2025.
According to court documents, Ravelo created some and administered some online chat groups dedicated to the distribution and discussion of sexual and violent videos depicting monkeys being mutilated and burned, including baby and adult monkeys. Ravelo personally distributed more than 40 of these obscene crush videos.
“In his first term, President Donald J. Trump signed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act into law to end animal crushing,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If you are involved in this sadistic activity, we will prosecute you.”
“This case is deeply disturbing,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “As a former state court trial judge who presided over domestic violence cases, I was trained to recognize lethality factors, warning signs that violence is escalating. Deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest red flags. It reflects a willingness to dominate, torture, and inflict suffering without remorse. The defendant didn’t merely view this material. He created and administered online groups devoted to it and distributed dozens of obscene animal torture videos. That conduct fuels a market built on brutality. Animal crushing is a serious federal crime. In the Southern District of Florida, we will enforce that law firmly and without hesitation.”
“Our team worked diligently to ensure Ravelo was held accountable for his egregious crimes and to prevent further harm,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “We are grateful for the collaboration that brought this case to resolution and Ravelo to justice.”
Ravelo faces a maximum penalty of seven years in prison.
HSI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke E. Latta for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
MS-13 gang member previously convicted of conspiring to commit murder sent to federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 28-year-old El Salvadorian national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country after removal, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Ronald Alberto Rivas-Aguilar pleaded guilty Nov. 10, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Rivas to serve 23 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to again face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the country.
“Rivas-Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit murder, was convicted, and removed from the United States—and still, he came back,” said Ganjei. “Gang members who believe that a prior removal is nothing more than an inconvenience should look carefully at what is happening in the Southern District of Texas. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will ensure that you never have the chance to bring your violence back into our country.
In 2016, Rivas and another MS-13 gang member conspired to murder a rival gang member in Fort Bend County. Rivas transported the victim to Buffalo Run Park and tied the victim’s ankles with his shoelaces. A coconspirator then beat the victim to death with a machete. Rivas was subsequently removed to El Salvador after pleading guilty for conspiring to commit a murder.
However, he illegally returned to the United States. In July 2025, authorities encountered him during a traffic stop and took him into custody.
Rivas has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Valenti and Amanda Alum 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.
Louisville Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges for Defrauding CustomersRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville woman pled guilty on February 19, 2026, to defrauding over 50 customers in connection with her pool business.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Jefferson County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office made the announcement.
According to court documents, Tracy Davenport, 51, of Louisville, and others working at her direction, engaged in a scheme to induce customers into signing a contract for a pool installation and paying a large down payment up front. Davenport used those funds for purposes other than what was agreed upon.
Davenport pled guilty to wire fraud, bankruptcy fraud, and money laundering in a nineteen count Indictment. She is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Additionally, Davenport will be required to pay not less than $3,398,536.75 in restitution.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “This fraudulent conduct had a significant financial and emotional impact on many people. This defendant created numerous truly innocent victims who worked hard and, in some cases, worked their entire lives to be able to purchase a pool only have their money stolen. I am thankful to our law enforcement partners for everyone’s contributions toward attempting to right this wrong.”
“I want to applaud the extensive and outstanding work of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky. The continued support of our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners towards this case is a testament to what can be achieved through strong partnerships. These collaborations were all instrumental in this case’s resolution,” said Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerina D. Whethers. “I also want to particularly commend Commonwealth Attorney’s Detective Michael Smithers, who was instrumental in ensuring justice was served. His pursuit of this effort was over and beyond his day-to-day duties with us. His dedication to the victims in this case ensured the tools were there for this prosecution to be done at the federal level.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Louisville Office and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Jefferson County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, and the United States Trustee’s Office for the Western District of Kentucky.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Elver, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, is prosecuting the case.
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Long Island Medical Doctor Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Operating Oxycodone Pill Mill Out of her Great Neck OfficeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Dr. Roya Jafari-Hassad was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 7 years’ imprisonment for prescribing oxycodone pills without a legitimate medical purpose and fraudulently billing insurance providers for procedures which were never performed. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Brown imposed a fine of $150,000, and ordered Jafari-Hassad to pay restitution in the amount of $152,765. The defendant was convicted at trial in December 2024 of eight counts of prescribing oxycodone pills without a legitimate medical purpose. The defendant subsequently pleaded guilty to health care fraud in April 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, Associate Chief of Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Northeast Region, and Naomi Gruchacz, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General’s Office of Investigations, New York Region (HHS-OIG), announced the sentence.
“Dr. Jafari-Hassad used her medical practice to deal drugs, a disgraceful betrayal of her doctor’s oath to do no harm,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Today’s sentence holds her accountable for capitalizing on her patients’ dangerous opioid addictions to enrich herself. A jail term and serious financial penalties should serve as a warning to other healthcare professionals, that when they unlawfully prioritize profit over patient well-being, they will be brought to justice.”
United States Attorney Nocella also expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department for their assistance in this case.
“Today’s sentencing is a significant step for the DEA and our law enforcement partners pursuit of those health care professionals who exacerbate the ongoing healthcare crisis by prescribing dangerous and addictive opioids just for profit” stated DEA Associate Chief of Operations Tarentino. “Dr Jafari-Hassad knew the harmful effects opioids could have on her patients and yet she chose to jeopardize their health by turning her medical office into a modern-day pill mill.”
“The illegal prescribing practices for which this doctor was convicted and sentenced, were especially egregious and contributed to fueling the opioid epidemic,” stated HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure health care providers involved in schemes that threaten patient safety are held accountable.”
As proved at trial and set forth in court filings, the defendant was a licensed physician who provided medical services to patients from offices located in Great Neck, Forest Hills, Queens and Manhattan, New York. From approximately January 2019 through May 2022, the defendant charged her patients hundreds of dollars in cash in exchange for monthly prescriptions of oxycodone – a potent, highly addictive and frequently abused controlled substance – with no legitimate medical purpose. At times, the defendant provided these prescriptions to patients without even seeing them for an appointment; rather, their payment information would be obtained, and their prescription immediately refilled. The defendant made an estimated hundreds of thousands of dollars a year, solely from these payments. She also submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare and private benefit programs for medical services that were not rendered, and charged insurance companies – and was, in turn, paid for – services that she did not provide.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles P. Kelly and Katherine Onyshko are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroder and Victim-Witness Specialist Stephanie Marroquin.
The Defendant:
ROYA JAFARI-HASSAD
Age: 59
Bayside, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-545 (S-2) (GRB)
Leader of Capital District Drug Trafficking Organization Admits Guilt in Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Felix Arencibia, age 40, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty on February 27, 2026, to conspiracy and methamphetamine distribution charges in connection with his distribution and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of pure methamphetamine and fentanyl.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, acting Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Arencibia admitted that between November 2022 and July 2023, the defendant received through the United States mail at least 5,615 grams of pure methamphetamine from Christian Mur-Santana, his Nevada-based drug supplier. Thereafter, Arencibia distributed the methamphetamine to drug re-distributors in the Capital District. For example, Arencibia admitted that on April 4, 2023, he sold 55.6 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for cash.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Large-scale drug trafficking operations like this one are a scourge on society, fueling addiction, violence, and despair in our communities. By dismantling this organization and holding its leader accountable, we are sending a clear message that those who profit from poisoning our neighborhoods will face serious federal consequences.”
DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam stated: “Once again, we see the extreme lengths individuals will go to as they exploit our mail system to conspire, distribute, and profit from the sale of methamphetamine and fentanyl, poisons capable of single handedly devastating families across New York’s Capital Region and beyond. DEA remains steadfast in its commitment to identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice those who distribute these deadly substances.”
Acting Inspector in Charge Nicholas Bucciarelli stated: “This case highlights the misuse of the U.S. mail system to facilitate the distribution of dangerous drugs. The Postal Inspection Service will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect the integrity of the mail and to ensure that those who attempt to exploit it for criminal gain are held accountable.”
Arencibia was the leader of the organization comprised of eight additional defendants charged in this investigation. The following defendants have pled guilty and have been sentenced or are pending sentencing:
- Andrew Deleon was sentenced to 72 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release
- Stefanie Plass was sentenced to 24 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release
- Ahmad Burke was sentenced to 14 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release
- Todd Austin was sentenced to 78 months in prison, to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release
- Kevisha Duboise is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14, 2026.
- Flor Arencibia is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2026.
- Melissa Karwan is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2026.
- Christian Mur-Santana is scheduled to be sentenced on March 26, 2026.
At sentencing, Arencibia faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years imprisonment, a maximum term of life imprisonment, and a term of post imprisonment supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. He will be sentenced on June 25, 2026 before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
These cases are being investigated by the DEA and USPIS. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Lead Defendant in Bowling Green Methamphetamine Conspiracy Sentenced to 200 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – On February 25, 2026, Scottie Starks, Jr., the lead defendant, in a Bowling Green methamphetamine conspiracy was sentenced to serve 200 months in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Director Tommy M. Loving of the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force made the announcement.
According to court records, Scottie Starks, Jr., 46, was supplying methamphetamine to Cristopher Patterson, Bryan Murphy, and Isaac Hayes. He was responsible for trafficking over 5 kilograms of methamphetamine and 1 kilogram of cocaine. Starks, a convicted felon, also possessed a handgun illegally. Starks had previously been convicted in Warren County, Kentucky on May 21, 2012, of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance (greater than 4 grams of cocaine); also in Warren County, Kentucky on September 24, 2007, of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and tampering with physical evidence; and again in Warren County, Kentucky on January 24, 2000, of first-degree trafficking in a controlled substance and first-degree possession of a controlled substance. Starks also pled guilty to possessing his handgun in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
Starks was sentenced on February 25, 2026 to serve 200 months in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine (2 counts), possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Several of Starks’ co-defendants previously sentenced for their roles in connection to this drug conspiracy. Patterson was sentenced on November 13, 2025, to serve 10 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Hayes was sentenced on January 20, 2026, to serve 2 years in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Murphy is scheduled for final sentencing on March 5, 2026.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner commended the strong cooperation between state and federal law enforcement in achieving a significant result. Mr. Bumgarner further stated, “Starks is a career drug trafficker who has had multiple opportunities to put aside his drug trafficking career. Despite repeated state drug trafficking convictions, Starks continued to distribute poison into our community. Hopefully, Starks’ 16 year and 8-month sentence sends a strong message to other career drug traffickers to stop dealing and stop now. Otherwise, they will be joining Starks in federal prison for nearly a generation.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes stated, “Scottie Starks used violence and drug trafficking to torment this community and will now face a lengthy prison sentence for his crimes. ATF is proud to partner with the WCDTF and the WDKY USAO to remove armed drug traffickers from our community.”
Bowling Green/Warren County AHIDTA Drug Task Force Director Tommy M. Loving stated, “This case brings closure to a lengthy investigation into a major drug trafficker who was responsible for distributing crystal methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana throughout Warren County and South Central Kentucky. It stands as a clear example of what can be achieved when agencies work together with a unified mission. Through the strong partnerships we share with the ATF, the United States Attorney’s Office, and our state and local law enforcement partners, we are able to disrupt significant drug operations and make our communities safer.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the ATF Bowling Green Field Office and the Bowling Green/Warren County Appalachia High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (AHIDTA) Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark J. Yurchisin II, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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KC Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Cocaine Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Antoine R. Gillum, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 10 years in federal prison without parole.
On June 19, 2024, investigators of the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department contacted Gillum inside a gas station convenience store. Gillum had discarded a Taurus, Model G3, 9mm pistol in an aisle between merchandise. Gillum also discarded a pill bottle containing cocaine base, oxycodone and acetaminophen, and oxycodone. Officers searched the vehicle Gillum arrived in and located approximately 32 grams of cocaine base.
On May 6, 2025, Gillum pleaded guilty to one count each of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Jury Finds Man Guilty of 2011 St. Louis County Murder-For-HireRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Monday found a man guilty of conspiring with a woman to have her fiancé killed at his St. Louis County home in 2011.
Jurors convicted Michael Grady, 70, of one count each of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, aiding and abetting murder-for-hire and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Evidence and testimony at the trial, which began last Monday, showed that Grady hatched the idea to kill Charles Harris III so that he and Harris’ financially struggling fiancée, Victoria Rena Williams, would receive an insurance payout. Grady also hired the person or persons who shot Harris in his home on Langford Drive on Oct. 5, 2011, telling Williams, “I have two young shooters,” the trial showed.
“Ladies and gentlemen, Michael Grady was at the center of this,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj told jurors Monday.
Williams, 67, pleaded guilty in September to the same three counts and is awaiting sentencing.
Wiliams said that Grady witnessed an argument over money between her and Harris in the summer of 2010 and told her she “shouldn’t be going through that.” Prompted by Grady, Williams called an insurance company that he recommended and asked if an accidental death policy would pay out in the event of a fatal robbery. On Aug. 27, 2010, Williams started the application process for a $250,000 policy for Harris.
The murder occurred after the pair knew the policy was in effect and after Grady learned a different insurance scheme was not likely to pay out. Harris worked for an alarm company and sold suits out of his home to people he knew or through trusted referrals. Williams told Harris that the shooters were interested in buying suits. She told jurors that after backing out twice, when she tried to back out again, Grady told her that they were too far along, and it could be “bad for you” if she did.
Williams eventually received $224,444 from one life insurance company and then obtained a cashier’s check for $110,000 payable to Grady’s wife. Williams also received $175,762 from another insurance policy.
A trail of electronic evidence detailed the communications between Williams and Grady while they planned the murder and between Williams and Grady and one of the shooters before and after the murder was carried out, as well as the movements of the shooters and Grady. The shooter or shooters have not been identified. Only Grady knows their identity, Assistant U.S. Attorney Donald Boyce told jurors in his opening statement.
Grady is scheduled to be sentenced on June 4 and faces life in prison. He is already serving a 226-month federal prison sentence for aiding a large-scale, violent drug conspiracy by trying to determine who was cooperating with investigators and prosecutors.
The St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce, Nino Przulj and Ryan Finlen are prosecuting the case.
Judge Finds Probable Cause in Recording Studio ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keyonte Johnson, 16, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged as an adult with the first-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing 20-year-old D.C. resident Roy Bennett, Jr. on the evening of December 5, 2025, in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On February 27, 2026, Judge Michael Ryan found probable cause for the charge of first-degree murder while armed and ordered Johnson held pending trial.
Johnson will next appear before Judge Ryan for a status hearing on March 26, 2026.
According to court documents, Johnson, the victim, and several other people were present in an apartment located in The Gantry – a luxury apartment building - near Union Market that was being used as a recording studio. As the victim was recording a song, Johnson, who was seated behind him on a sofa, began shooting. Johnson shot the victim seven times, including twice in the back of the head and twice in the chest. Johnson left the scene in a rideshare.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rashmika Nedungadi.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
2025 CF1 017939
Iowa Man Remains Detained on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – Joseph Lee Rhodes, Jr., 41, of Muscatine County, was detained pending trial today in connection with an indictment charging him with five counts of transportation of child pornography.
On January 14, 2026, Rhodes made his initial appearance. Following the March 2, 2026, detention hearing, a United States Magistrate Judge ordered Rhodes to remain detained pending trial.
If convicted, Rhodes could face a mandatory minimum of five years up to 20 years imprisonment for each count.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Lousia County Sheriff’s Office is investigating this case.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Scott Burd, 60, of Huntington, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 6, 2025, Burd sold approximately 29 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $1,000. As part of his guilty plea, Burd admitted that his co-defendant, Adrian Demetrius Ludaway, arranged the transaction beforehand and met with the confidential informant at Burd’s Huntington residence, where Burd distributed the fentanyl to the confidential informant.
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 Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephanie Taylor and Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
Ludaway, also known as “A1,” 35, of Wayne, Michigan, was sentenced on December 1, 2025, to nine years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl and a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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. 3:25-cr-103.
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Houston man gets 20 years for sex trafficking minorRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old man has been ordered to federal prison after luring a minor away from her family and forcing her to engage in prostitution, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Trevyeon Deshawn Prater pleaded guilty July 28, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt has now ordered Prater to serve 240 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including a victim letter indicating how Prater’s conduct had negatively affected her over the years. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the crime was part of an evil cycle that takes advantage of people and how terrible it is to do so to a young lady. He added that this was a pattern which involved months of intentional acts. Prater will also serve 10 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Prater will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
On Nov. 29, 2022, a 13-year-old minor was reported missing. The investigation led law enforcement to the Bissonnet “blade,” where authorities recovered her.
She described how Prater personally coached her in person and over the phone. The minor victim also stated going to the blade over a period of months for Prater.
The blade or “track” is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.
At the time of his plea, Prater admitted he recruited the minor victim to engage in prostitution and knew she was a minor. He communicated with her by cell phone and lured her away from her family.
Prater has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Leo and Celia Moyer prosecuted the case.
FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance from Houston Police Department as part of the of Human Trafficking Rescue alliance.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – OIG, Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Honduran national ordered to federal prison for fifth illegal reentryRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old man who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country again, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Kevin Alexander Bueso-Medina pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2025.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Bueso-Medina to serve 24 months in federal prison. Already on supervised release for a previous drug conviction, the court further imposed a 12-month sentence to be served consecutively for a total 36-month term of imprisonment. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to again face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about the crimes he committed while illegally present in the United States.
Bueso-Medina has multiple previous convictions for illegal reentry, importation and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, manufacture/delivery of cocaine and driving while intoxicated.
Law enforcement first removed Bueso-Medina from the United States in February 2007. He later returned illegally multiple times and was removed in June 2018, September 2019 and May 2023. Most recently, authorities found him again Sept. 25, 2025, in Harris County, with no authorization to be in the United States.
Bueso-Medina has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Whitney 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.
Harlingen man sent to prison for 168 months for possessing sexually explicit images and videos of childrenRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 57-year-old man has been sentenced for possession of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Todd Edward Ellison pleaded guilty Dec. 17, 2024.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Ellison to serve 168 months in federal prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. At the hearing, the court heard that Ellison was previously convicted of child exploitative offenses on two separate occasions. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution to the victims will be determined at a later date.
In May 2020, authorities suspected Ellison was using social media to impersonate and harass a female victim and obtained a search warrant for his residence. At that time, they located and seized numerous digital media devices. The evidence showed Ellison had knowingly possessed child sexual abuse material across multiple digital devices. Forensic analysis revealed he possessed over 1,500 images and 21 videos of child pornography.
Ellison will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations - Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitations Investigations Task Force conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ana C. Cano and Jose A. Esquivel prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Hanford Contractor, Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS), Agrees to Pay $3.45 Million to Resolve Allegations of FraudRead the Press Release
Richland, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney S. Peter Serrano announced that on February 2, 2026, federal contractor Hanford Mission Integration Solutions (HMIS) paid $3,450,000 to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) as part of a settlement agreement resolving allegations that HMIS fraudulently overcharged the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for millions of dollars in labor hours.
This settlement with HMIS resolves allegations under the False Claims Act that HMIS’ management was aware of and failed to prevent inflated labor hours being charged to DOE. These hours were paid to HMIS by DOE from federal funds and included payment for labor hours for which HMIS employees were not scheduled or assigned sufficient work to perform.
Since 2020, HMIS has had a multi-billion dollar performance-based prime contract with DOE for infrastructure and site services which are integral and necessary to accomplish the environmental cleanup mission. Under its prime contract with DOE, HMIS receives reimbursement for its claimed allowable costs, including labor. According to the allegations filed in court, HMIS fraudulently inflated reimbursable costs by failing to provide its employees with work assignments sufficient to fill an entire shift and then directed those same employees to record their time as if they had worked the entire shift. This false recording of time resulted in HMIS knowingly submitting false claims for the payment of those labor hours.
Under the settlement agreement entered into with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, HMIS admitted that between August 17, 2020, and September 30, 2025, it sought and received reimbursement from DOE for labor hours made up of unallowable excessive idle time. HMIS has further admitted in the settlement agreement that, at times, it did not schedule or assign sufficient work to be performed by its personnel. HMIS has paid a total settlement amount of $3,450,000, of which $1,725,000 is restitution.
“Corporate fraud perpetrated upon the taxpayer at Hanford distracts from DOE’s vital clean up mission,” stated First Assistant U.S. Attorney Serrano. “This resolution shows our continuing commitment to fighting fraud at Hanford and to ensuring that those tasked with the responsibility of essential environmental cleanup do not abuse our trust in them. I am grateful that HMIS ultimately did the right thing by admitting its conduct and paying back twice what it took from the taxpayers. I hope every individual and business that contracts with the federal government sees this settlement and knows there’s a real risk of prosecution when the United States is defrauded.”
In December 2021, a HMIS employee came forward with allegations of labor mischarging by filing a qui tam complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court (EDWA) under the False Claims Act. In May 2024, the same individual, a whistleblower known as a “Relator” under the False Claims Act, came forward with a second qui tam complaint, also filed under seal, making additional allegations of HMIS’ fraud. When a relator files a qui tam complaint, the False Claims Act requires the United States to investigate the allegations and elect whether to intervene and take over the action or to decline to intervene and allow the relator to go forward with the litigation on behalf of the United States. The relator is generally able to then share in any recovery. This settlement resolves both qui tams filed by the relator. As part of the settlement agreement, the relator will receive $793,500 of the settlement amount and is entitled to have HMIS pay the relator’s attorney fees.
“I thank and commend the relator-whistleblower for bringing serious and credible allegations of fraud to our attention” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Serrano. “Through the relator’s information and the years’ long investigation, we are able to uncover fraud and hold HMIS accountable. I hope the public sees this and understands that when viable information is reported to law enforcement, whether that’s through the filing of an under seal qui tam complaint or stepping forward as a witness, they allow the Department of Justice to do its job and hold fraudsters accountable” continued Serrano.
“The Office of Inspector General remains committed to ensuring the integrity of the Department’s contractors by detecting and holding accountable those who engage in schemes to defraud the Government. The American taxpayers should never be responsible for the costs associated with work that was not performed. This settlement is the result of a collaborative effort with our Office of Investigation’s team and the U.S. Attorney’s Office who have repeatedly demonstrated their dedication to ensure public funds are used for the mission-related purposes for which they are intended,” stated Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Lewe Sessions. “I would like to extend my deep gratitude to our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for pursuing this matter as we remain devoted to partner with them to aggressively investigate those who seek to defraud Department programs and American taxpayers.”
The settlement was the result of an investigation jointly conducted by the United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) and the Department of Energy Office of Inspector General. The USAO’s investigation and prosecution was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Frieda K. Zimmerman, Jacob E. Brooks, Molly M.S. Smith, and Tyler H.L. Tornabene. The Relator was represented by the law firms of Smith & Lowney, PLLC, Mehri & Skalet PLLC, and Hanford Challenge.
Settlement Agreement
4:24-CV-05051-SAB
4:21-CV-05156-SAB
Guatemalan National Arrested and Charged for Employing Illegal Aliens at Caldwell BusinessRead the Press Release
BOISE – Brayan Adiel Gramajo-Reyes, 31, of Guatemala, was arrested Saturday on federal immigration charges, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. A federal grand jury in Pocatello returned an indictment charging Gramajo-Reyes with two counts of encouraging illegal entry of aliens to enter the United States, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(a); eight counts of using false statements for employment verification by attesting that social security numbers were genuine and that the employees were authorized to work in the United States, knowing that was false, in violation of 18 U.S.C § 1546(b)(3); and one count of unlawful employment of aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A).
The charges stem from allegations that Gramajo-Reyes persuaded two unaccompanied alien children to travel from Guatemala to the United States with prospects of opportunity, only to require them to work long hours of physical labor after arriving in Idaho. The other charges stem from allegations that Gramajo-Reyes employed numerous illegal aliens at his business.
Gramajo-Reyes is scheduled for an initial court appearance on March 5, 2026 at 10am before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond E. Patricco of the U.S. District Court for the District of Idaho. If convicted of counts one through ten, Gramajo-Reyes faces a maximum of five years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000 for each count. If convicted of count eleven, he faces up to six months in prison and a $3,000 fine for each alien that he unlawfully employed. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Enforcement and Removal Operations), which led to the charges.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by Idaho’s Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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Gainesville Felon Faces Federal Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Curtis Lee Smith-Carter, 27, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Smith-Carter appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for March 25, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
Smith-Carter faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Fully Suspended Sentences Handed Down for Armed Carjacking in September 2024Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Julan Byrd, 18, of Temple Hills, MD, was sentenced Friday in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia, stemming from an armed carjacking in September 2024, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Byrd, who was seventeen years old at the time of the offense and who was charged pursuant to Title 16, pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025, to one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. At Byrd’s sentencing on February 27, 2026, the United States requested a sentence of seven years of incarceration, the top of his sentencing guidelines, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Honorable Jennifer DiToro sentenced Byrd to a fully-suspended sentence of 60 months, with 12 months of supervised probation. The Court’s sentence was entered pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, which permits a sentence beneath the mandatory minimum term of five years of incarceration for armed robbery and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence.
Byrd’s co-defendant, Antonio Kent, 20, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced on January 14, 2026 by Judge DiToro on one count of armed robbery and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. At Kent’s sentencing, the United States requested a sentence of seven years of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The Court also sentenced Kent pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, over the government’s objection, and gave Kent a fully-suspended sentence of 48 months, with two years of probation.
Byrd was in custody from his September 30, 2024, arrest until October 4, 2024, when he was released on electronic monitoring, over the government’s objection. Kent was in custody in Washington, D.C., from February 28, 2025, until January 14, 2026. Neither defendant will have to serve the remainder of his suspended sentence if he satisfactorily completes his term of probation.
According to the proffer of facts, on September 1, 2024, Byrd, Kent, and a third suspect approached the victim in the 5500 block of Jay Street NE, as he was washing his car. One of the suspects brandished a gun and took the victim’s car keys, and the suspects drove off in the victim’s vehicle. Byrd drove the vehicle to the Pentagon parking lot where the suspects bailed out and fled on foot. Byrd and Kent each discarded handguns while fleeing. When stopped by police, Byrd was wearing the victim’s key lanyard around his neck.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. In addition, they thanked the Arlington County Police Department, Pentagon Force Protective Agency, and the Virginia State Police who made the arrests. They also acknowledged the work of Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Roberts and former Assistant United States Attorney Luca Winer, who prosecuted the cases.
2024 CF3 009865; 2025 CF3 002116
Fort Eustis woman pleads guilty to neglecting children, assaulting husbandRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A woman residing on Fort Eustis pled guilty today to assault, driving under the influence of alcohol, and felony child neglect.
According to court documents, Rachel Lorane Pendergrast, 30, lived with her husband and children in military housing on Fort Eustis. On Dec. 3, 2025, she was responsible for the care of her three minor children while her husband was away from the home; the oldest child was at school/childcare and the younger two children were home with Pendergrast. Pendergrast began drinking vodka that morning. When she left her house to pick up her oldest child, she took her one-year-old with her and left her three-year-old alone at home.
Law enforcement received a call from Pendergrast’s neighbor reporting that the three-year-old was standing at the edge of the roadway near the home, crying, and attempting to cross the street. The outside temperature was 48℉ and the child was wearing only a diaper and a t-shirt. Approximately 10 minutes later Pendergrast arrived with the other two children in the vehicle. When law enforcement arrived, they noted that she seemed disoriented and had glossy eyes and a strong smell of alcohol. Two preliminary breath tests registered .304 and .298 for Pendergrast’s blood alcohol concentration. A test performed approximately five hours after driving showed Pendergrast’s blood alcohol level was still .18.
On the morning of June 17, 2025, Pendergrast repeatedly struck her husband in the immediate presence of their five-year-old. The incident was captured on video. When responding officers arrived at the home, Pendergrast was passed out on the couch, intoxicated.
Pendergrast is scheduled to be sentenced on June 10 and faces up to seven years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Washington Field Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Black is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:26-cr-6.
Former President of Eastern Iowa Business Convicted of Bankruptcy CrimesRead the Press Release
The former president of a defunct Eastern Iowa telecommunications infrastructure business, who concealed assets and otherwise made false statements under penalty of perjury in his personal bankruptcy proceeding, was convicted on all counts by a jury on February 28, 2026, after a five-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Dennis Clifford Bruce, age 51, from Marion, Iowa, was convicted of one count of conspiracy, two counts of bankruptcy concealment, one count of false bankruptcy declaration, two counts of false statement under oath, and one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity. The verdicts were returned following about five hours of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Bruce was the owner and president of BDC Group, Inc., an Eastern Iowa telecommunications infrastructure business that did business throughout the United States. In 2023, BDC filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in an attempt to reorganize but, in early 2024, the bankruptcy court converted BDC’s corporate bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 liquidation proceeding.
In March 2024, Bruce filed for personal Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. Bruce told the bankruptcy court that he had less than $50,000 in non-exempt assets. He sought to discharge over $30 million in debt from his creditors in his personal bankruptcy, which to a large degree consisted of personal guarantees on BDC’s loans.
The United States’s bankruptcy laws permit debtors a “fresh start” so long as they are scrupulously honest with the bankruptcy court, the trustees who oversee the debtor’s property, and creditors. The evidence at trial established that Bruce concealed assets and repeatedly made false statements to the bankruptcy court, trustees, and creditors about his property and prior transfers. The concealment and false statements included Bruce’s sale of a $50,000 pontoon boat and his ownership interest in an Eastern Iowa conduit company.
The trial evidence also established that Bruce hid an ownership interest in a limited liability company in Marion, which another person purported to operate from Bruce’s basement. On paper, the company was put in the name of that other person, but Bruce had obtained approximately $300,000 in seed money for the company and profited from its operations. The company solicited business from some of BDC’s prior customers, including the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (“NASA”), on the false premises that the company was “woman owned.” For example, the company successfully obtained a nearly $500,000 contract with NASA to build a blast-proof bunker at the Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas. While his Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding was pending, Bruce and another person received “rent” payments from the new company, compensation for a root canal, and a new deck on Bruce’s home in Marion. Evidence at trial revealed that the company’s internal financial records contained false statements to conceal these payments that benefited Bruce.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Bruce remains free on bond previously set pending sentencing. Bruce faces a possible maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, a $1,750,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Dan Chatham and was investigated by NASA, Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-49.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Jury Convicts Miami Man of Kidnapping, Alien Smuggling, and Racketeering-Related Violent CrimesRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami convicted Victor Rafael Arcia Albeja, also known as “Vitico,” 32, of Miami, on Feb. 20 for his role in a violent human smuggling scheme that kidnapped and extorted Cuban migrants, holding them captive and threatening brutal harm to force payments from their families.
Arcia Albeja was the last of six defendants to be convicted for their roles in a South Florida-based alien smuggling and extortion scheme. Co-defendants Osmel Benitez, 40, of Opa-Locka; Victor Manuel Perez Cardenas, 40, of Tampa; Jhonny Walther Izaguirre Lopez, 46, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Yoelys Prada Ramos, 45, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana; and Jose Angel Marrero Rodriguez, 52, of Houston, Texas, previously pleaded guilty.
“This was an organized human smuggling enterprise enforced through kidnapping, torture, and terror,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “The defendants smuggled vulnerable Cuban migrants into our country and then treated them as commodities, imprisoning them, beating them with machetes, staging mock executions, and putting guns to their heads to extort ransom from their families. These are not immigration violations. They are violent federal crimes. If you exploit desperation for profit in South Florida, you will be hunted down, prosecuted federally, and face the full weight of the law.”
“The depravity of this kidnapping and smuggling operation is almost beyond description,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of FBI Miami. “Arcia Albeja and his co-defendants kidnapped, extorted, and tortured victims and their families by putting them in nightmarish circumstances such as a mock hanging, being beaten by a machete, and extorting large sums of money. Now all convicted, these defendants justly face significant prison sentences for their inhumane actions.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, in March and May 2024, Arcia Albeja and Perez Cardenas transported Cuban nationals by boat from Cayo Coco, Cuba to Key Largo. Benitez and other members of the alien smuggling enterprise then transported the aliens to a safe house in Miami Gardens, where members of the enterprise demanded $15,000 in smuggling fees per person from the aliens’ families and friends.
To enforce payment and deter noncompliance, members of the enterprise used threats and violence. When the aliens brought in March 2024 failed to pay, Prada Ramos showed the aliens a video depicting a man battering a victim with a machete, then shooting the victim dead. This video was shown to aliens who came on the May 2024 voyage before they boarded the boat. Further, Arcia Albeja and other members of the enterprise implemented a policy that no alien would be released until full payment was received.
On May 18, 2024, Arcia Albeja and Perez Cardenas brought approximately 15 aliens to Key Largo. After some attempted to flee, members of the enterprise pursued them. Meanwhile, Perez Cardenas drove some of the aliens to the safe house. At the safe house, enterprise members threatened the aliens with harm if payment was not made. When several aliens’ families failed to pay, five aliens were transported to a vacant farm property in northwest Miami-Dade County used for cockfighting.
At that location, members of the enterprise resumed their efforts to collect the aliens’ smuggling fees, including staging and recording acts of violence and sending the videos to aliens’ families. One alien testified that Izaguirre Lopez put her on a FaceTime call with her mother, put a gun to her head, and told her mother that if she did not pay, she would receive her daughter’s head. In another instance, Benitez and Arcia Albeja forced one of the aliens to participate in a mock hanging while being beaten with a machete.
When the extortion scheme failed, members of the enterprise attempted to transport the aliens to Louisiana for forced labor to satisfy the smuggling debts. On May 20, 2024, law enforcement stopped Izaguirre Lopez on the Florida Turnpike in Sumter County, arrested him, and rescued the aliens.
The jury convicted Arcia Albeja of conspiracy to kidnap, four counts of kidnapping, conspiracy to bring an alien to the U.S., bringing an alien to the U.S., and four counts of violent crimes in furtherance of racketeering. Arcia Albeja faces a maximum sentence of life in prison on the kidnapping-related charges. He also faces up to 10 years in prison on each of the alien smuggling counts and up to 20 years in prison on each count of violent crimes in furtherance of racketeering. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Skiles made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dwayne E. Williams and Bertila Fernandez are prosecuting the case.
FBI Miami is investigating the case. The Homestead Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office provided invaluable assistance.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Miami comprises agents and officers from FBI Miami, Homestead Police Department, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website for the United States District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20397.
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Defendant Charged with Damaging the Brooklyn Headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch MovementRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY – Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a complaint was unsealed charging Dan Sohail with intentionally damaging religious property, specifically the global headquarters for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement (Chabad Headquarters) in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Sohail was taken into federal custody earlier today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the charge.
“As alleged, the defendant’s conduct—driving his vehicle back and forth into an entrance of the synagogue five times— caused damage to a sacred religious institution,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office will not tolerate conduct that endangers the safety of that community or any of our diverse communities. We will continue to protect religious gathering spaces to ensure worshippers are free to safely congregate.”
“Americans should be free to practice their faith without fearing defacement of their sacred places,” said Assistant Attorney General Dhillon. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate attacks on houses of worship, and will vigorously prosecute those who carry them out.”
“Dan Sohail allegedly rammed his vehicle five times into the Chabad Headquarters during a packed memorial service. Sohail allegedly jeopardized dozens of lives and damaged one of our city’s sacred synagogues. The FBI and the NYPD will continue to protect our community’s religious institutions to ensure a safe place for all worshippers,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.“Every New Yorker deserves to live in a safe city where they can practice their faith freely and without fear," stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “The Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn is a sacred place for many Jews in New York City and around the world, and the purposeful destruction of this property is unacceptable. We will always work to ensure that those who violate the law are held accountable, and I thank our NYPD investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's office for working swiftly to pursue justice in this case.”
As alleged in the complaint, on the evening of January 28, 2026, Sohail drove to the Chabad Headquarters located on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. The Chabad Headquarters was hosting an event that evening which was attended by dozens of people, marking the anniversary of the death of the movement’s leader. When Sohail arrived at the side entrance of the building, he exited his vehicle and moved barriers that were set up to protect the building, which includes a synagogue and religious gathering spaces. After gesturing for various congregants to move away, Sohail returned to his vehicle and drove his car into the building’s side entrance. He then reversed his vehicle and accelerated into the entrance four additional times. The impact knocked the entrance door off its hinges. No one was injured in the incident.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, Sohail faces up to three years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights and General Crimes Sections. Assistant United States Attorneys Eric Silverberg and Brachah Goykadosh are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Marlane Bosler.
The Defendant:
DAN SOHAIL
Age: 36
Carteret, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-MJ-41
sohail_complaint.pdfDefendant Charged with Damaging the Brooklyn Headquarters of the Chabad-Lubavitch MovementRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a complaint was unsealed charging Dan Sohail with intentionally damaging religious property, specifically the global headquarters for the Chabad-Lubavitch movement (Chabad Headquarters) in Crown Heights, Brooklyn. Sohail was taken into federal custody earlier today and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Clay H. Kaminsky.
“Americans should be free to practice their faith without fearing defacement of their sacred places,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “The Department of Justice will not tolerate attacks on houses of worship, and will vigorously prosecute those who carry them out.”
“As alleged, the defendant’s conduct — driving his vehicle back and forth into an entrance of the synagogue five times — caused damage to a sacred religious institution,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “Our Office will not tolerate conduct that endangers the safety of that community or any of our diverse communities. We will continue to protect religious gathering spaces to ensure worshippers are free to safely congregate.”
“Dan Sohail allegedly rammed his vehicle five times into the Chabad Headquarters during a packed memorial service,” said Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle of the FBI New York Field Office. “Sohail allegedly jeopardized dozens of lives and damaged one of our city’s sacred synagogues. The FBI and the NYPD will continue to protect our community’s religious institutions to ensure a safe place for all worshippers.”
“Every New Yorker deserves to live in a safe city where they can practice their faith freely and without fear,” said Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch of the New York Police Department. “The Chabad-Lubavitch World Headquarters in Brooklyn is a sacred place for many Jews in New York City and around the world, and the purposeful destruction of this property is unacceptable. We will always work to ensure that those who violate the law are held accountable, and I thank our NYPD investigators, the FBI, and the U.S. Attorney's office for working swiftly to pursue justice in this case.”
As alleged in the complaint, on the evening of Jan. 28, Sohail drove to the Chabad Headquarters located on Eastern Parkway in Brooklyn, New York. The Chabad Headquarters was hosting an event that evening which was attended by dozens of people, marking the anniversary of the death of the movement’s leader. When Sohail arrived at the side entrance of the building, he exited his vehicle and moved barriers that were set up to protect the building, which includes a synagogue and religious gathering spaces. After gesturing for various congregants to move away, Sohail returned to his vehicle and drove his car into the building’s side entrance. He then reversed his vehicle and accelerated into the entrance four additional times. The impact knocked the entrance door off its hinges. No one was injured in the incident.
The charge in the complaint is an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted of the charge, Sohail faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Human Trafficking and Civil Rights and General Crimes Sections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Silverberg and Brachah Goykadosh are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Marlane Bosler.
Coral Gables Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Videos Depicting Sexual Torture of Baby MonkeysRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Francisco Javier Ravelo, 36, of Coral Gables, pleaded guilty today to distributing videos depicting the torture of monkeys, in violation of the federal Animal Crushing statute. Ravelo was charged in October 2025.
According to court documents, Ravelo created some and administered some online chat groups dedicated to the distribution and discussion of sexual and violent videos depicting monkeys being mutilated and burned, including baby and adult monkeys. Ravelo personally distributed more than 40 of these obscene crush videos.
“In his first term, President Donald J. Trump signed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act into law to end animal crushing,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “If you are involved in this sadistic activity, we will prosecute you.”
“This case is deeply disturbing,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “As a former state court trial judge who presided over domestic violence cases, I was trained to recognize lethality factors, warning signs that violence is escalating. Deliberate cruelty to animals is one of the clearest red flags. It reflects a willingness to dominate, torture, and inflict suffering without remorse. The defendant didn’t merely view this material. He created and administered online groups devoted to it and distributed dozens of obscene animal torture videos. That conduct fuels a market built on brutality. Animal crushing is a serious federal crime. In the Southern District of Florida, we will enforce that law firmly and without hesitation.”
“Our team worked diligently to ensure Ravelo was held accountable for his egregious crimes and to prevent further harm,” said acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “We are grateful for the collaboration that brought this case to resolution and Ravelo to justice.”
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Gustafson, U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Wright made the announcement.
HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke E. Latta for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorney Emily R. Stone of the ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under Case No. 25-cr-20477.
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Caldwell Woman Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BOISE – Kimberly Lee Freeman, 60, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for Distribution of Methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced.
According to court filings, on December 27, 2023, Ms. Freeman delivered 192 grams of methamphetamine to another person in exchange for $1,200. On November 18, 2024, another person met with Ms. Freeman at her residence in Caldwell, Idaho. Ms. Freeman weighed out and delivered 226 grams of methamphetamine to this person in exchange for $1,300. On January 27, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ms. Freeman’s residence. Ms. Freeman admitted that there were several ounces of methamphetamine inside her purse. Law enforcement found 190 grams of methamphetamine in her purse.
Chief U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford also ordered Ms. Freeman to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of the City-County Narcotics Unit (comprised of the Caldwell Police Department and Canyon County Sheriff’s Office), the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Idaho State Police which led to the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kane Venecia prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted by the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Ada County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office with funds provided by the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives, including the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney position.
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Bosnian Man Sentenced to Prison for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
Hazim Kapic, age 61, from Bosnia, who was living in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 17, 2025, guilty plea to one count of receipt of child pornography.
In a plea agreement, Kapic admitted that he downloaded child pornography from February 2020 until August 2024. In August 2024, law enforcement officers searched his home in Waterloo, Iowa, and seized a hard drive with thousands of images and videos of child pornography, including of prepubescent minors. Kapic had depictions of child pornography involving an infant or toddler, and depictions involving sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Kapic was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Kapic was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $18,000 in restitution to victims in the case. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
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.”
Kapic is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Waterloo Police Department and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2025.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Bond County meth dealer sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district court judge sentenced a Bond County man to 151 months’ imprisonment after he sold meth and engaged in a three-hour standoff with police.
Johnathan Joiner, 46, of Greenville, pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of controlled substance: meth. Following imprisonment, he will serve three years of supervised release.
“Not only was the defendant guilty of selling meth in Bond County, but he endangered the lives of the law enforcement personnel assigned to his arrest by engaging in a standoff,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
According to court documents, Joiner sold a total of 62 grams of pure meth in two law enforcement coordinated sales in July 2024. He was arrested in January 2025 following a three-hour standoff with police. Evidence at the sentencing hearing indicated that Joiner hid from law enforcement inside a self-made hiding hole.
“This sentence reflects the price criminals will pay if they put our citizens and law enforcement partners in danger,” said FBI-Springfield Acting Special Agent in Charge Ruben Marchand-Morales. “The FBI remains committed to aggressively investigating and stopping criminals from bringing dangerous drugs into our communities.”
The judge also ordered Joiner to pay a $5,000 fine.
The FBI Springfield Field Office and the TOC-West Task Force led the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Hudson prosecuted the case.
Birmingham Man Charged with Impeding the Arrest of an Illegal ImmigrantRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury has charged a Birmingham man with interfering in the arrest of an illegal immigrant, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Cesar Acosta, 34, with impeding a federal officer. According to court documents, Acosta interfered with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer in the performance of official duties while the officer was attempting to arrest an illegal alien. The incident occurred on February 16, 2026, in Blount County.
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.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alan S. Kirk is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Armed Career Criminal faces 15 Years to Life in Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Cortez Williams, 36, of Memphis, was convicted by a federal jury of being a felon in possession of a firearm and will face an enhanced penalty of 15 years to life imprisonment for being an Armed Career Criminal. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the guilty verdict today.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on June 11, 2024, officers with the Memphis Police Department pulled over a black Nissan Z for displaying tags belonging to a different car. The defendant, Cortez Williams, was driving the car. Instead of pulling over to the side of the road, he pulled into a gas station and began pretending he was putting air in one of the car’s tires. On recorded body camera, the jurors were able to see the two police officers park and approach Williams’s vehicle.
The first officer immediately saw a Glock 17 with a large 30-round extended magazine and a tactical light attached to it wedged between the driver’s seat and the center console. The officers asked Williams if he was a convicted felon. He said yes and was then arrested. Williams then also admitted to knowing the gun was in the car. The defendant’s girlfriend’s 5-year-old daughter was in the front passenger seat of the car and was within inches of the loaded firearm.
The jury returned a verdict of guilty after about two hours of deliberation. The jury found that Williams had 4 previous convictions for violent felonies on different occasions including Facilitation of Aggravated Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Robbery, and Aggravated Burglary. This finding will lead to Williams being sentenced as an Armed Career Criminal, and he will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system.
Williams is set to be sentenced on June 11, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Thomas L. Parker.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "THIS is how we reduce violent crime in Memphis and prevent the next homicide – Remove dangerous and repeat offenders from the community BEFORE they pull the trigger again. We will restore Law and Order in Memphis by imposing real consequences – aggressively and unapologetically.”
The case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department and the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney J. William Crow and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Cohenmeyer of the United States Navy Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps prosecuted the 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.
Friday 27 February 2026
Zuni man charged with sexual abuseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man is facing federal charges for allegedly sexually abusing two minors.
According to court records, on or about February 9, 2026, the Zuni Tribal Police Department was notified of allegations that Vernon Rydell Sanchez, 38, an enrolled member of the Zuni tribe, sexually abused two minors. The minors were subsequently forensically interviewed and both disclosed sexual contact by Sanchez on multiple occasions. Law enforcement later interviewed Sanchez, who denied the allegations
Sanchez is charged with two counts of abusive sexual contact and will remain in third party custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Sanchez faces up to three years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Tribal Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Westchester Construction Contractor Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”), Harry T. Chavis, Jr., announced that PHILIP CASTRACUCCO pled guilty today to filing false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns before U.S. District Judge Jessica G. L. Clarke in White Plains federal court.
“As he admitted today in court, Philip Castracucco filed false tax returns that underreported income from his business,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Castracucco attempted to avoid paying his full obligation back to the government, one we all collectively share for essential services and infrastructure. He has now pled guilty to a federal crime and faces time in prison. Cheating on your taxes is stealing from your fellow New Yorkers.”
“Philip Castracucco concealed income from the IRS and evaded the payment of taxes, contributing to our nation’s tax gap in the process. With today’s guilty plea, he is being held accountable. This outcome demonstrates the strength of our investigative efforts and our commitment to safeguarding the public from financial misconduct. He now faces the consequences of choosing fraud over compliance,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr.
According to the Information, public court proceedings and filings, as well as CASTRACUCCO’s admissions during his plea allocation:
CASTRACUCCO was the owner of a contracting business (“Company-1”) that performed construction work, primarily for masonry projects in the vicinity of Westchester County, New York. From 2017 through 2022, CASTRACUCCO caused Company-1 business receipt checks in a total amount of more than $3.5 million to be cashed through a check cashing business and converted to cash, rather than deposited into Company-1’s business bank account. CASTRACUCCO used this cash to pay salaries and wages to himself and his employees; for other items purchased for his own benefit; and for materials used by Company-1.
From 2018 through 2023, CASTRACUCCO filed with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) U.S. Income Tax Returns for an S Corporation, IRS Forms 1120-S, for Company-1 that omitted its gross receipts from the aforementioned checks and more than $1 million of salaries and wages paid by Company-1 to CASTRACUCCO and others. CASTRACUCCO also caused to be filed with the IRS Forms 941, Employer’s Quarterly Federal Tax Returns, for Company-1 that omitted these salaries and wages.
From 2020 through 2023, CASTRACUCCO filed and caused to be filed with the IRS personal U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, IRS Forms 1040, that omitted more than $900,000 of business income CASTRACUCCO received from Company-1.
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CASTRACUCCO, 63, of Tuckahoe, New York, pled guilty to one count of making and subscribing to false U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, which carries a maximum sentence of three years in prison. CASTRACUCCO has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS, representing the additional tax due and owing as a result of his conduct, in an amount no less than $359,646.57. Sentencing before Judge Clarke is scheduled for September 9, 2026.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence imposed on the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of IRS-CI in this case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman is in charge of the prosecution.
Waxahachie Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Federal Prison for $1.7M SIM Card Swapping Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Waxahachie man who coordinated a SIM card-swapping fraud scheme was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Kimionte Bennett, 30, was indicted in July 2025 and pled guilty in October 2025 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced today to 70 months in federal prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor, who also ordered Bennett to pay $1,769,438 in restitution.According to court documents, Bennett facilitated multiple “SIM swap” attacks, whereby Bennett and his co-conspirators gained control over their victims’ cell phone numbers by temporarily re-assigning the victims’ phone numbers to a SIM card controlled by Bennett or his co-conspirators. After conducting the “SIM swap,” Bennett and his co-conspirators used that phone access to intercept the multi-factor authentication codes, and used these codes to illicitly access the victims’ cryptocurrency accounts—from which Bennett’s co-conspirators would steal cryptocurrency from the victims.
In total, court records reflect that Bennett and his co-conspirators were responsible for an actual loss of $1,769,438 sustained by the various victims of this SIM card-swapping fraud scheme.
At the sentencing hearing, one victim said, “These weren’t just digital numbers on a screen; they represented my family’s savings, our future security, our dreams. I had planned to use that money to build a stable future for my [child]—[their] education, our home, our peace of mind. In an instant, it was all gone. Coming from a family whose parents came to this country with cheap plastic suitcases, and zero money, it was absolutely devastating . . . In an instant, that same American dream that my parents worked so hard to build, and continued through me, vanished.”
Two of Bennett’s co-conspirators, Leticia Contreras and Osvaldo Guajardo, were also prosecuted in related cases for participating in Bennett’s fraud scheme. Contreras, 30, of Dallas, Texas, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. Guajardo, 31, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison.
FBI Omaha Field Division, FBI Dallas Field Division, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, FBI Detroit Field Division, and FBI Cyber Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric B. Chen, Matthew Weybrecht, and Justin Beck prosecuted the case.
Waterbury Man Charged with Cocaine and Firearms Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo today announced that JAN PAUL BAERGA-MARIANI, 31, of Waterbury, has been charged by indictment with narcotics and firearms trafficking offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, between October 2025 and January 2026, undercover ATF agents purchased a total of approximately one kilogram of cocaine and six firearms from Baerga-Mariani. Baerga-Mariani was arrested on February 10, 2025. On that date, a court-authorized search of his residence on Wood Street in Waterbury revealed a 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen in North Carolina in December 2025, a loaded firearm magazine, additional rounds of 9mm ammunition, a small quantity of cocaine, several vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, and other items.
On February 17, 2026, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Baerga-Mariani with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, an offense that carries a minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Baerga-Mariani has been detained since his arrest. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department with assistance from the Connecticut State Police, Bloomfield Police Department, Windsor Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel.
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.
United States Seeks Forfeiture of Oil Tanker and 1.8M Barrels of Crude Oil That Supported Iran and VenezuelaRead the Press Release
A complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the Motor Tanker Skipper – a crude oil tanker seized by the United States on the high seas in December 2025 – and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil cargo supplied by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela. As alleged, the Skipper and its cargo are forfeitable as property affording a person a source of influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
“Under President Trump's leadership, the era of secretly bankrolling regimes that pose clear threats to the United States is over,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will deploy every legal authority at our disposal to completely dismantle and permanently shutter any operation that defies our laws and fuels chaos across the globe.”
“This forfeiture complaint for the M/T Skipper and its oil cargo demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. sanctions and thwarting hostile regimes who exploit the global oil trade,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI, working alongside our interagency partners, will continue aggressively identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the financial networks used by our foreign adversaries to fund terrorist organizations and destabilize international security. We remain steadfast in safeguarding both the integrity of the international financial system and the security of the American people.”
“Because of the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, a ghost tanker that for years secretly moved illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela around the globe has been taken off the seas,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s actions are an important step in making America and the world safer by disrupting the flow of millions of dollars to foreign terrorist organizations. The Criminal Division will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end to terrorist financing.”
“For too long, a shadow fleet of stateless and falsely registered vessels has operated with impunity while shuttling illicit oil around the world, generating billions in revenue for adversary regimes and foreign terrorist organizations,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This forfeiture complaint reflects the National Security Division’s commitment to shutting down those networks and enforcing U.S. sanctions.”
“We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and relentlessly pursue ghost fleet vessels whose illicit oil shipments have served as revenue sources for the IRGC and its terrorist proxies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “With the continued seizures and forfeitures of tankers and related profits, we are sending a clear message that there will be no safe harbor for sanctions evasion – and that we will deny Iran the ability to fund terrorism through its shadowy maritime networks.”
“Homeland Security Investigations played a critical role in the investigation that led to today’s forfeiture complaint against the Motor Tanker Skipper and its illicit cargo. By leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and unwavering commitment to protecting the homeland, HSI helped disrupt a complex sanctions-evasion and illicit finance network supporting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” said HSI acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “I am proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our special agents and law enforcement partners, whose collaborative efforts were instrumental in advancing this case. HSI remains committed to safeguarding national security and upholding the rule of law by targeting criminal organizations that threaten global stability.”
The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum products for the benefit of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. During this time, the Skipper moved crude oil from Iran and Venezuela and, through ship-to-ship transfers, delivered it to various locations around the world, including to other rogue regimes. The Skipper disguised its illicit activities by spoofing its locations, flying false flags and employing other tactics to obfuscate its routes and conceal its sanctions evasion. For example, as alleged in the complaint, in 2024, the Skipper delivered approximately three million barrels of crude oil from Iran to Syria. The Skipper continued to transport illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela into 2025, including loading oil from Iran at least twice in 2025. For its facilitation of illicit oil shipments, on Nov. 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Skipper (then named the Adisa).
The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product, which was loaded onto the Skipper from Venezuela before it was seized, is part of the Skipper’s scheme to perpetuate its operations in support of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. As alleged, revenue from the sale of petroleum products supports the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses. The ghost fleet, including the Skipper, plays an essential role in generating revenue for these regimes by moving Iranian and other illicit oil around the world.
Most recently, in November 2025, the Skipper loaded approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan-origin crude oil at the José Terminal in Venezuela. According to bills of lading, approximately 1.1 million barrels of the Skipper’s oil cargo were to be delivered to Cubametales, the Cuban state-run oil import and export company that was designated by OFAC in July 2019.
On Dec. 10, 2025, U.S. law enforcement seized the Skipper on the high seas pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant. At that time, the Skipper was claiming a false Guyanese flag, rendering it stateless. The Skipper and its cargo were thereafter transported to the waters off the coast of Texas.
FBI Minneapolis Field Office and HSI Washington D.C. Field Office are investigating the case. Substantial assistance was provided by HSI New York Field Office.
Trial Attorney Josh Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dilorenzo and Rajbir Datta of the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
United States Seeks Forfeiture of Oil Tanker and 1.8M Barrels of Crude Oil That Supported Iran and VenezuelaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the Motor Tanker Skipper – a crude oil tanker seized by the United States on the high seas in December 2025 – and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil cargo supplied by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela. As alleged, the Skipper and its cargo are forfeitable as property affording a person a source of influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
“Under President Trump's leadership, the era of secretly bankrolling regimes that pose clear threats to the United States is over,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will deploy every legal authority at our disposal to completely dismantle and permanently shutter any operation that defies our laws and fuels chaos across the globe.”
“This forfeiture complaint for the M/T Skipper and its oil cargo demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. sanctions and thwarting hostile regimes who exploit the global oil trade,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI, working alongside our interagency partners, will continue aggressively identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the financial networks used by our foreign adversaries to fund terrorist organizations and destabilize international security. We remain steadfast in safeguarding both the integrity of the international financial system and the security of the American people.”
“We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and relentlessly pursue ghost fleet vessels whose illicit oil shipments have served as revenue sources for the IRGC and its terrorist proxies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “With the continued seizures and forfeitures of tankers and related profits, we are sending a clear message that there will be no safe harbor for sanctions evasion – and that we will deny Iran the ability to fund terrorism through its shadowy maritime networks.”
“Because of the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, a ghost tanker that for years secretly moved illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela around the globe has been taken off the seas,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s actions are an important step in making America and the world safer by disrupting the flow of millions of dollars to foreign terrorist organizations. The Criminal Division will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end to terrorist financing.”
“For too long, a shadow fleet of stateless and falsely registered vessels has operated with impunity while shuttling illicit oil around the world, generating billions in revenue for adversary regimes and foreign terrorist organizations,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This forfeiture complaint reflects the National Security Division’s commitment to shutting down those networks and enforcing U.S. sanctions.”
“Homeland Security Investigations played a critical role in the investigation that led to today’s forfeiture complaint against the Motor Tanker Skipper and its illicit cargo. By leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and unwavering commitment to protecting the homeland, HSI helped disrupt a complex sanctions-evasion and illicit finance network supporting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” said HSI acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “I am proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our special agents and law enforcement partners, whose collaborative efforts were instrumental in advancing this case. HSI remains committed to safeguarding national security and upholding the rule of law by targeting criminal organizations that threaten global stability.”
The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum products for the benefit of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. During this time, the Skipper moved crude oil from Iran and Venezuela and, through ship-to-ship transfers, delivered it to various locations around the world, including to other rogue regimes. The Skipper disguised its illicit activities by spoofing its locations, flying false flags and employing other tactics to obfuscate its routes and conceal its sanctions evasion. For example, as alleged in the complaint, in 2024, the Skipper delivered approximately three million barrels of crude oil from Iran to Syria. The Skipper continued to transport illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela into 2025, including loading oil from Iran at least twice in 2025. For its facilitation of illicit oil shipments, on Nov. 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Skipper (then named the Adisa).
The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product, which was loaded onto the Skipper from Venezuela before it was seized, is part of the Skipper’s scheme to perpetuate its operations in support of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. As alleged, revenue from the sale of petroleum products supports the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses. The ghost fleet, including the Skipper, plays an essential role in generating revenue for these regimes by moving Iranian and other illicit oil around the world.
Most recently, in November 2025, the Skipper loaded approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan-origin crude oil at the José Terminal in Venezuela. According to bills of lading, approximately 1.1 million barrels of the Skipper’s oil cargo were to be delivered to Cubametales, the Cuban state-run oil import and export company that was designated by OFAC in July 2019.
On Dec. 10, 2025, U.S. law enforcement seized the Skipper on the high seas pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant. At that time, the Skipper was claiming a false Guyanese flag, rendering it stateless. The Skipper and its cargo were thereafter transported to the waters off the coast of Texas.
FBI Minneapolis Field Office and HSI Washington D.C. Field Office are investigating the case. Substantial assistance was provided by HSI New York Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dilorenzo and Rajbir Datta of the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Josh Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
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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 February 27, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 72 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 61 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 80 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 fleeing the scene of an accident-causing death or serious impairment, alien in possession of a firearm, and prior immigration offenses.
Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, Jose Cuyuch De Pazwas encountered by United States Border Patrol agents near 505 McNutt Road in Sunland Park, New Mexico, after illegally entering the United States on foot. When agents attempted to detain him, De Paz fled into a residential area, climbed fences, and was pursued through backyards by a uniformed agent who followed his footprints. During the apprehension, the fence gave way and both men fell forward, at which point De Paz kicked the agent multiple times in the chest as the agent tried to gain control. A second agent arrived to assist, and the agents subdued, handcuffed, and arrested De Paz. De Paz is charged with illegal reentry and assault on a federal officer, though he later claimed he did not strike or kick the agent.
So far, in Fiscal Year 2026, 18 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 88 assaults in Fiscal Year 2025. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation's border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel.
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.
Two Foreign Nationals Indicted After More Than 76 Kilograms of Hashish Seized at Miami International AirportRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury returned indictments on Wednesday charging two foreign nationals after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than 76 kilograms of hashish during outbound inspections at Miami International Airport (MIA).
According to court documents, on Feb. 11, Joseph Mark Delacruz, 24, of the United Kingdom, and Sezer Ali Ilhan, 20, of Germany, each attempted to board separate flights from Miami to São Paulo, Brazil, with suitcases containing large quantities of vacuum-sealed hashish.
CBP officers conducting outbound inspections at MIA examined checked luggage associated with both defendants. Officers discovered approximately 38.32 kilograms of hashish concealed inside two suitcases checked under Delacruz’s name.
That same day, a CBP K-9 alerted to two additional suitcases checked under Ilhan’s name for a separate flight to Brazil. A subsequent search revealed approximately 37.77 kilograms of hashish.
Both defendants were intercepted at their departure gates before boarding.
Delacruz and Ilhan are each charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempting to export a controlled substance. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement.
HSI Miami is investigating the cases.
The cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Terrades from the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section.
BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats.
An indictment is merely an allegation and 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.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case numbers 26-cr-20060 (Delacruz), 26-cr-20059 (Ilhan).
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Two Alleged Tongan Crip Gang Members Face Firearm Charges Following Salt Lake City Shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today charging two alleged Tongan Crip Gang Members (TCG), one of whom is a convicted felon, with firearm crimes following the January shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Salt Lake City.
SLC Police Dept.Ryan Daniel Toutai, aka “Lost One,” 32, of Salt Lake City, and Fineeva Pomona Maka, aka “Finloc,” 26, of Millcreek, Utah, were indicted by a federal grand jury on February 25, 2026.
According to the allegations in court documents, both Toutai and Maka had previously been pictured with one of the firearms that was used at the shooting on January 7, 2026. As alleged, on January 7, 2026, the Salt Lake City Police Department received numerous reports of “shots fired” at an LDS church in Salt Lake City. Upon officers’ arrival, they encountered multiple victims with gunshot wounds. As law enforcement secured and processed the scene, they recovered .40 caliber casings, 9mm caliber casings, and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol with serial number 322-90515. Toutai was on scene when officers arrived and was detained after he failed to comply with officers’ requests to move away from first responders rendering aid to a victim. Pursuant to a search warrant, Toutai’s phone was seized and contained photo and video evidence that he had previously possessed the Ruger 9mm, with the same serial number, recovered from the scene. Toutai was identified as the creator of the images and videos based on a distinctive tattoo on his left hand.
SLC Police Dept.According to court documents, Toutai’s phone also contained documentation of events hours before the shooting. Toutai took several photos and videos of himself and his co-defendant Maka. Screenshots from videos depict Maka holding a small black pistol that is consistent with the Ruger LC9. As a multi-convicted felon, Maka is restricted from owning or possessing a firearm and ammunition. Prior to the shooting, Maka, who was on parole for a prior conviction, was ordered to wear a GPS Ankle monitor. Evidence from the GPS ankle monitor combined with physical evidence collected from the scene, strongly corroborates Maka’s possession of the Ruger firearm on January 7, 2026. Additionally, photo and video evidence show Toutai and Maka claiming TCG membership and interacting with other TCG members.
Toutai is charged with unlawful disposition of a firearm. Maka is charged with felon in possession of a firearm. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 3, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Salt Lake City Police Department.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
toutai_maka_indictment.pdf fineeva_maka._motion_for_detention.pdf ryan_toutai.motion_for_detention.pdfTwice-Convicted Felon Sentenced to 21 Months for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Cook, 27, a twice-convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a firearm while on supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Cook pleaded guilty Sept. 24, 2025, before Judge Amit P. Mehta to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Judge Mehta ordered Cook to serve 21 months for the felon in possession count and additional 15 months for being in violation of his supervised release. Judge Mehta also ordered Cook to serve three additional years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 12, 2025, about 6:30 p.m., a police officer was on patrol on the 600 block of H Street, NW, when they spotted a man fitting the description of a suspect in a robbery committed at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. After radioing for backup, the officer followed the man to a Five Guys restaurant on the 800 block of H Street, NW. The man entered a restroom.
Officers knocked on the door of the restroom, announced that they were police, and ordered him to come out. Cook emerged. Police detained him and recovered a loaded Kahr Arms semiautomatic pistol inside the restroom trash can.
Cook previously was convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed and robbery in D.C. Superior Court. He also has a prior conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Bloss and James B. Nelson.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcThree Charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine on behalf of Mexico-Based TraffickerRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three defendants have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Kansas City metropolitan area. One defendant is also charged with his role in a conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Geovanni L. Cano, 39, Pete Carrillo, 36, and Bayron Franco-Lopez, 39, were charged in a twelve-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 25, 2026. This superseding indictment replaces a previous indictment filed on Dec. 9, 2025.
According to Court documents, between Feb. and Aug. 2025, Cano, Carrillo, and Franco-Lopez distributed approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine to law enforcement through controlled buys conducted in Kansas City, Mo. The methamphetamine was distributed on behalf of a Mexico-based broker. Cano also wired money obtained from drug sales to the broker in Mexico to further promote the drug trafficking organization. On Aug. 28, 2025, investigators arrested Cano while he was in possession of approximately 3.7 kilograms of methamphetamine. A federal search warrant was executed at Cano’s residence in Kansas City, Ks. Investigators located approximately 18.6 kilograms of methamphetamine in the residence.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Kansas City, Kansas Police Department; and IRS-Criminal Investigations.
Homeland Security Task Force
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Texas Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Theft of Government Money and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Kristin Cara Kunstler (43, Amarillo, TX) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kyle C. Dudek to five years and one month in federal prison for theft of government money and aggravated identity theft. Kunstler pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $2,797,083, the proceeds of the theft of government money. United States Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on January 2, 2025, Kunstler knowingly stole money belonging to the United States Treasury by depositing a U.S. Treasury check belonging to the victim. Kunstler identified herself using the victim’s name and opened a bank account in the name of the victim at a bank branch located in Naples, FL. Kunstler used the victim’s name, date of birth, and driver license number to open the account without the victim’s knowledge or consent, then deposited a U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $2,797,083 made payable to the victim. Kunstler was the sole signer on the bank account.
By February 19, 2025, Kunstler had withdrawn at least $1.5 million from the bank account. She used the money for her own use and the use of another.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench is handling the forfeiture.
Third Man Pleads Guilty to Committing COVID Related Unemployment Fraud from PrisonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Nachez, Mississippi man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud today.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, Kev’Veonta Short, 32, conspired with other inmates at the South Mississippi Correctional Institute to submit false unemployment insurance claims during the Covid 19 pandemic. Short provided his personal details to another inmate so that inmate could submit fraudulent unemployment claims on his behalf. Such fraudulent applications were being submitted on behalf of multiple other inmates.
Two of Short’s coconspirators, Adrian Wilson and Aaron Sanders, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2026. Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on Jun 11, 2026. Short is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026. The maximum statutory term of imprisonment for Wilson, Sanders, and Short is 20 years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Office of the Public Auditor are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison for Drug & Gun Charges Related to Second-Degree MurderRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Triston Chacoey Aric Johnson, a/k/a “C.J.,” 21, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to multiple federal gun and drug offenses, and at sentencing was found responsible for a second-degree murder committed in Tallahassee on July 17, 2024. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This felon was a plague on our community, flooding our streets with drugs and deadly violence, and today’s sentence ensures his reign of terror is over. This was precisely the case that President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi had in mind when they launched Operation Take Back America to devote the full might of the Department of Justice toward removing the perpetrators of violent crime from our communities. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute cases like this until the citizens of the Northern District of Florida get the safe, drug-free streets that they deserve.”
“This was a senseless tragedy that should have never happened,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Harrell. “Thanks to Tallahassee Police Department, FAMU Police Department and federal prosecutors, the suspect won’t be able to threaten public safety again for a long time.”
Court documents reflect that Johnson was responsible for crimes stemming from incidents on two separate dates. On October 1, 2023, Johnson fled on foot from a Florida A&M University (FAMU) police officer, during which surveillance video showed Johnson hide a purple bag near a parked car. A FAMU employee reported finding a firearm and a purple bag the following morning, and the bag was found to contain a second firearm, marijuana packaged for sale, mushrooms, a digital scale with marijuana residue, and credit and debit cards belonging to Johnson.
On July 17, 2024, Johnson got into a verbal argument with another individual who was returning home in the early morning hours. The altercation escalated to physical violence when Johnson shot the other individual, fatally striking him in the heart. Following the homicide, the Tallahassee Police Department executed a search warrant at Johnson’s apartment, finding loose oxycodone pills, approximately 1.4 pounds of marijuana, over 25 empty one-pound vacuum seal bags with marijuana residue, various types of ammunition, and a short-barreled rifle that had been previously stolen from a Leon County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
Johnson received a sentence of 30 years in prison, which will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Johnson was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later hearing.
The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Florida A&M University Department of Campus Safety and Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
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.
St. Thomas Jury Finds BVI Man Guilty of Possession of a Counterfeit Permanent Resident CardRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that on February 25, 2026, a federal jury convicted Nigel Cooper, 52, of the British Virgin Islands, for possession of a counterfeit alien registration card, also known as a “permanent resident card.” District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney presided over the trial.
During trial, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer testified that on October 30, 2025, Cooper presented himself for inspection at the Cruz Bay, St. John, CBP office. Cooper presented a valid BVI passport for entry into the United States. However, upon further inspection, CBP officers found a permanent resident card in his wallet. Evidence presented at trial further revealed that the card, which bore Cooper’s name and photograph, had an identifying number registered to a female Chinese national. Records checks revealed no record of Cooper having applied for a permanent resident card in the United States, and none was issued to him. An expert witness in forensic document analysis testified that the card was counterfeit. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, during an interview of the defendant, CBP officers learned that the defendant purchased the permanent resident card from a Missouri store during the summer of 2025.
The conviction carries up to a ten-year sentence of imprisonment. The District Court will schedule a sentencing hearing to determine the defendant’s sentence. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant United States Attorney Denise N. George of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands is prosecuting the case.
Spree of Burglaries Yields D.C. Man Seven Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Holley, 59, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today for charges stemming from three burglaries, which all took place within one week in June 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Holley pleaded guilty on December 3, 2025, to one count of burglary in the first degree in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel sentenced the defendant to serve seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 18, 2025, Holley entered the first victim’s home while the victim was upstairs by breaking a window and stole the victim’s bike. The victim saw the defendant exiting the house with the bike and began to follow. Holley made threats to the victim, who returned to the residence and called the police. The victim provided footage from his security camera which captured the defendant’s face.
On June 25, 2025, Holley was stopped by officers at the Shaw Metro Station. Also on that date, police received a report that Holley attempted to break into a second home with a crow bar, but ran away when he saw that someone was home. In another residence, several roommates reported multiple items, including electronic devices, were missing from their home. When Holley was stopped at the Shaw Metro Station he was found in possession of the stolen electronic items.
Holley was arrested on June 25, 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 Elizabeth Ginsburg, who prosecuted the case.
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Sheppard Air Force Base Airman Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Traveling to Colorado to Kidnap and Sexually Abuse a ChildRead the Press Release
A Sheppard Air Force Base Airman who traveled to Colorado to kidnap and sexually abuse a child was sentenced to life in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Travis Robert Larson, 24, of Denton, Texas, was indicted in August 2025. He pled guilty in November 2025 to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor, and was sentenced on February 27, 2026, by Chief United States District Judge Reed O’Connor.
According to court documents, on May 4, 2025, a father notified the Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department that his 14-year-old daughter was missing. The father told authorities that he had located the child’s phone and found messages indicating that Larson had been communicating with the child and had discussed driving to Colorado to pick up the child and bring her back to Texas.
Law enforcement officers located surveillance footage of Larson picking up the child, identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1,” and tracked his vehicle traveling from Texas to Colorado Springs and back during the late evening hours of May 3 to May 4, 2025.
Court records reflect that Larson was an active member of the United States Air Force and was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. On the evening of May 5, 2025, the USAF Security Forces Squadron recovered the child near Larson’s dorm room on SAFB. The child disclosed that Larson began communicating with her online when she was just 10 or 11 years old, and that she would send Larson sexually explicit images of herself at Larson’s request. The child disclosed that her online relationship with Larson lasted several years until Larson eventually discussed coming to visit her in person.
According to court documents, the child disclosed that Larson had traveled twice to Colorado Springs to meet her for sex, including picking her up from her home in late April 2025 and driving to a nearby park, where he sexually abused her. Later, on May 3, 2025, Larson again traveled from Texas to Colorado to have sex with the child. Text messages between Larson and the child indicate that Larson promised to bring the child alcohol and described his desire to have sex with the child and to resort to violence, if necessary.
Court documents further reflect that around 3:30 a.m. on May 4, 2025, Larson picked up the child from her Colorado Springs residence and drove to a nearby park, where he had sex with the child. Instead of driving the child back to her residence, Larson then drove the child, against her will, back to Texas. On the morning of May 4, 2025, Larson and the child were captured on surveillance footage at the Buc-ee’s gas station in Amarillo, Texas. Later that day, Larson hid the child in the trunk of his vehicle in order to sneak her onto SAFB and conceal her in his dormitory room. Larson sexually abused the child multiple times inside his dormitory before she was recovered by law enforcement. A search of Larson’s phone revealed notes with the child’s name, date of birth, and social media accounts, indicating that Larson was aware the child was just 14 years old.
The Colorado Springs Police Department, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Wichita Falls Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allyson Monte and Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Schenectady Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nekie Ricks, age 33, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute crack-cocaine and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) announced the sentence.
In pleading guilty, Ricks admitted that in late August 2022 he was riding his bicycle in the late evening hours in the City of Schenectady when he was stopped by Schenectady Police Department officers for traffic violations and resisting arrest. At the time, Ricks had multiple plastic bags with about 31 grams of cocaine base and cash in his pant pockets and carried a cross-body Adidas bag with a loaded 9mm handgun and a high-voltage taser to protect his drugs and drug proceeds. The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of two prior felony offenses.
In addition to the 120-month sentence of imprisonment in this case, U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Ricks to four years of supervised release, which will begin after he completes his term of imprisonment.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated, “Ricks was riding around on a bicycle in Schenectady peddling drugs and carrying a dangerous loaded gun, which threatens public safety and makes Schenectady a more dangerous place. Thanks to ATF and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, Ricks will now be behind bars rather than handlebars and our community will be much safer.”
Special Agent in Charge DiGirolamo said, “This defendant, a convicted felon, chose to distribute and possess crack cocaine and a loaded gun within Schenectady. This significant sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes. Through the strong partnership of ATF, the Schenectady Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, a repeat offender is now off the streets.”
ATF investigated this Project Safe Neighborhoods case with the Schenectady Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Johnny Bobby Truong, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 19 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
On Aug. 13, 2025, Truong pleaded guilty to the charge.
According to court documents, between Jan. 26, 2023, and May 10, 2024, Truong conspired with others to distribute massive amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the Sacramento region. Truong was a significant supplier of drugs to the Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization, and he operated a stash house for the group, which included members of a violent Sacramento criminal street gang.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sacramento Police Department, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Richland County man sentenced to 28 years for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district judge sentenced an Olney man to 28 years in federal prison after he admitted to producing child pornography of a 13-year-old minor.
Joseph Jared St. Pierre, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Upon release from prison, he will serve 15 years of supervised release.
“Repeated sexual acts against minors is reprehensible, and the Justice Department will relentlessly pursue offenders who prey on and exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers responded to a report of sexual assault in July 2024 when the mother of a 13-year-old minor discovered a video on the minor’s cell phone of the minor engaging in sexual acts with St. Pierre.
“Thanks to the dedication of HSI agents, this predator has been removed from the community and is unable to victimize any more minors while allowing the survivor to begin the healing process,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge, Matthew Scarpino.
St. Pierre admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the minor on three separate occasions in Olney.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sanders prosecuted the case.
Richland County Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Yashawnus Leekean Patterson, 45, of Columbia, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Patterson was convicted by a federal jury following a trial in June 2025.
Evidence presented at trial included testimony and body worn camera footage showing two Columbia Police Department officers responding to a hotel in downtown Columbia to assist in removing Patterson, who was no longer staying at that hotel. After being asked to place Patterson on trespass notice, officers learned he was wanted on a bench warrant from the Cayce Police Department and arrested him. When officers searched him, they located a loaded 9mm pistol in the front of his waistband, a 30-round extended magazine in his backpack, and a total of 74 rounds of 9mm ammunition on his person and his other belongings. Patterson acknowledged to officers that he knew he was not legally allowed to possess a firearm.
Patterson has an extensive record of felony convictions dating back to 1998, including convictions for criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the second degree, strong-arm robbery, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis sentenced Patterson to 96 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case.
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