Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
28 September 2026
Farmington Man Charged with Sexually Abusing Two ChildrenRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man has been charged federally in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of two minor victims.
According to court documents, on September 19, 2026, and on previous occasions, Raleigh Jackson, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, engaged in sex acts with two minor victims.
Jackson is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and will remain on conditions of release pending trial which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Jackson faces up to life in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Special Agent in Charge Justin A. Garris of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Huntington-Area Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – William Louis Johnson III, also known as “BJ,” 40, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. Johnson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 12, 2025, Johnson sold approximately 389.2 grams of methamphetamine and 1 gram of fentanyl to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,400. As part of his guilty plea, Johnson admitted that the confidential informant contacted him beforehand to arrange the transaction, that it occurred at a Huntington residence, and that co-defendant Elizabeth Jane Cumper delivered methamphetamine to him for the transaction.
Johnson further admitted that law enforcement officers in Ohio seized cash proceeds from fentanyl distributions during two different traffic stops of vehicles he was in while traveling from Huntington to Detroit. Officers recovered approximately $27,951 on March 17, 2025, and approximately $22,803 on July 9, 2025.
Johnson also admitted to selling methamphetamine on four occasions in August 2025, each time to a confidential informant in exchange for $650. Johnson sold approximately 110 grams of methamphetamine on August 7, 2025, approximately 107 grams of methamphetamine on August 11, 2025, and approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine on August 20, 2025, each time after the confidential informant contacted co-conspirator Joshua Willie McCarver. On August 14, 2025, Johnson sold approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine during a transaction arranged by co-conspirator Darnell Marice McCarver.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on February 1, 2027, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
Darnell Marice McCarver, also known as “WAP,” 20, of Detroit, was sentenced on April 13, 2026, to 12 years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture. His uncle, Joshua Willie McCarver, also known as “TJ,” 28, of Detroit, is scheduled to be sentenced on November 23, 2026, after pleading guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Four other co-defendants pleaded guilty in the case. The indictment is pending against Elizabeth Jane Cumper, 45, of Marlette, Michigan, and one other co-defendant. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and the Huntington Police Department, and the assistance provided by the Ohio Highway Patrol and the Marion County, Ohio, Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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.
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-154.
###
Defendants Sentenced in a Multi-State Vehicle Theft, Obliterating Vehicle Identification Numbers, and Identity Theft Conspiracy and Additional Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced the last of four defendants in a multi-state conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle, altering, removing and obliterating a vehicle identification number, possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices and conspiracy to sell a firearm to a conviction felon.
Dennis Lloyd Sizemore, age 55, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison and Robert Gregory Brazell, age 41, of Lafayette, Louisiana, was sentenced to 33 months in federal prison. The Court further sentenced both men to serve three years of supervised release following their terms of imprisonment and ordered Sizemore to pay $92,500 in restitution and Brazell to pay $95,000 in restitution.
In imposing the sentences, the Court found that Sizemore, Brazell and their co-defendants, Chrisopher Don Byerley and Adrienne King, carried out a coordinated and complex operation extending across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, in which the group stole, then used or sold the stolen and altered vehicles, including tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck, with a total value of over $250,000.
The conspiracy involved tampering with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), the use of a chop shop, fraudulent documentation, false business fronts and stolen identities to sell stolen equipment and further conceal their criminal activities
An investigation of a shoplifting incident in the Juban Crossing Shopping Center led Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives to uncover an unregistered firearm silencer and 9mm pistol from a stolen pickup truck being operated by Byerley and King. Additional other documents, emails, text messages and photos led law enforcement to uncover the conspiracy and far-reaching criminal enterprise.
Byerley was recently sentenced to 115 months in federal prison following his convictions in this conspiracy and for firearm violations. King was sentenced to 48 months.
U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Saint Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Saint Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberia Sheriff’s Department, and Lafayette Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and M. Patricia Jones led the prosecution.
Cruise Ship Employee Charged with Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Filipino national has been arrested and charged in Boston, Mass. with transportation of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Bobby Prieto, 35, was arrested yesterday and charged by criminal complaint with one count of transportation of child pornography. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, Pietro was ordered detained pending a hearing scheduled for Oct. 1, 2026.
According to the charging documents, prior to Prieto’s arrest, he had been serving as a crew member on the Norwegian Jewel, a cruise ship owned by the Norwegian Cruise Line. The vessel docked at Boston’s Flynn Cruiseport on Sept. 24, 2026, and Prieto was flagged for secondary screening by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. During a preliminary review of two mobile phones belonging to Prieto, multiple media files were identified, allegedly depicting CSAM, including at least one media file depicting Prieto sexually assaulting a prepubescent girl.
The charge of transportation of child pornography provides for a sentence of no less than five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jeff Grimming, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection, Boston Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aidan Lang of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Criminal Illegal Alien from Guatemala Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Selvin J. Tello-Perez, 25, of Guatemala, pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition by an illegal alien. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the plea.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office continues to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Todd Blanche that we will protect our streets from criminal illegal aliens who have demonstrated a brazen disregard for our nation’s laws. Our citizens deserve secure borders and crime-free neighborhoods, and my office will deliver both with continued successful prosecutions like this one.”
According to court documents, in January 2026, the defendant was arrested in Okaloosa County after being caught driving an electric scooter with a loaded revolver in a fanny pack zip-tied to its handlebars. The defendant is a previously deported Guatemalan citizen who had illegally re-entered the country.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 17, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Tello-Perez faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment.
The case was jointly investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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.
Convicted Murderer Indicted for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Dontai Lamont Johnson (37, Ocala) has been charged by indictment with distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Johnson faces an enhanced minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison due to having a qualifying prior conviction for a serious violent felony offense. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on July 13, 2026, Johnson distributed and possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to court records, Johnson was convicted of second-degree murder with a deadly weapon in 2017. Johnson was released from the Florida Department of Corrections in February 2025.
Johnson was arrested on September 24, 2026, in the Middle District of Georgia. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Connecticut Man Who Attempted to Travel to the Middle East to Join and Fight for ISIS Sentenced to over Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Ahmad Khalil Elshazly, 29, of West Haven, Connecticut, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in the District of Connecticut to 92 months in prison and lifetime supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately September 2018, Elshazly, a U.S. citizen, expressed a desire to travel to Syria to fight on behalf of ISIS. In numerous conversations online and in person, he swore “bay’at” allegiance to ISIS and its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. In October 2019, just after al-Baghdadi’s death, he sent a message pledging allegiance to the new leader of ISIS, saying “I pledge my allegiance...to the Khilafah (the successor of the leadership) of the Muslims Abu Ibrahim Al Husseini Al Hashami Al Qurashi…” Elshazly also created and administered a pro-ISIS Discord server that he used to post hundreds of ISIS and other extremist propaganda memes and videos.
On Dec. 14, 2019, Elshazly paid $500 to a person he believed was an ISIS facilitator who would be able to smuggle him out of the U.S. to Turkey. He believed this would enable him to connect with an ISIS member who would assist him with traveling to ISIS within Syria. The next day, Elshazly was arrested after he arrived in Stonington, Connecticut, where he expected to board a boat to begin his trip.
Elshazly has been detained since his arrest. On Nov. 30, 2022, he pleaded guilty to attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization. While detained, Elshazly has had numerous disciplinary infractions. In August 2025, officers searched his cell and found a handwritten plan for a coordinated uprising at the detention facility, complete with diagrams of the housing unit, instructions for breaching secured areas, and tactics for confronting the Correctional Emergency Response Team.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s JTTF with the assistance of the Stonington Police Department, the New Haven Police Department, and the Connecticut State Police. The FBI’s JTTF includes participants from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), IRS Criminal Investigation, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, The State Department, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Connecticut State Police, Connecticut Department of Correction, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, Norwich Police Department, Hartford Police Department, Stamford Police Department, Norwalk Police Department, Town of Groton Police Department, UConn Police Department, Yale Police Department, Stonington Police Department, New Haven Police Department and New York Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel for the District of Connecticut.
Columbia Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Visa FraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Birenkumar Rameshbhai Patel, 47, of Columbia, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to illegally obtain a U Visa.
A U Visa is a temporary U.S. immigration status that is reserved for victims of certain crimes who have suffered mental or physical abuse and have been helpful to law enforcement or government officials in the investigation or prosecution of criminal activity. The U Visa provides a path to lawful permanent residence in the United States (commonly referred to as a “Green Card”), and therefore a path to U.S. citizenship for qualified applicants.Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on March 9, 2025, Birenkumar Rameshbhai Patel, a/k/a “Mike Patel,” and a convenience store clerk staged a robbery at a convenience store in Fairfield County. Law enforcement received a 911 call reporting a robbery. When the authorities arrived at the scene, the clerk attempted to explain the robbery before being transported to the hospital. Patel also arrived at the scene and attempted to explain the robbery. Officers reviewed surveillance video of the event, which appeared to show a robbery, but further review showed that the robbery was staged to make it appear that the store clerk was the victim. Patel acted as the robber and attempted to disguise himself by covering his face and wearing a jacket with long sleeves.
On March 25, 2025, Patel and the clerk requested a copy of the incident report concerning the March 9 incident. In an attempt to appear as a crime victim and qualify for a U Visa, on April 3, 2025, Patel and/or the clerk caused to be mailed a federal certification to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department requesting that the head of that department sign a form acknowledging that the clerk was the victim of a “felonious assault.” Officials determined that the store clerk was a citizen of India and that a U Visa would have allowed him to remain in the U.S. legally.
Patel faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph A. Anderson, Jr. accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Patel after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office. The clerk was deported to India.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John C. Potterfield is prosecuting the case.###
Columbia Felon Indicted for Illegally Possessing Gun Stored in Baby’s CribRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a single-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Karlos Damon Gibson, 20, with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to statements and filings in court, on Aug. 5, 2026, law enforcement executed a search warrant at an apartment where Gibson had been staying. They found a.40 caliber handgun and a drum magazine containing 50 rounds of ammo in Gibson’s daughter’s crib. They also found a.45 caliber pistol in the little girl’s closet.
Gibson has a prior conviction for possession with intent to distribute. His criminal history prohibits Gibson from possessing firearms or ammunition. At the time he possessed these firearms, Gibson was out on bond after being charged with being an accessary after the fact to a felony, specifically a murder. His bond conditions further prohibit him from possessing firearms.
Gibson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. Gibson is currently detained pending trial.
This case is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Columbia Police Department, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Timmons is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.###
Collinsville Man Sentenced for Sexual Abuse of Preteen; Mother Imprisoned for Allowing Access to ChildrenRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Collinsville man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for coercing a preteen into sexually explicit acts, and the child’s mother received more than 17 years for knowingly failing to protect her children and allowing the abuser continued access to her home and family, announced U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Nassar.
“These sentences reflect the serious harm these defendants inflicted on vulnerable children and the grave breach of trust involved,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Nassar. “Our office will continue to pursue those who exploit children and those who knowingly allow that exploitation, and we remain grateful to our law enforcement partners for their diligent work in bringing these offenders to justice.”
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Jesse Lane Mitchell, 36, for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor after he admitted persuading a 10- to 12-year-old child known to him to engage in sexually explicit activity. Mitchell will serve 360 months in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, and must register as a sex offender upon release.
In August 2024, Collinsville Police responded to a call involving a 12-year-old with multiple red marks on their neck that appeared to be hickeys from an adult male. Officers learned that Mitchell fled the home when he knew police had been contacted and that he had been living with and caring for his girlfriend’s three minor children. At the time, the mother was incarcerated on unrelated charges, leaving Mitchell as the only adult residing in the home with the children. Law enforcement reviewed messages across multiple social media platforms and found alarming communications between Mitchell and the child.
The investigation revealed that Mitchell groomed and coerced the child into sexually explicit acts. Investigators also found that the child’s mother, Jacklyn Paige Roberts, was aware of the abuse and allowed Mitchell continued access to all three children by permitting him to live in the home, even after learning he was sexually abusing her preteen.
In her plea agreement, Roberts, 34, admitted she knew Mitchell was sexually abusing her child and failed to protect her children from ongoing harm. She pleaded guilty to Child Neglect in Indian Country and received a sentence of 210 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Roberts, a member of the Muscogee Creek Nation, and Mitchell have remained in custody since 2024. They do not have access to the minor children and will be transferred to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Collinsville Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler prosecuted the case.
Cleveland Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 38-year-old man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking substantial amounts of controlled substances and for illegal possession of a firearm.
Phillip Moreland, of Cleveland, was sentenced to 180 months (15 years) in prison and five years of supervised released by U.S. District Judge Bridget Meehan Brennan after pleading guilty in May to: • Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine (2 counts)
• Felon in Possession of a Firearm; prior convictions include Drug Possession, Failure to Comply, and Felonious Assault in 2008, and Tampering with Evidence and Drug Possession in 2016.
• Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeDuring the investigation, officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Moreland for speed and illegal tint violations. Moreland initially complied with the officers’ commands but then began to flee on foot. As officers pursued Moreland, he was observed removing a bag with blue pills from his pocket and throwing it into an open field. He jumped several fences and evaded arrest. During an inventory search of his car, officers found a loaded pistol under the driver seat, two cellphones, two bottles of alcohol, and a plastic bag containing a purple powder which later tested positive for more than 1,500 grams of methamphetamine. The bag thrown into the field was retrieved and later tested positive for more than 55 grams of methamphetamine in pill form. A federal arrest warrant was issued for Moreland and he was later apprehended at his home where additional controlled substances, scales, and a cutting agent was located. Several cellphones were seized and searched pursuant to federal search warrants, yielding evidence of a drug trafficking conspiracy involving Moreland and co-defendant Deonte Dillard, 34, of Cleveland.
Dillard is currently serving a five-year prison sentence after pleading guilty to his role in this drug trafficking operation.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration Cleveland Resident Office with assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul E. Hanna led the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio.
Central Valley man sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for a $10 million real estate fraud schemeRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Gilberto Barron, 26, formerly of Delano and Las Vegas, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to seven years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and aggravated identity theft relating to his participation in a $10 million real estate fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced today.
“Barron chose to engage in a multimillion‑dollar fraud scheme, and today’s sentence makes clear that such criminal conduct will be met with substantial punishment,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “Our office, together with our law enforcement partners, will continue to pursue criminals who think they can hide behind false identities or fabricated documents. We will hold them accountable every time.”
“This sentencing marks a critical step in holding Mr. Barron accountable for the harm his scheme caused and in providing justice for his victims,” said IRS Criminal Investigation San Francisco Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge David Lowe. “Mr. Barron didn’t just steal money. He took advantage of people’s trust by subverting an American financial system for his own gain. IRS-CI scrupulously follows the money, uncovers the truth, and ensures that individuals behind schemes like this are brought to justice.”
According to court records, in 2021 and 2022, Barron and others conspired with federal inmate Seth Depiano, 45, formerly of Clovis, to commit the fraud charged in this case. At the time, Depiano was serving a 12-year prison sentence for a prior, multimillion-dollar fraud (Case No. 1:17-cr-172 DAD). Depiano, assisted by Barron and others, helped create fake identities for supposed real estate agents and shell companies that mirrored the names of legitimate real estate companies. They then used the fake identities and shell companies to market various properties online that were not actually for sale to would-be buyers in California’s Central Valley and elsewhere at discounted prices. This included properties where the actual owners had died.
Barron and others would meet with the buyers using the fake identities and close the sales. They even went so far as to present the buyers with fabricated deeds, title reports, and other real estate documents to substantiate the sales.
After getting the would-be buyers’ money, Depiano, Barron, and others would launder the funds primarily through Las Vegas casinos. For example, they would travel to the casinos, put large amounts of money into gaming machines, and quickly cash out with little to no gaming activity. They did this to try to hide the fact that the money was proceeds from their fraudulent scheme. They would then use the money to purchase properties for their own benefit.
Barron pleaded guilty on June 29, 2026.
Zahria Barber, 29, of Las Vegas, pleaded guilty and was sentenced on June 29, 2026, to one year in prison for her involvement in the scheme. She helped launder money in the casinos, and in exchange, she received payments toward some of her living expenses and student loans.
Depiano pleaded guilty and was sentenced in January 2026 to nine years in federal prison. This sentence is in addition to the 12 years he was already serving and makes for a total sentence of 21 years in prison.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the Bakersfield Police Department conducted the investigation with assistance from the FBI and the Nevada Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cody Chapple and Joseph Barton prosecuted the case.
Cabell County Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering after Embezzling $624,599.86 from Nonprofit Veterinary ClinicRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jerod Timothy Vannatter, 43, of Barboursville, pleaded guilty today to money laundering. Vannatter admitted that he embezzled $624,599.86 from a nonprofit veterinary clinic he managed.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Vannatter was the clinic’s manager from approximately February 2018 to approximately February 2025 and oversaw all administrative functions, including payroll and vendor payments. As part of his guilty plea, Vannatter admitted that he conducted his fraud scheme from approximately October 2022 until approximately December 2024. Vannatter made multiple payroll and other unearned deposits into his personal checking account using numerous checks he issued from the clinic’s bank account. Vannatter also created false vendor invoices to initiate payments from the clinic’s bank account and directed those illicit payments to his personal checking account.
As part of his embezzlement scheme, Vannatter transferred $20,000 in embezzled funds from his checking account to his savings account on October 11, 2023. Vannatter admitted that he embezzled a total of $624,599.86, that he initiated and carried out his embezzlement scheme because he was addicted to online gambling, and that he lost all the proceeds from his scheme as a result of gambling.
Vannatter is scheduled to be sentenced on February 16, 2027, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Vannatter also owes $624,599.86 in restitution.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Barboursville Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:26-cr-109.
###
Burlington Man Convicted on Drug Charges Following Record Meth Seizure as Part of Homeland Security Task Force InitiativeRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – A jury in federal district court convicted ARTEMIO RIVERA AVILEZ on Thursday, September 24, 2026, of multiple drug charges, announced United States Attorney Dan Bishop of the Middle District of North Carolina.
According to court documents, AVILEZ, age 34, was initially indicted on May 26, 2026, and was tried on charges in a Superseding Indictment filed August 31, 2026. AVILEZ was charged in Count One with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and in Count Two with possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Evidence at trial showed that AVILEZ possessed 167.4 kilograms of 95% pure methamphetamine in his enclosed utility trailer in Burlington, NC, and coordinated with others to distribute the drugs on October 10, 2025. The 167.4 kilogram seizure is believed to be the largest methamphetamine seizure in the history of North Carolina.
A jury convicted AVILEZ on all counts of the Superseding Indictment after a four-day trial. At sentencing, AVILEZ faces a term of imprisonment of 10 years to life, not less than 5 years of supervised release, fines, and restitution. Sentencing is scheduled for January 20, 2027, before United States District Judge Lindsey A. Freeman in Greensboro.
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 Greensboro comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Marshal Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, the Greensboro Police Department, Winston-Salem Police Department, the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, the Davie County Sheriff’s Office, the Eden Police Department, the Piedmont Triad International Airport Police Department, the Rowan County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Alamance County Sheriff’s Office, the Burlington Police Department, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, and the High Point Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Lead Task Force Attorney, Assistant United States Attorney Randall S. Galyon.
###
Buffalo man pleads guilty to his role in conspiracy to steal mailRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Timothee Tidwell, 26, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to conspiracy to commit mail theft, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Between October 9 and October 14, 2024, Tidwell conspired with co-defendant Alexandria Duncan to steal mail from receptacles in Hamburg, NY, and take articles from inside the letters and envelopes that were stolen. For instance, in the early morning hours of October 14, 2024, Duncan drove a vehicle to Camp Road with Tidwell, who exited the vehicle and approached a row of mailboxes outside the post office on Camp Road with a postal arrow key he was not legally entitled to possess. That same day, law enforcement recovered opened and unopened mail addressed to other people from the vehicle Tidwell and Duncan drove in to commit the mail thefts. The opened mail included checks from various individuals and businesses and totaled approximately $369,104.92.
Duncan previously convicted and sentenced.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Village of Hamburg Police, under the direction of Chief Richard Schara, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Justin Page, Boston Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 23, 2026, before Judge Arcara.
# # # #
Brookings Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a ChildRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Brookings, South Dakota (formerly of Veblen, SD), man convicted after a jury trial of two counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child. The sentencing took place on September 21, 2026.
Joseph Darrell Peterson, Jr., age 47, was sentenced to Life in federal prison and must pay a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $200.
Peterson was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2024. He was found guilty of both counts following a jury trial the week of June 15, 2026.
Over the course of twelve years, starting in 2006 when the child was just 6 years old, Peterson began to groom and sexually assault her. Peterson lived in the home with the child and was a parental figure to her. Over the next 12 years, throughout multiple states and locations including the Lake Traverse Indian Reservation, Peterson repeatedly and illegally raped and sexually abused the child. The child was able to escape the home and abuse when she was 19. Then in 2023, she summoned the courage to report the abuse to law enforcement. An investigation ensued resulting in the federal prosecution and leading to the guilty verdicts and sentence.
This case was investigated by the Sisseton-Wahpeton Tribal Law Enforcement, South Dakota DCI, and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb and Missing and Murdered Indigenous Person AUSA for the Great Plains Region Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of victims and their families despite the passage of time.
This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Peterson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Billings woman sentenced to nearly 4 years in prison for stealing handgunRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who stole a handgun from an unlocked pickup truck was sentenced Friday to three years and 10 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Cassie Marie Carlos, 38, pleaded guilty in May 2026 to unlawfully possessing a firearm and possessing a stolen firearm.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that Carlos stole a handgun while on probation for a Yellowstone County felony drug charge. Billings police took a call from Carlos’s mother, who told officers her daughter had given her a stolen firearm. She also let them know Carlos was on parole.
Earlier in the week, a man had called BPD to report that overnight someone had stolen a gun from his unlocked pickup. The weapon, a Smith & Wesson M&P 10MM pistol, was the same make and model as the handgun Carlos gave her mom. Investigators learned Carlos had been “car hopping” that night and stole a firearm, wallet, and cash. Her fingerprint was found on the gun case and on the pistol’s magazine. Along with Carlos’s state drug charge, she also had been convicted of felony drug possession in Idaho in 2024.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department and the ATF conducted the investigation.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities
Biddeford Man Pleads Guilty to Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Biddeford man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, in October 2025, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration was investigating James Anderson, 21, for drug trafficking offenses. As part of that investigation, an undercover officer met Anderson and purchased drugs from him. In one exchange, Anderson sold the undercover officer over 100 grams of methamphetamine and over 40 grams of fentanyl.
Anderson faces a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and up to life imprisonment, up to a $10 million fine, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case.
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.
###
Beverly Hills Man Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Executing Scheme to Defraud $2.3 Million from Taxpayer Funded Pandemic Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Jabari Long, 46, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to executing a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme involving pandemic assistance funds, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski, Homeland Security Investigations Detroit, and Todd Strom, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation.
Long previously pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud. According to court records, Long used a contracting business called “Priceless Preservations Construction” to obtain a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan in the amount of $2,187,000 and a fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan in the amount of $150,000. Long claimed the business had 50 employees and an average monthly payroll of $875,000. In truth, Priceless Preservations Construction had few, if any, employees and little to no payroll expenses. Records show that within weeks of receiving the fraudulently-obtained pandemic assistance funds, Long used a portion of them to buy a four-bedroom home in the exclusive Beverly Hills community. In pleading guilty, Long also admitted that he submitted false tax documentation to obtain his loan funding.
“Jabari Long falsely claimed to employ dozens through his so-called company ‘Priceless Preservations.’ But the only thing he preserved through this fraud was his greed. And his scheme wasn’t priceless at all; it carried a significant price he’s now being forced to pay,” stated U.S. Attorney Gorgon.
“Legitimate businesses that followed the rules and relied on pandemic-assistance programs in good faith deserve protection from those who seek to abuse those programs for personal enrichment,” said HSI Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeremy Pierczynski. “When fraudsters submit false information, invent payrolls, or misrepresent their operations to steal taxpayer-funded assistance, they undermine public trust and divert resources from the businesses and workers these programs were designed to support. HSI remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and root out those who exploit federal programs to line their own pockets.”
“Jabari Long used fake tax documents and manufactured counterfeit business information to fraudulently obtain more than $2 million in pandemic relief funds,” said Todd Strom, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “IRS-CI special agents are highly skilled at following the money and uncovering the financial evidence behind complex fraud schemes. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to protect taxpayer dollars and hold accountable those who exploit federal programs for personal gain.”
Long was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $2,187,500 and serve three years on supervised release following the completion of his custodial sentence.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and IRS-Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind.
Arlington Man Sentenced to More Than Eight Years in Prison for Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Arlington, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston in connection with a year-long drug conspiracy.
Jonathan Perry, a/k/a “Peazy,” 26, of Arlington, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 97 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Perry was charged in May 2025 and pleaded guilty in March 2026.
Perry is a relative and alleged co-conspirator of Keith Harlow in the distribution of controlled substances. A review of Perry’s cellphone seized during his arrest on state charges on May 29, 2025 revealed that Perry and, allegedly, Harlow worked together to distribute controlled substances and sell firearms throughout Massachusetts. It is further alleged that, in text message communications with Harlow, they discussed robberies and using firearms to shoot at various individuals. At the time of the alleged offenses, Perry and Harlow were prohibited from possessing firearms due to numerous prior felony convictions, including Perry’s youthful offender conviction of manslaughter. At the time of the alleged conduct, Harlow was on state parole following multiple concurrent state prison sentences and Perry was on probation for a domestic violence offense.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; David E. Sullivan, Northwestern District Attorney; and Athol Police Chief Craig Lundgren made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the United States Marshals Service; Franklin County House of Correction; and Massachusetts Department of Correction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Another Federal Judge Strikes Down New York’s Climate Superfund Law as UnconstitutionalRead the Press Release
Last week, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York granted the United States’ motion for summary judgment and invalidated New York’s “Climate Change Superfund Act.” The court held the law is unconstitutional and enjoined the state from imposing $75 billion in penalties on global energy producers for the alleged local effects of climate change. Last month, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York also ruled against the state.
“New York’s woke climate change law is not only unconstitutional, it is harmful, jeopardizing every American’s access to affordable and reliable energy,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward, Jr. “We are pleased with the district courts’ decisions finding New York’s law unlawful and recognizing that the Federal Sovereign, not the States, regulates our Nation’s energy market. This Department of Justice will take every step to stop those who wish to thwart President Trump’s agenda to unleash American energy dominance.”
“Both federal judges to consider New York’s Climate Change Superfund Act have held it unconstitutional,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Energy and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “Both hold that the federal government is responsible for setting national policy on global pollution, not states. This decision marks another significant step in advancing President Trump’s energy agenda and protecting American energy from state overreach. The Department of Justice will continue to fight for affordable, reliable energy for all Americans.”
New York enacted its law in 2024 seeking to impose billions of dollars in liability on domestic and foreign energy companies that extract fossil fuels or refine crude oil.
In its ruling last week, the court held that the United States has standing to vindicate its sovereign authority to regulate interstate emissions and to promote its foreign affairs interests. The court also held the New York law is preempted on two independent grounds: first, because it is not authorized by the Clean Air Act, which displaced the federal common law governing interstate emissions; and second, because it is field-preempted under the foreign affairs doctrine.
Absorkee man sentenced to 15 months in prison for unlawfully possessing handgunRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – An Absorkee man who was unlawfully carrying a firearm in his truck was sentenced Friday to 15 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Mark Steger Smith said.
Joseph Robert MacDonald, 35, pleaded guilty in April 2026 to unlawful possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that MacDonald, due to a previous state conviction, was barred from possessing a firearm. On Dec. 5, 2025, Billings police pulled over a pickup with a missing front license plate and an obscured rear plate. MacDonald was the driver and he immediately got out of the truck and walked toward the officer, who arrested him on a warrant out of Stillwater County. State Probation and Parole authorized a search of his truck and inside the console, law enforcement found a Canik Mete MC9 handgun.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Billings Police Department and ATF conducted the investigation.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
25 September 2026
‘Smart Rings’ CEO Found Guilty of Running $2 Million Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – The CEO of a wearable technology company has been found guilty by a jury of running a near-$2 million Ponzi scheme by duping investors through lies that she owned “smart rings” patents that rightfully belonged to her former employer, and of fraudulently obtaining $150,000 in COVID-19 pandemic business-relief loans, the Justice Department announced today.
Michelle Bisnoff, 59, a.k.a. “Michelle Angeline Silverstein” and “Shelly Silverstein,” of Boca Raton, Florida, and who formerly resided in Pacific Palisades and Santa Barbara, was found guilty late Thursday of six counts of securities fraud, six counts of wire fraud, two counts of money laundering, one count of wire fraud in connection with a COVID-relief loan, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to evidence presented at a seven-day trial, Bisnoff had been hired by McLear Ltd., a United Kingdom-based company, to develop a United States market for McLear’s patented near-field communication (NFC) payment rings. These products were designed to embed credit card information inside a wearable ring.
By no later than early 2017, Bisnoff falsely claimed she owned the key patent, including by using a falsified patent assignment, and formed Esos Rings Inc. to market “smart rings” based on that patent.
Among Bisnoff’s lies to investors was that Esos was profitable, used investors’ money to increase its manufacturing capabilities and inventory to meet demands from retailers such as Target and Walmart, and was receiving large infusions of capital from companies such as Apple Inc. and Roc Nation. She also falsely claimed to be on the cusp of a licensing arrangement with Middle Earth Enterprises (MEE), which controls The Lord of the Rings brand.
She further lied that Esos would fund buybacks of the investors’ shares at prices above what they paid for those shares, resulting in substantial profits.
In fact, Esos had little business revenue, no agreements with Target, had sold just six rings on Walmart.com, three of which were returned, never received any investment from Apple or Roc Nation, and never finalized any licensing agreement with MEE.
Bisnoff also knew the financial statements, a corporate tax return purportedly filed by Esos, and a patent valuation she provided to investors were neither prepared nor signed by the professionals who supposedly prepared the documents.
She used most of the victims’ investments to pay her personal expenses, including rent for her personal residence, and to make Ponzi-type payments to further her scheme.
When Bisnoff failed to provide the promised investment returns, she offered a series of bogus explanations described by one victim who testified at trial as “dog-ate-my-homework” excuses, attempted to embezzle approximately $550,000 from an employer to send to investors, and then sent checks that bounced.
In total, Bisnoff fraudulently obtained nearly $2 million from investors and caused her victims to lose approximately $1.4 million.
In addition, in March 2020, Bisnoff fraudulently applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) through a federal program designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering economic harm from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Using the name “Michelle Silverstein” and identifying herself as the chief operating officer of Esos, Bisnoff lied about the company’s gross revenue and the cost of goods it purportedly sold during the 12-month period preceding the pandemic.
She also certified that she would only use the EIDL loan proceeds for business expenses, but instead she used some of the $150,000 she received for personal expenses, including monthly rent of approximately $15,600 on a large house she leased in Pacific Palisades.
United States District Judge Mónica Ramírez Almadani scheduled a January 21, 2027, sentencing hearing, at which time Bisnoff will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each count of securities fraud and wire fraud, a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count, and a mandatory two-year consecutive federal prison sentence for the aggravated identity theft counts.
Relatedly, in 2023, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Bisnoff and Esos for fraudulently raising $1.95 million from Esos investors. A September 2023 judgment held Bisnoff and Esos jointly and severally liable for disgorgement of $566,483, representing net profits from the fraud, as well as $46,836 in pre-judgment interest and a civil penalty of $223,229, with the total amount due – $836,548 – to be paid to the SEC within 30 days. According to court documents, Bisnoff’s criminal case, to date neither Bisnoff nor Esos has paid any of the amounts due.
The FBI and the U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) investigated this matter. Substantial assistance was provided by the SEC and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ranee A. Katzenstein, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Alexandra Sloan Kelly of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, and Diane Roldán of the Major Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Woodbridge predator sentenced to 40 years in prison for sexually exploiting more than 40 minor girlsRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, of Woodbridge, was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“Malachi Thomas exploited dozens of girls through threats, coercion, and devastating sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His tactics — leveraging hacked accounts, fear of physical harm, psychological manipulation, and physical assaults — underscore the gravity of his abusive and horrific crimes. This defendant will spend the next four decades in prison and never harm another child.”
“Malachi Thomas preyed upon our most vulnerable – our children – and he deserves a sentence that reflects the enormity of his crimes. The sentence imposed today does just that,” said Theophani K. Stamos, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Thomas’ pursuit of his victims was reprehensible and unrelenting. We are committed to using all tools at our disposal to protect children from exploitation and to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the profound harm Malachi Thomas inflicted on dozens of vulnerable children,” said Darren B. Cox, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and investigating those who prey on minors, whether online or in our communities. We hope today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for the victims as they continue to heal.”
According to court documents, from at least March to October of 2020, Thomas used a Snapchat account, which he had previously hacked and stolen from a minor, to coerce approximately 41 minor girls between the ages of 12 and 17 to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Thomas directed the victims to create and send him CSAM and ordered the girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video calls.
Thomas told victims he led a criminal organization and that as long as they did what he told them they would be safe. To coerce compliance, Thomas threatened to hack the victims’ accounts or harm them and their family members. Thomas was aware that several of his victims suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues and that many had previously been victims of sexual abuse. In at least one instance, Thomas knew that the victim was in foster care.
On June 6, 2020, Thomas travelled to a victim’s home and assaulted the victim, which he recorded and saved in his Snapchat account. Police discovered the video after searching one of Thomas’ cell phones, which they seized from him while investigating an altercation on July 9, 2020. Thomas traveled to Potomac Mills Mall in Woodbridge to meet a victim he exploited on Snapchat. The victim’s father had learned of Thomas’ actions and appeared at the mall instead of the victim.
On Oct. 1, 2020, Fairfax County Police arrested Thomas on charges of rape and sodomy of two minors in Fairfax County. With support from Prince William County Police, Fairfax County Police searched Thomas’ residence in Woodbridge where investigators located a second phone containing dozens of images and videos of CSAM, including recordings of his sexual assaults of the two victims in Fairfax County.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 1:25-cr-327.
Wilmington Man Charged with Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – David Loper, 23, of Wilmington, made his initial appearance today, September 24, 2026, for fentanyl trafficking and firearms offenses. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sherry R. Fallon.
According to court documents, on June 3, 2026, officers found suspected drugs and two digital scales in plain view in the living room of Loper’s residence. The Wilmington Police Department obtained a search warrant for the home and recovered three bundles and 24 individual bags of fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, more than $16,000 in cash and a firearm.
The criminal complaint charges Loper with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). If convicted, Loper faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S Attorney Benjamin L. Wallace, Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Wilmington Police Department Chief of Police Wilfredo Campos made the announcement.
The FBI’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force and Wilmington Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Delaware Department of Correction’s Probation and Parole. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Lafferty is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:26-mj-00486-UNA
Western District of Texas Adds over 225 New Immigration Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 227 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from September 18 through September 24, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against alien smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for child sex crimes, numerous DWIs, violent crimes, thefts, and numerous prior removals.
Among the new cases, U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested an illegal alien from Honduras in Eagle Pass. Elvis Mancia-Almendarez was previously deported earlier this year, in January, through Harlingen. In January 2022, he was convicted of disorderly conduct in New York and sentenced to 15 days of confinement. The following month he was convicted again in New York for criminal sex act with a victim under 15 years old. For that, he was sentenced to three years of supervised release. Mancia-Almendarez, a convicted felon and sex offender, now faces an illegal re-entry charge in Del Rio.
Also in Del Rio, where federal prosecutors filed 100 immigration-related cases in the six-day period, Jose Flores-Dominguez, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. Flores-Dominguez is an illegal alien from Mexico who has been deported three times, as recently as July. Flores-Dominguez has a significant history of convictions that includes driving while intoxicated, two aggravated assaults with a weapon, and unlawful restraint.
Assistant U.S. attorneys in El Paso filed 104 immigration cases, including an illegal re-entry charge against Jorge Rivas-Mompie, an illegal alien from Cuba. Rivas-Mompie was arrested approximately two miles east of the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry after being previously removed from the U.S. in January. A convicted felon, his criminal record includes aggravated rape and sexual assault, aggravated robbery, burglary of a habitation, and a second conviction for aggravated sexual assault that resulted in a 17-year prison sentence.
Juan Jose Pinon-Villagomez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was charged with illegal re-entry after he allegedly attempted to elude inspection from U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers (CBPO) at the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry on Tuesday. A criminal complaint alleges a CBPO observed Pinon-Villagomez walking north toward the U.S. on the southbound pedestrian walkway and attempted to bypass the toll booth that is designed for pedestrian traffic. The CBPO was able to stop Pinon-Villagomez from entering further into the U.S. and Pinon-Villagomez was arrested. The illegal alien was previously deported in July through Alexandria, Louisiana. In 2018, he was sentenced to five years in prison for an offense involving the possession and use of a firearm. Prior to that, Pinon-Villagomez received convictions for entering the U.S. illegally, a DWI, and intoxication assault with a vehicle.
Miguel Hernandez-Sandoval, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested in Austin and charged with illegal re-entry. Hernandez-Sandoval has been thrice removed from the U.S., the last time being in 2016 following his third DWI conviction. In addition to the three DWIs, Hernandez-Sandoval has been convicted of possession of a controlled substance and illegal re-entry to the U.S. by an alien.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
###
West Virginia Man Facing Federal Indictment in Connection with Bank Robberies and CarjackingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a West Virginia man on multiple charges in connection with robbing banks in Maryland.
Jordon Larine Redfern, 30, of Martinsburg, is charged with bank robbery, carjacking, attempted armed bank robbery, and armed bank robbery.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment, today, with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office.
According to the four-count indictment, on May 29, 2026, Redfern robbed a Windsor Mill, Maryland, bank, taking approximately $6,300 in cash. Two days later, on May 31, Redfern carjacked a luxury vehicle in Washington County, Maryland. Then on June 1, Redfern attempted to commit an armed robbery of a bank in Baltimore, and then later committed an armed robbery of a second bank in Baltimore, stealing approximately $41,590 in cash.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Redfern faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison for armed bank robbery and a maximum of 15 years for carjacking. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI for its work in the investigation, along with the Baltimore County Police Department; Baltimore Police Department; Berkeley County, WV, Sheriff's Office; Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; Washington County Sheriff's Office; Maryland Transportation Authority Police; and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office, for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Higgins and Paul E. Budlow who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
# # #
Wakpala Man Sentenced to over 5 Years in Federal Prison for Aggravated Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a Wakpala, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault of an Intimate and Dating Partner by Strangulation and Suffocation and Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to an Intimate and Dating Partner. The sentencing took place on September 22, 2026.
Mathias Kane Fast Horse, age 19, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2025. He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026.
On November 18, 2024, Fast Horse purposefully inhaled some household chemicals and then strangled his girlfriend until she lost consciousness. He continued by pushing, slapping, and punching her, spraining her knee. On April 14, 2025, Fast Horse punched his girlfriend’s head several times, rupturing her right ear drum. When the woman fled and took shelter in a neighbor’s home, Fast Horse gave chase, but could not break into the house. These events occurred in Wakpala within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal Court as opposed to State Court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Fast Horse was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.
Virginia Man is Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Exploiting More Than 40 Minor Girls on SnapchatRead the Press Release
Malachi Morgan Thomas, 24, of Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 40 years in prison for sexual exploitation of children and possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). On April 2, Thomas pled guilty to one count of production of CSAM and one count of possession of CSAM. According to court documents, Thomas used a Snapchat account, which he had previously hacked and stolen from a minor, to coerce approximately 41 minor girls between the ages of 12 and 17 to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
“Malachi Thomas exploited dozens of girls through threats, coercion, and devastating sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His tactics — leveraging hacked accounts, fear of physical harm, psychological manipulation, and physical assaults — underscore the gravity of his abusive and horrific crimes. This defendant will spend the next four decades in prison and never harm another child.”
“Malachi Thomas preyed upon our most vulnerable — our children — and he deserves a sentence that reflects the enormity of his crimes,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Theophani K. Stamos for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The sentence imposed yesterday does just that. Thomas’ pursuit of his victims was reprehensible and unrelenting. We are committed to using all tools at our disposal to protect children from exploitation and to prosecute offenders to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Today’s sentence reflects the profound harm Malachi Thomas inflicted on dozens of vulnerable children,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to identifying and investigating those who prey on minors, whether online or in our communities. We hope today’s sentence brings a measure of justice for the victims as they continue to heal.”
Thomas directed victims to create and send CSAM, and he also ordered the girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct during live video calls. Thomas told victims he led a criminal organization and that as long as they did what he told them they would be safe. To coerce compliance, Thomas threatened to hack the victims’ accounts or harm them and their family members. Thomas was aware that several of his victims suffered from anxiety, depression, and other mental health issues and that many had previously been victims of sexual abuse. In at least one instance, Thomas knew that the victim was in foster care.
On June 7, 2020, Thomas travelled to a victim’s home and assaulted the victim, which he recorded and saved in his Snapchat account. Police discovered the video after searching one of Thomas’ cell phones, which they seized from him while investigating an altercation. On July 9, 2020, Thomas traveled to a shopping mall in Virginia to meet a victim he exploited on Snapchat. The victim’s father had learned of Thomas’ actions and appeared at the mall instead of the victim. Thomas’ phone was seized when police responded to the incident.
On Oct. 1, 2020, Fairfax County Police arrested Thomas on charges of rape and sodomy of two minors in Fairfax County. With support from Prince William County Police, Fairfax County Police searched Thomas’ residence in Woodbridge where investigators located a second phone containing dozens of images and videos of CSAM, including recordings of his sexual assaults of two victims in Fairfax County.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.
Trial Attorney Alicia A. Bove of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Halper for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 1:25-cr-327.
Vinton Man Sentenced for Serial Online Victimization of MinorsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Vinton, Virginia man, who used Snapchat to exploit at least nine underage girls online, was sentenced this week to 14 years in federal prison.
Alageon Jaytwon Gravely, 22, pled guilty earlier this year to nine counts of receipt, distribution, or distribution and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“Anyone who targets minors for sexual exploitation online will be targeted for priority prosecution by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia,” First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I commend the outstanding cooperation among Homeland Security Investigations, Virginia State Police, and the Roanoke County Police Department to ensure accountability in this case.”
“Gravely sexually exploited at least nine children he met online, a crime that has become all too common. Now, he’s facing over a decade behind bars and away from vulnerable kids. HSI works every day with our law enforcement partners to keep children safe online and ensure predators like Gravely are brought to justice,” said Homeland Security Investigations Washington, D.C. Acting Special Agent in Charge Kai Wah Chan.
According to court documents, agents with the Virginia State Police, assisted by the Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations, began investigating Gravely following allegations of serious sexual misconduct by a minor’s guardian.
During the investigation, investigators obtained search warrants for Gravely’s cell phone and similar devices. Investigators discovered a large amount of sexually explicit material in the defendant’s online accounts, much of it involving teenagers.
At least nine minors were identified in sexually explicit pictures and videos on Gravely’s phone, some of which he created himself. Investigators located messages from several victims that clearly indicate they told Gravely they were underage; however, he still requested explicit images.
The Department of Homeland Security - Homeland Security Investigations and the Virginia State Police investigated the case with additional investigative assistance from the Roanoke County Police Department.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Know2Protect is a Department of Homeland Security national public awareness campaign to educate and empower kids, teens, parents, trusted adults and policymakers to prevent and combat online child sexual exploitation and abuse (CSEA), explain how to report online enticement and victimization, and offer response and support resources for victims and survivors of online child sexual exploitation.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit Know2Protect.gov.
Vietnamese National Charged for Role in Massive “Pig Butchering” Cryptocurrency ScamRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Vietnamese national was charged for his role in defrauding a victim out of millions of dollars’ worth of cryptocurrency in a wire fraud “pig butchering” scam.
Trung Nguyen Van, 37, was charged in a Western District of Missouri two-count criminal complaint with money laundering that was unsealed following his initial appearance in federal court in Los Angeles yesterday.
Pig butchering is a highly lucrative billion-dollar industry that has victimized millions of Americans. The scam involves fraudsters gaining the trust of victims, often through fictitious romantic relationships, and duping them into making investments into fake cryptocurrency projects. These schemes typically begin with a victim meeting someone on an online dating website. Alternatively, a victim may receive a random unsolicited message on social media, via text, or through a messaging application, with the conversation eventually appearing to turn romantic. The victim is then convinced to transfer money to an alleged cryptocurrency investment opportunity recommended by the scammer. The scammer highlights seemingly impressive monetary gains from initial investments and encourages the victim to invest increasingly larger amounts, ultimately resulting in financial ruin to the victim.
“Pig butchering schemes are an increasingly prevalent and sophisticated form of fraud that have caused billions of dollars in losses to victims around the world,” said R. Matthew Price, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Missouri. “We are pleased to have worked alongside our law enforcement partners in the Western District of Missouri, as well as multiple jurisdictions to bring this case forward. Fraudsters should know that we will use every available resource to pursue those who target innocent victims.”
“The FBI, working closely with our law enforcement and private-sector partners, uncovered and disrupted this alleged scheme, preventing additional victims from being defrauded of their hard-earned money,” said Chris Ormerod, Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas City Field Office. “This case demonstrates the FBI's unwavering commitment to protecting the American public and holding fraudsters accountable, regardless of where they operate or where their crimes are committed.”
As alleged in the unsealed affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint, between June and August of 2024, Victim #1 transferred approximately $16,000,000 worth of cryptocurrency, believing they were making an investment in a cryptocurrency investment platform called “Triangle.” One such transfer, taking place on Aug. 7, 2024, directly traceable to Van’s cryptocurrency wallet, was for over $569,000 in cryptocurrency. On Aug. 9, 2024, Van’s cryptocurrency wallet received six transfers totaling approximately $569,569 in cryptocurrency, traceable to Victim #1. Immediately following the receipt of the funds, Van proceeded to transfer approximately $567,999 worth of cryptocurrency in four transactions to a private, un-hosted cryptocurrency wallet off the centralized blockchain network.
From Feb. 9, 2018, through Dec. 17, 2024, Van’s cryptocurrency wallets received approximately $53,275,939 in cryptocurrency assets from wire fraud schemes targeting United States citizens. The wallet transferred approximately $53,188,466 worth of the same cryptocurrency assets to other accounts off the centralized blockchain network.
In addition to Victim #1, numerous other United States-based victims reported combined losses in the millions to different pig butchering schemes, attributed to several suspicious wallets that then sent funds to Van’s cryptocurrency wallet. Each of the victims were instructed to transfer cryptocurrency to different websites, but each victim reported a similar story. In each of these schemes, victims were guided by an individual they met online to invest cryptocurrency in a specified “website” with a promise of high financial returns. Ultimately, each victim was never able to withdraw funds they invested and eventually discovered they had been defrauded.
The charges contained in the complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must eventually be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffrey Q. McCarther and James Kirkpatrick. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
United States Files Fair Housing Act Lawsuit Against Stagg Group for Failure to Construct Apartment Buildings with Features Accessible to Persons with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, announced today that the United States has filed a federal Fair Housing Act (“FHA”) lawsuit against STAGG GROUP (“STAGG”) relating to its failure to design and construct new apartment buildings so as to be accessible to persons with physical disabilities. The specific buildings allegedly designed in violation of the FHA’s requirements are 3745 Riverdale Avenue, Bronx, NY 10463 (“Riverdale Tower”), 5959 Broadway, Bronx, NY 10463 (“The Station”), 6327 Broadway, Bronx, NY 10471 (“The Hudson”), 6375 Broadway, Bronx, NY 10471 (“The Stables”), 1680 Pelham Parkway South, Bronx, NY 10461 (“The Equestrian”), and 26 Garden Street, New Rochelle, New York (“West View”).
“Over the past two decades, this Office has brought twenty-one lawsuits against developers, architects, and construction companies to remedy their failure to comply with the Fair Housing Act,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “Every New Yorker should be able to enjoy their homes, regardless of whether they have disabilities.”
The FHA’s accessible design and construction provisions require multifamily housing complexes constructed after January 1991 to have basic features accessible to persons with disabilities. To enforce these provisions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has filed suits and obtained settlements with a wide array of developers and related entities that construct multifamily housing, including the Related Companies, the Durst Organization, Glenwood Management, Silverstein Properties, Atlantic Development Group, and Toll Brothers.
According to the allegations in the Complaint, inaccessible conditions at certain of the specified buildings include:
- The front entry to the building is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because there is a non-automatic door requiring excessive force.
- Mailboxes are not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because they are located too high.
- The curb ramp near the entrance of the building is inaccessible to persons who use wheelchairs due to its running slope.
- The ramp at the entrance to the outdoor entertainment space is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is excessively steep and missing a handrail.
- In individual units, the entry threshold is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is too high.
- In individual units, the threshold to the bathroom is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is too high.
- In individual units, the doorway to the bathroom is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is too narrow.
- In individual units, there is insufficient clear floor space outside the swing of the door in the studio bathroom.
- In individual units, the balcony door is inaccessible to persons who use wheelchairs because the doorway is not wide enough.
- In individual units, the threshold to the balcony is not accessible to persons who use wheelchairs because it is too high and unbeveled.
Due to the inaccessible conditions at the buildings that STAGG designed and constructed, STAGG engaged in a pattern or practice of resistance to the full enjoyment of rights protected by the FHA and denied such rights to people with disabilities. The Complaint seeks a court order directing STAGG to retrofit individual apartments as well as the public and common use areas of the buildings so that they are accessible, to adopt policies and procedures to ensure FHA compliance in future constructions, and to compensate individuals who suffered discrimination due to the inaccessible conditions.
People who believe they may have experienced discrimination due to the inaccessible conditions at the above-named buildings designed and constructed by STAGG may contact the Civil Rights Complaint account at [email protected], use the Civil Rights Complaint Form available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website http://www.justice.gov/usao/nys/civilrights.html, or send a written report to:
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York
86 Chambers Street, 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10007
Attention: Chief, Civil Rights Unit
* * *
Mr. McDonald thanked the Fair Housing Testing Program of the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice for its assistance with the investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mallika Balachandran and David J. Kennedy are in charge of the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 114 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 114 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On September 20, Sebastian Ulises Galeana Pierce, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 74 pounds of cocaine hidden beneath his feet on the driver’s side of his 2021 Toyota RAV4 as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On September 18, Daniel Herriberto Vega Laura, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 58 pounds of methamphetamine and 16 grams of fentanyl concealed in the quarter panels of the trunk, center console, and engine firewall of the 2025 Chevrolet Aveo the defendant was driving as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On September 23, Fernando Contreras Santiago, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, the defendant arrived at the Campo Border Patrol Station’s Immigration Checkpoint. During the immigration inspection, Agents observed movement on the floorboard of the backseat beneath what appeared to be plastic. Before agents could further inspect the vehicle, the defendant fled the checkpoint at a high rate of speed, striking a Vehicle Immobilization Device, which is designed to stop or disable a vehicle typically by damaging or obstructing its tires. The vehicle then lost control, struck a light post, and all occupants fled on foot. Agents subsequently located two Mexican individuals who were illegally present in the United States and had been passengers in the vehicle driven by the defendant.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney Combs takes part in unprecedented meeting with Guatemalan President and Attorney General to strengthen coordination against transnational crime, accompanies extradited defendants to TexasRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs and Criminal Chief Matt Quinn were part of a delegation including five U.S. Attorneys and lead prosecutors from nine federal districts in an unprecedented visit to Guatemala this week.
Chargé d’Affaires Jorgan Andrews welcomed a delegation of senior officials from the U.S. Department of Justice in a visit to Guatemala to advance the Trump Administration’s policy of eliminating cartels and transnational criminal organizations, securing borders, and protecting American citizens from transnational threats. Their presence in the country reflects the seriousness with which the U.S. government addresses transnational crime and our commitment to confronting it together with Guatemala, by pursuing drug traffickers and human smugglers, their enablers, and those who provide them protection, including narco-linked politicians.
“The Eastern District of Texas, in coordination with the DEA and the government of Guatemala, has made great strides in stripping corrupt mayors of their immunity under Guatemalan law so they may be prosecuted for their crimes in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs. “We have successfully brought four corrupt Guatemalan mayors and one corrupt member of congress in Guatemala to justice.”
The delegation met with President Bernardo Arévalo, Attorney General Gabriel García Luna, and Minister of the Interior Marco Antonio Villeda to strengthen coordination and reaffirm the U.S commitment to supporting Guatemala’s investigative capacity and judicial processes to build criminal cases for prosecution in U.S. courts. Curbing the flow of narcotics, money laundering, and human trafficking and smuggling into the United States makes our countries and the Western Hemisphere safer.
At the conclusion of the meeting, U.S. Attorney Combs boarded a plane and accompanied four indicted individuals from Guatemala to the United States, including Juan Carlos Cruz Ovalle. Ovalle was indicted in 2018 and is alleged to have trafficked multi-ton quantities of cocaine from Guatemala for distribution to the United States. The defendants appeared in federal court in Plano on September 25, 2026. It is important to note that a federal indictment is not evidence of guilt and all defendants are considered innocent until proven guilty.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Guatemala and its prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for making the extraditions possible. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala with assistance from the Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT) secured the defendants’ arrests and extraditions from Guatemala.
These cases are in support 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 Dallas comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Dallas Field Office; U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations - Dallas (ICE-HSI); Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Dallas Field Division; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Dallas Field Division; Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CD); United States Postal Service, United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Transportation Security Administration, Federal Air Marshal Service (FAMS); United States Secret Service (USSS); Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service (DSS); TEXOMA HIDTA; and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Eastern District of Texas.
The Guatemala delegation meeting included federal prosecutors from the Eastern District of Texas, Northern District of Texas, Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, Southern District of Florida, and Northern District of New York, along with senior leaders of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, represented by Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Skaret, Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and Vulcan (JTFV), and officials from the DEA, FBI, and HSI. The Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training (OPDAT), represented by Director Erik Peterson, coordinated the visit.
###Two Men Sentenced to Prison for 2023 Armed Crime SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deondre Rogers, 20, and Hanif Brown,20, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to 17 years and 14 years in prison, respectively, for their roles in anarmed carjacking and robbery spree committed in 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“At 17-years-old in 2023, these defendants went on a crime spree—stealing cars, jewelry, and other personal possessions from their victims, with complete disregard for the people they harmed, and then callously showing off their stolen property on social media,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This sentence sends a clear message: those who terrorize our community with violence and firearms will be held fully accountable.”
Both Rogers and Brown pleaded guilty on August 3, 2026, to one count each of carjacking, armed robbery, robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and two counts of carrying a pistol without a license. The defendants were originally charged in an 87-count indictment.Brown was 17 years old at the time of the offenses, while Rogers turned 17 in April 2023 during the crime spree; both defendants were charged as adults pursuant to Title 16. The government sought a 17-year prison sentence for each defendant. Superior Court Judge Jason Park imposed the requested sentence on Rogers but sentenced Brown to 14 years pursuant to the Youth Rehabilitation Act, citing Brown’s lack of criminal history and expressed remorse.
According to the government’s evidence, on the afternoon of April 7, 2023, Rogers and Brown rear-ended a white Jeep inside the Third Street Tunnel while driving a stolen Mercedes sedan. The defendants exited the Mercedes sedan, pointed firearms at the Jeep’s two occupants, and demanded that they exit the vehicle. After the victims complied, the defendants entered the Jeep and drove away.
In the early morning hours of April 16, 2023, Rogers and Brown robbed another victim at gunpoint in the 1600 block of 5th Street NW. As the victim was walking with a friend, the defendants pulled up alongside them in a white Chevrolet sedan, and one of the defendants got out. Hepointed a firearm at the victim and demanded his keys and cell phone, as the second defendant remained seated in the Chevrolet sedan. The victim handed over his vehicle keys and cell phone. The defendants drove away in the Chevrolet sedan and the victim’s vehicle.
In the early morning hours of May 4, 2023, the defendants robbed two victims at gunpoint in the 1400 block of U Street NW. Rogers and Brown exited a white sedan, carrying handguns, and demanded the victims’ property. The defendants took two necklaces, an iPhone, a Louis Vuitton belt, a rose/white gold Audemars Piquet watch valued at approximately $40,000, and a gold and silver Rolex valued at approximately $7,000.
On the night of the robbery and in the days that followed, Rogers and Brown appeared in multiple videos, photographs, and a music video posted to social media that showed them wearing the stolen watches.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Travis Wolf and Brian Hanley, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 003623; 2023 CF3 004265
Two Former USPS Employees Charged in Connection with Scheme to Steal More Than 200 Gift Cards Out of the MailRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jamie McDonald, and Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Area Field Office of the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”), Matthew M. Modafferi, announced today that PIAN PIAN WONG-TAM, a former United States Postal Service (“USPS”) Mail Processing Clerk in White Plains, New York, and WILLIAM WONG, a former USPS Mail Clerk in Millwood, New York, were presented today before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy on charges that they engaged in a scheme and conspiracy in which WONG-TAM removed mail entrusted to her by USPS, stole gift cards and other items out of that mail, and then, together with WONG, used those gift cards and other items for their own personal gain.
“The charges against the defendants reflect this Office’s and our law enforcement partners’ continued commitment to ensuring the integrity of the U.S. postal system,” said U.S. Attorney Jamie McDonald. “As alleged, Pian Pian Wong-Tam stole more than 200 gift cards out of mail entrusted to her for processing, and then, together with William Wong, used those gift cards for their own benefit, abusing their positions of trust and victimizing hundreds of people in the process. The complaint against Wong-Tam and Wong should send a clear message that stealing from the mail entrusted to USPS for delivery is a serious federal offense that will not be tolerated.”
“Misconduct by postal employees undermines the trust placed in the Postal Service and will not be tolerated,” said USPS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Matthew M. Modafferi. “The United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General remains committed to protecting the integrity of the Postal Service and ensuring accountability. We appreciate the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its partnership in this investigation.”
According to the Complaint:
Until July 24, 2026, WONG-TAM was working as a Mail Processing Clerk at the USPS White Plains Processing & Distribution Center (“P&DC”) in White Plains, New York, while WONG was working as a Mail Clerk at a post office in Millwood, New York.
After receiving multiple customer complaints about mail that had been processed through the P&DC being delivered damaged, with expected gift cards missing, USPS-OIG’s investigation revealed that, from April 2025 to July 24, 2026, WONG-TAM took advantage of her position of trust at the P&DC to steal, among other things, gift cards from the mail she was responsible for processing. WONG-TAM then shared the gift cards she stole with WONG and, together, they used those gift cards at a variety of businesses in multiple states for their own personal benefit. All told, WONG-TAM and WONG’s scheme resulted in the theft of no less than 200 gift cards, ranging in value from $25 to $500 each.
* * *
WONG-TAM, 59, of New York, New York, and WONG, 57, of New York, New York, are each charged with one count of conspiracy to steal and unlawfully possess mail, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of unlawful possession of mail, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; one count of conspiracy to commit access device fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison; and two counts of access device fraud, which each carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. WONG-TAM is also charged with one count of theft of mail by a Postal Service officer or employee, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. McDonald praised the outstanding investigative work of the Northeast Area Field Office of the USPS-OIG.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Deal is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
^
As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described therein should be treated as an allegation.
Texas Mental Health Clinic Owner Convicted in $26M Scheme to Defraud Military Health Benefits ProgramRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Fort Worth convicted a Texas licensed professional counselor yesterday for his role in a $26 million health care fraud, kickbacks, and money laundering scheme.
“Yesterday’s verdict makes clear that those who try to defraud the United States will be met with swift and decisive justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Department of Justice’s National Fraud Enforcement Division. “This defendant exploited a critical health care program serving active-duty servicemembers and their families, diverting taxpayer dollars to bankroll personal luxuries ranging from hotel stays to a casino-themed party and even a gold‑plated Tesla Cybertruck. Such conduct is an affront to the military community and the American public. The Department of Justice will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who abuses federal programs for personal gain.”
“Kevin Curry shamelessly preyed on the trust of servicemembers, veterans, and their families, siphoning millions from TRICARE through lies and coercion, said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “He fabricated medical records, stole doctors’ identities and clogged the system with fraudulent claims, all while lining his pockets with kickback‑tainted money. This conviction sends an unmistakable message that those who manipulate our military community and defraud federal healthcare programs will face the full force of federal prosecution.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Kevin D. Curry, 64, of Frisco, Texas, orchestrated a scheme to bill TRICARE for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) therapy that was medically unnecessary or not provided. Curry, the owner and operator of two purported mental health clinics in Texas, Acuity TMS of Plano LLC and Acuity TMS of Fort Worth LLC, and one purported mental health clinic in Florida, Emerald Coast TMS of Fort Walton Beach LLC (collectively, Acuity), offered and paid over $5.5 million in kickbacks to convince active-duty servicemembers, veterans, and their family members to consent to TMS therapy they did not qualify for and, in many instances, did not receive. Curry, who falsely held himself out to be a medical doctor, used actual doctors’ credentials without their knowledge and consent to bill TRICARE as part of the scheme.
In an effort to conceal his fraud, Curry directed employees to fabricate medical records that he submitted to TRICARE to justify his fraudulent billings. Acuity billed TRICARE over $26 million in false, fraudulent, and kickback-tainted TMS claims, based on which TRICARE paid approximately $17 million. Curry laundered some of the proceeds by spending his ill-gotten gains on hotels, a lavish casino-themed party, and a gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck worth over $100,000:
Kevin Curry's gold-plated Tesla Cybertruck, purchased with his fraudulent proceeds.The jury convicted Curry of three counts of health care fraud, three counts of offering and paying illegal health care kickbacks, and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in criminal derived property. He is scheduled to be sentenced at a later date and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Colin M. McDonald of the Justice Department’s Fraud Division; United States Attorney Ryan Raybould of the Northern District of Texas; Special Agent in Charge Chad Gosch of the Department of Department’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southwest Field Office; Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock of the FBI Dallas Field Office; Chief William Marlowe of the Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit (MFCU); and Special Agent in Charge Kris Raper of the Department of Veteran’s Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG), South Central Field Office, made the announcement.
DCIS, FBI, MFCU, and VA-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Womble for the Northern District of Texas and Trial Attorneys Adam Tisdall and Yael Mash of the Fraud Division’s Health Care Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (Fraud Division). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The Department of Justice’s Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion since 2007. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Tampa Men Responsible for Fentanyl Death of University of South Florida Student Sentenced to Life and over 21 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Miguel Cintron (38, Tampa) and Darrius Gustafson (23, Tampa) have been sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Badalamenti to life and 21 years and 10 months in federal prison, respectively, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl resulting in death. A federal jury found both guilty on May 4, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, testimony, and evidence presented at trial, Cintron, Gustafson, and two co-defendants distributed a lethal amount of fentanyl that resulted in the death of Victim-1. At the time, Victim-1 was a freshman at the University of South Florida. After Victim-1’s death, all four defendants continued to distribute fentanyl to undercover deputies and detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. On April 10, 2024, all four were arrested and a search warrant was executed at Cintron’s residence. Law enforcement recovered more than seven kilograms of cocaine, heroin, black tar heroin, fentanyl, firearms, and more than $200,000 in cash from inside Cintron’s home.
Co-defendants David Chudhabuddhi and Marquis Trant previously entered guilty pleas and were sentenced on June 18, 2026. Chudhabuddhi was sentenced to eight years and one month in federal prison. Trant was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the University of South Florida Police Department, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
Sun Prairie Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dushaun Mims, 40, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 6 years in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Mims pleaded guilty to this charge on June 18, 2026.
On May 6, 2025, Fitchburg and Madison Police Department officers were investigating a fatal stabbing incident that occurred at a bar in Fitchburg, Wisconsin. The investigation led them to Mims’s residence in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where the stabbing suspect was located. After the suspect was arrested, officers executed a search warrant at the residence to look for evidence connected to the stabbing. During the search, officers found a black Colt Defense 5.56mm AR style rifle in the bathroom and three loaded AR magazines and 498 grams of counterfeit pills, some of which tested positive for para-flurofentanyl and fentanyl, in Mims’s bedroom. Mims’s DNA was found on the charging handle and backstrap of the AR style rifle and on the outside of one of the drug baggies. Mims is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition because of numerous prior felony convictions.
In imposing a sentence, Judge Conley weighed an “egregious” crime – possessing a firearm and fentanyl – along with aggravating factors like Mims’s serious prior record, including a history of domestic violence, which he called a “theme of his adult life,” against his severe medical issues and addictions.
The charge against Mims was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg and Madison Police Departments and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, which is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer R. Remington and Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to over 3 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm as Felon and Drug UserRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on September 21, 2026.
Jackson Wayne Sully, 37, was sentenced to three years and eight months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Sully was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2026. He pleaded guilty on June 22, 2026.
According to court documents, on November 6, 2025, Violent Crime Unit Detectives with the Sioux Falls Police Department assisted members of the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office Civil Division with a lockout eviction at Sully’s residence. While clearing the apartment, law enforcement observed items containing methamphetamine, residue, and paraphernalia. Sully’s recent drug use prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
During the execution of a search warrant, law enforcement located a loaded black Springfield XD 9mm handgun. This handgun was found in Sully’s bedroom, and his DNA was present on the firearm. As a result of prior felony convictions, Sully was likewise prohibited from possessing any firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Jehangiri prosecuted the case.
Sully was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.Sioux City Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Cars at GunpointRead the Press Release
A man who stole two motor vehicles, during a 13-day crime spree, was sentenced today 20 years in federal prison.
Manaen Rave, age 27, from Sioux City, received the prison term after a June 1, 2026, guilty plea to two counts of Interstate Transportation of Stolen Motor Vehicle and one count of Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Felon.
Evidence in the case revealed on February 16, 2025, Rave carjacked a motor vehicle by pistol whipping his victim in the head with a .22 revolver, requiring her to receive treatment at a hospital. He drove the car to ditch near Homer, Nebraska, where he abandoned it.
9 days later, on or about February 27, 2025, Rave stole a second vehicle, leaving his victim standing in a gas station parking lot. On March 1, 2025, Sioux City officers located the second stolen vehicle in a neighborhood a block away from a residence Rave was known to frequent. In the vehicle, officers located an empty firearm holster. Rave refused commands to exit the nearby house, resulting in officers obtaining a search warrant and SWAT deploying and pulling Rave out from behind a wall in a bedroom closet. Keys to the stolen car were located in the same room.
Rave has an extensive criminal history including conspiracy with intent to manufacture/deliver methamphetamine, felony failure to appear, assault on persons in certain occupations – use/display weapon, and theft 2nd degree – motor vehicle not over $10,000 in value.
Rave was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 240 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Rave is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Woodbury County Sheriff’s Department, Sioux City, Iowa Police Department, Sgt. Buff Iowa, Police Department, Sgt. Bluff Fire & Rescue, Dakota County, Nebraska Sheriff’s Department, Iowa Department of Transportation, the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the Department of Interior’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4032.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sheboygan Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Brad Schimel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on September 22, 2026, Nolan M. Pitsch, (age 32) of Sheboygan, Wisconsin, was sentenced to six years in federal prison by Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper.
According to court documents and arguments presented in court, Pitsch met multiple children on various social media platforms such as TikTok and Snapchat. While chatting online with these minors, Pitsch pretended to be 14 or 15 years old, but in reality, he was approximately 30 years old. He then convinced several girls between the ages of 11 and 15 whom he met on these platforms to take and send him images and videos of themselves posed in sexually explicit positions. In at least one instance, he threatened to expose a minor victim’s explicit images to others if she stopped sending him sexually explicit depictions of herself.
At his sentencing hearing, Chief Judge Pepper described Pitsch’s crimes as extremely heinous. She emphasized that these offenses have a lasting impact on real human beings, that Pitsch hurt real children, and that this hurt will stay with the victims forever. Upon completion of his federal prison sentence, the defendant will spend five years on supervised release. He will also have to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.
“We have no higher priority than protecting our children,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Schimel, “and we should all be proud of the investigators and prosecutors who work every day to bring predators like this to justice.”
“Pitsch hid behind fake profiles to manipulate children, coerce them into producing sexually explicit images, and threaten them when they tried to stop,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Matthew Scarpino. “HSI and our law enforcement partners will relentlessly pursue predators who exploit children online and ensure they are held accountable for the lasting harm they cause.”
This case was investigated by the Sheboygan Police Department and by the Department of Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan J. Thomas and Trial Attorney William G. Clayman, formerly of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS).
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
# # #
For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on X
Red Lake Man Indicted for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Courtney John Barrett Sr., 56, of Red Lake, had his initial appearance hearing today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jon T. Huseby. The defendant was indicted on two counts of sexual abuse of a minor on September 22, 2026.
According to the indictment, Barrett knowingly engaged and attempted to engage in a sexual act with a minor victim on at least two occasions from on or about June 2023 to February 2025.
This case was the result of an investigation by the FBI and Red Lake Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Dana Joseph is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Presunto líder narcoterrorista “la Araña” extraditado de Colombia como parte de una investigación del Grupo de Trabajo de Seguridad NacionalRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Geovany Andrés Rojas, alias “Araña”, ciudadano colombiano, presunto narcoterrorista de alto nivel y prolífico traficante de cocaína, fue extraditado hoy de Colombia a Estados Unidos.
Esta mañana, Rojas fue entregado a funcionarios estadounidenses bajo un fuerte dispositivo de seguridad en una base aérea de la Policía Nacional de Colombia en Bogotá, con la presencia del presidente colombiano, Abelardo de la Espriella. Rojas llegó a un lugar no revelado en San Diego a las 4:30 p.m. flanqueado por agentes de la DEA y del FBI.
Fotografía de Rojas (centro), flanqueado por agentes de las fuerzas del orden tras su extradición de Colombia a Estados Unidos. De izquierda a derecha, sin contar a los agentes uniformados: Kristopher Jarvis, agregado judicial del Departamento de Justicia de Estados Unidos en Bogotá; Adam Gordon, fiscal federal de EE. UU. para el Distrito Sur de California; James Nunnallee, agente especial a cargo de la DEA en San Diego; “Araña”; Jacob Galvan, agente especial adjunto a cargo de la DEA en San Diego; Jagdeep Khangura, agente especial adjunto a cargo del FBI en San Diego; y Kevin Murphy, agente especial interino a cargo de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI) en San Diego.
El 7 de marzo de 2025, un gran jurado federal del Distrito Sur de California emitió una imputación sustitutiva de dos cargos contra Rojas, cuyo alias es “la Araña”, por conspiración internacional para distribuir cocaína y por narcoterrorismo.
Las autoridades colombianas detuvieron a Rojas el 12 de febrero de 2025 en virtud de una notificación roja de la INTERPOL basada en delitos relacionados con estupefacientes. La Corte Suprema de Justicia de Colombia aprobó por unanimidad la extradición de Rojas en octubre de 2025. El presidente colombiano Gustavo Petro suspendió la extradición de Rojas posteriormente ese mismo año, mientras este participaba en una nueva ronda de conversaciones de paz entre grupos armados y el Gobierno colombiano. El 26 de agosto de 2026, el presidente colombiano Abelardo de la Espriella ordenó que la extradición de Rojas prosiguiera.
“Colombia y el Departamento de Justicia están realizando una barrida a fondo contra los narcoterroristas, comenzando por la Araña”, dijo el Fiscal Federal de EE. UU. para el Distrito Sur de California, Adam Gordon. “Antes de que el presidente De la Espriella asumiera el cargo, los grupos criminales armados en Colombia casi duplicaron su tamaño. Su cocaína alimentaba a los cárteles mexicanos que inyectan veneno en nuestras comunidades. Con la extradición de la Araña cae la telaraña que se extiende desde las montañas del Putumayo hasta las plazas de Tijuana que los cárteles se disputan brutalmente”.
“La extradición de hoy demuestra lo que Estados Unidos y Colombia podemos lograr cuando trabajamos juntos para desmantelar las redes criminales que trafican con drogas letales, corrompen instituciones y amenazan a nuestras comunidades”, afirmó el administrador de la DEA, Terry Cole. “Geovany Andrés Rojas enfrenta cargos de narcoterrorismo y tráfico de drogas por presuntamente haber orquestado cargamentos de varias toneladas de cocaína con destino a Estados Unidos. Su extradición demuestra que ni las fronteras, ni la influencia criminal, ni los esfuerzos por ocultar actividades ilícitas impedirán que la DEA y nuestros aliados lleven ante la justicia a importantes narcotraficantes transnacionales”.
“La extradición de Rojas debe enviar un claro mensaje a los líderes de los cárteles: el FBI y nuestros aliados del HSTF seguimos luchando sin tregua para desmantelar las organizaciones de narcotráfico que facilitan el flujo de drogas letales hacia nuestras comunidades”, declaró el agente especial a cargo Mark Remily, de la Oficina Local del FBI en San Diego. “La Oficina del FBI en San Diego seguirá trabajando estrechamente con nuestros aliados de las fuerzas del orden nacionales e internacionales para eliminar a los cárteles criminales, hacer que sus líderes rindan cuentas y proteger al pueblo estadounidense”.
En los años anteriores a su detención, Rojas fue portavoz y líder de Comandos de la Frontera, una organización paramilitar con unos 1,000 miembros que opera en el suroeste de Colombia. Rojas se presentaba como un líder de alto rango de Comandos de la Frontera y posaba con armas y combatientes fuertemente armados en publicaciones de redes sociales y en entrevistas con medios de comunicación en nombre del grupo terrorista.
En declaraciones públicas, Rojas describió a Comandos de la Frontera como parte de la Segunda Marquetalia, una organización integrada por excombatientes de las Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) que retomaron las armas y volvieron a combatir tras el acuerdo de paz de 2016 entre Colombia y las FARC. El propio Rojas fue miembro de las FARC y firmó el Acuerdo de Paz de 2016 antes de rechazar la paz y convertirse en líder guerrillero. El 1 de diciembre de 2021, el secretario de Estado de Estados Unidos designó a la Segunda Marquetalia como Organización Terrorista Extranjera (FTO).
Los cargos por tráfico de drogas y narcoterrorismo contra Rojas surgieron de una investigación prolongada del Grupo de Trabajo de Seguridad Nacional (HSTF), que reveló que Comandos de la Frontera, bajo el liderazgo de Rojas, se lucraba del cultivo y la producción de cocaína en el suroeste de Colombia y mantenía el control de su territorio mediante las armas y la violencia. La zona es una de las principales regiones productoras de cocaína de Colombia y tiene una influencia considerable en la cadena mundial de suministro de cocaína.
Se prevé que Rojas comparezca por primera vez en el tribunal federal el 28 de septiembre de 2026, a las 2 p. m., ante el juez federal adjunto Steve B. Chu.
El agregado judicial del Departamento de Justicia en Bogotá, Kristopher Jarvis, y el abogado litigante Aaron York, de la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales, hicieron posible la detención y la extradición de Rojas. El Servicio de Marshals de EE. UU. brindó una asistencia significativa para garantizar que el traspaso de la custodia se realizara de manera segura y sin contratiempos, y para trasladar a Rojas a Estados Unidos.
Los cargos y alegatos contenidos en una imputación o denuncia penal son solo acusaciones, y a la persona imputada se le considera inocente a menos y hasta que se pruebe su culpabilidad.
IMPUTADO Número de caso 25CR442H
Geovany Andrés Rojas, alias “Araña” Edad: 45 Colombia
RESUMEN DE LOS CARGOS
Conspiración internacional para distribuir cocaína – Título 21 del Código de los Estados Unidos (U.S.C.), secciones 959, 960 y 963
Pena máxima: mínimo obligatorio de 10 años y hasta cadena perpetua
Narcoterrorismo – Título 21 del Código de los Estados Unidos (U.S.C.), secciones 960a y 841
Pena máxima: mínimo obligatorio de 20 años y hasta cadena perpetua
AGENCIAS INVESTIGADORAS
Administración para el Control de Drogas (DEA)
Buró Federal de Investigaciones (FBI)
Este caso fue investigado y perseguido penalmente por el Grupo de Trabajo de Seguridad Nacional de California (HSTF) como parte de la iniciativa de los HSTF establecida mediante la Orden Ejecutiva 14159, Protegiendo al Pueblo Estadounidense Contra una Invasión (Protecting the American People Against Invasion). El HSTF es una alianza que abarca a todo el gobierno dedicada a eliminar los cárteles criminales, las pandillas extranjeras, las organizaciones criminales transnacionales y las redes de tráfico y trata de personas que operan en Estados Unidos y en el extranjero. Mediante una colaboración interinstitucional histórica, el HSTF dirige todo el poderío de las autoridades del orden público de Estados Unidos hacia la identificación, investigación y persecución penal de todo el espectro de delitos cometidos por estas organizaciones, que por mucho tiempo han alimentado la violencia y la inestabilidad dentro de nuestras fronteras. Al realizar este trabajo, el HSTF pone especial énfasis en investigar y perseguir penalmente a quienes participan en la trata de niños u otros delitos que involucran a niños. Además, el HSTF utiliza todas las herramientas disponibles para perseguir penalmente y expulsar de Estados Unidos a los delincuentes extranjeros más violentos.
###
Pensacola Gang Member Found Guilty of Fentanyl Trafficking and Firearm Offenses, Faces Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida - A federal jury has found Ke Anthony Javon Blackmon, 30, of Pensacola, guilty of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, two counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and carrying and possessing a firearm during, in relation, and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the verdict.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This armed drug trafficker’s days of flooding our streets with deadly poison are over thanks to the outstanding trial work of my federal prosecutors who delivered a win that will benefit our entire community. I deeply appreciate the excellent investigative work by our Okaloosa and Escambia County sheriffs’ offices and our federal law enforcement partners that dismantled this drug trafficker’s operations and helped my team secure this successful prosecution. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute every drug peddler operating in my district to deliver the safe, drug-free streets that our citizens deserve.”
According to evidence presented at trial, between around November 2024 and May 2025, Blackmon conspired with others to distribute large quantities of fentanyl throughout Escambia and Okaloosa Counties. During the investigation, law enforcement officers conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Blackmon. A subsequent search at two residences in Pensacola connected to him led to the seizure of over 3 kilograms of fentanyl, multiple firearms, and ammunition. The evidence further showed that Blackmon supplied fentanyl to other dealers, including up to a kilogram at a time and sometimes in exchange for firearms, which were illegal for him to possess as a convicted felon.
Due to multiple prior convictions for serious violent felonies, Blackmon faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years up to life imprisonment. Sentencing is scheduled for December 22, 2026, at 9:00 a.m. in the U.S. Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
The case was the result of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton, Alicia Forbes, and Brooke Lindsay 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.
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.
Owner of Semi-truck Business Indicted for Operating $105 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Kristopher Lunsford (46, Henderson, Nevada, formerly of Georgia) has been charged by indictment with six counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each wire fraud count and up to 10 years’ imprisonment on each money laundering count. The indictment also notifies Lunsford that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $105,940,214.93, the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, Lunsford and others solicited hundreds of victim-investors to invest in his semi-truck business by purchasing leases for semi-trucks. Lunsford falsely and fraudulently represented that he would handle all aspects of the business, including purchasing semi-trucks, hiring drivers, and insuring and employing the semi-trucks while the investors performed no work and earned passive income. Lunsford and others represented to victim-investors that they could invest in a semi-truck, typically in an amount between $25,000 and $40,000 per truck, and, in exchange, earn a guaranteed weekly payout, typically in an amount between approximately $1,000 and $1,250, generated from profits of Lunsford’s operation of the trucks.
Between approximately December 2023 and May 2025, Lunsford and others solicited more than $105 million from victim-investors. Rather than paying victim-investors with profits generated from the business, Lunsford used approximately $75 million of new investors’ funds to pay earlier investors and used over $25 million for his personal enrichment, to include purchases of real estate, sports cars, jewelry, luxury brand items, private charters, and expenditures at resorts, casinos, and nightclubs. Lunsford used approximately $2 million of victim-investors’ funds on business-related expenses and operations.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
The SEC has also filed a civil enforcement action against Lunsford, AKL Transport LLC, and Southern Truck Leasing LLC in the Middle District of Florida.
If you believe you are a victim of these offenses and have not already completed the FBI’s online questionnaire, please consider visiting https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/TruckLeaseFraud/view. If you have any questions regarding this questionnaire, please email [email protected]. Information about victims’ rights and upcoming hearings is available at www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/kristopher_lunsford.
Ohio Woman Sentenced to Three Years in Federal Prison in Child Neglect Case on Eglin Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Devon Mae Witryk, 28, of Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced to three years in federal prison after pleading guilty to felony child neglect occurring on Eglin Air Force Base, Florida. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of our Air Force partners, the child in this case was rescued from absolutely deplorable conditions, and my office has ensured this despicable defendant is held accountable for her criminal neglect.”
Court documents reveal that in June 2023, a welfare investigation was initiated for a child residing on Eglin Air Force Base. The defendant was the child’s mother and a military spouse. Investigation revealed the home was in deplorable condition and the young child needed medical attention. Due to the child not receiving appropriate care and supervision, the defendant’s home was inspected and investigators rescued the child. Witryk no longer has custody of or contact with the child. The child’s father was court-martialed by the U.S. Air Force for his role in the offense.
This case was investigated by Eglin Air Force Base Security Forces Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Walter E. Narramore.
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.
Oahu Girls’ Wrestling Coach Charged with Receipt and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Sean Sakaida, 44, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was charged by criminal complaint with receipt and possession of child pornography. He was arrested and taken into custody on September 24, 2026.
According to the complaint, Sakaida, a former coach of the girls’ wrestling team at Moanalua High School, frequently communicated with a minor victim using the messaging application WhatsApp between 2025 and 2026. In these communications, Sakaida received multiple sexually explicit photographs of the minor victim.
If convicted, Sakaida faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, plus a term of supervised release.
The charges in the criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In the case of conviction, any sentence would be imposed by a United States District Judge based on the statutory sentencing factors and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heidi Turner is prosecuting the case.
The FBI’s Honolulu Field Office is seeking to identify potential victims of Sean Sakaida. If you and/or your minor dependent(s) were victimized by Sean Sakaida or have information relevant to this investigation, please fill out this short form: https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/SakaidaVictims/view
If you know of someone else who has possibly been victimized by Sean Sakaida, please encourage them to complete the form themselves.This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
OPERATION TAKE BACK AMERICA: Guatemalan National Sentenced to More than 2 Years in Prison for Illegally Re-entering After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
Anniston, Ala. – A Guatemalan national has been sentenced for illegally returning to the United States after deportation, announced U.S. Attorney Phillip W. Williams Jr.
U.S. District Judge Corey L. Maze sentenced Eladio Pascual-Gaspar, 28, to 31 months in prison. Pascual-Gaspar pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after deportation.
“This defendant was released from a state prison and deported in 2023. He illegally reentered the United States and engaged in further criminal activity. This conduct will not be tolerated.” said U.S. Attorney Williams. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who enter our country illegally and engage in criminal conduct.”
“HSI remains committed to protecting our communities by enforcing federal immigration laws and facilitating the prosecution of individuals who unlawfully reenter the United States after removal,” said Ellen Johnson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Georgia and Alabama. “This sentence sends a clear message: those who disregard our immigration laws, use false identities, and engage in criminal activity will be held accountable.”
According to court documents, in May 2015, Pascual-Gaspar entered the United States illegally as an unaccompanied minor. He was released on an Order of Release on Recognizance to a sponsor in the United States in June 2015. In April 2021, Pascual-Gaspar pleaded guilty in Circuit Court of Madison County Mississippi to aiding and abetting of armed robbery. In May 2023, the defendant was removed from the United States. In June 2026, the Talladega Police Department encountered a 15-year-old, unaccompanied, illegal alien driver in a car registered to Henry Vegas Mondragon. The vehicle was towed. Pascual-Gaspar appeared at the tow lot to claim the car and presented false Guatemalan identification and documents in the alias name Henry Vegas Mondragon.
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 Investigation investigated the cases along with the Talladega County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted the case.
Northumberland County Woman Indicted on Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Hailey Marie Monterosso, age 27, of Kulpmont, Pennsylvania was indicted by a federal grand jury on a drug trafficking charge.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment charges Monterosso with possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine on August 26, 2026, in Northumberland County.
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia’s Capital Area Resident Agency, Mount Carmel Borough Police Department, Northumberland County Adult Probation Department, and Shamokin City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most significant offense is 40 years imprisonment, a fine, and a period of supervised release following imprisonment. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged by indictment are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #