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Wednesday 25 February 2026
Navy Chief Petty Officer sentenced to 25 years in prison for creating child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Navy Chief Petty Officer was sentenced today to 25 years in prison for production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court documents, in December 2023, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Shane Matthew Harlacher, 39, used Facebook Messenger to send CSAM to another Facebook user. An investigation revealed that Harlacher, who was stationed in Gaeta, Italy, and previously lived in Virginia Beach, had used Facebook to share videos of bestiality and other sexually explicit images.
In April 2024, NCIS searched Harlacher, his residence in Italy, and his workspace and berthing aboard the USS Mount Whitney. In his immediate possession was a cellphone containing approximately 112 video files and 32 image files of CSAM, including a video of a toddler being sexually assaulted. It also contained numerous video and image files depicting surreptitious recordings of a 13-year-old victim, Jane Doe. Harlacher created these recordings of Jane Doe at the bathroom of his home in Virginia Beach.
NCIS seized three MicroSD cards from Harlacher's residence in Italy in April 2024 that contained surreptitious videos of Jane Doe recorded in the bathroom. Investigators seized another cellphone that contained the same videos of Jane Doe found on the other devices. NCIS also seized a one terabyte flash drive that contained CSAM, which Harlacher had transported from Virginia Beach to Italy.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt prosecuted 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. Attorney’s 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-63.
Monticello Man Who Had Grandmother Buy Firearms for Him Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who possessed six firearms, three of which came from his grandmother, was sentenced on February 19, 2026, to one year in federal prison. Jonathan Michael Clark, age 32, from Monticello, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 3, 2025, guilty plea to one count of possession of firearms by a prohibited person.
Information from sentencing showed that Clark applied for a weapons permit in 2018, and a sheriff’s office informed him that he was prohibited from possessing guns. In June 2024, while officers were in Clark’s residence to arrest him on a warrant, an officer saw ammunition. Officers subsequently searched Clark’s home and found six guns. The investigation showed that the source for at least three of the guns, two of which she purchased, was Clark’s grandmother.
Clark was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Clark was sentenced to 12 months and one day’s imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Clark was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by the Delaware County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2056.
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Montgomery Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison Following Gas Station ShootingRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a Montgomery man for his role in a deadly shooting at a local gas station.
On February 24, 2026, a federal judge sentenced Rodriques Javaun Humphrey, 20, of Montgomery, Alabama, to 480 months in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on January 7, 2025, officers with the Montgomery Police Department and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency were on Zelda Road in Montgomery when they heard gunshots being exchanged between two vehicles at a nearby gas station. As officers responded, they observed three individuals fleeing the scene. Gunfire struck a fourth individual, who died at the scene.
Two of the suspects ran toward an apartment complex located behind the gas station. One of those individuals, later identified as Humphrey, was carrying a rifle and a backpack and shot at responding MPD officers as he fled. Deputies with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, along with an MPD K-9 unit, responded to assist in locating the fleeing suspects. One individual complied with officers’ commands and was taken into custody. Humphrey, however, continued to flee but was ultimately apprehended. Officers recovered the rifle he had been carrying.
A search of Humphrey’s backpack revealed multiple plastic bags containing marijuana and a digital scale. Investigators also recovered an AR-style pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device, causing the firearm to function as a fully automatic weapon. The serial number on the firearm had been scratched off.
On August 13, 2025, Humphrey pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a machinegun, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The third individual who fled the scene, Ladarius Lamar Knight, ran into a fast-food restaurant across the street while armed with a firearm and was apprehended by ALEA officers. Knight previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), including its Metro Area Crime Suppression (MACS) Unit, the Montgomery Police Department, and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney John J. Geer, III 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.
Mission Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Interstate Transportation of a Stolen VehicleRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Mission, South Dakota, convicted of Interstate Transportation of a Stolen Vehicle. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Calvin Hunger, age 35, was sentenced to five months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hunger was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 20, 2025.
On June 25, 2025, Hunger unlawfully entered the Todd County Maintenance yard in Mission and stole a piece of heavy equipment, specifically a road grader. Hunger drove through the maintenance yard fence and continued to drive the road grader on the highway south from Mission. He was apprehended by law enforcement in Valentine, Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, Todd County Sheriff’s Office and Cherry County (NE) Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.
Hunger was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Miami Gardens Man Charged with Shooting at Uber Driver and Possession of Illegal Firearms and NarcoticsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami Gardens man made his first appearance in federal court on Friday after a grand jury in Miami charged him with drug crimes, using and firing a gun as part of the drug crime, and illegal firearm possession by a prior felon relating to his prior felony conviction.
“This defendant shot repeatedly at an innocent man who stopped a crime as it was happening,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “It was through the bravery of the Uber driver that police were alerted and able stop the movement of almost a kilogram of pure cocaine from hitting the streets of Miami. The Criminal Division will pursue violent drug dealers in every city in America.”
“There is a real and dangerous link between drug trafficking and gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “According to the indictment, this defendant arranged a drug deal and then fired multiple shots at a rideshare driver. That kind of alleged conduct turns a drug crime into a life-threatening situation in seconds. Federal law treats that combination seriously, with a mandatory minimum sentence of fifteen years if convicted.”
According to court documents, on or about Oct. 29, 2024, Lester Leon Sanders, 47, allegedly reserved an Uber ride share. When the driver arrived, Sanders and another man loaded three suitcases in the Uber. While this was happening, the Uber driver saw a firearm magazine fall out of Sanders’s clothing.
Sanders got into the Uber and he and the driver drove off. Shortly thereafter, Sanders ordered the driver to stop the car. Sanders got out of the vehicle and began shouting. The driver, concerned with what he had observed, drove off without Sanders but with the luggage and other belongings still in the car. Sanders shouted at the Uber driver and fired a gun approximately five times as the Uber driver sped away.
The driver then flagged down police and relayed what had happened. Law enforcement arrested Sanders a short time later. Inside of the Uber, police recovered a loaded, large-capacity firearm magazine, 929 grams of almost pure cocaine, six pounds of marijuana, and more ammunition, as well as drug paraphernalia, such as a weight scale and multiple small transparent bags. They also found shell casings in the vicinity of where Sanders fired at the Uber.
If convicted, Sanders faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The FBI Miami Field Office is investigating the case with assistance provided by the Miami Gardens Police Department.
Trial Attorneys Jennifer Burns and Jinah Chang of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Miami. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute offenders and prevent violence.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 26-cr-20029.
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Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison on Child Sex ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a Mexican national to 18 years in prison for sexually abusing a minor.
Giovanni Falcon, 41, began messaging a 15-year-old girl on Instagram in 2024 using an alias. In July and August of that year, Falcon sent the victim images of his genitals. Falcon then repeatedly engaged in sexual contact with the victim. On Aug. 13, 2024, the victim’s father contacted the St. Ann Police Department after discovering the explicit Instagram messages. St. Ann police arrested Falcon the next day, and he admitted sexually abusing the victim.
Another juvenile alleged sexual abuse by Falcon several years ago, according to statements at Wednesday’s hearing.
Falcon is not in the country legally and will be deported upon his release from prison.
Falcon pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in September to transfer of obscene material to a minor and coercion and enticement of a minor.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the St. Ann Police Department and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted 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. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who 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.
Mexican National Convicted of Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON- A Mexican national man, illegally residing in Kentucky, was convicted on Tuesday by a federal jury in Lexington for making false statements regarding citizenship and aggravated identity theft-related charges.
After two hours of deliberation, following a two day trial, the jury convicted 39-year-old Joel Sanchez-Mendoza for one count of making a false statement of citizenship to engage in unlawful employment, one count of making a false statement of citizenship to engage to obtain a Kentucky Commercial Driver’s License (CDL), and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to testimony at trial, Sanchez-Mendoza assumed the identity of an American citizen by using their name, date of birth, and social security number. With this information, he was able to obtain employment and a Kentucky CDL.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Lesley Allison, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pittsburgh Field Division, jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and USPO. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Walker.
Sanchez-Mendoza will appear for sentencing on June 25, 2026. He faces maximum of 48 months in prison, consecutive to any other sentence. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing a sentence.
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Mexican Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Heroin, Cocaine Distribution Conspiracy and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RODOLFO AVILES-REYES a/k/a “Omar,” (“AVILES-REYES”), age 41, a resident of Mexico, was sentenced on February 25, 2026, after previously pleading guilty to three counts in a Superseding Indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, one kilogram or more of heroin, and 400 grams or more of fentanyl, conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, and interstate travel in aid of racketeering. AVILES-REYES was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, AVILES-REYES, and other co-conspirators, distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana. Additionally, AVILES-REYES, and other co-conspirators, traveled between New Orleans, and other states, in order to transport U.S. Currency and narcotics from Louisiana to Mexico, on behalf of a Drug Trafficking Organization.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit was in charge of the prosecution.
Luzerne County Man Charged with Dog Fighting and Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brandon Crum, age 39, of Hazle Township, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on dog fighting and drug trafficking charges.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Crum possessed and trained eight American Pit Bull Terriers for the purpose of having the dogs participate in an animal fighting venture, that is, dog fighting. The indictment further alleges that Crum distributed methamphetamine on several occasions and possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine base, and cocaine in Luzerne County.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle A. Moreno is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a 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 are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Leader of Anchorage drug trafficking organization sentenced to 30 yearsRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – An Anchorage man was sentenced today to 30 years in prison for leading a local drug trafficking organization responsible for attempting to traffic large amounts of fentanyl and heroin to Alaska from the Lower 48.
According to court documents, Marcelino Juarez, 31, led a conspiracy to purchase fentanyl and heroin in California and transport the substances to Alaska through the mail or in checked airline baggage. Marcelino Juarez conspired with his brother, Julio Juarez, 33, of Anchorage, Shane Murphy, 43, of Wasilla, Semaj Brown, 35, of Anchorage, Brandon Garrett, 46, of Anchorage, and Gustavo Sebastian Lopez-Chavez, 25, a Mexican national illegally residing in the U.S.
Marcelino Juarez, Julio Juarez, Brown and Murphy all traveled between Alaska and California on multiple occasions to obtain drugs and contributed money toward drug purchase trips. The Juarez brothers and Brown had connections to California and were identified as known gang members by the Stockton Police Department in California.
Court documents explain that Marcelino Juarez was identified as a drug supplier in Anchorage as early as September 2022. On Sept. 13, 2022, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on a trailer in Anchorage that Marcelino Juarez was living in. Law enforcement seized over $71,000 in cash and a Draco AK style pistol with a loaded magazine from the trailer.
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. vs. Juarez et al, Case #: 3:24-cr-00103Law enforcement’s investigation into the conspiracy culminated on Aug. 22, 2024, when agents with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) identified a suspicious parcel destined for a residence in Anchorage. On Aug. 26, 2024, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant on the parcel and seized over two kilograms of fentanyl powder from the package. Later that day, law enforcement officials conducted a controlled delivery of the parcel at the destined location. Marcelino Juarez was observed entering the residence, which belonged to a third-party, and leaving with the package in a vehicle with Brown. Marcelino Juarez and Brown met with another vehicle at a local gas station before both vehicles were contacted by law enforcement through traffic stops. Marcelino Juarez was arrested during the traffic stop, and Garrett, who was an occupant in the other vehicle, was detained.
Through further investigation, law enforcement also discovered that Brown and Murphy flew from Anchorage to Los Angeles to purchase heroin and fentanyl from multiple sources between July 3 and 5, 2024. Law enforcement later determined that one of the sources was Lopez-Chavez.
On July 6, 2024, law enforcement at the Los Angeles International Airport seized roughly one kilogram of heroin and two kilograms of fentanyl powder from a checked bag destined for Anchorage. When Murphy and Brown arrived in Alaska, they noted that the suitcase did not arrive.
U.S. Attorneys Office, District of Alaska; U.S. vs. Juarez et al. Case #: 3:24-cr-00103 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. vs. Juarez et al, Case #: 3:24-cr-00103On Nov. 14, 2024, the FBI arrested Lopez-Chavez in Los Angeles. He was found to be in possession of roughly 23 kilograms of fentanyl, U.S. currency and counterfeit immigration documents.
In total, law enforcement seized at least 36 kilograms of fentanyl and roughly 10 kilograms of heroin connected to the drug trafficking conspiracy. According to court documents in this case, the price for fentanyl in Alaska, specifically, can be 10, 50 or 100 times the cost to buy powder or pills in California, making drug trafficking from the Lower 48 a lucrative business.
U.S. Attorneys Office, District of Alaska; U.S. vs. Juarez et al. Case #: 3:24-cr-00103 U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska; U.S. vs. Juarez et al, Case #: 3:24-cr-00103“The Juarez brothers were driven by greed and moved to Alaska to profit from and exploit people’s vulnerabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman. “They made a mistake in thinking they could target Alaskans. Now, they will face the consequences. This case is a great example of the incredible partnerships Alaskan law enforcement agencies foster to share resources and make an impact on an issue that directly impacts our state.”
“The Juarez brothers, along with their co-conspirators, are known California gangsters who moved to Alaska for the sole purpose of trafficking fentanyl and other dangerous drugs,” said Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “In this collaborative, multi-agency investigation spanning from California to Alaska, FBI Anchorage and our HIDTA law enforcement partners not only interdicted significant quantities of drugs intended for distribution, but also removed these dangerous traffickers from our streets, protecting both Alaskans and Californians.”
On July 28, 2025, Marcelino Juarez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. In handing down the sentence, the Court also ordered Marcelino Juarez to pay a $50,000 fine and serve 20 years on supervised release upon completion of his custodial sentence.
Additional information for each co-defendant is as follows:
- On July 17, 2025, Julio Juarez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. On Jan. 8, 2026, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison to be followed by 15 years of supervised release. He is also required to pay a $40,000 fine.
- On April 10, 2025, Murphy pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 12, 2026.
- On July 21, 225, Brown pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. On Jan. 15, 2026, he was sentenced to nine years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
- On July 31, 2025, Garrett pleaded guilty to one count of attempted possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 15, 2026.
- One June 16, 2025, Lopez-Chavez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. On Jan. 20, 2026, he was sentenced to two and a half years in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and the Alaska High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Mat-Su Narcotics Team investigated this case. Special assistance was provided by HIDTA’s Southcentral Area-wide Narcotics Team (SCAN), Fairbanks Area-wide Narcotics Team (FANT), and Anchorage Airport Interdiction Team (AAIT); U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), FBI Los Angeles Field Office, FBI Sacramento Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) Los Angeles Special Response Team, Los Angeles Police Department, Stockton Police Department, and California Highway Patrol. The Anchorage Police Department and Alaska State Troopers also provided assistance as part of the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley, Jack Schmidt, and Bill Reed are prosecuting the case.
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Lancaster Trio Sentenced for Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Charles McKinley Griffin, 56, Tika Michelle Griffin, 48, and Kirk Nathan Evans, 55, all of Lancaster, have each been sentenced for conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) previously excluded Charles Griffin from provider eligibility for receiving Medicaid payments for billing for services not rendered and for overlapping services, among other violations. To evade SCDHHS’ exclusion, Charles Griffin and his wife Tika Griffin established Transformation Services in Tika’s name, which the couple thereafter used to defraud the State of South Carolina and Medicaid out of nearly $250,000 in funds.
Beginning in 2019, Tika applied to bill Medicaid through her company, Transformation Services, as a provider of behavioral health services. Tika and Charles then recruited Medicaid beneficiaries through after-school programs and summer camps in Lancaster and Kershaw counties to receive behavioral health services from therapists employed by Transformation Services. However, the therapists employed by Transformation Services, including Kirk Evans, were not authorized by the state of South Carolina to provide behavioral health services. Further, Transformation Services employees did not meet individually with the children to whom they claimed to provide services. Instead, Tika instructed Transformation employees to meet with children in groups but to bill as if they had met with each child individually over the course of several hours. By billing for overlapping and nonexistent services and rendering behavioral health services by unlicensed therapists, Transformation Services fraudulently billed Medicaid for nearly $250,000.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced both Charles Griffin and Tika Griffin to 30 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Evans was sentenced to 10 months imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Tika and Charles Griffin were also ordered to pay $246,335.12 in restitution to the SCDHHS. The ordered amount is joint and several between Charles and Tika Griffin. Evans was ordered to pay $152,669.63 in restitution that was joint and several with Charles and Tika Griffin’s amount. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the South Carolina Attorney General’s Vulnerable Adults and Medicaid Provider Fraud (VAMPF) unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott Daniels and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case.
Kansas City Woman Sentenced to 87 Months for Covid-19 Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a wire fraud and aggravated identity theft case that resulted in more than $40,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Rasheeda McDaniel, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 87 months’ imprisonment based upon her guilty pleas to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft relating to a scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Plan (PPP) loans, guaranteed by the SBA under the CARES Act.
According to court documents, prior to March 22, 2021, McDaniel and co-defendant Briauna Adams used the personal identification information of S.R. to submit an online application for a COVID-19 relief PPP loan in S.R.’s name.
The loan application listed a fictitious business with Schedule C gross receipts of $147,412 and a net income of $98,562. S.R.’s true tax return listed zero taxable income and did not have a Schedule C. The loan application provided a bank account associated with the fictitious business.
On April 2, 2021, the loan was approved and S.R.’s bank account received a $20,832 wire deposit. On the same day, $2,000 was transferred to an account controlled by Adams. An amount totaling $18,830 was transferred to defendant McDaniel’s account.
Prior to February 27, 2021, McDaniel provided personal identification information to Briauna Adams and Adams submitted an online application in McDaniel’s name for a COVID-19 relief PPP loan. The application and supporting documents stated that McDaniel was the sole proprietor of a business established July 7, 2017, that had an Average Monthly Payroll of $8,333. As part of the application, a 2019 Form Schedule C was submitted listing Gross receipts of $144,080 and profit of $99,982. McDaniel did not have a business during that time period with gross income and net income in the listed amounts. On March 4, 2021, the defendant’s personal account received a $20,832 wire deposit. The same day, McDaniel made a $15,000 cash withdrawal from the account.
On September 30, 2025, Adams was sentenced to 11 years imprisonment.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Missouri, Police Department.
Jury finds Minnesota man guilty of sexual abuse charges on Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Minnesota man who sexually abused two children on the Crow Indian Reservation was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a one-and-a-half-day trial, Robert Dean Dust, 35, was found guilty of two counts of abusive sexual contact of a child and one count of aggravated sexual abuse. Dust faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 25, 2026. Dust was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in May 2024 Jane Does 1 and 2 disclosed to police Dust subjected them to years of sexual abuse in Lodge Grass.
Jane Does 1 and 2 both disclosed Dust sexually abused them in their home regularly beginning when they were 4 and 5 years old and he was 20. Both victims described how Dust made them perform sexual acts on him and how he performed sexual acts on them. Jane Does 1 and 2 said Dust’s abuse continued until around 2015.
On October 18, 2024, law enforcement interviewed Dust and the interview was recorded. During the interview, he initially denied the abuse, but eventually admitted he sexually abused Jane Doe 1. Dust admitted he had Jane Doe 1 perform oral sex on him and that he touched his penis to her vagina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and BIA.
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Jury Convicts Las Vegas Man of Threatening to Murder Federal Officials and State EmployeesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A jury convicted a Las Vegas man of threatening to assault and murder federal officials and state employees in Washington, D.C., New York, and Montana.
Court records and trial evidence showed that, from November 30, 2023, through July 7, 2024, Spencer Christjencody Gear made a series of threatening phone calls and sent an email threatening to assault and murder eight federal officials, including judges, as well as three state employees. The threats were intended to intimidate and interfere with the officials as they carried out their duties and to retaliate against them for actions taken in their official roles.
After a six-day trial, Gear was found guilty of nine counts of threatening a federal official and 11 counts of transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure.
Sentencing is scheduled on June 1, 2026, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years for each count of threatening a federal official and five years for each count of transmitting a threat to injure.
“This verdict affirms a core principle: the First Amendment protects free speech, but it does not protect threats,” said Executive Assistant United States Attorney Summer Johnson for the District of Nevada. “The defendant’s calls and email were made to instill fear and included threats to assault and kill federal officials, judges, and state employees. This verdict makes clear that this conduct crosses a legal line.”
“Threats of violence are never just words—they are serious federal crimes, and the FBI takes every threat seriously,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Spreading fear and intimidation has no place in our community. Our commitment is unwavering: any threat, whether spoken or written, will be investigated thoroughly. We stand firm in protecting our public servants and ensuring that those who seek to harm others are held accountable.”
Executive Assistant United States Attorney Johnson, Special Agent in Charge Delzotto, Marshal Gary Schofield for the U.S. Marshals Service, and Chief Michael G. Sullivan for the U.S. Capitol Police made the announcement.
The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, and U.S. Capitol Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Jacob Operskalski and Daniel Schiess are prosecuting the case.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to over 35 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Women as Sex Slaves All Across AmericaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Carrollton Levon Jenkins, 36, to 35 years in federal prison for charges associated with sex trafficking and operating a prostitution enterprise. Inmate Jenkins pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the FBI found Inmate Jenkins, a known UBN gang member, operated a “prostitution enterprise” out of the Jacksonville, NC area between at least January 2017 and April 2022. His criminal empire spanned at least 51 cities and 15 states.
In April 2022, Officers executed search warrants at his residence and business, and seized several phones. The evidence revealed that Inmate Jenkins advertised his illegal sex slaves on various social media platforms where he promoted training aspiring pimps, referring to them as his protegees, to instruct them on how to target and exploit victims.
He victimized vulnerable women, including girls, using manipulation, control, threats, and violence to coerce his victims into prostitution. He forced the victims to give him their earnings, mandating each get raped by upwards of 15 Johns a day, seven days a week.
“This spider exploited these girls and women, just to make money, exposing them to all manner of disease, depravity, and bodily harm.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Monsters who prey upon our mothers, daughters, sisters, and granddaughters have no place in our country, certainly not in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The Judge handed down the lengthy and appropriate sentence in this case based on the dedicated work of the FBI, our local partners, and federal prosecutors. The families in the Eastern District are safer because this pimp will spend decades in prison.”
"Children are not a commodity to be traded and exploited. The FBI and our partners will do everything possible to hold offenders accountable who prey on vulnerable people for their own profit," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-CR-82-M.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to over 35 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Women as Sex Slaves All Across AmericaRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Carrollton Levon Jenkins, 36, to 35 years in federal prison for charges associated with sex trafficking and operating a prostitution enterprise. Inmate Jenkins pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the FBI found Inmate Jenkins, a known UBN gang member operated a “prostitution enterprise” out of the Jacksonville, NC area between at least January 2017 and April 2022. His criminal empire spanned at least 51 cities and 15 states.
In April 2022, Officers executed search warrants at his residence and business, and seized several phones. The evidence revealed that Inmate Jenkins advertised his illegal sex slaves on various social media platforms where he promoted training aspiring pimps, referring to them as his protegees, to instruct them on how to target and exploit victims.
He victimized vulnerable women, including girls, using manipulation, control, threats, and violence to coerce his victims to prostitute. He forced the victims to give him their earnings, mandating each get raped by upwards of 15 Johns a day, seven days a week.
“This spider, just to make money, exploited these girls and women, exposing them to all manner of disease, depravity and bodily harm.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Monsters who prey upon our mothers, daughters, sisters, and granddaughters have no place in our country, certainly not in the Eastern District of North Carolina. The Judge handed down the lengthy and appropriate sentence in this case based on the dedicated work of the FBI, our local partners, and federal prosecutors. The families in the Eastern District are safer because this pimp will spend decades in prison.”
"Children are not a commodity to be traded and exploited. The FBI and our partners will do everything possible to hold offenders accountable who prey on vulnerable people for their own profit," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-CR-82-M.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Pizza Restaurant and Discharging a FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – Eugene Campbell IV (35, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence in connection with two Jacksonville restaurant robberies. Campbell faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to two life terms plus 20 years, in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the plea agreement, on August 4, 2025, Campbell entered a pizza restaurant in Jacksonville, discharged a sawed-off rifle into the ceiling, and demanded money from the employees at gunpoint. He escaped with approximately $500. The next day, Campbell entered another pizza restaurant in Jacksonville, discharged his firearm into the wall, demanded money from the employees at gunpoint, and escaped with approximately $700. Law enforcement conducted ballistics analyses of the shell casings recovered at both scenes, which showed that the rounds had been fired from the same gun that had also been used during another incident in St. Johns County.
Investigators connected the robberies to Campbell by interviewing Campbell’s associates and reviewing surveillance footage obtained from the victims and neighboring businesses. Officers from Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office arrested Campbell on August 6, 2025, he subsequently admitted to the robberies.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
Indictment Returned Charging Three Men with June 2025 Armed Carjacking SpreeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Myandre Starnes, 22, Darius Irby, 19, and Andre Whitfield, 17, all of Washington, D.C., were arraigned on a series of armed carjackings, armed robberies and other related charges, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Whitfield, who is 17 years old, is being prosecuted as an adult under Title 16.
“The indictment returned on a 17-year-old and his co-conspirators for robbing delivery drivers at gunpoint, sends a clear message that if you commit a crime in D.C., you will be held accountable, regardless of age” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “The violent crime in this city has got to stop and my office will continue to pursue justice and ensure the safety of our city.”
The defendants were arraigned on the indictment on February 12, 2026, at a hearing before the Honorable Errol Arthur. Starnes has been charged with nine counts of armed carjacking and nine counts of armed robbery, among other related charges. Irby and Whitfield have each been charged with eight counts of armed carjacking and eight counts of armed robbery, among other related charges. They each face a mandatory minimum of fifteen years of incarceration per armed carjacking if convicted of the charges.
According to the government’s evidence, the defendants and several unidentified co-conspirators carried out a series of at least nine armed carjackings and armed robberies between June 7 and June 12, 2025, throughout the District. The defendants primarily targeted delivery drivers on motorized scooters, taking their vehicles and personal belongings at gunpoint.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Courtney Scholz.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
2025 CF3 015341; 2025 CF3 015718; 2026 CF3 000409
Illegal Alien from Honduras Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Allan Ricardo Medina-Morales will spend the next 135 months in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On February 7, 2023, Medina-Morales, 39, of Honduras, but illegally residing in Judsonia, Arkansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a four-count Indictment for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On April 23, 2024, Medina-Morales pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Medina-Morales to five years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
An investigation revealed that in March 2022, Medina-Morales, and others, conspired to distribute methamphetamine. On March 15, 2022, officers from the Conway Police Department conducted surveillance on the co-conspirator’s house when they observed Medina-Morales and the co-conspirator acting suspiciously. Officers observed Medina-Morales carrying a duffel bag from his vehicle into the house. Medina-Morales was also observed carrying an additional kilogram of methamphetamine from a tree stump in the yard into the house.
After Medina-Morales and the co-conspirator were observed getting into the vehicle and driving away, Arkansas State Police troopers followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop shortly afterward. The vehicle belonged to Medina-Morales. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a Colt, Model Detective Special, .38 caliber firearm in the glove box. After obtaining a search warrant for the property, officers located approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine in the duffel bag and drug distribution paraphernalia. The Arkansas State Crime Laboratory later determined the substances seized by officers included approximately 11.7889 kilograms of methamphetamine.
On January 6, 2013, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol agents arrested Medina-Morales for illegal entry across the border near Edinburg, Texas. On October 9, 2019, the Immigration Court in Baltimore, Maryland, ordered Medina-Morales removed to Honduras, however, Medina-Morales failed to appear at court. The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has a detainer to deport Medina-Morales to Honduras after he completes his federal sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from Arkansas State Police and the Conway Police Department.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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Government to Seek Death Penalty against Marion Man Accused of Murdering S.C. EMS WorkerRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Carolina filed a notice of intent to seek the death penalty against Jaremy Alexander Smith, 35, of Marion, South Carolina, for the 2024 kidnapping, carjacking, and murder of a Marion County EMS worker. A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on Feb. 24. He is charged with kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, using a firearm during a crime of violence in a manner to constitute murder, possession of stolen firearms, and being a felon in possession of firearms.
The indictment charges that on March 13, 2024, Smith entered the home of Phonesia Machado-Fore in Marion where he kidnapped her and forced her to drive her vehicle to a remote location near Nichols. Once there, Smith executed Machado-Fore behind an abandoned house while she was bound and blindfolded. Smith then drove Machado-Fore’s car back to her residence where he stole several firearms that he later sold. Smith then drove the stolen car to New Mexico, where he killed New Mexico State Police (NMSP) Officer Justin Hare on March 15, 2024. In April 2025, Smith was sentenced to life in prison in the District of New Mexico for killing the NMSP Officer.
United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi authorized the District of South Carolina to pursue capital punishment in this case. Smith is scheduled to be arraigned in federal court on Feb. 26 at 2:30 p.m. in Florence.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Everett McMillian and Christopher Lietzow are prosecuting the case with support from DOJ’s Capital Case Section Trial Attorneys Barry Disney and Julie Adams.
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.
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Gearhart Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting a Child and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Gearhart, Oregon, man pleaded guilty today for secretly filming a minor victim while nude and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Joseph Tyler Biamont, 35, pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.
According to court documents, Gearhart Police discovered that Biamont was in possession of a thumb drive containing secretly recorded videos of the minor victim while nude. The videos were filmed from what appeared to be a dummy smoke detector above the victim’s bed, behind a teddy bear, and from Biamont’s cell phone, depicting the minor victim going to the bathroom, showering, and changing clothes. Biamont is visible in some of the videos. Investigators also found files of CSAM of other minor victims on Biamont’s thumb drive and videos of an adult victim nude in the bathroom.
On May 6, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Biamont with sexual exploitation of children and possession of child pornography.
On count one, Biamont faces a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of supervised release. On count six, Biamont faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and five years to life of supervised release. He will be sentenced on August 19, 2026, before a U.S. District Court judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Biamont has agreed to pay restitution to the victims.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Clatsop County Sheriff’s Office and the Gearhart Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlotte Kelley is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought in collaboration with 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Gardner Woman Charged with Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Gardner woman has been charged in federal court in Worcester with fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits for 10 years.
Michelle M. DiSalvo, 53, was charged with one count of receipt of stolen government money or property; one count of Social Security fraud; and one count of false statements. She will appear in U.S. District Court in Worcester at a later date.
According to the charging documents, from October 2013 through October 2023, DiSalvo allegedly received approximately $93,640 in Social Security disability benefits that she knew she was not entitled to. It is further alleged that DiSalvo concealed material information from the Social Security Administration with the intent to fraudulently obtain Social Security benefits. Additionally, DiSalvo allegedly submitted a fraudulent lease agreement to the Social Security Administration in October 2023.
The charging document further alleges that DiSalvo omitted her husband from the fraudulent lease because she knew that if she reported living with him, DiSalvo’s husband’s income and resources would have affected the amount of her benefits.
The charge of receipt of stolen government money or property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of Social Security fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. 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 Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
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.
Gainesville Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution and Illegal Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Khalil Keari Barnett, 30, of Gainesville, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of firearm in connection with drug trafficking, and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and our federal law enforcement partners, another violent, drug-peddling criminal has been removed from our streets. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi launched Operation Take Back America to devote the full might of the Department of Justice to eliminating the threats to our communities posed by violent criminals like this defendant, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those offenders until our streets are safe and drug-free.”
Court documents reflect that Alachua County Sheriff’s Office deputies responded to a domestic violence call for service. When law enforcement arrived on scene, the defendant left out the back door of the residence and attempted to enter a rideshare vehicle before fleeing on foot. As the defendant was fleeing, he threw a bag from his person, which included 600 grams of marijuana and a black mask. A firearm and box of ammunition were also recovered near the defendant. The defendant is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition as he has a prior conviction for possession of a weapon by a delinquent.
Barnett faces a total of up to life imprisonment on the combined possession with intent to distribute and firearm possession charges.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
Sentencing for is scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 2:30 pm, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville, Florida before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
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.
Former U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested, Charged with Providing Defense Services to the Chinese MilitaryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., 65, a former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot, was arrested today in Jeffersonville, Indiana, and charged by criminal complaint for providing, and conspiring to provide, unauthorized defense services to Chinese military pilots in violation of the Arms Export Control Act.
Brown, also known by the call sign “Runner,” is expected to have his initial appearance tomorrow, February 26, before a magistrate judge in the Southern District of Indiana.
“As an Air Force officer, Brown took an oath to defend our Nation against all enemies foreign and domestic. He allegedly broke that oath and betrayed the country, jeopardizing the safety of our servicemembers and allies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro. “We will hold Brown, and anyone conspiring against our Nation, accountable for their actions. The Department of Justice and my prosecutors are steadfast in our commitment to use every lawful tool available to keep American military expertise where it belongs – here in America.”
“The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation. He now stands charged with training Chinese military pilots,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “When U.S. persons – whether military or civilian - provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license from the State Department. The National Security Division will use all tools at its disposal to protect our military advantages and hold to account those who would violate the AECA."
“Gerald Brown, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot with decades of experience flying U.S. military aircraft, allegedly betrayed his country by training Chinese pilots to fight against those he swore to protect,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The Chinese government continues to exploit the expertise of current and former members of the U.S. armed forces to modernize China’s military capabilities. This arrest serves as a warning that the FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to hold accountable anyone who collaborates with our adversaries to harm our service members and jeopardize our national security.”
According to the complaint, since August 2023, Brown willfully conspired with foreign nationals to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force, known as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This training was a defense service under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Brown lacked the required license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls to provide that training to foreign persons or foreign military units.
Brown served for more than 24 years in the U.S. Air Force and retired in 1996 with the rank of Major. During his military career, Brown commanded sensitive units with responsibility for nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and served as a fighter pilot instructor and simulator instructor on a variety of fighter and attack aircraft, including the F-4 “Phantom II,” F-15 “Eagle,” F-16 “Fighting Falcon,” and the A-10 “Thunderbolt II” (Warthog). Brown then served as a commercial cargo pilot and, most recently, as a contract simulator instructor for two different U.S. defense contractors training U.S. military pilots on flying the A-10 and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
In August 2023, Brown began arranging the terms of his contract to train Chinese military pilots, using a co-conspirator to negotiate with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national who in 2016 pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of major U.S. defense contractors and to steal sensitive military and export-controlled data for the PRC. Su Bin was sentenced to nearly four years in prison. Su Bin and his company PRC Lode Technology Company also were added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2014.
Throughout these communications, Brown consistently stated his intent to train PRC military pilots in combat aircraft operations. In the resumé he prepared for his application, Brown wrote his “objective” as “Instructor Fighter Pilot.” A co-conspirator told Brown that he hoped Brown would be assigned to “my base, but otherwise you’ll go where is the local equivalent as the [U.S. Air Force] Weapon School.” Later, Brown stated to a co-conspirator that, upon his arrival in China, “Now…. I have the chance to fly and instruct fighter pilots again!”
In December 2023, Brown traveled to China to begin his work training PRC military pilots. After his arrival, Brown answered questions for three hours about the U.S. Air Force on his first day in the PRC and then, on his second day, prepared and presented a brief about himself for the PLAAF. Brown remained in China until he traveled to the United States in early February 2026.
The charges against Brown follow similar charges filed in September 2017 against former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan in the District of Columbia. Duggan was charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization in violation of the Arms Export Control Act, as well as for conspiring to engage in international money laundering. Like Brown, Duggan received significant training during his career as a pilot in the U.S. military, then used that training for the benefit of the Chinese military. In particular, Duggan is alleged to have trained Chinese military pilots on the tactics, techniques, and procedures associated with takeoff from and landing on an aircraft carrier. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 and is currently pending extradition to the United States.
“Providing U.S. military training to our adversaries represents a significant threat to national security,” said Lee M. Russ, Executive Director of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Office of Special Projects. “AFOSI remains committed to countering the threat posed by those who violate the trust placed in them and endanger our service members.”
“Retired U.S. Air Force Major Gerald Brown allegedly sold out his country to train Chinese pilots with his expertise in United States’ combat aircraft techniques. Brown’s alleged betrayal exposed sensitive military tactics, threatening the security of our nation, our armed forces, and our allies,” said FBI New York Assistant Director in Charge James Barnacle. “May today’s arrest emphasize the FBI’s steadfast promise to defend the homeland against all foreign and domestic adversaries.”
In June 2024, the United States, along with the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand, published a bulletin warning that “China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to target current and former military personnel from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations and other Western countries to help bolster the PLA’s capabilities.”
In February 2025, Gen. James B. Hecker, the then-commander of NATO Allied Air Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, stated: “Once you fly on our team, even after you hang up your uniform, you have a responsibility to protect our tactics, techniques and procedures.”
The case against Brown is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with valuable assistance from the FBI’s Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles Field Offices. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations also provided substantial assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and Trial Attorney Beau Barnes and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from National Security Division Paralegal Specialist Derra McQuaig. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
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An indictment, complaint, or criminal information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former U.S. Air Force Pilot Arrested for Providing Defense Services to the Chinese MilitaryRead the Press Release
Former U.S. Air Force officer and pilot Gerald Eddie Brown, Jr., also known by the call sign “Runner,” 65, a U.S. citizen, was arrested today in Jeffersonville, Indiana. Brown was charged by criminal complaint for providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization, in violation of the Arms Export Control Act (AECA). Brown is expected to have his initial appearance before a Magistrate Judge in the Southern District of Indiana on February 26, 2026.
“The United States Air Force trained Major Brown to be an elite fighter pilot and entrusted him with the defense of our Nation. He now stands charged with training Chinese military pilots,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “When U.S. persons – whether military or civilian - provide training to a foreign military, that activity is illegal unless they have a license from the State Department. The National Security Division will use all tools at its disposal to protect our military advantages and hold to account those who would violate the AECA."
“Gerald Brown, a former F-35 Lightning II instructor pilot with decades of experience flying U.S. military aircraft, allegedly betrayed his country by training Chinese pilots to fight against those he swore to protect,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The Chinese government continues to exploit the expertise of current and former members of the U.S. armed forces to modernize China’s military capabilities. This arrest serves as a warning that the FBI and our partners will stop at nothing to hold accountable anyone who collaborates with our adversaries to harm our service members and jeopardize our national security.”
“As an Air Force Officer, Brown took an oath to defend our Nation against all enemies foreign and domestic, he broke that oath, and betrayed the country, jeopardizing the safety of our servicemembers and allies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “We will hold Brown, and anyone conspiring against our Nation, accountable for their actions. The Department of Justice and my prosecutors are steadfast in our commitment to use every lawful tool available to keep American military expertise where it belongs – here in America.”
“Providing U.S. military training to our adversaries represents a significant threat to national security,” said Lee M. Russ, Executive Director of the Air Force Office of Special Investigations Office of Special Projects. “AFOSI remains committed to countering the threat posed by those who violate the trust placed in them and endanger our service members.”
As alleged in the complaint, since at least in or around August 2023, Brown willfully conspired with foreign nationals and U.S. persons to provide combat aircraft training to pilots in the Chinese Air Force, known as the People’s Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). This training was a defense service under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) and Brown, a U.S. person under the ITAR, lacked the required license from the State Department’s Directorate of Defense Trade Controls (DDTC) to provide that training to foreign persons or foreign military units.
Brown served for over 24 years in the U.S. Air Force, leaving active duty in 1996 with the rank of Major. During his lengthy military career, Brown commanded sensitive units with responsibility for nuclear weapons delivery systems, led combat missions, and served as a fighter pilot instructor and simulator instructor on a variety of fighter and attack aircraft, including the F-4 “Phantom II,” F-15 “Eagle,” F-16 “Fighting Falcon,” and the A-10 “Thunderbolt II” (Warthog). Brown then served as a commercial cargo pilot and, most recently, as a contract simulator instructor for two different U.S. defense contractors training U.S. military pilots on flying the A-10 and the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter.
According to the complaint, in or around August 2023, Brown began arranging the terms of his contract to train Chinese military pilots, using a co-conspirator to negotiate with Stephen Su Bin, a Chinese national who in 2016 pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California to conspiring to hack into the computer networks of major U.S. defense contractors and steal sensitive military and export-controlled data for the PRC. He was sentenced to nearly four years in prison. Su Bin and his company PRC Lode Technology Company were also added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List in 2014.
Throughout these communications, Brown consistently stated his intent to train PRC military pilots in combat aircraft operations. In the resumé he prepared for his application, Brown wrote his “objective” as “Instructor Fighter Pilot.” A co-conspirator told Brown that he hoped Brown would be assigned to “my base, but otherwise you’ll go where is the local equivalent as the [U.S. Air Force] Weapon School.” Later, he stated to a co-conspirator that, upon his arrival in China, “Now…. I have the chance to fly and instruct fighter pilots again!”
In December 2023, Brown traveled to China to begin his work training PRC military pilots. After his arrival, Brown answered question for three hours about the U.S. Air Force on his first day in the PRC and then, on his second day, prepared and presented a brief about himself for the PLAAF. Brown remained in China until he traveled to the United States in early February 2026.
The charges against Brown follow similar charges filed against former U.S. Marine Corps pilot Daniel Edmund Duggan in the District of Columbia in September 2017. Duggan was charged with providing and conspiring to provide defense services to Chinese military pilots without authorization in violation of the Arms Export Control Act, as well as for conspiring to engage in international money laundering. Like Brown, Duggan received significant training during his career as a pilot in the U.S. military, then used that training for the benefit of the Chinese military. In particular, Duggan is alleged to have trained Chinese military pilots on the tactics, techniques, and procedures associated with takeoff from and landing on an aircraft carrier. Duggan was arrested in Australia in October 2022 and is currently pending extradition to the United States.
In June 2024, the United States, along with the governments of Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand, published a bulletin warning that “China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) continues to target current and former military personnel from North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) nations and other Western countries to help bolster the PLA’s capabilities.” In February 2025, Gen. James B. Hecker, the then-commander of NATO Allied Air Command and U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces Africa, stated: “Once you fly on our team, even after you hang up your uniform, you have a responsibility to protect our tactics, techniques and procedures.”
The case against Brown is being investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office, with valuable assistance from the FBI’s Louisville, Indianapolis, and Los Angeles Field Offices. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations also provided substantial assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorney Beau Barnes and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven B. Wasserman from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, with assistance from National Security Division Paralegal Specialist Derra McQuaig. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
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An indictment, complaint, or criminal information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Five Members and Associates of the Family Mob Street Gang Federally ChargedRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Three indictments and two criminal complaints were unsealed today in the District of Minnesota charging members and associates of the Family Mob street gang with drug trafficking charges. Agents and officers, including multiple S.W.A.T. Teams, executed several arrest and search warrants this morning targeting the gang and its members.
“The Family Mob Gang is a ruthless criminal organization that uses violence to traffic poisonous narcotics, including fentanyl. No more,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel Rosen. “As alleged, these defendants dumped countless doses of fentanyl into our community. My office is proud to work with our local, state, and federal partners to pursue justice against violent criminals and those who profit from distributing dangerous narcotics.”
“The distribution of illegal narcotics in our communities is unacceptable, as is the associated violent crime that too often affects innocent residents,” said Richard Evanchec, the Interim Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. “This case should send a message to other violent gangs that we’ll continue work with our partners at all levels of government to bring to justice those responsible for instilling fear into our communities and polluting them with illegal narcotics.”
“These investigations underscore the critical importance of strong collaboration with local, state, and federal agencies on serious criminal matters that impact our most vulnerable people,” said Dawanna Witt, Sheriff of Hennepin County. “The investigative work and incredible results from HCSO’s WMDTF along with the FBI, DEA, and MPD is making a real impact on the drug trade in Hennepin County. I will continue to prioritize aggressively pursuing violent criminals who threaten the safety of those in our community.”
“I’m incredibly proud of the members of the MPD who worked this, and who consistently go above expectations in their dedication to keeping our community safe,” said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. “And I’m grateful for our federal and county partners whose hard work and dedication made today possible.”
“The Family Mob Gang ruled by intimidation and violence, and wrongly assumed they could operate with impunity,” Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “Today, the combined efforts of federal, state and local law enforcement imparted a significant blow to the drug trafficking efforts of a gang that has spread poison through a beloved Minneapolis community. Our job at the DEA is to remove the criminal threats from our neighborhoods, dismantle the drug distribution networks and save American lives. This is a plan we put into action every single day and we are relentless.”
According to the allegations in indictment, complaint, and unsealed records, the defendants were members or associates of the Family Mob gang, which is based in south Minneapolis and originated in approximately the late 1990’s to early 2000’s. The Family Mob conspires to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances. In the past year, the area in the Family Mob’s territory has seen a large presence of open-air drug trafficking, weapons violations, shootings, and homicides.
The charged defendants are alleged to have collectively possessed with intent to distribute over seven kilos of fentanyl since July 2025 to the present. The group is alleged to have dealt fentanyl in a de-facto open air drug market in the area of Lake Street and Park Avenue in South Minneapolis, using force to push other drug dealers out of the area.
The following defendants have been charged federally:
- Silk Lamond Davis, a/k/a “Good/Do Good”, 48, of Minneapolis, is charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
- Alexisus Jarmon Mosby, a/k/a “Snake”, 44, of Bloomington is charged by indictment with distribution of fentanyl.
- Kiron Jamoll Williams, 43, of Minneapolis, is charged by indictment with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Rashshon Jamahl Taggett, a/k/a “Dread” a/k/a “Lay Low”, 44, of Minneapolis, is charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
- Lakendrick Darnell Gilliam, a/k/a “Bay Bay”, 38, of St. Paul, is charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties, including up to life in prison drug trafficking. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after the consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI, DEA, the Minneapolis Police Department, and Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and William C. Mattessich for the District of Minnesota are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Felon Previously Convicted of Second-Degree Burglary Sentenced for Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa man was sentenced today for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Raymond Thomas McCrary, 51, to 15 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
In 2025, Tulsa Police officers were dispatched to a call where it was reported that a person matching McCrary’s description discharged a firearm. When officers arrived, there were several casings scattered around his house. Officers later executed a search warrant at his home and found a loaded firearm in McCrary’s bedroom. When officers spoke with McCrary, he admitted the firearm was his and that he previously fired the handgun at his house.
Court records show that McCrary was convicted in State court for two counts of second-degree robbery in 2022. He was sentenced to a five-year suspended sentence and prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
McCrary will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury prosecuted the case.
Eagle Butte Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Abusive Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced an Eagle Butte, South Dakota, man convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Jared Paul Dorian, Jr., age 22, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Dorian was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 20, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in April 2024 in Eagle Butte in the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation during which Dorian engaged in sexual contact with a 12-year-old girl.
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 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.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
Dorian was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Fatally Stabbing Man with ParaplegiaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kevin James Johnson, 38, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed for killing 44-year-old D.C. resident Antonio Pierre Woody in the early morning of October 6, 2024, in Northeast D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Johnson’s guilty plea was pursuant to Rule 11(c)(1)(c) which calls for an agreed upon prison sentence between 18 and 23 years. The Honorable Rainey R. Brandt accepted the guilty plea on February 24, 2026. Sentencing has been scheduled, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, for June 12, 2026.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, on October 6, 2024, the victim, Antonio Woody, who was paraplegic and wheelchair bound, was gathered with others in the 1700 block of Lincoln Road in Northeast, Washington, DC. Johnson joined the group and less than a minute later approached Woody and began assaulting him. Johnson knocked Mr. Woody out of his wheelchair and as Woody, still on the ground, scooched himself backwards away from Johnson, Johnson struck and stabbed Woody multiple times, killing him.
Johnson has been in custody since his arrest on October 6, 2024.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marybeth Manfreda and Rashmika Nedungadi.
2024 CF1 010048
Director of Richmond homeless shelter sentenced to three years in prison for stealing funds designated for the shelterRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond woman was sentenced today to three years in prison for wire fraud in connection with her operation of a homeless shelter focused on women and children.
According to court documents, Kia A. Player, 41, won a grant to operate an inclement weather shelter for homeless women and children in the Richmond metropolitan area, named RVA Sister’s Keeper. RVA Sister’s Keeper obtained over $995,000 in governmental funding from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and the City of Richmond to implement and operate the shelter. From August 2022 through April 2023, Player, RVA Sister’s Keeper’s director, fabricated and falsified at least 35 separate invoices for costs purportedly paid for the benefit of RVA Sister’s Keeper and its homeless residents, even though Player never made corresponding expenditures on RVA Sister’s Keeper’s behalf. Player submitted these fraudulent and inflated invoices for reimbursement to the City of Richmond, causing the city to improperly disburse funds to her.
For example, Player submitted at least 21 separate inflated invoices claiming RVA Sister’s Keeper made payments to an entity called “VCM Catering Services” to provide breakfast and dinner at the homeless shelter. VCM Catering Services was a fictitious business, however, and Player had hired a family member to provide breakfast and dinner for the homeless residents. This family member was a cafeteria manager at a Richmond City public school and occasionally provided RVA Sister’s Keeper residents with food taken from the school’s cafeteria – food that had already been procured with other public funds and was in some cases expired.
Player fabricated an invoice purporting to show that RVA Sister’s Keeper paid for repairs to the shelter’s roof, submitting the invoice to the City of Richmond. Player then stole the corresponding money the City of Richmond provided for the roof repairs, though the roof had multiple leaks. Player fabricated documentation purporting to show that RVA Sister’s Keeper paid a laundry company for wash and fold services on ten different occasions, though the company only provided services on three occasions and homeless residents sometimes received used blankets. Player also fabricated invoices for other services, such as bed bug treatment, that were never provided.
Player’s inflated invoice scheme caused $199,163 in actual losses to HUD and the City of Richmond. Player spent the fraud proceeds on personal expenses, including on a tattoo, airline tickets, a luxury Caribbean ferry ride in Miami Beach, furniture, and items at an antiques store.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General, investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Avi Panth prosecuted the case. The City of Richmond provided substantial assistance in the prosecution of this case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-146.
Dallas Man Sentenced to 75 Months in Federal Prison for $1.1M Concert Promotion Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Dallas man was sentenced to 75 months in federal prison for stealing more than a million dollars from investors through a concert promotion scheme, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Carlos Desean Goodspeed, 45, of Dallas, Texas, pled guilty to wire fraud in October 2025 after a federal grand jury indicted him in 2024 for obtaining funds from unwitting investors to whom he falsely represented that he was a concert promoter who would use their funds to purchase concert and event tickets and suites in order to resell them for a profit. On February 18, 2026, United States District Judge Ed Kinkeade sentenced Goodspeed to 75 months in federal prison. He also ordered Goodspeed to pay nearly $1.2 million in restitution to seventeen victims of Goodspeed’s fraud scheme.Court records reveal that Goodspeed operated a business under the assumed name “Straight Like That Entertainment,” and held himself out as a promotor for concerts and events involving high-profile artists and entertainers, including, for example, Tyler, the Creator, Ludacris, Beyonce, Nicki Minaj, Bad Bunny, and Future, none of whom were involved in or knew about Goodspeed’s fraud scheme.
With respect to one of his victims, Goodspeed admitted in plea documents that he solicited an investment that was to be used to purchase concert tickets and suites for a series of Tyler, the Creator shows, and the investor would receive a return on their investment once the shows took place. The victim wired Goodspeed a total of $180,000 pursuant to partner agreements outlining the terms of the investments. Though the shows took place, Goodspeed did not pay the victim as promised. Goodspeed admitted that he instead used the victim’s investments, without the victim’s knowledge or consent, for personal expenses, including rental payments at an upscale apartment complex, a purchase at a high-end retail store, and airline fees and hotels. He also admitted that he used some of the victim’s money to pay other investors to continue concealing his scheme.
Three victims testified at Goodspeed’s sentencing hearing and detailed their financial and emotional sufferings as a result of Goodspeed’s scheme. One victim testified that she used part of an inheritance to invest with Goodspeed in hopes of being able to pay medical bills for a family member diagnosed with cancer. Goodspeed did not pay her back as promised, and she was forced to take out loans and use credit cards to pay funeral expenses when her family member passed away.
“Victims are often defrauded of life savings and suffer devastating economic and personal harm because of investment fraud schemes like this one,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Seeking lengthy prison time for defendants and restitution judgments on behalf of those victimized in these cases remain top priorities for my office.”
“The FBI remains committed to investigating those who take advantage of our communities through investment fraud schemes. We encourage the public to thoroughly research investment opportunities and to contact us immediately if they suspect fraud,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock.
While on pretrial release before his guilty plea, Goodspeed’s conditions of pretrial release were revoked and he was taken into custody in July 2025 after a United States Magistrate Judge found probable cause to believe Goodspeed committed a criminal fraud violation and also, in contravention to his conditions, continued to solicit and receive new investments. He remains in federal custody to serve his sentence of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Dallas Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Renee Hunter prosecuted the case.
Crownpoint man sentenced for fatal DUI crashRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Crownpoint man was sentenced to 40 months in prison for a fatal crash involving alcohol and prescription opioids.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2024, Joey Martin, 56, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving on State Highway 371 in Crownpoint, New Mexico, with a passenger when he swerved to avoid a semitruck and lost control. His passenger was killed in the resulting crash. After the crash, Martin admitted to taking opioid pain medication an hour or two prior.
Martin pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Upon his release from prison, he will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Pahl is prosecuting the case.
Court Sentences Mobile County Woman for Possessing A Firearm as an Eight Time Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL - On February 23, 2026, United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Heather Ashley Stringfellow to 77 months’ imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm as a Convicted Felon.
Court documents show that on August 2, 2024, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant at the Stringfellow’s home in Grand Bay, Alabama, where she was found in bed in the master bedroom. Under that bed, deputies located a Taurus GX4 semi-automatic pistol. Deputies also found a purse belonging to Stringfellow which contained marijuana, Xanax bars, and a baggie containing a small amount of methamphetamine. Stringfellow admitted to deputies that several individuals sold drugs from the home.
During the investigation deputies obtained a screen shot from a cellular telephone in which the defendant was texting with another individual. In the text messages Stringfellow sent a picture of the Taurus firearm and stated: “I bought a pistol.” The picture matched the firearm seized.
Stringfellow also made a recorded phone call from the Metro Jail in which she asked another person to sign an affidavit saying the weapon belonged to her (the other person’s) deceased father. The other person’s deceased father previously owned and lived in the trailer where the defendant was living at the time of the search and the false ploy was to represent that the deceased man left the weapon in the trailer under the box spring.
Stringfellow had been previously convicted of the following eight felonies: Money Laundering, on or about October 16, 2017, in United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama; Possession of a Controlled Substance, on or about April 2, 2013, in the Circuit Court for Mobile County, Alabama; Identity Theft, on or about April 2, 2013, in the Circuit Court for Mobile County, Alabama; Obstructing Justice-False Identification, on or about April 2, 2013, in the Circuit Court for Mobile County, Alabama; Possession of a Forged Instrument, 2nd degree, on or about October 19, 2011, in the Circuit Court for Mobile County, Alabama; Robbery, 2nd Degree, on or about May 11, 2011, in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama; Possession of a Forged Instrument, 2nd Degree, on or about October 5, 2006, in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama; and Theft of Property, First Degree, on or about October 5, 2006, in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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 Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Convicted Felon from Northampton Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Firearm and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Northampton, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for firearm and narcotics offenses while on federal supervised release. The defendant was previously convicted in federal court of possessing a loaded ghost gun and ammunition and various firearms and drug offenses in state court.
Gabriel Lebron, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to seven years in prison on the firearm and narcotic charges and one year in prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release to be served consecutively and three years of supervised release. In September 2025, Lebron pleaded guilty to one count each of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin.
On April 9, 2025, law enforcement in Hadley responded to a 911 call about a man in the Howard Johnson hotel lobby brandishing a firearm. Lebron was found in the lobby in possession of a Jimenez Arms, Model JA 25, .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with five rounds of .25 caliber ammunition, including one in the chamber, 10 “snap caps” of crack cocaine and two bundles of heroin. He was immediately taken into custody. At the time of his offense, Lebron was on federal supervised release for a Vermont firearms conviction of possessing a loaded ghost gun with a laser sight and multiple rounds of ammunition, for which he was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release in 2023.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance provided by the Hadley Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Columbia Man Sentenced for Meth, Fentanyl, and Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense in St. Joseph, Mo.; transporting approximately 2,300 fentanyl pills at a train station in Kansas City, Mo.; and for possession with intent to distribute another 913 fentanyl pills in Quapaw, Okla.
Walter Antwine Moore, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 180 months’ imprisonment based on his guilty pleas to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers contacted Moore when he arrived at a train station in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 10, 2023. Moore became confrontational with the detective who questioned him and attempted to flee on foot. He was tackled by the detective and detained with the assistance of other detectives and tactical response officers. Officers found a bundle wrapped in clear cellophane on the floor close to where Moore was detained. The bundle, contained approximately 2,300 fentanyl pills.
Moore had also been detained by law enforcement officers in St. Joseph, Mo., on Jan. 7, 2023. According to court documents, St. Joseph police officers were dispatched to a convenience store to investigate a report of a man who reportedly stole a bag of potato chips and was trying to sell drugs. Officers searched his vehicle and found a baggy that contained numerous clear plastic baggies with a total of 284.8 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also found a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun in the car.
On Dec. 6, 2022, Moore was gambling at a casino in Quapaw, Okla. After quickly losing over $1,000 at a blackjack table, Moore became belligerent with a female blackjack dealer. Moore began cursing at her, making vague threats, and reaching into his coat as if he was armed. The pit boss asked him to leave, and Moore stated if he left it would involve “yellow police tape and lights and sirens.” The pit boss then summoned the Deputy Quapaw Marshals. Moore was asked to do a pat-down for the officer’s safety. Moore refused and reached his right hand into his jacket. Moore ultimately took his hand out of his jacket and the deputy noticed a baggie in Moore’s hand that appeared to have something blue inside of it. Moore then tried to push past the deputy and run. The deputy took Moore to the ground and they began to scuffle. During the melee, the bag exploded and small pills scattered. In total, casino staff recovered 913 blue pills marked with an “M" printed on one side and “30” printed on the other side of the pill. The pills later tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. This case was initially charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Pursuant to a plea agreement, this case was transferred to the Western District of Missouri and the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McConney. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Missouri Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Oklahoma, and the Quapaw Nation Marshals Service.
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.
Clairton Resident Pleads Guilty to Coercing Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Jeffrey A. McLaughlin Jr., 43, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between August 5, 2021, and November 17, 2021, McLaughlin—pretending to be a teenage boy—solicited nude images and videos from a 12-year-old female over social media. McLaughlin also sent explicit sexual content to the same minor.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, McLaughlin will remain in federal custody.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, New York; the Allegheny County Police Department; and the Allegheny County Probation Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McLaughlin.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Civil Rights Division Obtains Settlement with a Company that Used AI-Generated Advertisements that Excluded U.S. Workers from JobsRead the Press Release
The United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has secured a settlement agreement with Elegant Enterprise-Wide Solutions Inc., a Virigina IT professional service provider. The settlement addresses allegations that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it posted job advertisements generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that included citizenship status restrictions not authorized by law, including language restricting consideration only to applicants with H-1B, OPT, or H-4 visas.
“It is unconscionable for companies to illegally exclude U.S. workers when recruiting and hiring,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate discriminating against U.S. workers, no matter who — or what — drafts a job advertisement, or whether it is an employee, a recruiter, or an AI tool.”
This settlement is the eighth settlement since the Department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative in 2025 to enforce the INA’s prohibition on citizenship status discrimination against companies that illegally discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of those with employment visas. Under these settlements, the Department obtains civil penalties for each violation and will continue to seek the maximum penalty permitted by law. The settlements also involve awards of back pay, when warranted, and require employers to conduct comprehensive training to relevant staff and recruiters and cease restricting consideration for job opportunities based on workers’ citizenship status without a lawful reason.
For information about additional settlements under the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, visit IER’s website.
For informal assistance, the public can call IER’s free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired between 9am and 5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected]; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.
Charlotte Man Who Drove Minor to Commit Bank Robbery Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to seven years in prison today for the armed robbery of a Wells Fargo bank, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Michael Malik Pringle, Jr., 32, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after he completes his prison term. On June 4, 2025, Pringle pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.
Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, and Chief Michael Hudgins of the Pineville Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents and today’s court hearing, on May 2, 2024, Pringle picked up a 16-year-old minor in a rented vehicle. Pringle and the minor had previously discussed robbing a bank and had agreed to rob a bank on that date. After unsuccessfully trying to rob one bank, Pringle and the minor travelled to a Wells Fargo bank located at 9420 Pineville-Matthews Road and parked in a parking lot near the bank. Pringle gave the minor a firearm and a black bag and told the minor to demand $20,000 from the bank employees. Court records show the minor entered the bank wearing a hoodie and a face mask while Pringle waited in the car. Once inside the bank, the minor told a bank employee that he needed to make a withdrawal. Then the minor pulled out the gun and the bag and told the employee to “put $20,000 in this bag right now.” One of the tellers filled the bag with approximately $18,333. The minor fled the bank and ran to the getaway vehicle where Pringle was waiting, and the pair drove off.
Following the robbery, law enforcement located Pringle’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Pringle and the minor were placed under arrest. Officers located a loaded Glock 43 handgun with an extended magazine in a pocket on the driver’s door. Officers also recovered cash from the robbery that had been scattered throughout the back passenger area of the vehicle.
Pringle is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI, CMPD, and the Pineville Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Center Junction Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
A man who failed to update his sex offender registration was sentenced on February 23, 2026, to 18 months in federal prison.
Colton Rickels, age 30, of Center Junction, Iowa, received the sentence after a September 26, 2025, guilty plea to one count of failure to update registration as a sex offender. At the plea hearing, Rickels admitted that, between July 2024 and April 2025, he knowingly failed to update his sex offender registration by failing to update the Internet identifiers he used.
Rickels was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Rickels was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Anamosa Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 25-47.
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Bozeman man pleads guilty to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - A Bozeman man accused of trading and uploading child pornography admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Jaden Douglas Batson, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. Batson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 1, 2026. Batson remains released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in June 2023, law enforcement received a Cybertip from an electronic service provider indicating that an account registered to Batson had paid $20 for child pornography. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for Batson’s PayPal account and received information indicating he made a payment of $20 on June 14, 2023, with a note stating, “For the cp gc.”
Based on this and other information, law enforcement continued to receive other Cybertips connected to Batson. These tips, submitted by electronic service providers, reflected Batson trading and uploading child pornography. Multiple search warrants were obtained and executed on various electronic service accounts registered to Batson and results contained multiple images and videos of child pornography. On April 9, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Batson’s residence in Bozeman, Montana and electronic media was seized. During the execution of that warrant, Batson agreed to be interviewed following a waiver of Miranda. During that interview, Batson admitted he had traded child pornography on social media sites. His cellular phone was later reviewed and approximately 688 videos and 362 images of child pornography were discovered. Also found were messages consistent with Batson attempting to obtain child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and Bozeman Police Department conducted the investigation.
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.
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Arizona Man Sentenced for Possessing More than Eight Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man from Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Olajuwon Hasan Myers, 40, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In May 2025, Tulsa Police officers began investigating an individual suspected of transporting narcotics from Arizona to Oklahoma. While conducting surveillance, officers found the vehicle they believe was used to transport narcotics. Myers was seen getting into the vehicle and pulled over during a traffic stop. During the stop, a K9 officer conducted an open-air sniff and made a positive alert to their handler. While searching the vehicle, officers found more than eight pounds of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment.
Myers will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyson McCoy and Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.
Tuesday 24 February 2026
United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Reappointed to Continue as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brian D. Miller has been reappointed by the United States District Court to continue as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann administered the oath of office to Mr. Miller yesterday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Miller was originally appointed by United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi on October 27, 2025, for 120 days. This new order by the District Court Judges appoints Mr. Miller as United States Attorney until the vacancy is filled by the President. In September 2025, President Trump nominated Mr. Miller to be the United States Attorney, and his nomination is pending before the United States Senate.
Previously, Mr. Miller was confirmed by the United States Senate to be the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery on June 2, 2020. Mr. Miller’s prior positions include Senior Associate White House Counsel; Inspector General of the United States General Services Administration (Senate confirmed on July 22, 2005); Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General; Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Counsel on Health Care Fraud for the Deputy Attorney General; and Counsel to the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He has also served as Acting General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2025.
As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Miller litigated civil and criminal cases involving terrorism and terrorist financing, drug-related conspiracies and murder, and the False Claims Act. As an inspector general, Mr. Miller is known for his investigation of a lavish GSA conference in Las Vegas.
Mr. Miller was honored to receive the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the EOUSA Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an AUSA, and the David M. Walker Excellence in Government Performance and Accountability Award, which recognizes and honors government audit professionals who have made sustained contributions to improve government performance and accountability through their leadership in transforming government organizations.
Mr. Miller received his bachelor’s degree from Temple University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He resides in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Enters into Settlement Agreement to Improve Accessibility at Historic Bronx House and MuseumRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the settlement of a civil rights lawsuit against the NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION (“PARKS”) and the HISTORIC HOUSE TRUST (“HHT”). The settlement resolves violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) at the Van Cortlandt House Museum in Van Cortlandt Park, in the Bronx, New York.
“The ADA applies to all places of public accommodation, even those that predate our Declaration of Independence,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The settlement approved today will expand access at the Van Cortlandt House Museum so more visitors, including people with disabilities, can experience this important piece of New York City history.”
According to the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the Agreement entered by the court, and information from the Van Cortlandt House Museum:
The Van Cortlandt House was built in 1748 as the residence of the Van Cortlandt family. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington stayed at the House in 1776 and 1783. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Van Cortlandt family sold the property to the City of New York. The City has operated the property as a museum since 1897, in coordination with the HHT. A Cottage was added to the property in 1910 that now serves as a welcome center and gift shop. The Van Cortlandt House Museum aspires to recreate the furnishings and decoration of the home from 1749 to 1823.
The settlement, in the form of a court-approved stipulation and order (the “Agreement”), was entered today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken and requires PARKS, among other things, to embark on a long-term capital project that seeks to provide barrier-free access to the basement and the first floor of the House. In the near term, the Agreement obliges PARKS to remove barriers to accessibility at the Cottage, many of which have already been removed. After the United States issued its findings letter to PARKS regarding the violations of the ADA, PARKS installed a wooden ramp that for the first time provided access to the Cottage. The Agreement obliges PARKS to maintain this ramp pending completion of the broader capital project. While providing physical access to the second and third floors of the House is not readily achievable due to architectural constraints, the ADA requires places of public accommodation to explore other methods of accessibility. As a result, the Agreement requires PARKS to offer iPads or similar electronic devices at the Cottage that provide a virtual 360-degree tour of the entirety of the House.
Mr. Clayton thanked the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice, and particularly its architectural staff, for their assistance in this matter.
Since President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law in 1990, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has played a significant role in bringing numerous New York City institutions into compliance with the ADA and its regulations. The Office’s enforcement efforts include, among many others, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Shubert Theaters, the Nederlander Theaters, the Jujamcyn Theaters, Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, the Apollo Theater, the Rainbow Room, The Vessel at Hudson Yards, and dozens of hotels and restaurants.
To file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation within the Southern District of New York is not accessible to persons with disabilities, use the Civil Rights Complaint Form available on the United States Attorney’s Office’s website, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/civil-rights. Complaints should be emailed or sent by mail 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
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Kennedy is in charge of the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office EDNC Announces Seizure of $61 Million Dollars’ Worth of CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that federal agents seized over $61 million worth of Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar. Investigators traced the seized funds to cryptocurrency addresses allegedly associated with the laundering of criminally derived proceeds stolen from victims of cryptocurrency investment scams, commonly known as a “pig butchering scheme”.
“The seizure of a staggering $61 Million dollars’ worth of funds linked to cryptocurrency fraud shows that, in the Eastern District of North Carolina, cheaters never win. Our asset forfeiture team worked along with HSI to take the profit out of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
According to court filings, criminal actors targeted and recruited victims by establishing trust under the pretense of a romantic relationship. Once trust was secured, the scammers claimed to possess specialized techniques for generating substantial profits through cryptocurrency trading. They directed victims to fake cryptocurrency trading platforms, which closely resembled legitimate platforms in both name and appearance. These fake platforms displayed made up investment portfolios showing unusually high returns, deliberately designed to entice victims to invest more and more money. When victims attempted to withdraw their funds, they could not and were often presented with various excuses, such as the requirement to pay a “tax” or “fee” to release their funds. The scammers used these tactics to further exploit and extract even more money from their victims.
Once the victims’ money transferred to a cryptocurrency wallet under the scammers’ control, the crooks quickly routed that money through many other wallets to hide the nature, source, control, and ownership of that stolen money. In this case, agents and analysts from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Raleigh, North Carolina received a report of alleged investment fraud from a victim through the HSI Tip Line. Through investigative efforts, agents and analysts traced the victim’s money into and through multiple cryptocurrency wallets used in the fraud and money laundering scheme. Several of these wallets still contained substantial amounts of victims’ money subject to seizure and forfeiture.
“Criminal actors and professional money launderers use cyber-enabled fraud schemes to swindle their victims and conceal their ill-gotten gains,” said HSI Charlotte Acting Special Agent in Charge Kyle D. Burns. “HSI special agents work diligently to trace the illicit proceeds of crime across the globe to disrupt and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations that seek to defraud hardworking Americans.”
The Department of Justice and HSI acknowledges Tether for its assistance in transferring these assets.
Three Defendants Charged with Federal Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – A federal grand jury in Birmingham has charged three individuals with immigration crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
The following defendants were indicted for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported:
- Jacob Garcia Martinez, 41, a citizen of Mexico; and
- Jose Sanchez-Flores, 31, a citizen of Mexico;
Jorge Alexis Campos-Dolores, 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Texas Man Sentenced to More than Five Years in Prison for Smuggling Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Texas man has been sentenced for smuggling cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Rolando Garza-Alaniz, 38, of Roma, Texas, to 64 months in prison. In October 2025, Garza pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to the plea agreement, on September 6, 2023, an agent with the 17th Circuit Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Garza for crossing the lines on Interstate 20/59 in Greene County, Alabama. Garza told the agent that he and his girlfriend were travelling from Texas to New York for vacation. The agent noticed that Garza appeared to be extremely nervous during the conversation and asked if he could search the vehicle. Garza consented to the search. Agents recovered 7 kilograms of powder cocaine concealed inside the inner lining of the Igloo cooler.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the 17th Circuit Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany T. Byrd and Carson R. Gilbert prosecuted the case.
Texas Doctor Sentenced to 8.5 Years in Prison for $145 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An orthopedic surgeon was sentenced today to 102 months in prison and ordered to pay over $13 million in restitution for his role in a $145 million scheme to defraud the Department of Labor through the submission of fraudulent claims for prescription compound creams.
“The Department is committed to protecting victims and combating fraud against the United States wherever it is found,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence is the result of years of tireless efforts by our prosecutors and agency partners who investigated this complex fraud scheme and brought to justice the defendants responsible for stealing tens of millions of dollars from the American people. It serves as a reminder that medical professionals who violate the trust society places in them, their oath, the law, and harm Americans for personal enrichment will be investigated and prosecuted.”
“This sentence sends a strong message to those who would defraud our federal health care programs for personal gain,” said Inspector General Tammy Hull of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). “The outstanding work by the legal and investigative teams stopped a multi-year health care fraud scheme responsible for tens of millions in fraudulent billing to government agencies. Along with the Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners, USPS OIG will remain committed to investigating those who would engage in this type of fraud and abuse.”
“Dr. Michael Taba accepted bribes and kickbacks for writing thousands of prescriptions for unnecessary compounded medications issued to injured federal workers covered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP), putting illegal profits above patients’ safety,” said Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “We will continue to stand firm alongside our law enforcement partners to protect patients, safeguard the OWCP, and ensure the integrity of DOL’s benefits programs from wastefulness and greed.”
“We are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to halt fraud, waste, and abuse,” said Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (VA-OIG). “This sentencing demonstrates that we will identify those who commit healthcare fraud and endanger VA employees and hold them accountable.”
“Complex criminal schemes like the one Michael Taba was involved in are fueled by greed that blinds and hardens criminals, and that’s where the forensic accounting expertise of our special agents come in to trace the money,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of the IRS Criminal Investigation's Houston Field Office. “Money always leaves a trail and our criminal investigators are committed to uncovering fraud and ensuring accountability. When people are willing to tear down trust in our nation’s medical system to pilfer money, federal law enforcement stepped in to force them to step out.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Michael Taba, 61, of McKinney, Texas, accepted bribes paid by pharmacy owners to prescribe medically unnecessary compound creams to injured federal workers. Taba’s co-defendants owned and operated three pharmacies located in Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas. Over the course of the scheme, the pharmacy owners paid Taba and other doctors millions in illegal bribes and kickbacks. Evidence at trial showed these compounds were mixed in the back rooms of the pharmacies by untrained teenagers at a cost to Taba’s co-defendants of around $15 per prescription and then billed the DOL-OWCP for as much as $16,000 per prescription. Patients who received the creams testified at trial to the creams’ ineffectiveness and, in some instances, that using the creams resulted in painful, irritating skin rashes.
Between May 2014 and March 2017, the pharmacies billed the DOL-OWCP and Blue Cross Blue Shield more than $145 million and were paid more than $90 million for unnecessary prescriptions referred by Taba and other medical providers.
On Nov. 16, 2023, a federal jury in the Northern District of Texas convicted Taba on all counts of the superseding indictment, which included one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud.
USPS OIG, DOL-OIG, VA-OIG, and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ethan Womble and Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight 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. 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.
Ten Drug Dealers Handed Lengthy Federal Prison Sentences for Trafficking Kilos of Fentanyl, Meth, and CocaineRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Ten defendants have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a multi‑county fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine trafficking operation spanning Indianapolis, Muncie, Terre Haute, and other areas within the Southern District of Indiana.
DefendantCharge(s)SentenceJoshua Kendall, 44, of IndianapolisConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances33 years’ imprisonment; 10 years of supervised releaseWesley Young, 49, of Hudson, New YorkConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances23 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseDavid Bork, 38, of IndianapolisDistribution of 500 Grams of More of a Substance Containing Methamphetamine14 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseAlex Members, 47, of IndianapolisConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances13 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseTia Wampler, 36, of Bloomington, IndianaConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances10 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseBrian Connelly, 57, of Romney, IndianaPossession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine10 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseFynn Fox, 55, of IndianapolisConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances8 years, 1 month imprisonment; 3 years of supervised releaseTerry Pounds, 48, of Muncie, Indiana
Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams of More of a Substance Containing Cocaine5.5 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseRichard Moore, 46, of Marion, IndianaConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances5 years’ imprisonment; 4 years of supervised releaseTaneesha Robertson, 45, of IndianapolisConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances4 years’ imprisonment; 2 years of supervised releaseBetween October 2022 and November 2023, Moore, Kendall, Young, Robertson, Wampler, Fox, and Members conspired to operate a large‑scale drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine across multiple Indiana counties. Kendall, who was identified as the leader of the Indianapolis based distribution network, often used threats to intimidate and control subordinates carrying out his directives.
In total, the group was responsible for distributing at least 108 kilograms of methamphetamine, 4 kilograms of Fentanyl, and 6 kilograms of cocaine.
On November 8, 2023, law enforcement executed multiple simultaneous search warrants at the defendants’ homes and vehicles, which were being used to store and distribute narcotics and drug‑trafficking proceeds. Officers seized 25,000 Fentanyl pills, 2 pounds of methamphetamine, 348.8 grams of cocaine base, 225 grams of cocaine, and 487 grams of Fentanyl laced with Xylazine. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer that can slow breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure to dangerously low levels, and can decrease the effectiveness of reviving overdoses through use of Narcan.
The following firearms, ammunition, and other items were seized and forfeited:
- C.A.I. Stalb P9R 9mm handgun
- Charter Arms Undercover .38 Special revolver
- Kel Tec .380 caliber handguns (x2)
- Kimber Custom .45 caliber handguns (x2)
- MI2AK l2-gauge shotgun
- Norinco SKS 7.62 rifle
- Ruger .45 caliber handguns (x2)
- Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun
- Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .38- caliber handgun
- Springfield Hellcat 9mm handgun
- Springfield 40 caliber handgun
- 38 caliber Taurus revolver
- Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun
- Glock Model 19 9mm handgun
- Springfield XD semiautomatic
- $18,981 in cash
- At least five digital scales
- Cutting agents, including Phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole (PTHIT)
- Hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition
- Multiple cell phones
“Dismantling a drug trafficking organization responsible for pumping massive quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities is a major victory for law enforcement and for every Hoosier,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Because of the exceptional, collaborative work of our federal, state, and local partners, we achieved a remarkable outcome that sends a crystal‑clear message to major drug dealers: we will continue our relentless pursuit to dismantle your illicit operations and protect the people of Indiana.”
“The scope of this drug trafficking organization and the volume of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine it distributed posed a serious threat to communities across central and southern Indiana,” said DEA Indianapolis District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gerald Dooley. “Because of the strong collaboration between our federal and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we were able to dismantle this network and remove significant quantities of dangerous drugs and firearms from our streets.”
“These sentences send a clear message: if you profit from pumping fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into our neighborhoods, you will pay for it with your freedom,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “These individuals trafficked poison for profit, fueling addiction and violence across Indiana. These prison sentences remove both the dealers and their drugs from our streets — and that makes our communities safer. IRS-CI will continue to work relentlessly with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and shut down every level of these operations and hold accountable anyone who chooses to traffic poison in our communities.”
“It is remarkable what law enforcement agencies can achieve when they work together in true partnership said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo. These individuals brought devastation and chaos to the people of Indiana. Because of their actions, they faced the full force of coordinated law enforcement efforts. Now, they will face the consequences of their crimes within the prison system.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IMPD, and Vigo County Drug Task Force investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Olivier, Lindsay E. Karwoski and Patrick Gibson, who prosecuted this case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Crossroads of America comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Services, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Police, HIDTA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and Plainfield Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
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Suspect Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Set Fire to a Building Utilized by DHSRead the Press Release
BOISE – Sarah Elizabeth George, 43, of Boise, was arrested Monday in Boise on federal criminal charges, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. According to the criminal complaint, on February 18, 2026, George stole and then drove an ambulance into the Portico building in Meridian, Idaho, before she dumped gasoline in the ambulance and building intending to light a fire. News outlets had reported that the Department of Homeland Security leased a portion of the Portico building prior to George’s actions.
Yesterday, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging George with two counts of attempted malicious damage by fire. The first count alleges that George maliciously attempted to damage or destroy federal property by means of fire, that created a substantial risk of injury, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(f)(2). If convicted, George faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to 40 years in federal prison. The second count alleges that George maliciously attempted to damage or destroy, by means of fire, property used in and affecting interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i). If convicted, George faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. Both charges also carry a fine up to $250,000. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute any crime that places government employees in danger or is aimed at destroying federal property,” said U.S. Attorney Davis.
“The FBI worked swiftly alongside our law enforcement partners to identify and arrest the person allegedly responsible for this crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Given the potentially devastating consequences of this defendant’s actions, this case was a priority. The FBI remains steadfast in ensuring the safety of our personnel and the public.”
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Meridian Police Department; and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, which led to the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys David Robins and Francis Zebari are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Summit County Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison on Child Sexual Abuse Materials ChargesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A 38-year-old Summit County man has been sentenced to prison for engaging in the receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and then attempting to destroy files in his possession.
Alejandro James Sosa, of Akron, Ohio, has been sentenced to 108 months (nine years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles Esque Fleming, after pleading guilty in November 2025 to the following charges:
- Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
- Possession of Child Pornography
- Destruction, Alteration, or Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation
- Obscene Visual Representations of the Sexual Abuse of Children
He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Fleming imposed the sentence Feb. 20.
According to court documents, federal agents were investigating individuals in Portage, Summit, and Medina counties who were suspected of viewing and sharing CSAM. During the investigation, agents discovered that Sosa received or transmitted more than 10,000 CSAM files from about January through August 2025. During a search warrant execution conducted at Sosa’s residence, agents seized multiple electronic devices that contained CSAM which included infants and toddlers. Sosa later admitted that he attempted to delete evidence of CSAM from his electronic device as agents arrived to conduct the search.
The investigation was led by the FBI Akron Resident Agency, with valuable assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Office of Criminal Investigation, the Vermilion Police Department and the FBI Task Force.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.