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Tuesday 24 February 2026
South Florida Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Global Scheme that Stole Millions of Dollars from American ConsumersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Florida man has been sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for participating in a transnational scheme to steal millions of dollars from American consumers’ bank accounts, the Justice Department announced today.
Michael Young, 44, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced Monday afternoon by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi.
Young pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
“Global criminal groups use U.S.-based individuals to exploit our nation’s banking system and launder money stolen from innocent victims,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for helping to bring this criminal to justice. We must and shall be as relentless in using every legal tool available to punish these individuals.”
“This sentence holds accountable yet another member of a transnational criminal network that stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes are designed to be difficult to detect – spanning multiple jurisdictions and relying on layers of conspirators to obscure their operations – making them especially harmful to victims who often do not realize they have been targeted until it is too late. With 22 defendants charged in four districts, this prosecution reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantle every layer of criminal enterprises that prey on Americans, no matter how far their operations reach.”
According to court documents, Young was part of a criminal enterprise responsible for stealing millions of dollars from the bank accounts of unknowing consumers across the United States. The enterprise obtained “lead lists” that contained victims’ banking information – some of which derived from payday loan applications – and used it to make unauthorized debits against victims’ bank accounts.
Members of the enterprise falsely claimed to banks that victims had authorized the transactions. The enterprise also used numerous shell entities and money laundering techniques to conceal its actions.
For years, Young worked for a co-conspirator based in Southern California who ran the domestic side of the operation, assisting foreign co-conspirators with obtaining lead lists, establishing U.S. banking relations and coordinating nominal owners or “signers” for shell entities. Through that work, Young participated in nearly every aspect of the scheme. Young later replicated the scheme himself to make more money.
In total, 22 defendants have been charged and seven have been convicted in connection with this scheme. Notices of upcoming hearings may be found here.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.
The Department of Justice urges individuals to be on the lookout for unauthorized debits to their accounts. Regularly check your bank, credit card and other financial statements and contact your financial institution if you see a charge you do not recognize. Report any fraudulent debit you identify to law enforcement. Reports may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Alan Leon Red Willow, 25, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Willow was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2025.
In March of 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota, Red Willow was driving a stolen vehicle. Law enforcement recognized this vehicle as stolen and approached the vehicle. Red Willow unsuccessfully tried to evade law enforcement. Inside the car underneath Red Willow’s seat, law enforcement found a sawed-off shotgun that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Certain firearms, such as shotguns with a barrel length under 18 inches or an overall length under 26 inches, must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. It is a federal crime for a person to possess such a firearm that is not registered to him.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Red Willow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty for Role in $10 Million International Fraudulent Market Survey ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty for Role in $10 Million
International Fraudulent Market Survey Conspiracy
CONCORD – An Alabama man pleaded guilty today for his role in an international scheme to sell fraudulent market survey data, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Daniel Harriman, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2026.
According to the public record, Op4G and Slice were market research companies based in New Hampshire and Illinois, respectively. Clients would hire the companies to conduct market research surveys. As part of their business model, Op4G and Slice maintained “panels” consisting of individuals potentially eligible to take surveys. Stoudt initially worked for Op4G before moving over to Slice.
In 2014, several conspirators, including Harriman, decided to increase company revenues by generating fabricated survey data. To execute the scheme, the conspirators recruited “ants”, who pretended to be legitimate survey takers but instead were paid a nominal fee for completing surveys that produced false market research data. Some of the conspirators even served as “ants” and fraudulently took large quantities of surveys themselves, receiving significant payments.
To evade detection, the conspirators exchanged instructions with each other and the “ants.” These instructions included directions on how to answer survey screener questions, provided parameters on how long “ants” should remain on surveys, and encouraged the use of virtual private network (VPN) services to conceal real IP addresses.
Between 2014 and the beginning of 2025, Op4G and Slice billed over $10 million to clients for work tainted with fraudulent survey data. In more recent years, false market research data was used to generate approximately 90% of Op4G and Slice’s revenues.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum 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.
The FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
Co-defendant Frank Hayden pleaded guilty on February 2, 2026 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2026.
Scranton Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Possession of A Machine GunRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Naim Mustafa House, age 28, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 24, 2026, to 144 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a machine gun.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on July 8, 2024, Scranton Police Officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle that House was a passenger. House fled on foot and was found hiding under a rear porch of a residence. During a search incident to arrest, police found marijuana packed for resale on his person and inside his backpack found 30 additional grams of marijuana and a Glock 7, 9mm handgun equipped with a device to transition the firearm from a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm. The firearm also had an extended magazine containing 10 rounds of ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Scranton Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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SDNY Announces Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure and Cooperation Program for Financial CrimesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the Office’s new Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Program for illegal activity involving fraud and financial misconduct affecting market integrity. The program, building on years of experience with corporate self-reporting, a focus on individual accountability, and a commitment to the interests of victims, is designed to protect investors, root out wrongdoing more quickly, and strengthen the integrity of the financial markets by encouraging companies to promptly disclose misconduct and take swift remedial measures.
The program establishes clear guidelines and predictable treatment for companies that voluntarily disclose certain classes of criminal activity to this Office. Under this program, eligible companies that self-report qualifying illegal activity, fully cooperate with law enforcement, commit to ongoing reporting of criminal conduct for three years, and remediate harm caused by the misconduct will have a clear, agreed path to a declination. Specifically, the Office will extend a conditional declination letter to qualifying companies shortly after they make a qualifying self-report. After a company satisfies its cooperation and remediation obligations and restitutes victim losses, the Office will provide a final declination letter, concluding the matter without criminal charges.
“The self-reporting program rests on a simple principle: prompt corporate disclosure and cooperation in rooting out and remedying wrongdoing is in the best interest of victims, shareholders, employees, and our markets generally,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “When companies do the right thing—report quickly, cooperate fully, and remediate harm—they should know where they stand. With this program, we expect there will be strong alignment among corporate fiduciary duties, corporate cooperation with the Department of Justice, and the interests of victims, shareholders, and the public generally. To be sure, companies that choose not to cooperate proactively and are found to have engaged in criminal conduct, will face significant corporate consequences.”
The program builds on the Office’s longstanding practice of favorably weighing voluntary disclosures and sincere cooperation in its charging decisions. Consistent with this new program, the Office already has extended a conditional declination letter to a self-reporting company within a month of that company making a disclosure. These types of self-reports also enable the Office to focus on holding individuals accountable. During U.S. Attorney Clayton’s tenure, the Office has brought criminal charges against individual executives and employees based on information originally obtained through corporate self-disclosures and will continue to do so. These actions demonstrate that early disclosure and cooperation under this program will help this Office hold accountable individual wrongdoers, while also offering swift resolution and certainty to self-reporting entities that commit to remediation and cooperation.
Additional details about the SDNY Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Program for Financial Crimes, including information about eligibility criteria and a model conditional declination letter, are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/self-reporting-program.
Ross Township Resident Pleads Guilty to Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Ross Township, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Ralph Talerico, 45, pleaded guilty to three counts before Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bisson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in and around June through July 2023, Talerico produced videos of two minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Additionally, on or about June 6, 2024, Talerico possessed videos and still images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom were prepubescent and under 12 years of age.
Chief Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years 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 offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Talerico.
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.
Rockbridge County Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Harvesting Timber from National ForestsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Rockbridge County, Virginia man convicted of unlawfully damaging trees and removing timber from a national forest was sentenced yesterday to 30 days in jail.
Matthew Keith Miller, 35, was previously tried in federal court on October 9, 2025, and convicted of both offenses.
According to evidence presented at previous court hearings, on January 18, 2025, an anonymous complainant advised the U.S. Forest Service that they observed several downed locust trees in a restricted area around Petites Gap Road, within Rockbridge County. The complainant provided a picture of a truck that was being used to remove the wood, which the Forest Service traced back to Miller.
Miller admitted that he had removed trees from Petites Gap Road that day, but he claimed that he had a wood cutting permit and only took dead timber. However, Miller’s wood cutting permit explicitly restricted timber harvesting in the Petites Gap Road area.
A Forest Service officer inspected the location where Miller removed timber and found many live trees had been cut down. Miller also made multiple postings on Facebook Marketplace advertising the sale of large amounts of locust timber.
Acting U.S. Attorney Robert N. Tracci made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Inman is prosecuting the case for the United States.
The U.S. Forest Service Investigations investigated the case.
Repeat Felon on Supervised Release Sentenced to 21 Months for Illegal Possession of HandgunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jefry Stevent Padilla Sanchez, 21, a previously convicted felon whose last known address was in Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a loaded handgun in a crowded public transit station, while unlawfully possessing fentanyl and while on active court supervision, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Padilla pleaded guilty on Oct. 23, 2025, before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 21-month prison term, Judge Chutkan ordered Padilla to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on September 12, 2025, about 6:38 p.m., officers with the Metro Transit Police Department observed Padilla commit fare evasion at the Fort Totten Metro Station by “piggybacking” behind a paying customer. Officers then detained Padilla to issue a citation when a subsequent records check revealed Padilla had an active extraditable warrant issued by the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, for violation of probation stemming from a felony burglary conviction.
Officers placed Padilla under arrest and conducted a search incident to arrest. Police discovered a 9mm Heckler & Koch P2000SK semiautomatic handgun concealed in Padilla’s waistband. The firearm was loaded with nine rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. In addition to the firearm, officers recovered approximately 37 “M30” pills, which field testing confirmed contained fentanyl.
At the time of this offense, Padilla had multiple prior felony convictions out of Maryland. The offenses included second-degree burglary and unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle. He was serving concurrent terms of supervised probation for those offenses.
This case was investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice.
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Port Saint Lucie Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud and Lying on Naturalization ApplicationRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Port Saint Lucie tax preparer was sentenced Feb. 11 to 36 months in federal prison for defrauding taxpayers of more than $175,000 and attempting to obtain U.S. citizenship by concealing his crimes from immigration officials.
U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks imposed the sentence on Wislet Metayer, 45, and ordered him to pay $167,792.45 in restitution. A federal jury in West Palm Beach previously convicted Metayer of 32 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and one count of making a false statement related to naturalization.
“This defendant abused the trust of his clients and stole from the American taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He inflated refunds to increase his fees, costing the U.S. Treasury more than $175,000. At the same time, he attempted to obtain U.S. citizenship while concealing his crimes. Fraud in our tax system and dishonesty in our immigration process will not be tolerated.”
“When you turn tax forms into tools for bogus refunds —you’re stealing from every honest taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “Metayer chose to cheat the system and even lied in a bid for citizenship. A jury saw through it, and the court delivered accountability. IRS Special Agents will continue protecting the integrity of the tax system and work with our partners to hold accountable those who engage in fraud.”
According to court records, Metayer worked as a professional tax preparer from approximately 2019 through 2025. To attract customers and justify inflated preparation fees, Metayer prepared and filed dozens of federal income tax returns containing false business losses, deductions, and credits—without his customers’ knowledge—in order to increase their refunds. As a result of this scheme, the U.S. Treasury suffered losses exceeding $175,000.
Metayer is a Haitian national and lawful permanent resident of the U.S. In March 2024, while his tax fraud scheme was ongoing, Metayer applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. As part of the application process, Metayer was required to disclose whether he had ever been convicted of, charged with, or arrested for a crime or offense and whether he had ever committed a crime or offense for which he was not arrested. Metayer concealed his ongoing criminal conduct and falsely denied committing any such offenses.
Metayer will be subject to removal from the U.S. after completing his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Loecker; and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
IRS‑CI Florida Field Office and HSI Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-14036.
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Pharmacist and Business Owner Pleads Guilty to $3M Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurer Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A pharmacist and business owner who engaged in a five-year pharmacy shortage fraud scheme at two separate pharmacies pleaded guilty today, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division.
Mohammad Hamdan, age 44, from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud for a scheme that caused over $3 million in loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
At the hearing, Hamdan admitted to utilizing his two pharmacies to submit false and fraudulent claims for prescriptions even though the prescribed drugs were medically unnecessary or not actually dispensed. In many instances, the pharmacies lacked the inventory to dispense these drugs but billed the health care insurers as thought they had been dispensed. Over the five-year scheme, Hamdan submitted or directed the submission of false and fraudulent claims totaling over $3.2 million.
Sentencing before United States District Judge Judith Levy will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hamdan faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 10 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of not more than $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children, announced Acting United States Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
United States District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Robert John Newman, Jr., 29, of Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, to 480 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. Newman was also ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. In October 2025, Newman pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, and travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents, from on or about December 30, 2024, through January 4, 2025, Newman targeted the 14-year-old victim online through social media, befriended her through deceit, and relentlessly coerced her into sending him child sexual abuse material at his direction. On January 4, 2025, Newman travelled over 700 miles from his residence in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania to the minor victim’s residence in northern Alabama with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity with her. The minor’s mother found Newman, a man unknown to her, lying on the bed in her daughter’s bedroom and confronted him. Newman fled the residence back to Glenshaw, Pennsylvania.
On January 22, 2025, Newman was arrested in Pennsylvania on Alabama state warrants for electronic solicitation, traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act, production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. At the time of his arrest, officers seized Newman’s iPhone. After obtaining a federal search warrant, FBI agents reviewed his iPhone which revealed communications between Newman and the minor victim as well as child sexual abuse material involving the victim. Additional digital evidence recovered from Newman’s iPhone revealed that this minor was not Newman’s only victim. After returning to Pennsylvania from the minor victim’s residence in Alabama, Newman was in communication with another victim who the FBI identified as an 11-year-old female in Colorado.
This case was part of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort by FBI field offices across the country, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorneys’ Offices around the country to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators, and in connection with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
If you suspect or become aware of the possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 (AVAA) created new penalties and made several changes to existing child pornography laws. In the passage of this legislation, Congress intended for victims of child pornography to be compensated for the harms resulting from every perpetrator who contributes to their anguish. The amounts received as AVAA special assessments are deposited in the Child Pornography Victims Reserve to pay defined monetary assistance to victims.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case along with the FBI Pittsburgh Division (PA), FBI Denver Division (CO), Winston County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office and the Shaler, Pennsylvania, Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 15 years in Prison for Exploitation of Oshkosh MinorRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 23, 2026, Zachary J. Vogt (age: 20) of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Byron B. Conway following his conviction for Production of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).
According to court documents, in October 2024, Vogt began corresponding online with a minor child located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The exchanges between the two quickly became sexual in nature. The child’s parents discovered the online activity and warned the minor and Vogt that all interaction must cease. Vogt ignored that warning. In June 2025, despite knowing that the child was underage, Vogt travelled from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin to engage in sexual activity with the child. Vogt sexually abused the child and recorded the abuse on his cellular phone. Law enforcement subsequently recovered the images, and Vogt was arrested.
In determining that 180 months’ imprisonment was an appropriate sentence, Judge Conway noted the incredibly serious nature of the offense and highlighted that the defendant had been warned to cease contact with the child. Judge Conway cited strong need to deter others from enticing children online and found a need to protect the public from online sexual predators like Vogt. Following the defendant’s release from federal prison, he will spend 15 years on supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law.
“This defendant is clearly a sick and dangerous individual,” said U.S. Attorney Schimel. “He was given the chance to terminate his online sexually explicit activity with the child but ignored that warning and escalated his criminal conduct by crossing multiple states to sexually exploit the child. The only way to keep the community safe from him is to lock him up. The law enforcement community has no higher priority than to protect our kids, and if you harm them, we are coming for you.”
This case was investigated by the City of Oshkosh Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Pasco County School Employee Charged with Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Joel Thomas Lust (51, New Port Richey) has been charged by federal indictment with possessing child sex abuse material. If convicted, Lust faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, between March 2023 and May 2024, Lust possessed and accessed with intent to view a matter which contained a visual depiction involving the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
IndictmentPensacola Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Geoffery Bartee Dale, 38, of Pensacola, Florida was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding work of our local and federal law enforcement partners, this drug trafficker’s scheme has been dismantled and he’ll spend the next 15 years in federal prison. The Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative was launched to target and eliminate drug trafficking operations like this one that have flooded our communities with deadly poison and threatened the health and safety of our residents. My office will continue to deliver successful prosecutions like this one to keep violent drug traffickers in prison where they belong and give our residents the safe and drug-free streets they deserve.”
According to court records, in February and March of 2024, the defendant was a target of a joint law enforcement investigation. On March 8, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Pensacola residence, during which investigators located over 3,100 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a large amount of marijuana, four firearms, ammunition, over $129,000 in United States currency, and other drug distribution related items. Law enforcement also obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s storage unit, where they found more than 4,400 grams of methamphetamine, a large amount of marijuana, three firearms, and ammunition. The defendant has two prior felony convictions.
“This amount of methamphetamine represents a public health threat capable of impacting an entire region,” said DEA Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar. “Getting this trafficker off the streets will make communities safer and get the State of Florida closer to being Fentanyl and Methamphetamine free.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Pensacola Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Etherton.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Operator of Lucrative Online Pornography Marketplace “the Ho Zone” Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that KYLE WHITE was sentenced to 20 years in prison for advertising and distributing child pornography on his online marketplace he called “The Ho Zone.” On October 21, 2025, WHITE pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Kyle White’s operation of the large-scale online pornography marketplace he callously dubbed ‘The Ho Zone’ caused immeasurable harm to his over one thousand child and adult victims whose sexual abuse materials he distributed to thousands of paying customers,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “White’s high-volume, illegal pornography enterprise earned him a staggering profit at the expense of innocent children and young women whose sexual trauma he broadcast to the world. There is a clear message from today's 20-year sentence: anyone who seeks to profit from the sexual exploitation of children will face justice for their heinous crimes. Every New York family wants Kyle White's 'Ho Zone' operation shut down and Mr. White off the streets.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
WHITE ran an online pornography marketplace known as “The Ho Zone” on the messaging application Telegram, earning a profit of over $387,000. WHITE categorized the pornography he advertised and sold on “The Ho Zone” into dozens of groups and channels with thousands of members and subscribers, such as “Other Teen (18+) Leaks,” “THZ Black Market,” “MOST POPULAR GIRLS LISTS,” “Tiktoker Private Leaks,” “ATHLEAKS,” and more. Within each of these groups and channels, WHITE further categorized the pornography by the name of the woman or minor girl featured in the sexually explicit content. Each group and channel on “The Ho Zone” featured a variety of free content as a preview of what users could get if they were to pay WHITE for full access. Such access cost between $15 and $75 depending on the pornography purchased. Once a user paid WHITE for the content of a specific woman or minor girl available on “The Ho Zone,” the user gained permanent access to numerous sexually explicit photographs and videos of that woman or minor girl that WHITE had compiled, enhanced, and edited.
WHITE advertised and sold child pornography on “The Ho Zone,” which depicted minor victims as young as 11 years old, as well as minor victims engaging in sexually explicit conduct with their minor victim siblings. WHITE also sold illegally obtained adult pornography on “The Ho Zone,” including pornography that had been hacked from women’s cellphones and pornography that was the product of blackmail and extortion. Most of the women featured were between 18 and 23 years old. In total, WHITE advertised and distributed illegal pornography of over one thousand adult and minor victims.
WHITE knew that running “The Ho Zone” was illegal but he continued to sell child pornography and illegally obtained adult pornography on the marketplace because it was lucrative. For example, WHITE claimed in a message to another Telegram user that he “made over 300k in the first year” of operating “The Ho Zone.”[1] WHITE also stated that he did not want to stop selling child pornography because “[i]t’s just easier said than done givin up $1,000’s,” and WHITE was “sure the feds got more important things to worry abt [sic] lol.”
After the FBI searched WHITE’s home and seized his electronic devices, WHITE engaged in obstruction of justice. Although WHITE pretended to assist the FBI in shutting down “The Ho Zone,” in reality, WHITE continued running “The Ho Zone” on a backup account from a new cellphone.
Victims of WHITE and “The Ho Zone” are encouraged to visit https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/THZVictims to learn about available resources that may assist them.
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In addition to the prison term, WHITE, 27, of Louisville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 20 years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and in particular, the victim specialists with FBI’s New York Division.
This case is being supervised by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea L. Scism is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Communications referenced herein are described in substance and in part.
Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Arson at Tesla Collision Center in Las VegasRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty Monday to using a firearm and Molotov cocktails to destroy and damage vehicles and property at a Tesla Collision center in March 2025.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Paul Hyon Kim spray-painted the word “RESIST” on the front of the Tesla Collision center entrance. He then used a PA-15 multi-caliber firearm equipped with a .300 BLACKOUT upper receiver attached to the lower receiver; and a 7.62mm silencer to shoot out surveillance cameras. Kim then fired several shots into vehicles. Next, Kim threw three Molotov cocktails into three vehicles; two exploded and erupted into flames, and a third did not detonate. In total, Kim damaged five Tesla vehicles.
Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce; one count of attempted arson of property used in interstate commerce; and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device). The mandatory minimum statutory penalty is five years in prison. The total maximum statutory penalty is 70 years in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division, and Special Agent in Charge John Wester for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) San Francisco Field Division made the announcement.
The FBI, ATF, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
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Mission Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Michael Barrera, age 18, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Barrera was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 20, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in May of 2025, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, Barrera drove to a residence near Mission and entered armed with a shotgun and confronted the victim, an adult male. Barrera argued with the victim and a struggle ensued, during which Barrera shot the victim in the left shoulder, fatally wounding him. Barrera then fled the scene. On June 4, 2025, Barrera was arrested at a residence in Rapid City, South Dakota.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Barrera was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Millington Man Sentenced to 4½ Years for Domestic Violence Against Service Member SpouseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Jared Goodman, 34, was sentenced to federal prison for committing domestic violence against his service member spouse in the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Goodman previously pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025 to one count of domestic violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2261.
On February 20, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Goodman to 54 months in prison for his crime.
According to information presented in court, Goodman met his victim in December 2022. She was an active-duty service member who was stationed at Naval Support Activity Mid-South and lived in military housing on the Naval Base in Millington. The couple married in October of 2023, and Goodman moved into her residence. On Christmas Eve of 2023, Goodman became angry with the victim and forcefully assaulted her, causing a lumbar spine fracture.
In addition to the prison term, Chief United States District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman also ordered Goodman to serve a five-year period of supervision following his release from custody.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Perpetrators of domestic violence seek to control their victims to perpetuate their violent acts. This victim was particularly brave to come forward and report her abuse. Though these cases are not often brought in federal court, when we have jurisdiction, we will hold offenders accountable for their violent conduct.”
“NCIS remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting those who serve our nation and their families from harm, including domestic violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Arturo Hernandez of the NCIS Central Field Office. “This investigation highlights the critical importance of collaboration to ensure the safety and security of our warfighters as well as the communities in which they live and work.”
This case was investigated by the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
The case was prosecuted on behalf of the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Crum.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Mexican National Sentenced for Unlawfully Being in the United States After Being Arrested for Driving DrunkRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national was sentenced today for Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced U.S. Attorney
Clint Johnson.U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Estevan Barron-Ruiz, 49, to eight months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.
In August 2025, Barron-Ruiz was arrested and later convicted in a separate state court case for aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under suspension, and unsafe lane change. While being booked into jail, law enforcement discovered that he was not lawfully inside the United States. Court records show that Barron-Ruiz was previously removed from the United States in November 2014. Law enforcement further verified that Barron-Ruiz has not applied or sought permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States.
Court dockets show that Barron-Ruiz previously pleaded guilty in 2013 to another aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol charge in State Court.
Barron-Ruiz will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. He consented to removal from the United States and agreed to cooperate in removal proceedings following his sentence.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
Member of Transnational Fraud Network Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy that Stole Millions from American ConsumersRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced to six years in prison yesterday for his participation in a scheme to steal millions of dollars from American consumers’ bank accounts.
“This sentence holds accountable yet another member of a transnational criminal network that stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes are designed to be difficult to detect – spanning multiple jurisdictions and relying on layers of conspirators to obscure their operations – making them especially harmful to victims who often do not realize they have been targeted until it is too late. With 22 defendants charged in four districts, this prosecution reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantle every layer of criminal enterprises that prey on Americans, no matter how far their operations reach.”
“Global criminal groups use U.S.-based individuals to exploit our nation’s banking system and launder money stolen from innocent victims,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for helping to bring this criminal to justice. We must and shall be as relentless in using every legal tool available to punish these individuals.”
“Despite hiding their actions behind fake companies, these suspects will pay for their abuse of people’s information and the banking system,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group. “By exploiting victims from the payday loan list, these criminals took what little was left from people already struggling to make ends meet. The United States Postal Inspection Service will continue to relentlessly pursue criminals who exploit this country’s hardworking citizens and the U.S. Mail for unlawful purposes.”
According to court documents, Michael Young, 44, of Hollywood, Florida, was part of a criminal enterprise responsible for stealing millions of dollars from the bank accounts of unknowing consumers across the United States. The enterprise obtained “lead lists” that contained victims’ banking information – some of which derived from payday loan applications – and used it to make unauthorized debits against victims’ bank accounts. Members of the enterprise falsely claimed to banks that victims had authorized the transactions. The enterprise also used numerous shell entities and money laundering techniques to conceal its actions. For years, Young worked for a co-conspirator based in Southern California who ran the domestic side of the operation, assisting foreign co-conspirators with obtaining lead lists, establishing U.S. banking relations and coordinating nominal owners or “signers” for shell entities. Through that work, Young participated in nearly every aspect of the scheme. Young later replicated the scheme himself to make more money.
In June 2025, Young pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. In total, 22 defendants have been charged and seven have been convicted in connection with this scheme. Notices of upcoming hearings may be found here.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica E. Tait for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.
The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for unauthorized debits to their accounts. Regularly check your bank, credit card and other financial statements and contact your financial institution if you see a charge you do not recognize. Report any fraudulent debit you identify to law enforcement. Reports may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
Member of Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Distributing PCP and Other NarcoticsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Phillip Gillard, 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison, 10 years’ supervised release, and $2,400 in fines and assessments by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
In July 2023, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a 54-count superseding indictment charging Gillard and eight co-defendants with their participation in a large-scale drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) operating in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, in the immediate vicinity of the Memphis Street Academy, a charter school located at 2950 Memphis Street.
The defendant was convicted at trial of federal drug trafficking and firearm offenses in February 2024.
The charges arose from the FBI’s two-year investigation into the Gillard drug trafficking organization, which supplied other drug traffickers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, phencyclidine (“PCP”), fentanyl, and other narcotics.
Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents conducted surveillance and undercover sting operations, during which drugs were purchased from the defendants. Gillard and his co-defendants maintained three separate properties in connection with their drug trafficking organization, all of them less than 1,000 feet away from the Memphis Street Academy.
In total, the FBI confiscated over 20 pounds of pure methamphetamine, three gallons of PCP, one and a half kilograms of cocaine, 900 grams of crack cocaine, 400 grams of fentanyl, and 11 firearms.
Co-defendants Diane Gillard, Sharif Jackson, Amin Whitehead, Cesar Maldonado, Terrence Maxwell, Raphael Sanchez, Melvin Dreher, and Arron Preno pleaded guilty to their roles in the Gillard DTO.
Diane Gillard was sentenced to 16 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Jackson to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Whitehead to 11½ years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Maldonado to eight years in prison and eight years of supervised release, Maxwell to more than seven and a half years in prison and five years of supervised release, Sanchez to seven and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release, Dreher to five years in prison and three years of supervised release, and Preno to six months in prison and two years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Philadelphia Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, with extraordinary cooperation from the Memphis Street Academy, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Robert Schopf.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offenses and Unlawful Entry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Massachusetts man unlawfully present in the United States, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possession of a loaded firearm following a traffic stop, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Everton Luis Teixeira Da Silva, 23, of Framingham, MA, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition and unlawful entry into the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2026. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on August 17, 2025, during a traffic stop conducted by the Providence Police Department, Da Silva fled from officers on foot and during the pursuit, he discarded a firearm. The weapon was later recovered by police and identified as a green 9mm pistol, loaded with six rounds and had an obliterated serial number. The defendant was apprehended and investigators determined that he entered the United States unlawfully.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and the Providence Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Manchester Resident Charged with the Attempted Murder of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester resident has been charged in connection with a shooting that occurred over the weekend in Pittsburg, New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Blu Zeke Daly, a/k/a Cullan Zeke Daly, 26, was charged by complaint with one count of attempted murder of a federal officer and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon. Daly is currently obtaining medical treatment at a New Hampshire hospital and is under guard.
According to the complaint, on the evening of February 21, 2026, a Border Patrol agent encountered Daly driving alone in Stewartstown, New Hampshire, near the Canadian border. The agent asked whether Daly had used any other names, at which point Daly drove away. The Border Patrol agent followed at a distance. Shortly after midnight on February 22, 2026, Daly arrived at the Pittsburg Port of Entry on the border between the United States and Canada. The crossing was closed and the gate was locked. The Border Patrol agent activated his emergency lights and exited his vehicle, at which point Daly started to turn. Daly then fired a handgun at the Border Patrol agent. The agent returned fire with his own service weapon and shot Daly.
The charge of attempted murder of a federal officer carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon also carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The FBI is leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man with Two Machine Gun Conversion Devices by NC State Fair and Lenovo Center Pleaded GuiltyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man pleaded guilty to possessing machine gun conversion devices in the parking lot next to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds and the Lenovo Center where NC State and the Hurricanes play in Raleigh, North Carolina. A United States Magistrate Judge signed a complaint on October 27, 2025, charging Luis Alberto Guerra-Martinez with possession of a machine gun. A Grand Jury for the Eastern District of North Carolina returned an indictment on November 18, 2025.
“Bad hombres bringing illegal guns to crowded parking lots are up to no good. Thanks to the alert officer who sniffed out this nefarious plot before any blood was spilled. Stay alert, stay alive.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
"Observant local officers acted quickly, discovering multiple weapons, including a machine gun in this subject's car parked outside a concert of 15,000 people. This is an outstanding example of the FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force, the Raleigh Police Department, the Wake County Sheriff's Office, and the Dunn Police Department uniting for one purpose, to keep our communities safe. The FBI is committed to working with our state and local partners to bring the full weight of federal charges against anyone who may pose a threat to the homeland," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on October 24, 2025, law enforcement stopped Guerra-Martinez as he drove erratically in the parking lot between the N.C. State Fair and the Lenovo Center. The N.C. State Fair was in full swing with tens of thousands of members of the public at the time. Also, popular youth rapper performed was a concert at the Lenovo Center at the same time. As Guerra-Martinez exited his vehicle, law enforcement detected the odor of marijuana coming from his car. Guerra-Martinez attempted to run away from the car as officers approached. They searched the car. The search yielded five guns, two drop in sears. A drop in sear converts a semi-automatic gun into a fully automatic machine gun. The search also yielded 35 grams of marijuana, THC vape cartridges, a digital scale, a ski mask, a Lenovo center radio, three Santa Muerte candles, one machete and one hunting knife, and two cell phones. Guerra-Martinez had recently been fired from Lenovo where he had worked as a janitor for a third-party contractor.
At sentencing, Guerra-Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement today. The FBI Raleigh Safe Streets Taskforce, WCSO, RPD and DPD investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Merle and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Van Trigt are prosecuting the case.
MS-13 Associate Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for the Murder of Teenage Victim in Kissena Park in QueensRead the Press Release
Today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Oscar Flores-Mejia, also known as “Chamuco,” an associate of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment for the murder of 17-year-old Andy Peralta. Co-defendants Juan Amaya-Ramirez, also known as “Cadaver,” and Leyla Carranza were previously sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment and 22 years’ imprisonment, respectively, for their participation in the murder.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), announced the sentences.
“The senselessness of this murder is matched only by its brutality,” said United States Attorney Nocella. “The defendants lured Andy Peralta to a secluded part of Kissena Park where they beat him mercilessly before Amaya-Ramirez choked him to death and Flores-Mejia hacked at him with a knife. The murder of this teenager is a chilling reminder of MS-13’s callous disregard for human life. Bringing those who commit violent crimes to justice is one of our Office’s highest priorities.”
Mr. Nocella also thanked the New York City Police Department for its work on the case.
“MS-13’s pattern of savagery, depravity and instilling terror in our communities while treating human life as expendable will not be tolerated,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “May today’s sentencing send a clear message: those who commit murder and gang violence for a foreign terrorist organization like MS-13 will be held accountable. The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to dismantling all dangerous organizations and protecting our neighborhoods.”
“MS-13’s violence is methodical, premeditated, and ruthless —its depravity laid bare in the horrific and senseless murder of Andy Peralta in Kissena Park, NY. No prison sentence can ever restore what was stolen from his family, who are forced to endure the lifelong trauma of such unimaginable brutality,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “HSI New York and our law enforcement partners stand resolute in our mission to dismantle MS-13 and protect our communities from further acts of unspeakable violence.”
As proved at a hearing in connection with Leyla Carranza’s sentencing, the defendants sought to murder Peralta because they believed he was associated with 18th Street, a rival gang of MS-13. Flores-Mejia found a video online that depicted Peralta, who the defendants did not know, briefly flashing a sign associated with the 18th Street gang. Flores-Mejia then recruited a 16-year-old boy to help kill Peralta. Amaya-Ramirez’s then-girlfriend Carranza was recruited to befriend Peralta and lure him to his death in the park.
The day of the murder, Carranza messaged Peralta and took him to a predetermined location in Kissena Park in Flushing where Amaya-Ramirez, Flores-Mejia and their 16-year-old accomplice were waiting. Flores-Mejia had brought a knife and black winter gloves to use in the attack. When Peralta arrived, Flores-Mejia gave a signal, and the men attacked Peralta, beating him until they were exhausted. Amaya-Ramirez then began strangling Peralta while Flores-Mejia stomped on his head. Peralta begged for his life and called out for his mother and father. Flores-Mejia put dirt in his mouth to silence him and Amaya-Ramirez choked him to death. Flores-Mejia stabbed Peralta in the back and slashed his tattoo of his girlfriend’s name.
The men took a photograph posing over Peralta’s body in which they flashed MS-13 hand signs. They stole Peralta’s money and dragged him to a small body of water, where he was found the following day.
Today’s sentencing is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of MS-13. MS-13’s leadership was based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners including HSI and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI and NYPD.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Anna L. Karamigios and Kamil R. Ammari are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
JUAN AMAYA-RAMIREZ
Age: 28
Fresh Meadows, QueensOSCAR FLORES-MEJIA
Age: 26
Elmhurst, QueensLEYLA CARRANZA
Age: 25
Richmond, VirginiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-228 (LDH)
Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Gainesville BankRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Patrick Shane Johnson, 51, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery and bank theft. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Another successful prosecution under Operation Take Back America means one less violent criminal on our streets threatening our public safety. Great work by the Gainesville Police Department to quickly apprehend this offender, and great work by my office to aggressively prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents reveal that on August 27, 2025, the defendant entered a Wells Fargo bank on Archer Road and passed a note to a teller. The note read, “This is no joke, it is an armed bank robbery. All of the money now I am armed.” The defendant grabbed over $1,000 cash and fled. The Gainesville Police Department responded and immediately apprehended the defendant.
Johnson faces up to 50 years’ imprisonment upon sentencing, which is scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor
The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Federal Burau of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
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.
Lowell Man Sentenced to Time ServedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – On February 24, 2026, John Andrew Smriga III, 24 years old, of Lowell, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to transmitting threatening communications, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Smriga was sentenced to time served followed by 1 year of supervised release with a term of home detention for 8 months. Smriga was also ordered to pay a $2,000.00 fine.
According to documents in the case, Smirga used anonymizing internet-based phone services to send threatening text messages and images to an elected official in Crown Point, Indiana and a law enforcement officer in Cedar Lake, Indiana. As part of the threat, messages to both victims included pictures of individuals holding and/or mimicking the possession of firearms.
“Public servants are the backbone of the American justice system. Working in tandem, federal and state law enforcement will ensure that individuals who threaten officials online—as John Andrew Smriga III did—are held strictly to account,” said United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. “Today’s sentence proves that these threats are not mere pranks, but crimes requiring real consequences. I want to thank the FBI and the Indiana State Police for their swift work in neutralizing these serious threats.”
“Threats against elected officials and law enforcement, especially those involving images of firearms, are taken extremely seriously,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI is committed to investigating these threats and holding anyone who seeks to intimidate public servants or endanger our communities fully accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Francis Sohn prosecuted the case.
Lowcountry Attorney Charged with Defrauding $1.5M from Mt. Pleasant Law Firm and ClientsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — William Christopher Swett, 42, of Johns Island, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering for defrauding his employer and clients of at least $1.5 million.
According to the charging documents, Swett worked as a personal injury attorney at a Mt. Pleasant law firm and represented individuals in civil claims following death, injury, and other loss. From at least 2018 through 2024, Swett devised a scheme to defraud the law firm and his clients. To further his scheme, Swett established legal services companies and expensed the law firm and his clients for services not performed and for inflated and illegitimate expenses. Swett withheld his association with these companies from his clients and the law firm.
Swett also submitted reimbursement requests for fictitious clients, fabricated death and personal injury claims, and falsified medical records and other documents to further his fraud. To conceal his crimes, Swett laundered the funds through accounts he controlled and siphoned the money for his own personal enrichment. Swett fraudulently obtained at least $1.5 million.
Swett has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Limehouse is prosecuting the case.
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Lewis County man charged federally with unlawful weapons possessionRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 47-year-old Lewis County man appeared today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma charged with unlawfully possessing firearms, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Michael Lee Draper is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior criminal convictions. In 2009, Draper was sentenced to 13 years in prison for unlawfully possessing firearms, including a stolen firearm. Prosecutors will ask the court to detain Draper pending trial at a hearing scheduled for Monday March 2, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, Draper was under investigation for theft from his former employer, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. On January 22, 2026, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office pursued a truck driven by Draper for reckless driving. The truck crashed through a fence on a rural property. A passenger in the truck was taken into custody at the scene.
Draper fled from police but was located by a Washington State Patrol surveillance aircraft and was taken into custody in a muddy, wooded ravine.
Investigators learned that Draper was under investigation for making fraudulent purchases using credit accounts of his former
employer. Some of the purchases were recovered in the back of the truck. Also in the truck were two polymer firearms – a handgun and an AR style rifle. Both guns are “ghost guns” – firearms without serial numbers that have been manufactured using a 3D printer. The truck also contained some drug paraphernalia and some suspected crystal methamphetamine.
Draper has been in state custody in Thurston County until he appeared on the federal charge today.
Unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, no more than three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Law enforcement continues to investigate the theft charges related to Draper’s employment with the Cowlitz Tribe. Draper currently faces five state counts of first-degree theft in Lewis County.
The case is being investigated by the Cowlitz Tribal Police, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.
draper_complaint.pdfLast of Six People Charged in Scheme to Remove or Destroy Evidence Left in Impounded Vehicle Has Been ArrestedRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the arrest of the last of six defendants charged in connection with a scheme to remove or destroy evidence from a vehicle impounded by the Pennsylvania State Police.
The six defendants — Tyree Goldsmith, 38, Kyle Smith, 41, Lamont Sparrow, 38, Latonya Upchurch, 57, and Taleah Goldsmith, 39, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Shafiq Taylor, 30, of Glenolden, Pa. — were charged by second superseding indictment, which was unsealed in August of last year, and all but Sparrow were arrested soon thereafter.
Last week, the U.S. Marshals Service located Sparrow and took him into custody. He made his initial appearance in federal court in Philadelphia before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski.
All six defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of tampering with objects or proceedings, and one count of destruction or removal of property to prevent search or seizure.
Tyree Goldsmith, Smith, Sparrow, and Taylor have also been charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire to a vehicle used in interstate commerce.
In addition, Tyree Goldsmith, Taleah Goldsmith, and Upchurch have been charged with two counts of wire fraud, and Tyree Goldsmith with one count each of possession of a firearm by a felon and use of fire to commit a felony.
The indictment alleges that the defendants’ conspiracy arose from a traffic stop that resulted in Tyree Goldsmith’s vehicle being impounded.
As detailed in the indictment, on April 27, 2024, at approximately 3:29 a.m., members of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) conducted a traffic stop of Tyree Goldsmith while he was operating his Ford F-450 in Philadelphia. After observing marijuana and a scale in plain view inside the truck, PSP troopers advised Goldsmith that they would be requesting a tow truck and impounding his vehicle at the PSP barracks, pending a search warrant. The troopers further advised the defendant that criminal charges may be filed, depending on what they recovered from inside the F-450.
A short time later, the vehicle was towed to the PSP Philadelphia Barracks impound lot.
Early the same morning, PSP troopers obtained and executed a Philadelphia County search warrant for the Ford F-450, recovering a .40 Glock semiautomatic pistol loaded with 19 live rounds of ammunition, nine plastic bags containing marijuana, a digital scale, and $865 in U.S. currency.
The indictment alleges that, between approximately April 27, 2024, and April 29, 2024, the six defendants, and others, created and executed a plan to gain entry into the PSP Philadelphia Barracks impound lot, in order to remove the gun, marijuana, and other items from the Ford F-450. They allegedly did so at the behest of Tyree Goldsmith, who was on federal supervision and state parole, and sought to avoid being charged with additional crimes that would violate the conditions of his release.
After breaking into the impound lot and discovering that the firearm and drugs had already been removed from the Ford F-450, the indictment alleges, the defendants decided to set fire to the vehicle, believing that, if the truck were destroyed, PSP would not be able to use the recovered items as evidence against Tyree Goldsmith.
The indictment further alleges that Tyree Goldsmith purchased an insurance policy prior to the Ford F-450 being set on fire, and, after he, Smith, Sparrow, Taylor, and others ignited a blaze on April 29, 2024, that damaged the truck, he directed Upchurch and Taleah Goldsmith to file a fraudulent insurance claim for the vehicle.
This case is currently scheduled to go to trial in October.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Arena and Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Martin.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Lancaster man going to prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Alexander Grupp, 33, of Lancaster, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that in March 2018, Grupp was convicted in New York State Court of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child less than sixteen years of age, and sentenced, in part, to 10 years' probation. In October 2022, Grupp communicated with a 15-year-old girl using the instant messaging application, Discord. During these conversations, Grupp persuaded the victim to send him nude pictures of herself.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
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Kyle Man Sentenced to over 3 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Woman in the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Clay Loafer, 30, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,915.20 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Loafer was indicted for Kidnapping and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury in March of 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025.
Loafer was convicted of brutally assaulting a woman with whom he had a brief relationship by repeatedly striking and punching her about her face and body.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Loafer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kodiak man sentenced to 20 years for role in 2022 fatal fentanyl overdoseRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Kodiak man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute deadly drugs that resulted in a fatal overdose in August 2022.
While on pretrial release for state felony charges he committed in March 2022, Gerry Pugal, 38, agreed to receive and distribute drugs in Kodiak on behalf of a drug trafficking organization allegedly run by a California inmate serving a life sentence at the time.
Court documents detail that members of the drug trafficking organization would mail drugs to Pugal in Kodiak, and Pugal would then distribute the drugs to a series of lower-level dealers who worked for him. Ashley Katelnikoff, 38, and Kalani Coyle, 33, were two dealers working for Pugal.
On Aug. 25, 2022, a male victim messaged Katelnikoff that he was in town. Katelnikoff responded asking, “You need anything?” They messaged about purchasing drugs, specifically “blues,” which is a slang term for M-30 fentanyl pills. Katelnikoff agreed to sell the victim five pills for $300. Later that evening, Katelnikoff sold the pills to the victim after picking him up at a local hotel he was staying at.
Around 4 a.m. on Aug. 26, the victim’s mother discovered his body in their hotel room bathroom. Investigators found evidence that the victim used some of the blue pills. Lab testing confirmed the victim had a lethal amount of fentanyl in his bloodstream.
Court documents further explain that months after the fatal overdose, Pugal continued dealing drugs for the organization. On Oct. 23, 2022, Kodiak Police officers responded to Pugal’s residence to execute an arrest warrant following a petition to revoke his state supervision. They searched the house and found Pugal hiding in the refrigerator in possession of fentanyl pills and methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Alaska. U.S. v. Katelnikoff et. al. Case #3:25-cr-00005Pugal was arrested and later released by the state on bond.
On Nov. 21, 2022, U.S. Postal Inspectors identified a suspicious parcel shipped from California to Kodiak. Inspectors obtained a search warrant for the parcel and discovered over 880 grams of methamphetamine, over 50 grams of cocaine and almost 5,000 fentanyl pills. These drugs had a street value of over $500,000. Agents seized the drugs and replaced them with a tracking device.
Roughly a week later, law enforcement officers delivered the package to its intended address as part of the investigation. They observed co-defendant Coyle arrive in a vehicle, pick up the package and bring it back to his trailer. Later that day, Coyle transferred the package to Pugal’s residence. Pugal instructed Coyle to take the package somewhere else and open it to make sure they were not being “set up.” Coyle opened the package in a different location and discovered the tracking device. Coyle returned to Pugal’s residence with the device before officers entered to detain both defendants.
On Oct. 28, 2025, Pugal pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances resulting in death. During sentencing, the Court also ordered Pugal to serve the rest of his life on supervised release upon completion of his custodial sentence.
“Mr. Pugal recruited those close to him to do his dirty work and profited off the vulnerable population in Kodiak with zero regard for consequences or for the rule of law. Now, he will spend the next two decades behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This case is a tragic reminder of the phrase, ‘One Pill Can Kill,’ because it is likely that one pill originating from Mr. Pugal had just enough fentanyl in it to kill this victim.”
“Fentanyl traffickers like Mr. Pugal make a profit by peddling poison and while he distributed the fentanyl that led to a fatal overdose, that didn’t stop him, he continued dealing drugs,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The sentence today shows these actions have grave consequences and Mr. Pugal will not be a threat to the health and safety of our community for many years. DEA remains unwavering in our commitment to saving American lives and making America Fentanyl Free.”
Co-defendants in this case are as follows:
- Katelnikoff, of Kodiak, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances resulting in death on Aug. 4, 2025. Katelnikoff is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2026.
- Coyle, of Kodiak, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute on July 2, 2025. Coyle was sentenced to five years in federal prison on Nov. 20, 2025.
The DEA Seattle Division Office and Anchorage District Office investigated the case, with significant assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Anchorage Domicile, IRS Criminal Investigation Seattle Field Office, Alaska State Troopers and the Kodiak Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber, Chris Schroeder and Stephan Collins prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of drug trafficking and violent crime.
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Justice Department Sues University of California over Antisemitism and Hostile Work Environment at UCLARead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit today against the University of California alleging it engaged in a hostile work environment against Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff at its University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
According to today’s complaint, after the Hamas-led massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, antisemitic acts pervaded UCLA. The suit alleges the university engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of Title VII against Jewish and Israeli employees at UCLA by failing to prevent and correct discriminatory and harassing conduct. The lawsuit further alleges the university negligently permitted a hostile work environment against two charging parties and other aggrieved Jewish and Israeli employees.
In 2024, the university allowed antisemitic harassment to continue unabated for days in front of its iconic Royce Hall: among other acts, Jews were not permitted on portions of the main quad, Jewish professors were assaulted, and swastikas were graffitied on university buildings.
The university has ignored, and continues to ignore, gross and repeated violations of viewpoint-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions involving these and other actions directed against Jewish and Israeli employees. Jewish and Israeli faculty have been physically threatened, had their classrooms disrupted, and had their workplaces papered with disturbing images.
Jewish professors have been, and continue to be, subjected to ostracism and harassment by their colleagues and students, while their colleagues and supervisors not only have failed to report those acts as required but have even participated in them. Numerous Jewish and Israeli employees have been forced to take leave, work from home, and even leave their jobs to avoid the hostile work environment.
“UCLA failed to live up to its systemwide commitment to diversity and equal opportunity when it stood by as Jewish employees were subjected to harassment,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The federal government has an obligation to step in and ensure a discrimination-free environment at our universities.”
“Based on our investigation, UCLA administrators allegedly allowed virulent anti-Semitism to flourish on campus, harming students and staff alike,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s lawsuit underscores that this Department of Justice stands strong against hate and anti-Semitism in all its vile forms.”
“The litany of vile acts of antisemitism that allegedly took place, and continue to take place, at UCLA are, if found to be true, a mark of shame against the University of California,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will ensure that UCLA maintains an environment for its employees free from antisemitic harassment.”
The lawsuit stems from a Commissioner’s Charge filed by then-Commissioner Andrea Lucas of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in June 2024. The EEOC was instrumental in investigating the allegations of harassment at UCLA and in identifying the university’s poor complaint system. “The EEOC is committed to eradicating antisemitism at work,” said EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas. “If a university will not investigate and remedy repeated allegations of antisemitism against its employees, then EEOC will.”
Assistant United States Attorney Julie A. Hamill of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Carl D. Wasserman and Besa Bucaj of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section are litigating this matter with assistance from Eric Sell, Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division, Jeffrey Morrison, Acting Chief of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section, and Hilary Pinion, Acting Principal Deputy Chief of the Employment Litigation Section.
Justice Department Files Suit Against University of California for Antisemitic Hostile Work EnvironmentRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division filed suit against the University of California for engaging in a hostile work environment against Jewish and Israeli faculty and staff at its University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) campus, in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
After the Hamas-led massacre in Israel on October 7, 2023, antisemitic acts pervaded UCLA. The suit alleges the University engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination in violation of Title VII against Jewish and Israeli employees at UCLA by failing to prevent and correct discriminatory and harassing conduct. The suit further alleges the University negligently permitted a hostile work environment against two charging parties and other aggrieved Jewish and Israeli employees.
In 2024, the University allowed antisemitic harassment to continue unabated for days in front of its iconic Royce Hall: among other acts, Jews were not permitted on portions of the main quad, Jewish professors were assaulted, and swastikas were graffitied on University buildings. The University has ignored, and continues to ignore, gross and repeated violations of viewpoint-neutral time, place, and manner restrictions involving these and other actions directed against Jewish and Israeli employees. Jewish and Israeli faculty have been physically threatened, had their classrooms disrupted, and had their workplaces papered with disturbing images. Jewish professors have been, and continue to be, subjected to ostracism and harassment by their colleagues and students, while their colleagues and supervisors not only have failed to report those acts as required but have even participated in them. Numerous Jewish and Israeli employees have been forced to take leave, work from home, and even leave their jobs to avoid the hostile work environment.
“Based on our investigation, UCLA administrators allegedly allowed virulent anti-Semitism to flourish on campus, harming students and staff alike,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Today’s lawsuit underscores that this Department of Justice stands strong against hate and anti-Semitism in all its vile forms.”
“The litany of vile acts of antisemitism that allegedly took place, and continue to take place, at UCLA are, if found to be true, a mark of shame against the University of California,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will ensure that UCLA maintains an environment for its employees free from antisemitic harassment.”
“UCLA failed to live up to its systemwide commitment to diversity and equal opportunity when it stood by as Jewish employees were subjected to harassment,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli of the Central District of California. “The federal government has an obligation to step in and ensure a discrimination-free environment at our universities.”
The lawsuit stems from a Commissioner’s Charge filed by then-Commissioner Andrea Lucas of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) in June 2024. The EEOC was instrumental in investigating the allegations of harassment at UCLA and in identifying the University’s poor complaint system. “The EEOC is committed to eradicating antisemitism at work,” said EEOC Chair Andrea Lucas. “If a University will not investigate and remedy repeated allegations of antisemitism against its employees, the EEOC will.”
If you have experienced antisemitic harassment at UCLA, if UCLA has failed to investigate your complaint of antisemitic harassment, or if you have other information related to the Division’s suit against the University, please email the Civil Rights Division at [email protected]. If you work for a university or college and have experienced antisemitic harassment at work, you can file a charge with the EEOC at How to File a Charge of Employment Discrimination | U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (https://www.eeoc.gov/how-file-charge-employment-discrimination). There are strict time limits for filing discrimination charges, so you should contact the EEOC promptly if you suspect discrimination. Learn more about addressing antisemitism at work here: What To Do If You Face Antisemitism at Work.
Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against New Jersey for Interfering with Federal Immigration LawsRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against the State of New Jersey and New Jersey Governor Mikie Sherrill over New Jersey’s new Executive Order No. 12 that interferes with the federal government’s enforcement of its immigration laws.
“Federal agents are risking their lives to keep New Jersey citizens safe, and yet New Jersey’s leaders are enacting policies designed to obstruct and endanger law enforcement,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “States may not deliberately interfere with our efforts to remove illegal aliens and arrest criminals — New Jersey’s sanctuary policies will not stand.”
The Executive Order prohibits ICE and other federal immigration officials from conducting secure arrests of criminal illegal aliens inside nonpublic areas of state property including state correctional facilities. Not only are New Jersey’s sanctuary policies illegal under federal law, but, as alleged in the complaint, New Jersey’s refusal to cooperate with federal immigration authorities results in the release of dangerous criminals from police custody who would otherwise be subject to removal, including illegal aliens convicted of aggravated assault, burglary, and drug and human trafficking, onto the streets.
On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal immigration laws or impede lawful federal immigration operations. The Department’s list of sanctuary jurisdictions published on August 5, 2025, precedes New Jersey’s latest Executive Order. Regardless, Attorney General Bondi has vowed to bring litigation to end such policies nationwide. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal sanctuary city policies across the country, including in New York, Minnesota, and Los Angeles, California.
International Student Recruiting Firm and Co-Founder to Pay $1.3M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to the U.S. Department of Education’s Direct Loan ProgramRead the Press Release
Massachusetts company Study Across the Pond LLC (SATP) and its principal, John Borhaug, have agreed to pay $1,300,000 to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by knowingly causing foreign schools in the United Kingdom (UK) to submit false claims and false statements to the U.S. Department of Education in connection with the Direct Loan Program through arrangements that violated the federal ban on incentive-based compensation.
“American students deserve to make enrollment decisions free of the improper influence of third-party recruiters who pursue their own financial gain rather than the students’ best interests.” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates the Department’s commitment to holding accountable individuals and corporate entities who violate the Incentive Compensation Ban and to protect the integrity of the federal student aid programs like the Direct Loan Program.”
“Today’s settlement resolves the United States’ lawsuit against Study Across the Pond and Mr. Borhaug, who used improper incentives in an attempt to influence American students to attend foreign schools,” said U.S. Attorney Leah B. Foley for the District of Massachusetts. “My office is committed to ensuring American students are not taken advantage of for financial gain and protecting the integrity of federal student financial aid programs.”
“Today’s settlement is a result of the hard work and effort of the Office of Inspector General, the U.S Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Justice to protect and maintain the integrity of the Federal student aid programs by enforcing applicable laws, including the incentive compensation ban,” said Jason Williams, Assistant Inspector General for Investigation Services, U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work together to ensure that Federal student aid funds are used as required by law.”
Under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, institutions of higher education that want to participate in federal student aid programs, including the Direct Loan Program, must agree not to provide any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment to student recruiters based directly or indirectly on success in securing student enrollments. This is referred to as the Incentive Compensation Ban. The Incentive Compensation Ban protects students against aggressive recruitment practices that serve the financial interest of the recruiter rather than the educational needs of the student.
Since 2013, SATP has recruited American students to attend foreign schools in the UK. The United States alleged that SATP knew of the Incentive Compensation Ban and nevertheless collaborated with at least 28 schools in the UK to violate the Ban while those schools were participating in the Direct Loan Program. Specifically, the United States alleged that SATP demanded a commission for its recruitment services, which was a share of the tuition paid by any students the company recruited for the schools. In many cases, this was money the schools had claimed from the Direct Loan Program for the education of American students. The United States further alleged that SATP created sham records to hide these tuition-sharing arrangements from the Department of Education and ultimately caused foreign schools to submit false claims to the Direct Loan Program. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Hitrost, LLC v. Study Across the Pond, LLC, et al., No. 21-CV-10274-ADB (D. Mass.)
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Hitrost LLC. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The whistleblower will receive $240,500 as its share of the recovery.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, with assistance from the Department of Education’s Office of the Inspector General, Office of the General Counsel, and Federal Student Aid (FSA) office.
The United States was represented in this matter by Trial Attorney Allison C. Carroll of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian LaMacchia and Alexandra Brazier of the District of Massachusetts.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Individual Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for his Participation in Bribery Scheme to Eliminate Puerto Rico Department of Transportation FinesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 23, 2026, United States District Court Judge Pedro A. Delgado sentenced Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández to 24 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and restitution of $32,000 for his role in a bribery and wire fraud conspiracy and scheme to defraud the Puerto Rico Department of Transportation and Public Works (DTOP), announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Three other defendants were previously charged alongside Cruz-Hernández; two are scheduled to be sentenced in March 2026, and one is awaiting trial.
The four defendants were indicted on July 17, 2024, and arrested on July 18, 2024. Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández plead guilty on May 6, 2025, to conspiracy to commit bribery concerning a program receiving federal funds, federal program bribery, conspiracy to commit wire fraud deprivation of honest services of a public official, and wire fraud deprivation of honest services.
Defendant Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández negotiated and made bribe payments to multiple public DTOP employees working in the regional driver service centers (CESCO) located in Caguas and Carolina, Puerto Rico. During the bribery scheme, approximately $66,000 was paid by Juan Carlos Cruz-Hernández to multiple DTOP employees. These bribe payments were made in exchange for certain official acts, including accessing DTOP-CESCO information, obtaining duplicate documentation, and eliminating driver and vehicle fines. The DTOP employees were responsible for accessing driver and vehicle information, and among other things, possessed the ability to remove driver and vehicle fines.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Yariel Ramos, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations was in charge of the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy from the Financial Fraud & Public Corruption Section prosecuted the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Individual Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Provide Contraband to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Guaynabo, PRRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 24, 2026, United States District Court Chief Judge Raúl Arias Marxuach sentenced Selena Crespo Dumeng to 10 months in prison and two years of supervised release, for her role in a conspiracy to provide contraband in prison, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
The defendant was indicted on July 18, 2024, along with seven co-defendants, and arrested on July 22, 2024. On November 11, 2025, the defendant plead guilty to conspiracy to provide contraband in prison.
According to court documents, from July 2023 and continuing up to May 22, 2024, Crespo-Dumeng and others conspired to provide prohibited objects, specifically, controlled substances, to inmates housed at the Metropolitan Detention Center (MDC) in Guaynabo. The defendant and others did this by utilizing the United States Postal Service and other third parties to introduce controlled substances -- buprenorphine strips (Suboxone) -- disguised as legal mail to inmates. The controlled substances were hidden concealed in documents inside purposely built pockets or laced into the documents themselves. Defendant Crespo Dumeng acted as an intermediary providing payments for the smuggling of drugs into MDC.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Juan made the announcement.
FBI San Juan was in charge of the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Vance Eaton and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carlos J. Romo Aldea from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice prosecuted the case.
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Illegal alien felons sentenced for unlawful reentries into the countryRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two Mexican nationals have been ordered to federal prison in separate, but similar, cases for returning to the United States without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Raymundo Pecina-Lopez, 43, has now admitted his guilt, while Samuel Moreno-Soto, 38, pleaded guilty Dec. 9, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge sentenced Pecina-Lopez to 39 months, and U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has imposed an 18-month-term for Moreno-Soto. Not U.S. citizens, both are expected to again face removal proceedings following their imprisonment. At the hearings, the courts heard additional evidence regarding their criminal histories.
Both men have previous convictions for assault of a family member and narcotics offenses. Pecina-Lopez was also convicted of driving while intoxicated and illegally carrying a weapon, and Moreno-Soto has additional convictions of harboring aliens and illegal reentry.
Pecina-Lopez was first ordered removed in September 2009 and returned illegally one time, while Moreno-Soto was initially removed in June 2014 and returned twice without authorization.
They have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Hostetter prosecuted both matters with the assistance of Special AUSA Carrie Law and AUSA Amanda Alum on the Pecina-Lopez and Moreno-Soto cases, respectively.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal Alien with Prior Drug Trafficking, Sexual Abuse of a Child, and Firearm Theft Convictions Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
An illegal alien from Mexico, previously convicted of drug trafficking, sexual abuse of a child, and theft of a firearm, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Ivan Hernandez-Ortiz, 36, residing in Dallas, Texas, was indicted in March 2023 and pled guilty in October 2025 to illegally reentering the United States after he was last deported by immigration authorities in 2020. On Tuesday, February 24, 2026, U.S. District Judge Ada Brown sentenced him to 120 months in federal prison.According to evidence presented at sentencing, Hernandez-Ortiz illegally entered the United States approximately five times, was granted voluntary return on three occasions, and was formally removed twice. Previously, he was federally prosecuted for illegal reentry into the United States in the Southern District of Texas in 2015 and was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison.
Court records reflect that Hernandez-Ortiz was also convicted of six other felonies, including drug trafficking, firearm theft, and sexual abuse of a child—the victim of which was a 15-year-old female recognized during a traffic stop by Dallas Police Department officers as a child identified on a bulletin as missing and potentially being sex trafficked. Evidence at sentencing revealed that Hernandez-Ortiz previously admitted to being in a dating relationship with the victim and that she was pregnant with his unborn child. For the current illegal reentry offense, the lead prosecutor sought the maximum sentence allowed by statute, and the Court agreed.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation. Special Assistant United States Attorney Marbel Leonel Munoz prosecuted the case.
Hedge Fund Manager Indicted on Tax Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the Western District of Texas charging a Cayman national who renounced his U.S. citizenship with tax evasion, filing false returns and willfully failing to file tax forms disclosing foreign assets.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Justin Ryan Schmidt previously resided in Austin, Texas, where he managed a hedge fund focusing on cryptocurrency investments. Between 2020 and March 2022, Schmidt allegedly earned a total of more than $6 million from his hedge fund but did not report any of this income on his 2020, 2021 or 2022 tax returns. In fact, the indictment alleges, in each of those years, Schmidt falsely reported total income of $5,000 or less, while he held millions of dollars in foreign bank accounts. Even though he was required by law to report these foreign bank accounts to the IRS, Schmidt is charged with willfully failing to do so.
In November 2021, Schmidt became a British citizen, subsequently renouncing his U.S. citizenship in March 2022. Individuals who expatriate from the United States are required to report certain information to the IRS about their net worth, income, assets, and liabilities as of the date of their expatriation. The indictment alleges that Schmidt willfully filed a false expatriation statement reporting that his net worth was $25,000 at the time of expatriation, when in fact it exceeded $2 million.
According to court documents, in 2023, Schmidt paid approximately $5.8 million to purchase real property in Snowmass Village, Colorado, and sold the property a few months later for approximately $9 million. The indictment alleges that Schmidt did not report the gains from this sale on his 2023 income tax return and evaded payment of taxes by submitting false documents to prevent taxes from being withheld on the sale of the property.
Schmidt faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for tax evasion, three years in prison for each count of filing false tax forms and five years in prison for each count of willfully failing to file forms disclosing foreign bank accounts.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Senior Litigation Counsel Michael C. Boteler and Trial Attorney Michael Jones of the Criminal Division 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.
Hardy County Man Convicted of Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Jeremy Mongold, of Moorefield, West Virginia, was convicted of illegally purchasing and transferring a firearm that was later used in another crime, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
“Mongold intentionally lied so he could purchase a pistol for a violent person who was prohibited from possessing firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Harvey. “That pistol was subsequently used in a serious crime, and Mongold lied to federal agents to cover his tracks. Now he faces a prison sentence.”
“By lying on an ATF form to purchase a firearm for his brother, Jeremy Mongold contributed to additional violent crime. As a result of his actions, he will now serve a lengthy federal prison sentence,” said Special Agent in Charge John Nokes, ATF.
Following a two-day trial, a jury found Mongold, 47, guilty of making a false statement to purchase a firearm, the unlawful transfer of a firearm, and making a false statement to a federal agent. Mongold’s brother, Zachary Mongold, is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior domestic battery conviction. The jury was presented evidence that Zachary attempted to purchase a firearm and was denied. The following day, Jeremy purchased the same pistol. When questioned about the firearm, Jeremy lied to federal agents about its intended owner. The gun was later used in a serious crime in Pendleton County, West Virginia.
Zachary Mongold pled guilty to a federal charge of the unlawful possession of a firearm connected to this case in December 2025. He will be sentenced at a later date.
Jeremy Mongold is facing up to 15 years for the transfer count. He’s facing up to 10 years for the false statement for the firearm charge, and he faces up to 5 years for the false statement to a federal agent. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Cogar and Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
Guilty Verdict Handed to Shooter for Killing a Man over FeudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Khalid Claggett, 42, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty this afternoon by a Superior Court jury for charges stemming from a shooting that killed 30-year-old Isaac Aull, Jr., in June 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro.
Claggett was found guilty of voluntary manslaughter while armed, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and unlawful possession of a firearm (prior felony conviction). Superior Court Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled sentencing for May 15, 2026, at 11:30 a.m.
According to the government’s evidence, on the morning of June 11, 2021, an exchange of gunfire occurred between Aull and Claggett due to a feud about the previous murder of Aull’s brother. Aull and another man followed Claggett to a nearby Walgreens parking lot on Rhode Island Avene, NE and opened fire on him while he was sitting in an SUV.
Claggett exited the SUV and returned fire to Aull as Aull was running away from the parking lot towards the 1600 block of Frankin Street NE, striking him once in the neck causing him to immediately fall into the street. Claggett then returned to the parking lot, got into another vehicle, changed his appearance, switched weapons, dawned a mask and drove back to Frankin street to pursue Aull. Claggett exited the vehicle approached Aull as he lay on the ground in front of an ambulance and tried to shoot him again, but the weapon jammed. Claggett then left, was able to unjam his weapon and return to Aull and finish him off by shooting him eight times while he was helpless, unarmed and still alive on the ground.
Claggett was arrested on June 25, 2021, and has been in custody ever since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rashmika Nedungadi and Dan Seidel.
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Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska-February 2026Read the Press Release
Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced the federal Grand Jury for the District of Nebraska has returned 15 unsealed Indictments charging 17 defendants. Indictments are charging documents that contain one or more individual counts that are merely accusations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Melvin M. Dortch, age 33, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about February 5, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Adrien M. Goodall, age 19, of Papillion, Nebraska, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about December 13, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Jose Luis Guzman, age 45, of New Virgina, Iowa, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine on or about September 30, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Wes L. Nunn, age 21, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count Indictment. Count I charges Nunn with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about July 18, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Count II charges Nunn with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about November 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Vershan Collins, age 34, of Omaha, Nebraska, is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about January 20, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is up to 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Rosemary Hart, age 34, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine mixture on or about February 6, 2026. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 5 years’ and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, a $5,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 4 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Chase Larsen, age 35, of Lincoln, Nebraska, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 50 grams of methamphetamine on or about December 23, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Avankeene Perry a/k/a Avonkeene Perry, age 48, of New Jersey, is charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 400 grams or more of fentanyl on or about August 30, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is not less than 10 years’ and up to life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, a term of supervised release of not less than 5 years and up to life, and a $100 special assessment.
Shane Martin, age 38, of Kearney, Nebraska, is charged in a two-count indictment. Count I charges Martin with disposing of or selling a firearm to a felon on, about, or between March 11, 2024, and July 18, 2024. Count II charges Martin with disposing of or selling a firearm to a felon on, about, or between July 7, 2024, and July 18, 2024. The maximum possible penalty for Counts I and II if convicted are 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Miles Bohac, age 46, Matthew House a/k/a Cheyenne House, age 25, and Justin Ericson, age 42, all of Lincoln, Nebraska, have been charged in an eight-count indictment. Count I charges House with straw purchasing a firearm, on or about August 21, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and $100 special assessment. Count II charges House and Bohac with making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm on or about August 21, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and $100 special assessment. Count III charges House with straw purchasing a firearm, on or about September 11, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and $100 special assessment. Count IV charges House and Bohac with making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm on or about September 11, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and $100 special assessment. Count V charges House with straw purchasing a firearm, on or about October 17, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and $100 special assessment. Count VI charges House and Bohac with making a false statement during the acquisition of a firearm on or about October 17, 2025. Count VII charges Bohac with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about December 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and $100 special assessment. Count VIII charges Ericson with being a felon in possession of a firearm on or about December 12, 2025. The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 15 years’ imprisonment, $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Victor Rodriguez-Ramirez, age 46
Carlos Alonzo-Coc, age 45
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 2 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a one-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following a felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Marlon Meza-Romero, age 43
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 10 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
The following individuals were charged with being an alien, who previously had been excluded, deported and removed from the United States following an aggravated felony conviction and were found in the United States, without the Attorney General of the United States or her designated successor having expressly consented to the defendant’s reapplication for admission into the United States:
Jose Erives Rios, age 36
Erick Hernandez-Hernandez, age 40
The maximum possible penalty if convicted is 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, a 3-year term of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment.
Contact Amy Donato at 402-661-3700 for further information.
Goliath Ventures CEO Arrested for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Christopher Alexander Delgado (34, Apopka) has been arrested on a criminal complaint charging him with wire fraud and money laundering. If convicted on all counts, Delgado faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the complaint, Delgado was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Goliath Ventures, formerly known as Gen-Z Venture Firm. From January 2023 through January 2026, Delgado operated Goliath as a “Ponzi scheme,” which is a form of investment fraud that involves the payment of purported returns to existing investors from funds contributed by new investors. Delgado’s scheme involved soliciting victims to invest substantial sums of money under false and fraudulent promises of monthly returns generated through cryptocurrency “liquidity pools.” Victims were induced to give money to Goliath through personal referrals, professional marketing materials, luxury events, charitable sponsorships, and some monthly payments of purported returns, all of which were designed to establish Goliath’s bona fides with investors. Based on these false and fraudulent representations, Goliath obtained at least $328 million from victim investors.
Although Goliath represented that it would place the victim investors’ funds in cryptocurrency liquidity pools, in reality, the funds were primarily used to pay purported returns to earlier investors, to return principal to investors who requested it, and for Goliath’s extravagant business gatherings, holiday parties, and luxury travel accommodations. With victim investors’ funds, Delgado purchased four residential properties each worth between $1.15 million and $8.5 million.
Victims identified by law enforcement will directly receive notice of their rights pursuant to the Crime Victims’ Rights Act. If you believe you are a victim and have not otherwise received notice, please email [email protected]. You can also visit https://justice.gov/usao-mdfl/goliath_ventures for more information on how to self-identify yourself to law enforcement.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Richard Varadan, Noah P. Dorman, and Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Criminal ComplaintGallup man arrested for assault causing serious injuriesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man is facing federal charges after allegedly attacking an adult victim inside a vehicle, causing serious facial injuries.
According to court documents, on December 31, 2025, Dennison Billy, Jr., 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted an adult victim while the victim was driving and Billy was in the passenger seat of a vehicle. Responding officers found Billy highly intoxicated in the passenger seat and the victim nearby with visible blood and multiple injuries, including facial trauma, bruising, and a swollen finger. The victim reported exiting the vehicle to avoid further assault. Blood and hair were observed inside the vehicle. The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
The victim later reported Billy had been drinking and became argumentative before striking the victim multiple times, causing a possible loss of consciousness. As a result of the assault, the victim sustained serious injuries, including a fractured orbital wall and fractured nasal bones. Billy told law enforcement he had consumed a large amount of alcohol, claimed he blacked out, and said he did not remember the incident.
Billy is charged with assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Billy faces 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Omro Alderman Sentenced for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 20, 2026, Jason A. Reeves (age: 44), of Omro, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 66 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to a charge of Receipt of Child Pornography in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252A(a)(2)(A).
According to court documents, Reeves, then a City of Omro Alderman, was the subject of a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Based on that CyberTip, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant at Reeves’ residence resulting in the discovery of numerous videos and images of child sexual abuse material (child pornography) which he received via various internet platforms. Reeves resigned his elected position following his arrest.
U.S. District Court Judge Byron B. Conway noted the serious nature of the offense committed by Reeves and the profound effect that such crimes have on the child victims, even many years after their abuse has stopped. Judge Conway concluded significant prison is necessary to deter this behavior and protect the public. Following his prison term, Reeves will spend 10 years on supervised release and will be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law.
“Even though this offender never had direct contact with any of the children abused in the images he accessed, his conduct directly caused long-lasting, severe harm to those children. Every time someone accesses, views or downloads child pornography, they are directly contributing to a worldwide industry that is profiting off the ongoing sexual abuse of children,” stated U.S. Attorney Schimel. “Anyone who does this belongs in prison, no matter who they are.”
“Mr. Reeves was an elected official who violated the trust of the residents he was elected to serve,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “The FBI is committed to protecting children from exploitation. The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat the exploitation and victimization of children.”
“Protecting the most vulnerable members in our community remains a top priority of the Sheriff's Office and working with our federal partners maximizes our resources” said Winnebago County Sheriff John Matz.
This case was investigated by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of the Green Bay Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006, by the U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Former General Manager for U.S. Defense Contractor Sentenced to 87 Months for Selling Stolen Trade Secrets to Russian BrokerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national who was employed by a U.S. defense contractor, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 87 months in federal prison for selling his employer’s trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Williams took trade secrets comprised of national security software and sold them for up to $4 million in crypto currency. These incredibly powerful tools would have allowed Russia to access millions of digital devices,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “By betraying a position of trust and selling sensitive American technology, Williams’ crime is not only one of theft, it is a crime of national security. Our nation’s defense capabilities are not commodities to be auctioned off. People like Williams who endanger our national security will be met with swift and decisive consequences.”
“Peter Williams stole a U.S. defense contractor’s trade secrets about highly sensitive cyber capabilities and sold them to a broker whose clients include the Russian government, putting our national security and countless potential victims at risk,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI and our partners remain unwavering in our commitment to protecting America’s critical technologies, and we will ensure any who attempt to profit at our nation’s expense face the full weight of the criminal justice system. Let this be a clear warning to all who consider placing greed over country: If you betray your position of trust and sell sensitive American technology to our foreign adversaries, the FBI will not rest until you’re brought to justice.”
“Williams’ self-serving actions caused significant loss and harm to his employer, the United States government, and its partners,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the Baltimore Field Office. “Today’s sentencing serves as a warning for anyone who knowingly endangers our national security. The FBI will pursue all such individuals and ensure justice is served."
Williams, who resides in the District, pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2025, before Judge Loren L. AliKhan to two counts of theft of trade secrets. In addition to the 87-month prison term, Judge AliKhan ordered Williams to serve three years of supervised release, to pay $1.3 million in restitution and $1.3 million in forfeitures.
According to court documents, the trade secrets were comprised of national-security focused software that included at least eight sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components. Those components were meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies.
Beginning in April 2022 and continuing through August 2025, Williams used his access to the defense contractor’s secure network to steal the cyber exploit components that constituted the trade secrets. Williams resold the stolen components in contracts worth up to $4 million in cryptocurrency, and he received $1.3 million for the specific exploits he provided.
To initiate these sales, Williams entered into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker, which involved payment for the initial sale of the components, and additional periodic payments for follow-on support. Williams transferred the eight components and trade secrets to the Russian broker through encrypted means.
Williams’ transactions with the Russian broker continued even after he was aware the FBI was investigating the activity and had interviewed him about the theft of trade secrets.
Williams used the illegal proceeds to buy himself high-value items that included a 2022 Tesla Model X, a 2018 Porche Panamera, jewelry, watches, clothing, and properties. In addition, he spent $5,000 for four pieces of luxury luggage and over $715,000 for luxury vacations between 2022 and 2025.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in making the announcement were U.S. Attorney General Pamela Bondi, Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg, and FBI Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the Baltimore Field Office.
This case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore Field Office.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Prava Palacharla for the National Security Division’s (NSD) National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter for NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
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Former General Manager for U.S. Defense Contractor Sentenced to 87 Months for Selling Stolen Trade Secrets to Russian BrokerRead the Press Release
Today, Peter Williams, 39, an Australian national, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to 87 months in prison for selling his employer’s trade secrets — sensitive and protected cyber-exploit components — to a Russian cyber-tools broker, announced the Department of Justice. In addition to the 87-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge AliKhan for the District of Columbia ordered Williams to serve three years of supervised release with special conditions, to forfeit a money judgment of $1.3 million, cryptocurrency and property to include a house, and luxury items such as watches and jewelry. The Court also set a restitution hearing for May 12, 2026.
“Williams exploited his senior role at a U.S. defense contractor to enrich himself at the expense of the United States and his employer,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The tools he compromised were intended to protect this Nation; instead, he auctioned them off to a Russian bidder. We are committed to ensuring that those who abuse their access to sensitive information and thereby harm our national security face severe consequences.”
“Peter Williams stole a U.S. defense contractor’s trade secrets about highly sensitive cyber capabilities and sold them to a broker whose clients include the Russian government, putting our national security and countless potential victims at risk,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI and our partners remain unwavering in our commitment to protecting America’s critical technologies, and we will ensure any who attempt to profit at our nation’s expense face the full weight of the criminal justice system. Let this be a clear warning to all who consider placing greed over country: If you betray your position of trust and sell sensitive American technology to our foreign adversaries, the FBI will not rest until you’re brought to justice.”
“Williams took trade secrets comprised of national security software and sold them for up to $4 million in crypto currency. These incredibly powerful tools would have allowed Russia to access millions of digital devices,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “By betraying a position of trust and selling sensitive American technology, Williams’ crime is not only one of theft, it is a crime of national security. Our nation’s defense capabilities are not commodities to be auctioned off. People like Williams who endanger our national security will be met with swift and decisive consequences.”
On Oct. 29, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to two counts of theft of trade secrets. As part of his plea agreement, Williams admitted that he stole eight cyber-exploit components over a three-year period from the U.S. defense contractor where he worked. This national-security focused software was meant to be sold exclusively to the U.S. government and select allies. Williams admitted that he sold the trade secrets to a Russian cyber-tools broker in exchange for cryptocurrency payments, which he used to buy valuable items, such as luxury vacations, jewelry, watches, clothing, and properties.
To effectuate these sales, Williams entered into multiple written contracts with the Russian broker, which involved payment for the initial sale of the components, and additional periodic payments for follow-on support. Williams transferred the eight components and trade secrets to the Russian broker through encrypted means. This cyber-tools broker publicly advertises itself as a reseller of cyber exploits to various customers, including the Russian government. Today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) and the Department of State took separate actions to disrupt a Russian cyber-tools broker and its operators.
Williams admitted that his actions cost the government contractor a financial loss of $35 million dollars. Williams’ conduct also had significant impact on the government contractor’s customers, to include U.S. government and allied government customers. In issuing her sentence today District Court Judge AliKhan stated, “Theft of trade secrets from a company that sells national security-focused cyber and intelligence software to the U.S. government and allied governments necessarily implicates national security, and Mr. Williams indeed acknowledges that his actions caused harm to the intelligence communities, both in the U.S. and Australia.”
This case was investigated by the FBI Baltimore Field Office. The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tejpal Chawla and Jason McCullough for the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Prava Palacharla for the National Security Division’s (NSD) National Security Cyber Section, and Trial Attorney Nicholas Hunter for NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Substantial assistance was also provided by U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford for the District of Oregon prior to his current appointment, and by paralegal Mariela Andrade.