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Monday 23 February 2026
Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Seek Public Comment for Guidance on Business CollaborationsRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched a joint public inquiry regarding potential additional guidance on collaborations among competitors. The joint inquiry seeks input on the value and potential content of guidance concerning the range of collaborations utilized to drive innovation and promote competition in the modern economy.
This public inquiry will help the Antitrust Division and FTC (together, the Agencies) with their effort to develop up-to-date guidance to the business community, building on the previous 2000 Antitrust Guidelines for Collaborations Among Competitors (2000 Collaboration Guidelines). The guidelines explain how the Agencies analyze various antitrust issues raised by such collaborations. The 2000 Guidelines were withdrawn in December 2024.
“Vigorous and effective enforcement can only exist when the rules of the road are clearly outlined,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Procompetitive collaborations are not only permissible but also encouraged in a complex and dynamic economic environment. The abrupt withdrawal of the prior guidelines left stakeholders without guidance in this important area. Replacing the withdrawn guidelines is key to promoting certainty, allowing American businesses to work together effectively and lawfully, and enabling the private antitrust bar to enhance compliance in this area.”
“In an everchanging economy, businesses need transparency and predictability from enforcers more than ever. These times may require the federal government to update its guidelines,” said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson. “The previous administration decided, at the 11th hour, however, to withdraw the 2000 Antitrust Guidelines for Collaborations Among Competitors. This decision, made entirely out of spite and resentment, left millions of businesses in the dark.”
Many collaborations and joint ventures among competitors are procompetitive and benefit the economy and consumers by allowing expansion into new markets, enabling investment into innovation, and lowering production and other costs. However, some collaborations carry potential risk to competition. The 2024 withdrawal of the prior guidelines left the industry without guidance in this important area.
In recent years, new types of competitor collaborations, joint ventures, and alliances, including those facilitated by new technologies, have led to increased requests for clarity regarding their treatment under the antitrust laws.
Some of the specific areas of inquiry on which the Agencies are seeking public input and information include:
- What topics would benefit from additional guidance — for example, joint licensing arrangements? Conditional dealing with competitors? Other topics?
- What new technologies and business models would benefit from additional guidance — for example, algorithmic pricing, information and data sharing, or labor collaborations?
- What significant legal, economic, or technological developments should be considered in any revisions to the prior competitor collaboration guidelines?
The public comments will help enforcers to consider reintroducing guidance built on the prior guidelines. Such guidance will provide businesses with the predictability and confidence they need to collaborate and grow while avoiding anticompetitive conduct that risks raising prices or stifling innovation. The guidance will help increase antitrust compliance by guiding the market on antitrust law and policy in this important area. An unfettered free market safeguards competition to the benefit of the American people.
Comments, no longer than 18 pages each, can be submitted at www.regulations.gov/docket/ATR-2026-0001/document and must be received no later than April 24, 2026. The information will be used by the Agencies to consider updated guidance.
Justice Department Finds the Special School District of St. Louis’s Seclusion and Restraint Practices Discriminate Against Students with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department (“the Department”) notified the Special School District of St. Louis, Missouri (“the District”) that it found the District’s seclusion and restraint practices violate Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. After a twenty-one month investigation, the Department concluded that the District discriminates against students with disabilities by routinely subjecting them to ineffective seclusion practices that are highly susceptible to abuse and restraints without justification, rather than providing the interventions and supports they need to receive the education they are guaranteed by federal law.
During the two-year period covered by the investigation, the District secluded over 300 students almost 4,000 times and restrained almost 150 students 777 times. One District school that enrolled less than 100 students used seclusion 1,667 times. Every student who attended that school was secluded or restrained at least once during the investigative period. At another school a student spent 101 hours, or the equivalent of 17 school days, in seclusion during a single school year.
“The Justice Department will not tolerate the abuse of our most vulnerable students,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Parents should not have to worry that their children could be subjected to solitary confinement and dangerous restraint techniques at school because of their disabilities. This Civil Rights Division will put an end to these unlawful practices everywhere we find them.”
These numbers demonstrate that the use of restraint and seclusion is routine, not a crisis response to be used in rare emergencies that pose a safety threat—the only time they are allowed under Missouri law. For example, students were secluded for knocking over a teacher’s coffee, refusing to go into music class, or being “disrespectful.” The Department also found that the District routinely uses seclusion in cases where students engage in self-harm and other concerning behaviors, putting students at serious risk of physical and mental harm. The full findings letter can be found here.
The Department is hopeful the District will agree to the reforms needed to remedy these gross violations of federal law. To that end, the Department has proposed a settlement agreement to the District in conjunction with issuing its findings.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat disability discrimination including by improper seclusion and restraint is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
Jury convicts Mexican national of human smugglingRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 63-year-old woman who resided in Penitas has been found guilty of transporting an illegal alien further into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for approximately 25 minutes before convicting Ludivina Vasquez-Salinas following a one-day trial.
On May 7, 2025, law enforcement encountered a white SUV with Vasquez-Salinas driving. Authorities initially observed three people in the vehicle, but the rear window soon went dark as if someone had covered it with a blanket or other item.
The jury heard that Vasquez-Salinas claimed only she and her daughter were in the vehicle.
However, testimony revealed authorities observed movement beneath a blanket on the rear floorboard. Vasquez-Salinas eventually admitted to law enforcement at the time that she knew there was an illegal alien in her vehicle and that she was transporting them past the checkpoint.
The defense attempted to convince the jury that Vasquez-Salinas was tricked into transporting the illegal alien. The jury did not believe those claims and found her guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing for May 27. At that time, Vasquez-Salinas faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. She could also lose her status to reside in the United States.
Vasquez-Salinas has been and will remain in custody pending that hearing.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Griffith and Izaak Bruce are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Huntington-Area Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Geon Lavell Henderson, also known as “Money,” 52, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl. Henderson admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 9, 2025, Henderson sold approximately 110 grams of methamphetamine and 1.9 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant in Huntington in exchange for $800. As part of his guilty plea, Henderson admitted that he conducted the transaction, that he arranged it beforehand, and that it took place at his residence.
Henderson further admitted to arranging the sale of approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine for $900 and of approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine for $400 on April 17, 2025. Another individual sold the methamphetamine during both transactions, each time to a confidential informant at a residence in Huntington.
Henderson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 22, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
Henderson is among 10 defendants indicted on charges alleging they participated in the DTO while it operated from in or about January 2025 to in or about August 2025. Five defendants pleaded guilty, including Henderson. The indictment against the other defendants remains pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, the Mason County Sheriff’s Office, and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Finney are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-154.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Illegal Reentry after DeportationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY – U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Honduran man convicted of Illegal Reentry after Deportation. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Pedro Perez-Murillo, 41, was sentenced to time served.
Perez-Murillo was indicted for Illegal Reentry after Deportation by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2025.
Perez-Murillo is an alien and Honduran national. Perez-Murillo has been deported from the United States on three previous occasions, with his most recent deportation occurring in 2019. Perez-Murillo was found in the United States in September of 2025. Reentering the United States after deportation is a felony.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Hastings Man Sentenced to 198 Months for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Hunter Geidl, age 29, was sentenced in United States District Court to 198 months imprisonment followed by 10 years of supervised release for multiple counts related to the production and possession of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to court documents, on May 19, 2022, Hunter James Geidl, 27, knowingly possessed a video file of a minor victim engaging in sexually explicit activities. From approximately July 29, 2022, until March 22, 2024, Geidl employed and used minor victims to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing sexually explicit video images.
"Protecting our nation's children is a mission we hold sacred in the FBI,” said Richard Evanchec, the Interim Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis Field Office. "The sentence imposed on Mr. Geidl should send a strong message about our work to bring to justice those who prey on America's kids. If you have information about additional victims of Hunter James Geidl who have not yet been identified, you are urged to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (800-225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.”
U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez when handing down the sentence said while Mr. Geidl may be a first-time defendant, he is not a first-time offender.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI with assistance from the Hastings Police Department. It was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Assistant U.S. Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell prosecuted the case.
Fresno Woman Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping a Mother and Child, and Transporting Them from Fresno to Mexico Against Their WillRead the Press Release
Claudia Gonzales, 39, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to kidnapping involving a minor, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on May 8, 2024, a woman reported her boyfriend after a domestic violence incident, which resulted in his arrest. In retaliation for calling the police, the boyfriend’s sister, Rosa Ventura, 35, of Fresno, persuaded the woman to place her 5-month-old daughter in the care of another sister. Ventura, with Gonzales hiding in the back of the SUV, then drove the woman and her 9-year-old daughter to an unknown field outside Fresno.
At the field, Gonzales emerged from the SUV’s rear cargo area and sat in the front seat. Throughout the night, Ventura and Gonzales continued to drive the mother and child against their will toward the Mexican border. At one point, they stopped at a gas station where the mother and child attempted to flee. Gonzales chased the 9‑year-old girl and forced her back into the car. Gonzales and Ventura then caught the mother and used a stun gun to physically force her back into the car. When Gonzales and Ventura arrived in Tijuana, Mexico, they dropped mother and daughter at an unknown bus station in an effort to prevent the mother from testifying in the domestic violence case where she was a victim.
The 5-month-old daughter was kept in Fresno out of the victim’s custody from May 8, 2024, until November 2024.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Fresno Police Department are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Cody S. Chapple are prosecuting the case.
Gonzales is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston. Gonzales faces a statutory minimum of 20 years to a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Ventura is set for trial on April 23, 2026. If convicted, she faces a statutory minimum penalty of 20 years to a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; Ventura is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
gonzales_indictment.pdf gonzales_plea_agreement.pdf gonzales_plea_agreement.pdfFour-Time Congressional Candidate Sentenced to 4 Years in Federal Prison for Funneling Campaign Money to Himself via His Mother and FriendRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Bay man and former congressional candidate was sentenced today to 48 months in federal prison for embezzling approximately $250,000 from his political campaign through a fraudulent scheme involving his mother and friend, pocketing more than $100,000 in cash and using the money on personal expenses such as Las Vegas trips and to defend himself against criminal stalking charges.
Omar Navarro, 37, of Torrance, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who ordered Navarro immediately remanded into federal custody. A restitution hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
Navarro pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of wire fraud.
Navarro unsuccessfully campaigned in the four election cycles from 2016 to 2022 to represent south Los Angeles County residents in California’s 43rd Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives.
According to court documents, from July 2017 to February 2021, Navarro defrauded his campaign committee, Omar Navarro for Congress, by illicitly funneling campaign cash to himself. Navarro understood that federal law required his campaign to make regular, public disclosures about the receipt and disbursement of any funds raised or spent on its behalf.
As a congressional candidate, Navarro knew and understood that campaign funds raised by him and others for his campaign were restricted to supporting his election efforts and could not be used for his own personal use or enjoyment. Nevertheless, Navarro conspired with his co-defendants – his mother, Dora Asghari, 61, of Torrance, and his friend, Zacharias Diamantides-Abel, 37, of Long Beach – to convert campaign donations to personal use.
From 2018 to 2020, Navarro’s campaign received more than $1 million in contributions from donors across the United States who supported his election to Congress. To use these funds for personal use and to fund his lavish lifestyle, Navarro illegally transferred campaign checks to himself by sending payments to Asghari and Abel – purportedly for campaign work. Asghari and Abel then sent that money – minus their cut – back to Navarro.
To further the scheme, Navarro represented on those checks, and later lied via disclosures to the Federal Election Commission (FEC) that Abel, Asghari, and others – not Navarro – had received payment from the campaign for their services.
For example, in November 2019, Navarro wrote a $2,500 campaign check to his mother for little or no work that she performed for the campaign, knowing she would funnel a substantial amount of that money back to him for his personal use. Asghari cashed the check, which caused the transmission of an interstate wire communication. She then provided most of that money back to Navarro, who took the money and made three cash deposits totaling $2,340 in his personal bank account.
Navarro also wrote thousands of dollars’ worth of checks to Brava Consulting, a company that his mother owned and operated, purporting to be in payment for campaign work, but which instead the bulk of which was funneled back to him for personal expenses.
These expenses included trips to Las Vegas, Nintendo Switch video games, a private investigator and personal criminal defense lawyers. Navarro admitted in his plea agreement to spending at least $12,822 in campaign money on legal fees to defend his criminal stalking case.
Navarro did not report to the FEC or his campaign donors that these payments were for personal expenses. Instead, he caused other people to file on his behalf false reports with the FEC representing that the payments were for campaign expenses.
In total, Navarro’s scheme deprived the campaign and its donors of approximately $268,932 in campaign funds, according to prosecutors.
Asghari pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of making false statements for lying to the FBI in September 2020 when she said she never received any money from her son’s congressional campaign and that she never provided her son any money she from the campaign checks she accepted as the owner of Brava Consulting. She will face up to five years in federal prison at her April 13 sentencing hearing.
Abel pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of conspiracy and awaits sentencing.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The California Fair Political Practices Commission provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis of the General Crimes Section, Thomas F. Rybarczyk and Juan M. Rodriguez of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section prosecuted this case.
Four Defendants Charged via Superseding Indictment for Fraud and Exploitation-Related Federal Offenses involving Yakima and Benton County H-2A WorkersRead the Press Release
YAKIMA, Washington – Four individuals from the Yakima and Tri-Cities area have been charged via Superseding Indictment by a federal grand jury for fraudulently obtaining temporary work visas (H-2A visas) and subsequently unlawfully transporting over 500 temporary foreign laborers over the United States/Mexico border and into the Eastern District of Washington.
Francisco Rodriguez Martel, his wife Esmeralda Rodriguez, and Erica Cisneros, all from the Tri-Cities area, and Giovanna Sierra Carrillo, of Yakima, were charged in a fifty-one count Superseding Indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Yakima, Washington, on February 11, 2026.
The Superseding Indictment alleges Rodriguez-Martel, Cisneros, and Carillo conspired to fraudulently obtain temporary work visas under the H-2A program by falsely representing to multiple federal agencies that approximately ten agricultural farms in Yakima and Benton Counties needed temporary foreign labor for crop seasons 2022, 2023, and 2024. The defendants operated their farm labor contract business under the name “Harvest Plus.” Rodriguez-Martel, Cisneros, and Carillo submitted documentation falsely representing Harvest Plus as a farm labor contractor for various farms located in Sunnyside, Goldendale, Pasco, Wapato, Yakima, and Prescott, Washington. These representations were made on paperwork submitted to the United States Department of Labor, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and the United States Department of State. By submitting fraudulent applications with bogus job locations, hours, and wages, and agreeing to provide food, approved housing, safety equipment, fair wages and hours (to include overtime), and coverage for injury or illness, the defendants successfully obtained hundreds of illegitimate temporary H-2A work visas.
The Superseding Indictment also alleges Rodriguez-Martel, Cisneros, and Carillo recruited and lured foreign laborers from Mexico with promises of legal employment at various farms in the Eastern District of Washington, which included adequate housing, food, paid travel and visas, and predictable locations and hours of work. Upon arriving in the Eastern District of Washington, many workers found themselves performing non-approved domestic labor, working overtime without pay, were forced to work under extreme heat conditions without access to clean water, and were exposed to chemical pesticide agents without proper protection. Moreover, some laborers found themselves in overcrowded and unapproved housing with no access to kitchen facilities. Additionally, Rodriguez-Martel imposed mandatory illegal housing and food fees.
The Superseding Indictment further alleges Rodriguez-Martel and Esmeralda Rodriguez threatened to call immigration authorities on, and Rodriguez-Martel threatened the physical safety of, the foreign laborers in the employ of Harvest Plus to ensure the foreign laborers did not alert the responsible Washington state agency about the illegal employment practices of the defendants.
Department of Labor Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito said, “The Office of Inspector General is unwavering in our commitment to protect the integrity of the Department of Labor’s Foreign Labor Certification programs. When bad actors exploit vulnerable workers or attempt to game the system, we investigate, we expose, and we hold them accountable. At the same time, we safeguard the U.S. employers who follow the law and play by the rules. We will continue working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to ensure these programs serve legitimate labor needs — not criminal enterprises. Fraud will not be tolerated. Accountability is not optional.”
“The importance of this case cannot be understated,” said Pete Serrano, First Assistant United States Attorney. “When the United States Attorney’s office receives credible information from investigating agencies that stand as the basis for immigration fraud, we will charge these cases. The United States Attorney’s office will protect these vulnerable victims and the integrity of a vital federal programs, including the H-2A program which is critical to Eastern Washington’s agricultural successes” stated Serrano.
The charges contained in this Superseding Indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Courtney R. Pratten, Jeremy J. Kelley, and Tyler H.L. Tornabene. They were investigated by the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the Department of State Diplomatic Security Service.
Fort Eustis soldier sentenced for coercion of minorsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A soldier at Fort Eustis was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a child.
According to court documents, Brady Beck Fant, 32, used social media platforms to engage in sexually graphic conversations with minor girls. In addition to those conversations, Fant received sexually graphic images and videos of the victims and sent sexually graphic images and videos of himself to at least one victim.
After the North Texas Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) taskforce identified Fant, law enforcement seized his electronic devices on which investigators found child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
An Other Than Honorable Discharge from the United States Army is currently pending.
This case was investigated by the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Washington Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E.A. Heath prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:25-cr-58.
Former Fort Worth Resident Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Unemployment Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
A former Fort Worth, Texas resident was sentenced to five years in federal prison for his role in fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits from the United States Department of Labor, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Mark Alan Valles, 51, previously of Fort Worth, Texas, pled guilty in October 2025 to the federal offense of conspiring to steal government funds. On February 20, 2026, Chief U.S. District Judge Reed O’Connor sentenced Valles to 60 months in federal prison. He also ordered Valles to pay $407,724 in restitution to the U.S. Department of Labor and the Small Business Administration.“This defendant exploited government programs and stole funds intended to aid Americans during a critical economic period in this country,” said U. S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “I applaud the diligent work of our law enforcement partners in uncovering the fraud scheme and seeing justice done in this case.”
“Mark Valles conspired with others to defraud the Texas Workforce Commission, U.S. Government, and the American taxpayers in an unemployment insurance fraud scheme that enriched himself at a time when millions of Americans desperately needed the money,” stated Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “My office is committed to protecting the integrity of the unemployment insurance program by vigorously pursuing those who commit this type of fraud. Fraud will not be tolerated. Accountability is not optional.”
Court documents indicate that from approximately April 2020 through September 2021, Valles and others conspired to unlawfully use stolen personal identifying information of at least 44 victims to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance funds administered by the Texas Workforce Commission (“TWC”) and funded by the U.S. Department of Labor (“DOL”). Valles and his coconspirators used the stolen information to fill out false applications claiming a total of $899,719 in benefits to be loaded onto to debit cards. They directed the associated debit cards to be mailed to a physical address accessible by Valles or others, retrieved the debit cards from the particular address, and withdrew cash from multiple ATM machines at banks in Fort Worth and the surrounding areas. Valles caused a loss to the government of more than $407,000.
The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor-Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security–Office of the Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald prosecuted the case.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Swears in Special Assistant U.S. AttorneyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – On February 3, 2026, Saratoga County Assistant District Attorney William G. Berger was sworn in as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
SAUSAs are able to prosecute cases in federal court under the supervision of the U.S. Attorney’s Office while remaining employed as ADAs. Other ADAs recently sworn in as SAUSAs include: First ADA Michael T. Johnson (Herkimer County); Chief ADA J. Sam Rodgers (Madison County); ADAs Manpreet Kaur and Kathleen Hofmann (Montgomery County); and Chief ADA Christopher Bednarski and Senior ADAs Sara Fitzpatrick and Alphonse L. Williams III (Onondaga County).
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “We are proud to welcome William Berger as a Special Assistant United States Attorney. His experience as an Assistant District Attorney in Saratoga County and his commitment to public safety will strengthen our efforts to combat violent crime and complex criminal organizations throughout the Northern District of New York. Partnerships like this exemplify the strong collaboration between state and federal law enforcement, ensuring that we use every available resource to protect our communities and uphold the rule of law.”
Saratoga County District Attorney Brett Eby stated: “Our ongoing collaboration with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York is essential to our mission of dismantling complex criminal enterprises that threaten the safety of our communities. By working hand-in-hand with our federal partners, we can leverage shared resources, intelligence, and expertise to pursue justice more effectively and keep the people of Upstate New York safe. These strategic partnerships strengthen every level of law enforcement.”
Pictured above (left to right): Saratoga County Assistant District Attorney William G. Berger, First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III, and Saratoga County District Attorney Brett Eby.
Durham Man Sentenced for Cyberstalking Gay Men in Raleigh-DurhamRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced David Ryan Winters, age 40, to 3 years in federal prison for cyberstalking. For almost a decade, Winters stalked, harassed, and threatened gay men online in the Raleigh-Durham area. Winters pleaded guilty to the charges.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Winters became enraged at the gay community in Raleigh-Durham for perceived slights. Starting around 2016, Winters began stalking gay men online and in person, including by showing up at victims’ homes and sending them pictures of their residences. Winters would discover victims’ personal information and send angry messages. He repeatedly threatened to kill specific victims and gay men generally, saying that he wanted to make national headlines and invoking the Pulse homicides from Florida. Winters visited one victim’s workplace, shattered a window, and threw a metal trashcan on the victim’s car. Winters’s obsessive harassment campaign terrified many people, forcing them to move or take other self-protective measures.
“We believe in protecting all citizens who deserve to live their lives in peace. This antisocial behavior cannot fester without serious attention and prevention. Thanks to our dedicated law enforcement partners for taking this very seriously and putting this criminal behind bars.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The FBI and Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin C. Blondel prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-343-M-RN.
Dominican National Previously Convicted of Drug Trafficking and Identity Theft Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national who used the alias, “Jose Perez Antonio,” and who unlawfully resided in Dorchester has been charged with illegally reentering the United States after having been deported on three separate occasions. The defendant has previously been convicted of drug trafficking, aggravated identity theft and wire fraud dating as far back as 1997.
Wilson Radhames Peguero Brea, a/k/a Jose Perez Antonio, 56, was charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien with a prior felony conviction. The defendant is currently in ICE custody.
According to the charging documents, Peguero has illegally entered the United States at least four times, and used numerous aliases, including aliases belonging to U.S. citizen victims. In 1997, under an alias associated with a U.S. citizen victim, Peguero was convicted of drug trafficking. He was removed from the United States in 2005 and thereafter illegally reentered the country. In 2016, Peguero was arrested and charged by the state for possession of a fraudulently obtained driver’s license. That criminal case remains in default status. He was removed from the U.S. a second time in 2016.
After Peguero allegedly illegally entered the U.S. a third time, he was charged in Dorchester District Court with trafficking cocaine and fentanyl in a criminal case that remains in warrant status. According to court documents, his Massachusetts criminal history is associated with his alias Jose Perez Antonio.
In 2021, Peguero was arrested and charged with his true name in federal court for aggravated identity theft and wire fraud. He was convicted of both charges on Jan. 11, 2023, and sentenced to more than two years in prison. In 2023, Peguero was removed a third time. Peguero then illegally reentered the United States a fourth time and was encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials on Feb. 5, 2026, while using a false identity document.
The charge of illegal reentry by an alien with a prior felony conviction provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Detroit Man Sentenced to More than 11 Years in Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Franklin Fitzgerald Elly, also known as “Costco,” 36, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to 11 years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about May 2025 to in or about July 2025, Elly conspired with co-defendant Eric Jaeshon Ray and with other individuals to distribute fentanyl in the St. Albans area of Kanawha County. On four separate occasions between May and June 2025, Elly assisted Ray in distributing a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant in St. Albans as part of the conspiracy. Elly was found responsible for over 500 grams of fentanyl in this case.
Elly has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for drug dealing offenses in Michigan and Indiana and for drug dealing offenses and being a person prohibited from possessing firearms in West Virginia. Elly was on parole at the time of his current offense.
Elly and Ray are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Six co-defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty. Elly and Ray are among four additional defendants who pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. Ray, also known as “Brody,” 32, was sentenced on January 15, 2026, to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“Franklin Fitzgerald Elly is a career criminal who has sold drugs in West Virginia and two other states. He has committed three of his drug-dealing crimes, including this one, while on parole or probation for a prior drug-related conviction,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “As today’s sentence shows, this office and our law enforcement partners are determined to go after those who seek to harm our communities to the maximum extent the law allows.”
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-128.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison.
John Robert Moro, age 34, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 6, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Information from the sentencing hearing showed that Moro sold methamphetamine on two separate occasions in March 2024 to an individual who was working with law enforcement.
Moro was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Moro was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Kansas City is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, covering Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. HSTF Kansas City is composed of agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the State Investigative Agencies for Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska, and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
Moro is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This HSTF case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by HSTF Kansas City, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-45.
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Carbon County Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Feliciano-Seize, age 61, of Carbon County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 20, 2026, to 18 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Julia K. Munley for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Feliciano-Seize attempted to purchase a firearm in 2021, but the purchase was denied based upon Feliciano-Seize’s prior conviction for armed robbery. Feliciano-Seize thereafter illegally obtained a firearm, and on October 22, 2023, brandished that firearm and began shooting into the air during a dispute with his girlfriend’s family. He then aimed the firearm at members of his girlfriend’s family.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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CarMax to pay nearly $500,000 to remedy illegal repossessions of U.S. servicemembers’ vehiclesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with CarMax, Inc., the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, to resolve allegations that CarMax violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by illegally repossessing motor vehicles owned by members of the military. As part of the settlement, CarMax will pay at least $420,000 in damages to servicemembers and a civil penalty of $79,380 to the United States.
The Department alleges that CarMax repossessed servicemember vehicles without obtaining court orders as required by federal law, as well as repossessed some vehicles even after owners told CarMax that they were in military service. CarMax also allegedly failed to extend SCRA protections to reservists who had received orders to report for active duty. In addition to paying a civil penalty and compensation to harmed individuals, CarMax will revise its policies and procedures to ensure that the rights of U.S. servicemembers are protected in the future.
The SCRA is a federal law that provides legal and financial protections for servicemembers and their families. The law prevents an auto finance or leasing company from repossessing a servicemember’s vehicle without first obtaining a court order, as long as the servicemember made at least one payment on the vehicle before entering military service. For members of a reserve component, the protections begin on the date the member receives orders to military service.
This case was handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia and the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $484 million in monetary relief for over 149,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
A copy of this press release may be found on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The civil claims settled are allegations only; there has been no determination of civil liability.
CarMax to Pay Nearly $500,000 to Remedy Illegal Repossessions of U.S. Servicemembers’ VehiclesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department today announced that it has reached a settlement with CarMax Inc., the nation’s largest retailer of used cars, to resolve allegations that CarMax violated the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) by illegally repossessing motor vehicles owned by members of the military. As part of the settlement, CarMax will pay at least $420,000 in damages to servicemembers and a civil penalty of $79,380 to the United States.
“Federal law prohibits businesses from repossessing service members’ vehicles without a court order,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Department of Justice is proud to defend the rights of those who serve in our military and will continue to vigorously enforce the laws that protect them.”
The Department alleges that CarMax repossessed servicemember vehicles without obtaining court orders as required by federal law, as well as repossessed some vehicles even after owners told CarMax that they were in military service. CarMax also allegedly failed to extend SCRA protections to reservists who had received orders to report for active duty. In addition to paying a civil penalty and compensation to harmed individuals, CarMax will revise its policies and procedures to ensure that the rights of U.S. servicemembers are protected in the future.
The SCRA is a federal law that provides legal and financial protections for servicemembers and their families. The law prevents an auto finance or leasing company from repossessing a servicemember’s vehicle without first obtaining a court order, as long as the servicemember made at least one payment on the vehicle before entering military service. For members of a reserve component, the protections begin on the date the member receives orders to military service.
This case was handled by the Civil Rights Division’s Housing and Civil Enforcement Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $484 million in monetary relief for over 149,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the department’s SCRA enforcement efforts, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA may have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations can be found at legalassistance.law.af.mil.
Broken Arrow Resident Sentenced for Armed AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rafael Martin Sangines, age 30, of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, and to 70 months for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. The Court ordered the sentences to be served concurrently.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Broken Arrow Police Department, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Wagoner County Sheriff’s Office.
On May 13, 2025, Sangines pleaded guilty to the charges in federal district court. According to investigators, on September 29, 2024, Sangines struck the victim repeatedly with the barrel and stock of an AR-15 style rifle and threatened to kill the victim. The victim sustained multiple contusions and lacerations before escaping to safety. Law enforcement apprehended Sangines a short time later during a traffic stop and took Sangines into custody. A search conducted of Sangines and the vehicle he was driving revealed a loaded pistol magazine, a chamber-loaded AR-15 with a 30-round magazine, a chamber-loaded semi-automatic pistol with a 30-round magazine, and spent rifle casings. Prior to the attack and apprehension, Sangines had been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The crimes occurred in Wagoner County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable John F. Heil, III, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Sangines will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Bradenton Man Convicted of Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – A federal jury has found Alejandro Marquetti-Blanco (34, Bradenton) guilty of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Marquetti-Blanco faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Marquetti-Blanco distributed one pound of methamphetamine to a co-conspirator. Another co-conspirator later sold the methamphetamine to an undercover DEA Special Agent in Port Charlotte.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Morgan and Benjamin Winter.
Baltimore Man Indicted for Alleged Child Sex Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a Baltimore man for child sex trafficking crimes.
Deion “Poppa Fetti” Philip, 33, is charged with two counts of sex trafficking of a child and one count of transportation of a minor.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office, Scott Shellenberger, State’s Attorney for Baltimore County, and Acting Superintendent Michael A. Jackson, Maryland State Police (MSP).
According to the indictment, Philip trafficked two minor victims to engage in commercial sex acts for profit. Phillip trafficked one minor victim for several weeks in 2025, and the other minor victim from October to November 2025.
This case is 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 Attorney’s 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 justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Philip faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in federal prison for each count of sexual trafficking of a minor.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office, and MSP for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Alleged Utah Child Predator and Creator of the “Squatty Potty” Indicted After Allegedly Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today in the District of Utah following the arrest of a Southern Utah entrepreneur, and original co-founder and creator of the “Squatty Potty,” after he was charged for receiving sexually explicit images of a child.
Robert Edwards, 50, of Ivins, Utah, was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 10, 2026. He was arrested on February 12, 2026, in Washington County, Utah. During his initial appearance on the indictment, he pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the U.S. Marshal Service by U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul Kohler in St. George.
According to the allegations in court documents, beginning in March 2021, and continuing through November 2025, in the District of Utah, and elsewhere, Edwards knowingly received multiple images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). In March 2021, an undercover FBI agent assumed the identity of an online profile account and joined a group chat used to trade child sexual abuse material. The online meeting room was viewing a collection of child sexual abuse material videos, which were being streamed on the main screen. Participants in the meeting were visible, including one user later identified as Edwards.
As alleged in court documents, the investigation continued and in May 2025, FBI agents learned that Edwards was suspected of purchasing additional child sexual abuse material via his PayPal account, which flagged four transactions involving Edwards’ account as possibly related to CSAM. On November 4, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Edwards’s person and residence. Agents seized a cell phone from his vehicle, which contained multiple videos and images of child sexual abuse material, some of which downloaded onto the cell phone just two weeks before the search warrant was executed. At Edwards’s residence, law enforcement seized additional devices and found additional child sexual abuse material files.
Edwards is charged with receipt of child pornography. His detention hearing is scheduled for March 2, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 2B at the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorney Christopher Burton of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Friday 20 February 2026
Wynne Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Tyler Ball will spend eight years in federal prison for possession of child pornography. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Thursday by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On August 22, 2025, Ball pleaded guilty to a one-count Superseding Information charging him with possession of child pornography. Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Ball to five years supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
An investigation by the Arkansas State Police ultimately revealed that Ball took sexually explicit photos of a 10-year-old victim in or around 2015. Seven years after taking the photos, on January 27, 2022, Ball sent messages on Snapchat to the victim apologizing for “what went down back then,” when the victim was 10 years old. Ball messaged the victim, “I’m really sorry. I’m balling my eyes out. You mean so much to me and I’m very, very sorry.” After receiving these messages, the victim and the victim’s mother went to the police.
On February 1, 2022, Ball was interviewed by officers and stated that on the night he sent the Snapchat messages, he “blacked out” because he had consumed alcohol and did not have any memory of “anything that happened that night.” Officers then obtained a search warrant for Ball’s residence. During a search of the residence, officers located a cell phone in a safe. A subsequent search of the cell phone revealed 14 images of sexually explicit conduct involving the victim.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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. Parents are encouraged to always monitor your children’s online activity.
The investigation was conducted by the Arkansas State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Woodland Hills Film Production Accountant Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Money from Indie Films That Employed HimRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A film production accountant from the San Fernando Valley pleaded guilty today to embezzling money from the independent film productions that employed him, moving the illicitly obtained funds into an account he called “Fun Fun Fun.”
Joshua Mandel, 48, of Woodland Hills, pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud.
According to court documents, Mandel owned the Woodland Hills-based company First J Productions Inc., where he served as both its CEO and chief financial officer. He also worked as a film production accountant who specialized in accounting services for independent films.
As a production accountant, Mandel oversaw cash flow, payroll, and expenses for the film productions. He also was an authorized user for bank accounts belonging to the production companies and added funds to prepaid debit cards issued by CASHét Card, which are commonly used in the film industry.
From 2019 to 2023, Mandel misappropriated funds belonging to the film productions by writing unauthorized checks, making unauthorized wire transfers, and moving funds into a CASHét Card account he controlled called “Fun Fun Fun.” To hide his scheme, Mandel used funds from one production company to pay expenses incurred by another.
Law enforcement believes the total amount Mandel embezzled approached $2 million and that he used the embezzled money to maintain his lifestyle, including paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to various young women, including pornographic actresses, and more than $129,000 to a woman he met through a “sugar daddy” website; spending more than $24,000 at Las Vegas hotels, clubs, and shows; and purchasing more than $12,000 in luxury items from Louis Vuitton.
United States District Judge John F. Walter scheduled a May 4 sentencing hearing, at which time Mandel will face up to 20 years in federal prison for each count. Mandel remains free on $25,000 bond.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab, Acting Chief of the Criminal Division, and Lauren E. Border of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Waterloo Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Buying Gun for BoyfriendRead the Press Release
A Waterloo woman who bought guns for her boyfriend was sentenced February 19, 2026, to one year in federal prison.
Arryel Skye Waters, age 24, of Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison sentence after a September 4, 2025, guilty plea to one count of false statement during purchase of a firearm.
Evidence at the sentencing and plea hearings showed that in July 2023, Waters attempted to purchase a gun from a business in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Waters’ boyfriend, who was 17 at the time, went with her to the store. Employees at the store felt Waters was not being truthful about who she was buying the gun for, so they denied the purchase of the gun. Waters then left the business and travelled to another business in Cedar Falls. This time, her boyfriend stayed in the car. Waters went inside and purchased a Glock firearm. When she filled out the paperwork to purchase the gun, she noted she was buying the gun for herself. In reality, Waters was buying the gun for her boyfriend. Waters and her boyfriend were also both marijuana users at the time.
In November 2023, Waters was working as a delivery driver. Employees at one of the businesses she delivered to made comments to her that Waters relayed to her boyfriend. Waters’ boyfriend confronted employees with the gun Waters had purchased for him. The boyfriend was later arrested and charged with multiple counts, including felon in possession of a firearm. Waters boyfriend had a prior felony conviction for burglary which prevented him from possessing firearms.
Waters was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by Chief United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Waters was sentenced to 12 months’ and one day imprisonment. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment fee. Waters must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley L. Corkery and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives, the Cedar Falls Police Department, and the Waterloo Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-2043.
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USAO-Kansas: Threats or interference with federal agents is a felony offenseRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser of the District of Kansas is concerned about incidents of persons threatening federal agents and/or persons using their vehicles to aggressively chase or interfere with federal agents engaged in their official duties. As a result, USAO-KS is spreading public awareness on the difference between legal protest and criminal behavior.
U.S. Attorney Kriegshauser issued the following statement:
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office – District of Kansas strongly supports and seeks to protect freedom of speech and the right to peacefully protest. We also believe it is imperative that protests be carried out in a responsible and legal manner to reduce the chance of injury to either law enforcement or to the public. Interfering with federal agents who are carrying out their duties can be charged by our office, depending on the conduct. Making threats against federal officials can be charged by our office, depending on the conduct. Individuals engaged in these activities should be aware that they are subject to prosecution in federal court. Recently, in the District of Kansas we have charged these types of crimes as federal felonies.
We at the U.S. Attorney’s Office- District of Kansas are actively following reports on interactions between federal agents and the general public in our state. Our commitment is to review allegations with an impartial lens that scrutinizes the actions of everyone involved, law enforcement and the public, to determine if those actions are in accordance with the law.
We are aware that on February 14, 2026, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were in Olathe conducting a targeted search for an identified individual. During that time, ICE agents had an encounter with two other local residents who were involved in tracking and following ICE agents while using their vehicle in an exceedingly aggressive manner. The license plate of the vehicle was determined to be associated with a previously deported individual for whom a Warrant for the Arrest of an Alien was issued, and the vehicle was stopped. The 19-year-old driver of the vehicle was ultimately determined to be a United States citizen. After reviewing the arrest for interference, we determined that the individual involved admitted to following federal agents in his vehicle while screaming at them, and he admitted to driving recklessly to where he almost struck the agent with his vehicle. Our office has decided not to pursue charges at this time given the specific circumstances. However, that decision may change if additional information is obtained.
This is just one instance of an increasing number of reports we have seen lately of the public following agents while using their vehicles in an aggressive manner. Increasingly, some of those following agents in potential reckless or criminal manner are young people, an age group that is generally more impressionable and more likely than older adults to act rashly when swept up with emotions. We encourage parents to have discussions with their children about what forms of conduct are appropriate as they exercise their constitutional right to freedom of speech so that they do not commit federal crimes. Federal agents enforcing immigration law can arrest United States citizens who commit federal offenses in their presence such as threats or interference inhibiting their duties.
Again, we support the right to peacefully protest. However, we will not allow illegal conduct that endangers the safety of law enforcement and other members of the public.”
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 84 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 84 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On February 13, Mexican nationals Carlos Cortes De La Cruz and Carlos Cortes Garcia – a father and son who were the alleged captains of a smuggling vessel carrying a dozen undocumented passengers - were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the U.S. Coast Guard intercepted the vessel which was dead in the water and riding low under the weight of the passengers, off the coast of Point Loma. Officials deemed the vessel unsafe and transported the passengers to Ballast Point, where the defendants were arrested by Border Patrol. Also arrested were Mexican nationals Jorge Andrade-Guzman, Aristeo Cortez-Abarca, Jose Antonio Lorenzo De La Cruz, Allan Alfonso Mancilla Garcia, Lorenzo Meza Hernandez, Sergio Luis Rico-Ornelas, Ciriaco Rojas-Duarte, Luis Vargas-Vill and Javier Zavala-Paredes. They were passengers charged with Attempted Entry After Deportation.
- On February 15, Aracely Guadalupe Herrera Gutierrez, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 153 packages containing 154 pounds of methamphetamine and seven pounds of fentanyl concealed in the rear bumper of the defendant’s vehicle as she tried to cross into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On February 18, John Nixon, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Nixon and a passenger applied for admission to the U.S. in the vehicle lanes of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Customs and Border Protection officers found the passenger’s identification to be fraudulent. The passenger, Mexican citizen Jose Rosales-Murillo, was arrested for Attempted Entry After Deportation. Rosales-Murillo had been previously removed from the U.S. in 2008. According to the complaint, Nixon claimed he accepted the smuggling job in order to pay off his girlfriend’s $5,000 drug debt.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects over $35.5 Million in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
Louisville, KY – U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office collected more than $35.5 million in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $4,309,149.70 was collected in criminal actions and $31,208.840.42 in civil actions.
Additionally, the Office worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $6,012.405.23 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $57,235.63 was collected in criminal actions and $5,995,169.60 was collected in civil actions.
“These exceptional recoveries reflect our Office’s unwavering commitment to victims of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Bumgarner. “I am proud of our team’s determination to deliver meaningful results in both criminal and civil proceedings. This Office will continue to aggressively pursue the collection of every dollar owed to crime victims, victims of fraud, and federal agencies.”
Notable recoveries in the past fiscal year include $800,000 paid in United States v. Robert Hunt, Case No. 1:25-cr-10 and $340,000 in United States v. James Worthington, Case No. 3:24-cr-104. The Office recovered more than $16 million for violations of the False Claims Act and $9.5 million for unpaid taxes owed by a debtor in bankruptcy. The office also collected more than $1 million in state foreclosure actions involving federal liens.
In addition to the criminal and civil collections, last fiscal year the Office worked with partner agencies and divisions to collect $1,148,244 in asset forfeiture actions. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
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U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending February 20, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 67 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 9 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 59 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 48 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking, healthcare fraud, money laundering, human smuggling, burglary, and immigration offenses.
In one significant case, on February 13, 2026, Border Patrol agents at the Las Cruces checkpoint on I-25 stopped a tractor trailer driven by Adriana Alejandra Coss, who appeared nervous and claimed she was hauling an empty, locked trailer without a key. A canine alerted to the trailer during secondary inspection, and agents cut the lock, discovering nineteen undocumented individuals trapped inside with no way to exit. Agents also found a cooler bag in the cab containing cell phones belonging to those inside and later recovered a key in Coss’s former detention cell that opened the trailer lock. Witnesses stated they had paid smugglers, were held in stash houses, and were loaded into the trailer by multiple transporters before traveling nonstop to the checkpoint in cold conditions. The truck’s owner said Coss did not have permission to operate the vehicle and that there was no legitimate reason for the trip.
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.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Individuals Arrested in Connection with Undercover Federal Firearm Investigation in Chicago SuburbsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Two individuals have been arrested in connection with an undercover federal firearm investigation in the Chicago suburbs.
On Feb. 5, 2026, MATTHEW BARRAZA, 21, of Chicago, illegally sold a loaded handgun to an undercover law enforcement officer for $2,000, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The handgun was equipped with a machine gun conversion device, which allows the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger. Also attached to the firearm was an extended magazine containing 19 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition, the complaint states. During the firearm transaction, which occurred at a gas station in Bolingbrook, Ill., Barraza also sold approximately 127 grams of cocaine to the undercover officer for $3,600, the complaint states. Barraza is charged with unlicensed dealing of a firearm, possession of a machine gun, and distribution of a controlled substance.
A separate federal complaint charges EDWIN MORENO, 27, of Chicago, with possessing a machine gun. Moreno possessed the firearm, which was equipped with a machine gun conversion device, on Jan. 15, 2026, while providing what he believed was security for tow operators allegedly conducting a vehicle repossession in Joliet, Ill., the complaint states. Unbeknownst to Moreno, the purported tow operators were undercover law enforcement officers, the complaint states.
Barraza and Moreno were arrested on Wednesday. Detention hearings in federal court have been scheduled for Feb. 25, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally.
The charges and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Substantial assistance was provided by the Joliet Metropolitan Area Narcotics Squad. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Saqib Mohammad Hussain.
barraza_complaint.pdf moreno_complaint.pdfTuba City Man Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Prison for Sexually Abusing ChildrenRead the Press Release
Phoenix, Ariz. – A man convicted of sexually abusing two young children on Navajo Nation was sentenced Feb. 17, 2026, in federal court, announced U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine.
Avery Cody Billy, 30, of Tuba City, Arizona, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven P. Logan to 188 months in prison, followed by 180 months of supervised release. Billy previously pleaded guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child.
Billy sexually abused two young girls who lived on Navajo Nation. The victims were in first grade when Billy began to abuse them, and he continued the abuse repeatedly over many years. Billy is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation.
“Avery Cody Billy degraded, hurt and betrayed the trust of two little girls,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Our Justice system must protect the most vulnerable and hold predators fully accountable for the harm they cause to children. I am grateful for the dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys, victim specialists, FBI agents and tribal partners who joined forces to secure this sentence of nearly 16 years. Their commitment also ensures that survivors of abuse receive the critical support and resources they need to heal.”
“Protecting our nation’s kids is one of the most formidable missions of the FBI,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “This defendant’s unspeakable actions will not be tolerated. This sentencing reflects the dedication of the FBI and our tribal law enforcement partners in assuring offenders like this are held accountable and brought to justice."
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Flagstaff office and the Navajo Nation Division of Public Safety conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-25-8029-PCT-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-036_Billy
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Trinitarios Gang Member Convicted of Murder, Attempted Murder, and RacketeeringRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that a jury found RAMON RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Pollo,” guilty today of murder in aid of racketeering, attempted murder in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and racketeering conspiracy. The convictions relate to RODRIGUEZ’s participation in the “Shooting Boys” gang (a set of the Trinitarios), the June 21, 2021, murder of Milton Grant during a robbery in Manhattan, and the attempted murder of another victim during that same robbery. RODRIGUEZ was convicted following a two-week jury trial before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who will impose sentence on June 30, 2026.
“For years, Ramon Rodriguez—along with members of the Shooting Boys—committed shootings, robberies, drug trafficking, fraud, and witness retaliation throughout New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Worst of all, Rodriguez murdered Milton Grant in cold blood during a robbery, senselessly killing him for his watch, and attempted to murder another innocent victim at the same time. Gang violence poses a grave threat to our communities. Thanks to our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, including the NYPD, whose detectives drove this murder case from the beginning, New York streets are safer tonight.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, public court filings, and evidence presented at the jury trial:
From at least 2018 through 2025, RODRIGUEZ was a member of the Trinitarios and an associate of the Shooting Boys, a set of the Trinitarios. The Shooting Boys, who operated primarily in the Bronx and Manhattan, engaged in murders, attempted murders, robberies, drug trafficking, fraud, and witness retaliation.
On June 13, 2021, RODRIGUEZ and members of the Shooting Boys committed a robbery outside a Bronx nightclub. During the robbery, RODRIGUEZ shot a man in the leg, causing significant injuries.
Just eight days later, on June 21, 2021, RODRIGUEZ and members of the Shooting Boys committed another robbery outside a Manhattan nightclub. During the robbery, RODRIGUEZ shot Milton Grant in the head, killing him, then stole Grant’s watch from his lifeless body. As Grant’s friend ran away, RODRIGUEZ shot at him as well, attempting to kill him.
After being arrested and detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, RODRIGUEZ continued to participate in the Shooting Boys gang, including by repeatedly possessing weapons. On December 3, 2023, RODRIGUEZ and other members and associates of the Shooting Boys ambushed, stabbed, and slashed an inmate who was cooperating with law enforcement in order to retaliate against that potential witness and deter others from cooperating.
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RODRIGUEZ, 21, of the Bronx, was convicted of one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; two counts of using, carrying, and possessing firearms—which were brandished and discharged—during and in relation to a crime of violence, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed; and one count of racketeering conspiracy with a special sentencing factor, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and mandatory potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations and thanked the New York County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dominic A. Gentile and Jim Ligtenberg are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists William Coleman and Sandy Alcantara.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Powell, Tennessee man was sentenced yesterday, February 19, 2026, to 10 years in federal prison for attempted enticement of a minor.
According to public court documents, Shawn Christopher Powell, 52, communicated with a person he believed was a 13-year-old female between May and August 2025. Powell sent messages about wanting to engage in sex acts with the minor. In August 2025, Powell traveled from Tennessee to Iowa with the intent to meet up with the minor to engage in sex acts, and had condoms, sex toys, prescription pills, and children’s clothing in his possession at the time of his arrest.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Powell will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Cass County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation-Child Exploitation Task Force investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For information about internet safety education, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Six More Defendants Charged in International “ATM Jackpotting” SchemeRead the Press Release
Note: Learn about digital and physical indicators of ATM jackpotting, along with FBI recommended mitigations here.
A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an indictment Wednesday charging six individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Eighty-seven others have already been charged bringing the total to 93 charged defendants. Wester Eduardo Dugarte Goicochea, 43; Mauro Angel Briceno Caldera, 37; Henry Rafael Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 37; and Giovanny Miguel Ocanto Yance, 26, Venezuelan nationals residing in the Houston area were charged, in addition to Jelfenson David Bolivar Diaz, 38, and Arlinzon Jose Reyes Villegas, 21, both Venezuelan nationals, were charged. This indictment alleges five counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers.
The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on Dec. 9, 2025, that alleged that Tren de Aragua (TdA), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The Dec. 9 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization.
A related indictment returned on Oct. 21, 2025, charged 32 individuals and alleged 56 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 18 counts of bank fraud, 18 counts of bank burglary, and 18 counts of damage to computers. An additional indictment returned on Jan. 21 charged 31 individuals and alleged 32 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 10 counts of bank fraud, 10 counts of bank burglary, and 10 counts of damage to computers. The loss to victim financial institutions was in excess of $100,000 per jackpotting attempt. The overall loss to the victim financial institutions is over $6 million, with at least an additional $1.74 million attempted.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum penalties of between 20 and 335 years in prison.
The following photographs depict just a few of the alleged ATM jackpotting scheme in progress and equipment used:
According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking, to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash.
In the past six months, the Justice Department has secured charges against a total of 93 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses.
FBI’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the United States Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, United States Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma and Eastern District of Wisconsin, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police have provided significant assistance.
This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI.
Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and has now expanded to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law
Six More Defendants Charged in International “ATM Jackpotting” SchemeRead the Press Release
[UPDATED] OMAHA — A federal grand jury in the District of Nebraska returned an indictment Wednesday charging six individuals for their roles in a large conspiracy to deploy malware and steal millions of dollars from ATMs in the United States, a crime commonly referred to as “ATM jackpotting.” Eighty-seven others have already been charged, bringing the total to 93 charged defendants. Wester Eduardo Dugarte Goicochea, 43; Mauro Angel Briceno Caldera, 37; Henry Rafael Gonzalez-Gutierrez, 37; and Giovanny Miguel Ocanto Yance, 26, Venezuelan nationals residing in the Houston area were charged, in addition to Jelfenson David Bolivar Diaz, 38, and Arlinzon Jose Reyes Villegas, 21, both Venezuelan nationals, were charged. This indictment alleges five counts including conspiracy to commit bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, bank fraud, bank burglary, and damage to computers.
The most recent indictment follows a previous one returned on December 9, 2025, that alleged that Tren de Aragua (TdA), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, conducted jackpotting attacks across America. The December 9, 2025 indictment charged 22 individuals with offenses for their roles in the conspiracy: 13 individuals are charged with conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank fraud, 10 with conspiracy to commit bank burglary and fraud and related activity in connection with computers, and 22 with conspiracy to commit money laundering. The indictment also alleges that TdA used jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in the United States and then transferred the proceeds among its members and associates to conceal the illegally obtained cash. The indictment alleged a national conspiracy to commit these offenses with crimes committed all over the United States in furtherance of these conspiracies that generated millions in illegal proceeds for the combined defendants and the TdA organization.
A related indictment returned on Oct. 21, 2025, charged 32 individuals and alleged 56 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 18 counts of bank fraud, 18 counts of bank burglary, and 18 counts of damage to computers. An additional indictment returned on January 21, 2026, charged 31 individuals and alleged 32 counts including one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit bank burglary and computer fraud, 10 counts of bank fraud, 10 counts of bank burglary, and 10 counts of damage to computers. The loss to victim financial institutions was in excess of $100,000 per jackpotting attempt. The overall loss to the victim financial institutions is over $6 million, with at least an additional $1.74 million attempted.
If convicted, the defendants face maximum penalties of between 20 and 335 years in prison.
The following photographs depict just a few of the alleged ATM jackpotting scheme in progress and equipment used:
According to court documents, TdA is a violent transnational criminal organization that originated as a prison gang in Venezuela in the mid-2000s. TdA has expanded its criminal network throughout the Western Hemisphere and established a presence in the United States. TdA’s criminal activities range from drug trafficking and firearms trafficking, to commercial sex trafficking, kidnapping, robbery, theft, fraud, and extortion. TdA members also commit murder, assault, and other violent acts to advance the organization’s criminal activities. TdA has also developed an additional source of revenue stream through financial crimes that target financial institutions throughout the United States, including using jackpotting to steal millions of dollars in cash.
In the past six months, the Justice Department has secured charges against a total of 93 TdA members and leaders with a range of federal offenses that include material support to a designated foreign terror organization, bank burglary, money laundering, damage and unauthorized access to protected computers, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit the same offenses.
FBI’s Omaha Field Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Omaha is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI’s Denver, Houston, Miami, New Orleans, Oklahoma, Sacramento, Seattle, and Springfield Field Offices, and the United States Secret Service, U.S. Marshals Service, Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of the Inspector General, Financial Deposit Insurance Corporation, Adams County Sheriff’s Office, Appanoose County Sheriff’s Office, Bates County Sheriff’s Office, Sheridan Police Department, Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Leesburg Police Department, Sterling Heights Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Warrant Police Department, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, Colombus Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory, Bluff City Police Department, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, Lincoln Police Department, Gothenburg Police Department, Loudon Police Department, Alcoa Police Department, Kearney Police Department, Milford Police Department, Grand Island Police Department, Nebraska State Patrol, Papillion Police Department, Central City Police Department, Holdrege Police Department, New York State Police, Berkeley Police Department, Cook County Electronic Monitoring Unit, Aurora Police Department, Austin Police Department, United States Capitol Police, Buffalo County Sheriff’s Office, City of Rome Police Department, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, McCook Police Department, Nebraska DMV Crime Analysts, Rantoul Police Department, Olathe Police Department, North Platte Police Department, Walla Walla Police Department, Milton-Freewater Police Department, Missoula Police Department, Omaha Police Department, Larimer County Sheriff’s Office, Sidney Police Department, Denver Police, Howard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Paul Police Department, Ozaukee County Sheriff’s Office, Glendale Police Department, Columbia Police Department, Brookfield Police Department, Wauwatosa Police Department, Mount Pleasant Police Department, Grafton Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Dubuque Police Department, Fargo Police Department, and Paducah Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nebraska, and Joint Task Force Vulcan. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Washington, Eastern District of California, Southern District of New York, Northern District of Illinois, Central District of Illinois, Eastern District of Oklahoma and Eastern District of Wisconsin, as well as the Larimer County Attorney’s Office, Colorado Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 9th District Attorney General’s Office, Tennessee 5th District Attorney General’s Office, the Texas Financial Crimes Intelligence Center, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and Louisiana State Police have provided significant assistance.
This Operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Omaha comprises agents and officers from the FBI and HSI.
Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV) was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and has now expanded to target TdA. JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
An indictment or a complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Enticement of 15-Year-Old Girl in Dutchess CountyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that DEREK HASSELBRINK, a/k/a “Derek Spear,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román for enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity.
“Sexual exploitation of children is a heinous crime,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers want sexual predators who target minors arrested promptly, prosecuted rigorously, and sentenced in line with horrific nature of their crimes. Thanks to our prosecutors, Hasselbrink will not threaten our children for a long time. If you suspect sexual exploitation, please reach out to our law enforcement partners.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
From at least in or about April 2023 up to on or about July 2, 2023, HASSELBRINK, a convicted sex offender, engaged in sexually explicit message conversations with a 15-year-old girl (“Victim-1”), and traveled to meet Victim-1 near her home in Dutchess County, New York, to engage in sexual activity.
Any individuals with information concerning the sexual exploitation of children are asked to contact the Federal Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.
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In addition to the prison term, HASSELBRINK, 49, of Quincy, Illinois, was sentenced to 15 years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the efforts of the FBI, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the Quincy, Illinois Police Department, the Adams County States Attorney’s Office, Carroll County Job and Family Services, the Office of the Attorney General of Kentucky, the Springfield, Illinois Field Office of the FBI, and the Canton, Ohio Resident Agency of the FBI in connection with this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kingdar Prussien is in charge of the prosecution.
San Francisco Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production, Distribution, and Receipt of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Henry Muller, 33, of San Francisco, was sentenced last week to 240 months in federal prison for the production, distribution, and receipt of child sexual abuse material. Senior U.S. District Judge Edward M. Chen handed down the sentence on Feb. 12, 2026.
Muller was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023. On Jan. 9, 2025, he pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of receipt of child pornography. In pleading guilty, Muller admitted that on July 12, 2022, and July 13, 2022, he unlawfully persuaded a minor victim, Minor 1, to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced video recordings of that conduct. On July 17, 2022, Muller knowingly distributed via the internet a video of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On October 17, 2022, Muller knowingly received via the internet a visual depiction of another minor victim, Minor 2, engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
U.S. Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
Muller has been in custody since his arrest in 2023 and will begin serving his prison term immediately. In addition to the prison term, Judge Chen sentenced Muller to a 15-year period of supervised release, which will begin after his term of imprisonment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Roland Chang prosecuted the case with the assistance of Christine Tian. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office.
Salem Man Sentenced to over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Salem, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for ordering live-streamed child sexual abuse material from child sex traffickers in the Philippines in exchange for money.
Steven Daniel Griswold, 44, was sentenced to 262 months in federal prison and a lifetime of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $12,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018.
According to court documents, from 2018 through 2019, Griswold paid for and received livestreamed “shows” featuring the sexual abuse and exploitation of children as young as three years old in the Philippines. During the livestreams, Griswold gave child sex traffickers in the Philippines specific instructions on how to abuse the children and received child sexual abuse material from the traffickers. Griswold typically paid traffickers between $20 to $40 for the livestreams. Griswold left the United States for the Philippines in 2020 after learning he was under investigation for uploading child pornography to Snapchat in an unrelated case.
On November 14, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a four-count indictment charging Griswold with sexual exploitation of children, attempted sexual exploitation of children, and receiving child pornography.
Griswold was arrested in the United States in March 2024 after being deported from the Philippines. He was transported to Portland, Oregon, for his arraignment on May 9, 2024. On November 5, 2025, Griswold pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eliza Carmen Rodriguez and Charlotte Kelley prosecuted the case.
This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.
SDTX charges another 363 individuals in third week of February for crimes related to continued border-security enforcement effortsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 361 cases have been filed in immigration and related matters from Feb. 13-19, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A total of 23 people are charged with human smuggling crimes. Another 141 criminal complaints were filed for illegal entry, while 193 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. The remaining cases involve firearms charges and other immigration crimes.
Some of those charged with felony reentry after removal are several Mexican nationals who had just been removed recently. Two of those complaints allege Jorge Luis Gonzalez-Garcia and Cesar Eduardo Sanchez-Rodriguez, who were discovered in the McAllen area with no authorization to be in the country. Both men have prior convictions for illegal reentry and were previously removed in November 2025 and January 2026, respectively.
Additional complaints allege four other felons had also illegally reentered the country and have prior drug convictions. Law enforcement discovered Cesar David Ramirez-Rodriguez and Irwin Francisco Ruiz-Gallegos near Mission, while Jesus Torres-Gomez and Arturo Saenz-Valle were located near Weslaco and Rio Grande City, respectively, according to their charges.
All six men face up to 20 years in federal prison, if convicted.
In addition to the new cases, Wilson Antonio Vargas Argueta was ordered to serve a 24-month sentence for unlawfully reentering the country. He has multiple prior convictions for assault, driving while intoxicated, and fleeing from law enforcement. In 2020, he bit a police officer while resisting arrest and was removed from the United States, before illegally returning.
Also announced this week was the sentencing of four-time DUI offender, Odon Chavez-Esquivel. He was first removed from the United States in May 2003 and later returned illegally in 2011 and 2012. Authorities discovered him again in August 2022 following his fourth conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol. He has now been ordered to serve a 21-month federal sentence.
Mexican national Juan Ignacio Miranda-Arente was ordered to serve a 21-month sentence. He has a lengthy criminal history dating back to 2008 with convictions for illegal reentry, assault, and indecency with a child.
Honduran national Danilo Nunez-Avila pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the United States without permission for a ninth time. Law enforcement discovered him Oct. 29, 2024, after responding to a reported assault involving a family member. According to court records, he has multiple previous convictions for illegal reentry. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
Several others also received federal sentences in Houston for illegal reentry, including Salvadoran national Santos Alexis Parada Garcia. He has multiple convictions for domestic violence, driving while intoxicated, and felony possession of cocaine. Two others – Guatemalan national Manual Isais Sohom Tambriz and Mexican national Jose Apolinar Hernandez-Melo – have also now been sentenced. Hernandez-Melo has a criminal history including driving under the influence of alcohol and possession of a controlled substance and had been previously removed from the United States. He was discovered again in 2025 following a conviction for deadly conduct. Tambriz was first removed in 2016 and returned illegally three times.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
SCDC Inmate Indicted for Threatening the President, Religious GroupsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a two-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Eric Anthony Rome Jr., 37, an inmate incarcerated in the South Carolina Department of Corrections, for sending a threatening letter to a Jewish/Christian organization and threatening to kill President Trump.
The indictment alleges that in January, Rome drafted a letter to the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews in Chicago, Illinois. The letter included threats and derogatory references to the Jewish community and concluded with “Enjoy having Trump in office while you can because we are going to kill him too.”
Rome signed his full name to the letter.
Rome faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution. Rome is currently serving a state sentence for armed robbery. He has been convicted federally for threatening the president of the United States twice before. At the conclusion of his state sentence in 2030, he will begin serving a five-year sentence for a previous federal conviction involving similar threats.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. State Department, and the South Carolina Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston D. Holliday Jr. is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Romanian National Pleads Guilty to Selling Access to Networks of Oregon State Government Office and Other U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Romanian national pleaded guilty yesterday in connection with an online intrusion into an Oregon state government office, along with multiple cyber attacks on other U.S. victims.
Catalin Dragomir, 45, formerly of Constanta, Romania, pleaded guilty to obtaining information from a protected computer and aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents, Dragomir sold access to a computer on the network of an Oregon state government office after obtaining unauthorized access to it in June 2021. During the sale of access to the computer, Dragomir provided the prospective buyer with samples of personal identifying information from the computer to prove he had actual access to the network. Dragomir also sold access to the computer networks of numerous other victims in the U.S., causing losses of at least $250,000.
On May 21, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Dragomir with obtaining information from a protected computer, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft.
Dragomir was arrested in Romania in November 2024 and extradited to the United States in January 2025.
Dragomir faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release for obtaining information from a protected computer and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison, a fine not to exceed $250,000, and one year of supervised release for aggravated identity theft.
He will be sentenced on May 26, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Dragomir has agreed to pay restitution in full to the victims and forfeited cryptocurrency.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine A. Rykken for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorneys Benjamin A. Bleiberg and Alison M. Zitron of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Romanian Ministry of Justice, Directorate for International Law and Judicial Cooperation, and the Romanian judiciary to secure the arrest and extradition of Dragomir. The Department of Justice also thanks Darkweb IQ for its assistance with the investigation.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Romanian National Pleads Guilty to Selling Access to Networks of Oregon State Government Office and Other U.S. VictimsRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a Romanian national pleaded guilty in connection with an online intrusion into an Oregon state government office in 2021 and other cyber attacks on U.S. victims.
According to court documents, Catalin Dragomir, 45, formerly of Constanta, Romania, sold access to a computer on the network of an Oregon state government office after obtaining unauthorized access to it in June of 2021. During the sale of access to the computer, Dragomir provided the prospective buyer with samples of personal identifying information from the computer. He also sold access to the computer networks of numerous other victims in the U.S., causing losses of at least $250,000.
Dragomir was arrested in Romania in Nov. 2024 and extradited to the United States in Jan. 2025.
Dragomir pleaded guilty to one count of obtaining information from a protected computer and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for obtaining information from a protected computer, to be followed by a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Portland Field Office is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Benjamin A. Bleiberg and Alison M. Zitron of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine A. Rykken for the District of Oregon are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Romanian Ministry of Justice, Directorate for International Law and Judicial Cooperation, and the Romanian judiciary to secure the arrest and extradition of Dragomir. The Department of Justice also thanks Darkweb IQ for its assistance with the investigation.
CCIPS investigates and prosecutes cybercrime in coordination with domestic and international law enforcement agencies, often with assistance from the private sector. Since 2020, CCIPS has secured the conviction of over 180 cybercriminals and court orders for the return of over $350 million in victim funds.
Richland County Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Terrance Lopez Mayo, 33, of Columbia, has been sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on Nov. 13, 2023, officers were called after a witness reported seeing a male passenger in a vehicle point a gun at him. Officers saw the vehicle parked. When they approached, Mayo ran from the vehicle. During the chase, Mayo threw a 9mm pistol to the ground. Investigators later determined the firearm had been reported stolen. Mayo has a prior conviction for attempted armed robbery which prevents him from possessing a firearm under federal law.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Mayo to 31 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case.
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Resident of Cyprus Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Geoffrey Magistrate, 61, a current resident of Limassol, Cyprus, and a prior resident of Pennsylvania,[1] was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for money laundering.
The defendant was arrested on a criminal complaint in August of last year. He was charged by information in October and pleaded guilty in November to one count of money laundering, waiving prosecution by indictment.
As detailed in court filings, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (“IRS-CI”) Global Illicit Financial Team (“GIFT”) identified Magistrate as a corporate service provider in Cyprus potentially involved in concealing and laundering funds obtained from illicit enterprises.
Based upon this information, an IRS undercover agent (the “Undercover Broker”) proceeded to contact Magistrate by phone and explained that the Undercover Broker had clients looking to shield their identities and move money. Magistrate immediately probed the Undercover Broker for more information about what services the Undercover Broker’s clients needed, and provided detailed suggestions of how to achieve the supposed clients’ goals of laundering money.
As further detailed in court filings and admitted to by the defendant, after meeting the Undercover Broker’s “client” (the “Undercover Client,” another IRS agent) in person, Magistrate developed a scheme to launder what he believed to be proceeds of bank fraud through a bank account he controlled in Cyprus.
The scheme consisted of claiming that a U.S. company was investing in Magistrate’s Cypriot company, which would then, in turn, send money back to the United States to purchase real estate property in the Philadelphia area. In fact, the money would be sent back to a company that Magistrate believed was controlled by the Undercover Client.
In furtherance of the scheme, Magistrate created a false paper trail to document the bogus purpose of the transfers of purported bank fraud proceeds to Cyprus, sent misleading emails purporting to document and describe a phony real estate investment, concocted a story to facilitate the transfer of purported bank fraud proceeds from Cyprus back to the United States, created fake documents showing that Magistrate’s company would invest in real estate properties in the Philadelphia area, and advised the Undercover Broker on how to shield the Undercover Client’s identity from banks and regulators by having someone else pose as the ultimate beneficial owner of the U.S. company to which the funds would be returned.
From January 2025 to July 2025, in multiple transactions, the defendant laundered a total of $800,000, keeping a $60,000 commission for himself.
This case was investigated by IRS-CI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ruth Mandelbaum.
[1] The defendant is a dual citizen of the United States and Cyprus.
Preston Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JOEL HUNTSMAN, also known as “Jay Huntsman, “Joel Feser,” and “Jay Blackburn”, 37, of Preston, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 84 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for distributing child sex abuse material.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in June 2022, a police officer in New Albany, Ohio, conducting an online undercover investigation observed multiple users, including a user subsequently identified as Huntsman, posting child pornography in a private group chat using the Kik mobile messenger application, and referred the Huntsman matter to the Connecticut State Police. Also in June 2022, Kik submitted a CyberTip related to Huntsman to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”). On November 2, 2022, the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted a court-authorized search of Huntsman’s residence and seized multiple items, including two mobile phones. Analysis of the seized phones revealed child sex abuse images and videos.
Huntsman has been detained since his arrest on January 26, 2023. On September 9, 2025, he pleaded guilty to distribution of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Connecticut State Police, and the New Albany (Ohio) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Nancy V. Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Pacificorp Agrees to Pay $575 Million to Settle Claims for Damage Caused by Six Wildfires in Oregon and CaliforniaRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $575 million to resolve the United States’ claims for damages resulting from six wildfires in Oregon and California.
The four Oregon fires are:
- The “242 Fire,” which began on Sept. 7, 2020, near Chiloquin and burned 8,916 acres of federal land;
- The “Archie Creek Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, near French Creek in the Umpqua National Forest and burned 67,000 acres of federal land;
- The “Echo Mountain Complex Fire,” which began on Sept. 7, 2020, near Otis and burned approximately 2,500 acres, including federal land; and
- The “South Obenchain Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, east of Eagle Point and burned 14,780 acres of federal land.
The two California fires are:
- The “Slater Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, on Slater Butte National Forest lands within the Klamath National Forest and burned 157,229 acres of federal land within the Klamath, Six River, and Rogue River Siskiyou National Forests; and
- The “McKinney Fire,” which began on July 29, 2022, on land next to the Klamath National Forest and burned 39,000 acres of federal land.
The settlement resolves the United States’ claims that PacifiCorp’s electrical lines negligently started all six fires. The settlement monies will help repay the United States for the substantial costs it incurred fighting the fires, which is critical because the U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half of its budget on wildfire suppression annually. Settlement funds will also be distributed to the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to restore some of the 290,000 acres of public land that were burned.
These recoveries are among the largest federal wildfire recoveries to date.
“The United States and PacifiCorp have reached a settlement that ensures fair compensation to the American taxpayer for fire-related damages,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement strikes a balance by addressing the government’s significant fire-suppression costs and loss of natural resources without preventing PacifiCorp from offering electricity at fair prices.”
“Wildfires remain a recurring threat to our natural resources, the safety of our communities, and their economic well-being. The costs of land losses and fire responses are substantial,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “Recouping the costs associated with these wildfires is a priority for our office, and this settlement achieves that.”
“This settlement served the Department’s longstanding policy of holding individuals and corporations responsible for damages caused by wildfires. Every fire impacting federal lands, no matter the size, is a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant of the Eastern District of California.
This settlement is the result of a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for Oregon and the Eastern District of California, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Lien of the District of Oregon and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Amin and Kelli L. Taylor of the Eastern District of California handled the cases for the U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. PacifiCorp continues to deny liability for these fires.
PacifiCorp Agrees to Pay $575M to Settle Claims for Damage Caused by Six Wildfires in California and OregonRead the Press Release
PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $575 million to resolve the United States’ claims for damages resulting from six wildfires in California and Oregon.
The two California fires are:
- The “Slater Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, on Slater Butte National Forest lands within the Klamath National Forest and burned 157,229 acres of federal land within the Klamath, Six River, and Rogue River Siskiyou National Forests; and
- The “McKinney Fire,” which began on July 29, 2022, on land next to the Klamath National Forest and burned 39,000 acres of federal land.
The four Oregon fires are:
- The “242 Fire,” which began on Sept. 7, 2020, near Chiloquin and burned 8,916 acres of federal land;
- The “Archie Creek Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, near French Creek in the Umpqua National Forest and burned 67,000 acres of federal land;
- The “Echo Mountain Complex Fire,” which began on Sept. 7, 2020, near Otis, Oregon, and burned approximately 2,500 acres, including federal land; and
- The “South Obenchain Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, east of Eagle Point and burned 14,780 acres of federal land.
The settlement resolves the United States’ claims that PacifiCorp’s electrical lines negligently started all six fires. The settlement monies will help repay the United States for the substantial costs it incurred fighting the fires, which is critical because the U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half of its budget on wildfire suppression annually. Settlement funds will also be distributed to the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to restore some of the 290,000 acres of public land that were burned.
“The United States and PacifiCorp have reached a settlement that ensures fair compensation to the American taxpayer for fire-related damages,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement strikes a balance by addressing the government’s significant fire-suppression costs and loss of natural resources without preventing PacifiCorp from offering electricity at fair prices.”
“This settlement served the Department’s longstanding policy of holding individuals and corporations responsible for damages caused by wildfires. Every fire impacting federal lands, no matter the size, is a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant of the Eastern District of California.
“Wildfires remain a recurring threat to our natural resources, the safety of our communities, and their economic well-being. The costs of land losses and fire responses are substantial,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “Recouping the costs associated with these wildfires is a priority for our office, and this settlement achieves that.”
This settlement is the result of a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for Oregon and the Eastern District of California, the U.S. Forest Service and the Department of the Interior.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Amin and Kelli L. Taylor for the Eastern District of California and Alexis Lien for the District of Oregon handled the cases for the U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. PacifiCorp continues to deny liability for these fires.
PacifiCorp Agrees to Pay $575 Million to Settle Claims for Damage Caused by Six Wildfires in California and OregonRead the Press Release
PacifiCorp has agreed to pay $575 million to resolve the United States’ claims for damages resulting from six wildfires in California and Oregon.
The two California fires are:
- The “Slater Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, on Slater Butte National Forest lands within the Klamath National Forest and burned 157,229 acres of federal land within the Klamath, Six River, and Rogue River Siskiyou National Forests; and
- The “McKinney Fire,” which began on July 29, 2022, on land next to the Klamath National Forest and burned 39,000 acres of federal land.
The four Oregon fires are:
- The “242 Fire,” which began on Sept. 7, 2020, near Chiloquin and burned 8,916 acres of federal land;
- The “Archie Creek Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, near French Creek in the Umpqua National Forest and burned 67,000 acres of federal land;
- The “Echo Mountain Complex Fire,” which began on Sept. 7, 2020, near Otis and burned approximately 2,500 acres, including federal land; and
- The “South Obenchain Fire,” which began on Sept. 8, 2020, east of Eagle Point and burned 14,780 acres of federal land.
The settlement resolves the United States’ claims that PacifiCorp’s electrical lines negligently started all six fires. The settlement monies will help repay the United States for the substantial costs it incurred fighting the fires, which is critical because the U.S. Forest Service now spends more than half of its budget on wildfire suppression annually. Settlement funds will also be distributed to the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management to restore some of the 290,000 acres of public land that were burned.
These recoveries, including nearly $240 million related to California fires, are among the largest federal wildfire recoveries to date.
“The United States and PacifiCorp have reached a settlement that ensures fair compensation to the American taxpayer for fire-related damages,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This agreement strikes a balance by addressing the government’s significant fire-suppression costs and loss of natural resources without preventing PacifiCorp from offering electricity at fair prices.”
“This settlement served the Department’s longstanding policy of holding individuals and corporations responsible for damages caused by wildfires. Every fire impacting federal lands, no matter the size, is a priority,” said U.S. Attorney Eric Grant of the Eastern District of California.
“Wildfires remain a recurring threat to our natural resources, the safety of our communities, and their economic well-being. The costs of land losses and fire responses are substantial,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “Recouping the costs associated with these wildfires is a priority for our office, and this settlement achieves that.”
This settlement is the result of a joint effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of California and Oregon, the U.S. Forest Service, and the Department of the Interior.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara Amin and Kelli L. Taylor of the Eastern District of California and Alexis Lien of the District of Oregon handled the cases for the U.S. Attorney’s Offices.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability. PacifiCorp continues to deny liability for these fires.
Pensacola Fentanyl Trafficker Pleads Guilty in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Laurie Ann Chapman, 53, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl, and two counts of distribution of fentanyl. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Fentanyl has had an undeniably devastating, deadly impact on countless communities nationwide, which led President Donald J. Trump to designate the drug a Weapon of Mass Destruction in December 2025 to ensure we deploy every federal resource possible to eliminate it from our streets. Sheriff Chip Simmons and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office are doing great work in collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners to attack this threat head-on, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute and seek maximum punishment for anyone who peddles this poison.”
Court records indicate that Chapman was the target of a multi-month joint investigation. During that time, law enforcement conducted surveillance and documented multiple instances of Chapman and her associates distributing fentanyl. The investigation concluded on May 29, 2025, when officers conducted a traffic stop and found Chapman in possession of more than 100 grams of fentanyl intended for a prearranged sale.
Chapman faces a minimum mandatory sentence of five years’ imprisonment, and up to forty years’ imprisonment, and up to a five-year term of supervised release thereafter.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Escambia County Sherriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2026, at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
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, human and drug trafficking.
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.