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6 April 2026
Eagle Man Sentenced to 52 Months for Embezzlement and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
BOISE – Miles Elletson, 55, of Eagle, Idaho, was sentenced to 52 months in federal prison for wire fraud and filing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, between June 2017 and December 2020, Elletson knowingly and fraudulently devised a scheme to defraud Business-1 of approximately $478,013 and willfully filed false tax returns resulting in a tax loss of $161,354. To fraudulently obtain money, Elletson entered false entries on work orders and submitted fraudulent invoices claiming that Advanced Purchasing Services LLC (APS) performed work for Business-1, when Elletson knew that was not true. That caused Business-1 to issue checks to APS for the fraudulent invoices, checks that Elletson often signed on behalf of Business-1. Elletson provided the checks to the registered owner of APS who deposited the checks. Elletson then instructed that individual to write checks from the APS account to other accounts, fraudulently claiming he used the specified accounts to buy the supplies APS sold to Business-1. In actuality, the accounts were Elletson’s personal accounts, and the charges on the accounts were personal expenses.
In addition, Elletson willfully filed false tax returns because he failed to report the fraudulent income on his U.S. Individual Tax Income Tax Returns, Form 1040 for tax years 2017 through 2020. Elletson’s fraudulent actions resulted in a tax loss of $161,354, which he will repay as restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also ordered Elletson serve 2 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Elletson pleaded guilty to the charges on June 11, 2025.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prosecute cases where individuals defraud and embezzle from businesses and taxpayers,” said U.S Attorney Davis. “We commend the work of our law enforcement partners for their work in helping bring financial crimes defendants to justice.”
“Elletson devised a scheme to abuse his position for personal gain and placed an unfair burden on honest taxpayers,” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “Financial crimes carry severe consequences, and this case is the latest example of what happens when someone thinks they are above the law.”
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation and Garden City Police Department, which led to the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darci Crane prosecuted the case.
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Dominican National and Former Massachusetts Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Almost 700 Grams of FentanylRead the Press Release
Dominican National and Former Massachusetts Resident Pleads Guilty to Distributing Almost 700 Grams of Fentanyl
CONCORD – A citizen of the Dominican Republic and former Boston resident pleaded guilty today to distributing almost 700 grams of fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Niulmi Baez, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, specifically, at least 400 grams of fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for August 3, 2026.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in late 2021 law enforcement learned that the defendant was selling drugs. Between November 2021 and June 2022, an undercover officer engaged in a series of controlled purchases of drugs from Baez. Sometimes Baez delivered the drugs in person, while other times he used a drug runner, including his co-defendant Hamet Badia, to sell drugs. For example, in June 2022, the undercover officer arranged to purchase 400 grams of fentanyl and 200 oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl from Baez. Baez responded that his “brother” would arrive in an Uber rideshare, and that Baez himself would arrive a few minutes later. Badia arrived at the designated meeting spot carrying a green shoe box containing the drugs. Badia gave the drugs to Baez, who exchanged the drugs for a bag containing fake U.S. currency.
Baez left the United States and returned to the Dominican Republic. Law enforcement learned he planned to return to the United States and arrested him at Logan Airport on October 2, 2025. Baez has been detained since.
The charging statute provides a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life, a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life, and a maximum fine of $10 million. 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.
Badia was previously sentenced to a term of 18 months’ imprisonment for his role in the offense.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The U.S. Marshals and Hampton Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
D.C. Sex Offender Charged with Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
drew_collin_imparato_x3_attachments.pdfWASHINGTON – A complaint was filed Friday, April 3, in U.S. District Court charging Drew Collin Imparato, 26, a registered sex offender residing in the District of Columbia, with Receipt of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
According to court documents, in 2019, Imparato was convicted of Interstate Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct and Distribution of Child Pornography and was sentenced to five years’ incarceration. Following his release from custody, Imparato sought out online forums that sold child sexual abuse material. Imparato spent $12,000 to purchase hundreds of videos of child sexual abuse material through Telegram and other online applications.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
This case is being investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Bohlen.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Charges in a complaint are merely allegations, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcD.C. Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing a Homicide InvestigationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Nicks, 34, of Washington, D.C. pleaded guilty today to obstructing a homicide investigation, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Antonio Nicks was subsequently indicted and pleaded guilty in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of obstructing justice and one count of contempt. His guilty plea to the indictment was entered on the eve of jury selection.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 26, 2026, before the Honorable Judith Pipe.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 7, 2023 and July 28, 2023, Antonio Nicks testified under oath in a Superior Court grand jury proceeding in Washington D.C. that was investigating the July 9, 2022 stabbing death of Brittany Palmer.
During his grand jury testimony on July 7, 2023, Nicks declined to answer certain questions and purported to invoke the Fifth Amendment privilege on various topics. On July 14, 2023, a Fifth Amendment privilege hearing was held before Chief Judge Anita Josey-Herring. At this hearing, the Chief Judge found that Nicks did not have a Fifth Amendment privilege and ordered him to answer certain questions in the grand jury. During his grand jury testimony on July 28, 2023, Nicks refused to answer questions even though he acknowledged that he was ordered by the Chief Judge to do so. In subsequent hearings before Chief Judge Josey-Herring on October 2, 2023, December 11, 2023, and January 12, 2024, Nicks continued to express his refusal to answer questions as ordered by the Chief Judge.
Nicks was arrested on a material witness warrant on June 21, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Galloway.
Chippewa County Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Patrick J. Buswell, 51, Holcombe, Wisconsin, was sentenced last week by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 9 years in federal prison for possessing methamphetamine intended for distribution and possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime. Buswell pleaded guilty to these charges on January 16, 2026. The prison term will be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
On June 15, 2025, Buswell led law enforcement on a high-speed chase, reaching speeds over 100 miles per hour on his motorcycle. After reaching a dead end, Buswell continued to flee on foot. When arrested, he was found with over 50 grams of methamphetamine in his pockets, along with $1,600 in cash. In a small cooler in his motorcycle, law enforcement found a loaded firearm, baggies containing additional controlled substances, and digital scales.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson evaluated Buswell’s actions in this case along with his lengthy criminal history. Judge Peterson recognized the need to protect the community from Buswell’s dangerous behavior, including his history of fleeing law enforcement. He urged Buswell to take advantage of prison substance abuse programming.
The charges against Buswell were the result of an investigation conducted by the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force, Rusk County Sherriff’s Office, Chippewa County Sherriff’s Office, West Central Drug Task Force, Clark County Sherriff’s Office, and the Ladysmith Police Department. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force consists of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lennon prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Chinese Nationals Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Saipan, M.P. – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Dong Han, age 52, and Yinhua Yang, age 49, both Chinese nationals, were sentenced on March 26, 2026, in the U.S. District Court of the Northern Mariana Islands for their roles in a methamphetamine distribution conspiracy. Han is a lawful permanent resident married to a U.S. citizen.
Chief Judge Ramona V. Manglona sentenced Han and Yang to 36 months imprisonment each for Conspiracy to Possess Five Grams or More of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, within 1,000 feet of an Elementary School, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B)(viii), 846, and 860(a). Both defendants were also sentenced to one year of supervised release, 50 hours community service, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating the defendants in March 2025 after receiving information from a cooperating defendant about methamphetamine trafficking in Saipan. The cooperating defendant identified Han as a methamphetamine distributor and reported purchasing drugs from him on several occasions.
Investigators later determined that Han was working with Yang, the manager of a business known as Smile Bar in the Paseo de Marianas in Saipan. Surveillance, business records, and information from the CNMI Department of Public Safety confirmed Yang’s connection to the establishment.
In April 2025, law enforcement monitored a meeting at Smile Bar during which Han offered to sell methamphetamine to the cooperating defendant. On May 9, 2025, while under law enforcement supervision, the cooperating defendant met with Han and Yang at Smile Bar and provided $1,000 for methamphetamine. Yang later directed the cooperating defendant to retrieve the drugs near a stairwell of the business. The cooperating defendant obtained 10.3 grams of methamphetamine packaged inside a cigarette pack.
“Law enforcement continues to combat drug trafficking by foreign nationals in the CNMI,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “As this case demonstrates, we will seek sentencing enhancements to hold drug dealers fully accountable for their unlawful conduct. I commend the work of this multi-agency team in bringing these defendants to justice.”
“This sentencing sends a stern message to criminals who peddle dangerous drugs and endanger the safety and wellbeing of our communities. The fact that these drug traffickers were conducting illicit activity within yards of a school was especially concerning,” said Anthony Chrysanthis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration Los Angeles Division, which oversees Guam. “Eventually, they were held accountable for their actions. The strong partnership between local, state, and federal agencies demonstrates DEA’s relentless commitment to bringing drug criminals to justice and halting the flow of methamphetamine and other dangerous drugs.”
This investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration, in collaboration with the CNMI Department of Public Safety.
Assistant United States Attorney Albert S. Flores, Jr. and Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. O’Malley prosecuted this case in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
Cedar Rapids Man Who Threatened to Kill Victim Sentenced to Two Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who repeatedly threatened to kill a victim was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Kyle Ryan Cook, age 36, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an October 31, 2025, guilty plea to one count of interstate communications with a threat to injure.
Evidence at a prior court hearing and at the sentencing hearing showed that between May and June 2025, Cook repeatedly threatened to kill a victim who was not in Iowa via Facebook Messenger. His threats were graphic and specific. After Cook was arrested and was being transported to a court hearing in this case, Cook told federal agents that he was going to kill the victim and put her “six feet in the ground.” Cook has 21 adult convictions, including violent convictions for battery, disorderly conduct, domestic abuse, and assault causing bodily injury.
Cook was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Cook was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Cook is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-71. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Bakersfield Resident Pleads Guilty to Operating an Illegal Money Transmitting BusinessRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Ifeanyi Emmanuel Ugwu, 49, of Bakersfield, pleaded guilty today to operating an unlicensed money transmitting business involving more than $5 million in illegally obtained funds, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between December 2020 and August 2023, Ugwu owned, operated, and served as chief executive officer of Franklin Finance Inc. Through this business, Ugwu opened and controlled 20 bank accounts across nine banks and financial institutions where he received approximately $5 million from more than 100 individuals in the United States. He then transferred the funds to individuals in China, Nigeria, and elsewhere. At no point did the company have the required licenses to operate a money-transmitting business.
Several of the individuals who sent Ugwu funds were victims of cybercrimes and fraud. Ugwu received and transferred approximately $580,000 in fraud proceeds from these victims. Ugwu was able to operate his unlicensed business by making various misrepresentations to individuals, banks, and other financial institutions to conceal his fraudulent activity. Several of the individuals in the United States who sent funds to Ugwu were victims of fraud and cybercrimes.
The IRS Criminal Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cody S. Chapple is prosecuting the case.
Ugwu is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston on July 27, 2026. Ugwu faces a maximum penalty of five years 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.
Avondale Woman Indicted for Theft of Social Security Disability BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – On April 2, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted DENISE BROOKS, (“BROOKS”), age 65, of Avondale, for theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 641, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, in or around November 2014 through November 2023, BROOKS stole Social Security Disability Benefits in the approximate amount of $65,764.00 which was meant for the benefit of her two minor children.
BROOKS faces a maximum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years, a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment cost.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Anne Flippo of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Armed Drug Trafficking on Kickapoo Tribal Land Leads to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Eagle Pass ManRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Eagle Pass man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 360 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine, heroin, and marijuana on Kickapoo Tribal Land while possessing two firearms, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, in 2019, Drug Enforcement Administration and ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents began investigating Rolando Oyervides Jr. aka “Roly,” 40, for distribution of methamphetamine. A search warrant for a social media account belonging to Oyervides Jr. led to the discovery of photos depicting cocaine, heroin, marijuana, methamphetamine, Farmapram, small plastic bags and scales. The search also revealed that Oyervides Jr., as a fugitive, was illegally in possession of multiple firearms. Messages pertaining to the distribution of controlled substances were also found.
Further investigation revealed Oyervides Jr. was selling narcotics out of various residences with children present and used females as drug mules to traffic three to four ounces of narcotics per person, three to four times per week.
On Jan. 29, 2020, DEA and HSI agents executed a search warrant at an Eagle Pass residence, where they encountered Oyervides Jr. and two other individuals, one being a juvenile. Oyervides Jr. was arrested and agents seized marijuana, methamphetamine, scales, and a drug ledger, as well as two .380 caliber semi-automatic pistols, nearly 200 rounds of .380 ammunition, and three 12-gauge shotgun shells.
Oyervides Jr. was indicted on charges of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to and in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On June 24, 2021, he pleaded guilty to counts one and two in the indictment. He was additionally found guilty of the third count in a bench trial on Oct. 29, 2021.
In 2004, Oyervides Jr. was convicted of possession with intent of distributing cocaine and sentenced to 40 months in prison. His supervised release was revoked in 2009, resulting in an additional 11-month imprisonment.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Rivera prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Arizona Man Sentenced to over 13 Years in Prison for Attempted Coercion or Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Anthony Dalton Wolff, 44, of Surprise, Arizona, was sentenced today by United States District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 13 years and eight months in prison and ordered to pay a money judgment of $15,000, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
The sentence includes 15 years of supervised release during which Wolff’s access to minors, electronic devices, and the internet will be restricted, and he will be required to register as a sex offender. Wolff pleaded guilty to the charge on Dec. 15, 2025.
According to court documents, between March 16, 2023, and July 30, 2024, Wolff met and then communicated with an undercover federal agent on a forum on the dark web dedicated to discussion of child sexual abuse. The undercover agent had established a profile for a mother with a 7-year-old daughter. Wolff contacted the agent and immediately stated that he had a long-standing sexual interest in girls, and he hoped to have a sexual relationship with the agent and her purported daughter. Wolff moved the communications to Telegram, an end-to-end encrypted application, and frequently sent videos of himself while viewing and commenting on some of his favorite child exploitation videos. He planned to meet the agent and her daughter in California and described in graphic detail how he wanted to sexually abuse the girl and to have another child with the mother so he could sexually abuse that child.
The Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Gappa 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 the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Albany Man Charged with Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced criminal charges against ANTHONY PARENTE for communicating online and over the phone with an individual he believed to be a 14-year-old girl and attempting to meet the individual to engage in sexual activities. PARENTE was taken into federal custody on April 2, 2026, and presented before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court on April 3, 2026.
“There is little we take more seriously than protecting our children,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, Anthony Parente targeted someone he believed to be a teenaged girl for explicit enticement to participate in sexual activity and then traveled into the Southern District of New York with the intention of engaging in sex with a minor. New Yorkers abhor this alleged conduct; it has no place here. Our prosecutors and our FBI partners are committed to identifying and holding accountable those who attempt to prey on our children.”
“Anthony Parente allegedly engaged in sexually explicit conversations with a purported minor girl and planned to sexually abuse her before authorities arrested him,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI continues to partner with state and local law enforcement agencies to hold accountable any sexual predator who targets minors online for perverted gratification.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
PARENTE was identified on March 27, 2026, as part of a multi-agency operation. PARENTE communicated with an undercover law enforcement officer (“Officer-1”) that PARENTE believed to be a 14-year-old girl using online chat applications, text messaging, and phone calls. During these exchanges, PARENTE discussed his sexual preferences with Officer-1 and provided instructions to Officer-1 as to how she might gratify them, in addition to asking for nude photographs. During their communications, PARENTE sent Officer-1 a number of photos of his face, including this one:
After a period of approximately six days, Officer-1 and PARENTE arranged a meet-up for sex. On April 2, 2026, PARENTE drove approximately two hours to the agreed-upon location, where he was taken into custody by New York State Police and found to have bondage equipment on his person. In a post-arrest statement made after being advised of his rights, PARENTE admitted that he had communicated with a 14-year-old girl and intended to engage in oral and vaginal intercourse with her.
Please read the allegations in this complaint and, if you think you see something similar, say something: call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or use the online tips page: https://tips.fbi.gov.
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PARENTE, 30, of Loudonville, New York, is charged with one count of coercion and enticement of a minor. The statutory minimum for this charge is 10 years in prison, and the maximum is life in prison.
The statutory minimum and maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, New York State Police Troop F – Computer Crimes Unit and Community Stabilization Unit, FBI Albany Field Office, New York State Police Troop G, and U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Briggs is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – An Alabama man, who coerced a 13-year-old Danville, Virginia, girl to send him sexually explicit images and video, pled guilty recently.
Kenneth Melvin Doss, 31, of Huntsville, Alabama, pled guilty recently to one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court records, in July 2025, Doss used Facebook Messenger to convince his 13-year-old relative in Danville to send him sexually explicit images and video of herself. When the minor victim hesitated, saying Doss was her cousin, Doss responded it could be their secret, and they could delete the chats. Doss also sent videos of himself masturbating to the minor victim, and he described the sex acts they could engage in if they met up in person.
First Assistant United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Drew Inman is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Firearm Offenses
Kyle Davion Kohon, 21, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 50 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic violence. According to court documents, on Aug. 20, 2025, police responded to a report that Mr. Kohon had pointed a gun at another person during a dispute at a home in Casper. He fled the scene but was later located by officers after discarding a backpack containing a stolen 9mm pistol; he initially denied possession but later admitted it was his. Kohon also had a prior 2024 domestic battery case involving an altercation with his then-girlfriend. The Casper Police Department, DCI and ATF investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. Kohon was indicted on Nov. 19. 2025 and pleaded guilty on Jan. 8, 2026. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on April 3 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00176
Drug Trafficking
Jayjacob William Buswell, 32, of Cheyenne, Wyoming was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. According to court documents, in May 2025, the DCI Central Enforcement Team received information that the defendant was distributing cocaine in Platte County, Wyoming. Two controlled purchases were conducted, one for approximately 84 grams of cocaine, and the second for approximately 112 grams. On June 20, 2025, agents learned that Buswell would be travelling to Wheatland with a suspected large amount of cocaine. Wyoming Highway Patrol conducted a traffic stop and a drug detection K-9 alerted to a controlled substance. Troopers located approximately 280 grams of cocaine. DCI and WHP investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Hammer prosecuted the case. A complaint was filed on Aug. 4, 2025, and Buswell pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2025. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on March 31 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00150
Teya Larage Janway, 39, of Evanston, Wyoming, was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, in July 2024, DCI began investigating a possible drug ring in southwest Wyoming. In September 2024, a controlled buy led to the purchase of approximately 58 grams of methamphetamine from Jeramie Makinen and Teya Janway. Following their arrest, agents discovered almost a pound of additional methamphetamine hidden by Janway and drug distribution evidence. Subsequent interviews and searches revealed a broader drug distribution operation involving methamphetamine trafficking. DCI investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. Janway was indicted on Jan. 15, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Oct. 22, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Apil 2 in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00008
Drug and Firearm Offenses
Salvador Francis Collard, 46, of Cheyenne, Wyoming was sentenced to 120 months’ imprisonment with ten years of supervised release to follow for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on September 2, 2025, a Cheyenne Police Department (CPD) officer stopped Collard after a traffic violation and detained him after he acted erratically and failed to follow commands. A search of the vehicle revealed large quantities of fentanyl pills and methamphetamine, along with drug paraphernalia, cash, and distribution-related items. Officers also found loaded firearms and ammunition in the vehicle, including a handgun and a shotgun. Collard is a previously convicted felon and prohibited from possessing a firearm. CPD and DEA investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. A complaint was filed on Oct. 7, 2025, and he pleaded guilty on Feb 9, 2026. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on April 3 in Casper. Case No. 26-CR-00002
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is 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. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
3 April 2026
U.S. Marshals Service Locates West Tennessee Fugitive in MexicoRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Today, D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, and Tyreece L. Miller, United States Marshal for the Western District of Tennessee, announced that a fugitive has been arrested in Mexico.
According to information presented in court, Angelica Escobedo Bernal, 33, of Tamaulipas, Mexico, was indicted in the Western District of Tennessee on February 6, 2024 for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Aiding and Abetting the Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
On December 11, 2024, Bernal pled guilty to Aiding and Abetting Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. Based on information presented in court, Bernal participated in the sale of 1 kilogram of methamphetamine. Sentencing was scheduled for May 13, 2025, but Bernal failed to appear for her court date while on bond. The District Court issued an arrest warrant for failure to appear.
The United States Marshals Service (USMS) obtained information that Bernal was in Mexico. On March 24, 2026, Mexican authorities arrested Bernal in Mexico at the request of the United States. Bernal faces extradition proceedings in Mexico.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "No matter how far you run, you cannot escape justice and accountability in this district. I commend the outstanding investigative work of the USMS in the apprehension of this drug trafficking fugitive without further incident. Bernal has sowed addiction and pain into West Tennessee and will now return to reap the consequence of a significant prison sentence."
“The U.S. Marshals Service’s reach is far and wide. For those who think they are safe from capture, it’s just a matter of time before you will face the consequences in a court of law," said U.S. Marshal Tyreece L. Miller.
The United States Marshals Service led the investigation into locating Bernal.
The case was investigated by Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI), and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory D. Allen is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 131 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 131 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 March 29, Alfredo Chavez Montoya and Claudia Patricia Rivera, citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 113 pounds of cocaine concealed in the ceiling, dashboard, center console, floor and back seat rest of their vehicle when they applied for entry to the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
- On March 30, Frances Goenett, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 102 pounds of methamphetamine and three pounds of fentanyl hidden in the car she was driving when she applied for entry to the U.S. through the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On April 1, Gonzalo Vargas-Castaneda, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry After Deportation. According to a complaint, the defendant presented fraudulent documents to Customs and Border Protection officials while trying to cross into the United States in the pedestrian lanes of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. Vargas-Castaneda had been previously removed from the United States in 2011 via Nogales, Arizona, and in 2025 via San Ysidro.
- On March 31, Edgar Eduardo Valencia, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Valencia attempted to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry with an undocumented immigrant in the passenger seat. The immigrant told Customs and Border Protection officers that he is a U.S. citizen from Yuma, Arizona. Unconvinced officers further questioned the passenger, who eventually said he is a Mexican citizen who was not being charged a smuggling fee in exchange for transporting drugs for the defendant once in the U.S.
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 Charges Three Men with Attempting to Rob Undercover Federal Agent in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office today charged three men with attempting to rob a federal agent during an undercover firearm transaction in Chicago.
JEREMY JONES, CHRISTOPHER DENSMORE, and CARMELL MASSEY attempted to rob an agent from the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives on Thursday morning, according to a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Chicago. The agent was working undercover when the agent met with the defendants in a parking lot on the South Side of Chicago for the purpose of buying two firearms from them, the complaint states. During the meeting, the defendants attempted to rob the agent of $600 in government funds that the agent planned to use to purchase the guns, the complaint states. When Jones pointed a firearm at the undercover agent, the agent responded by firing a shot at him, the complaint states. Jones and the two other defendants attempted to flee the area, but law enforcement quickly arrested all three defendants, the complaint states.
The complaint charges Jones, 19, Densmore, 22, and Massey, 20, all of Chicago, with one count of attempted robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The firearm charge is punishable by a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life. The attempted robbery charge is punishable by a maximum of 25 years. The defendants were scheduled to make initial appearances in federal court in Chicago this afternoon.
The complaint was 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. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Gurley.
“Each and every day in Chicago, ATF agents put their lives on the line to fight violent crime and make our city safer,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The undercover agent in this case demonstrated the utmost bravery, courage, and skill, all of which are the hallmarks of our nation’s dedicated ATF agents. Any crimes against law enforcement—especially violent crimes—are direct assaults on the rule of law. Through these serious federal charges, the Chicago U.S. Attorney’s Office will seek to hold these violent offenders accountable.”
“During an undercover firearms trafficking operation yesterday, the offenders arrived with the intention of conducting a robbery,” said ATF SAC Amon. “They did not realize they were targeting highly trained agents who immediately took action to take the offenders into custody and protect their own. I am proud of the professionalism and bravery demonstrated by our undercover law enforcement officers, ATF agents, and Task Force Officers on the scene. These professionals risk their lives day in and day out to target violent criminals and their sources of crime guns. Once the radio call went out, the Chicago Police Department immediately responded and provided critical investigative support, and I am grateful for their work. To be very clear, the conduct of these offenders will not be tolerated, and I want to thank U.S. Attorney Boutros and his team for swiftly bringing federal charges in this case.”
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
jones_et_al_complaint.pdfU.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 April 3, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 70 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 3 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 18 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 82 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 narcotics trafficking, domestic violence, unlawful possession of firearms, alien smuggling, receipt of stolen property, and prior immigration offenses.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two men sentenced to prison for scheme to defraud Savannah Port logistics serviceRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: A logistics company employee and a trucking company owner have been sentenced to prison and ordered to pay restitution after pleading guilty to a scheme that paid for fake transportation invoices.
Philip Charles Smith, 41, of Richmond Hill, Georgia, was sentenced to 27 months in prison and ordered to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, while Antonio J. Evans Sr., 41, of Sylvania, Georgia, was sentenced to 13 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Both men pleaded guilty to Wire Fraud. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Smith and Evans to be held equally responsible for paying $821,899 in restitution.
“Private companies that serve the transportation needs for the Port of Savannah, like all companies, deserve to expect honesty and integrity from their employees and service providers,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Philip Smith betrayed the trust of his employer in order to funnel fake work to Antonio Evans so the two of them could line their pockets, and they’re now being held accountable for their dishonesty.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Smith previously was employed by a national logistics and transportation company that served the Port of Savannah, while Smith was the owner of a local trucking company that served as a licensed carrier for Smith’s employer. One of Smith’s duties was to award contracts on behalf of the company to such third-party carriers to move freight from the port to other destinations.
From about July 2021 to August 2024, Smith devised a scheme in which he used his employee access to create fake freight-hauling jobs that he assigned to Evans. The company then would unwittingly pay Evans for work that didn’t exist, and Evans would kick back a portion of the funds to Smith. The $821,899 in restitution represents the total amount of the company’s loss from the three years of the scheme.
“Schemes like this exploit positions of trust and undermine the integrity of critical supply chain operations supporting the Port of Savannah,” said Brad Snider, Senior Supervisory Resident Agent of FBI Georgia’s Savannah office. “The FBI is committed to holding accountable those who use fraud and deception for personal gain, and we will continue working with our partners to protect businesses from financial crimes that impact commerce and the broader economy.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted for the United States of America by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and L. Alexander Hamner.
Two Men Charged with Beating and Strangling a Man to Death in FebruaryRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced yesterday that Rico Barnes, 36, and Alphonso Walker, 39, both from the District, have been charged with murder in connection with the Feb. 11, 2026, beating and strangulation death of 40-year-old Syed Hussein.
Barnes and Walker were both charged with one count of first-degree murder while armed in D.C. Superior Court on April 2, 2026. A preliminary hearing is set for Rico Barnes on May 18, 2026, and for Alphonso Walker on June 2, 2026.
As described in the arrest warrants issued in the case, at approximately 3:33 a.m., on Feb. 11, 2026, D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Service (FEMS) members responded to a 9-1-1 call that reported smoke coming from apartment 106, inside 1437 Rhode Island Avenue, N.W., a multi-unit apartment building. Responding FEMS members saw the smoke and entered the one-bedroom apartment, which was unlocked. Inside the members found Mr. Hussain lying on the floor, unconscious and unresponsive, with his wrists and ankles bound by neckties. The victim had succumbed to his injuries. The apartment was otherwise unoccupied.
An autopsy on Mr. Hussain’s remains later determined that the manner of his death was a homicide and that the cause of his death was blunt force trauma and ligature strangulation.
During the subsequent MPD investigation, detectives gathered security camera footage as evidence, including from a camera covering the entrance area to Mr. Hussain’s apartment building. That footage showed Mr. Hussain interacting with the two defendants, at 1:40 a.m. on February 11, 2026. The footage shows the defendants physically attacking Mr. Hussain outside the doorway and then following him as he enters the building. Approximately, an hour later the suspects are recorded leaving the building carrying large bags.
On February 14, 2026, MPD detectives recovered numerous items belonging to Mr. Hussain, in a residence in a different neighborhood.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Charges in a complaint are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
2026 CF1 004807; 2026 CF1 004889
Two Charged by Federal Complaint for Stealing Explosive Material and Illegally Possessing Explosive Material and a FirearmRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Two Louisville individuals were arrested yesterday and charged by complaint today with stealing explosive material, possession of explosive material by a prohibited person, and possession of a firearm by a prohibited person.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
The complaint alleges that on or about March 31, 2025, James Culver, 44, and Lasierra Chesher, 39, stole explosive materials. Investigators determined the theft to be approximately 438 pounds of the following explosives: 12 sticks 2.5”x16” Orica Power Pro (DSC 14JA26J1); 89 sticks Orica Senatel Ultrex (DSC 18DE25V4); and 6 fifty-pound bags of Orica Amex-WR ANFO, which had moved in interstate commerce. Based on a tip, law enforcement was able to recover all the stolen explosives.
“The ATF and LMPD were notified on April 1 that a significant amount of explosives had been stolen from a construction site off Bardstown Road,” said United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner. “ATF agents and LMPD officers immediately joined forces to locate the explosive materials and identify a suspect, seeking the help of the Louisville community. In less than 24 hours, and because of exceptional investigative efforts, ATF and LMPD located and safely recovered all stolen explosive materials and arrested the alleged culprits.”
According to the complaint, Culver and Chesher drove to a construction site in Louisville. Culver broke the locks enabling them to obtain the explosives. Upon gaining entry, Culver and Chesher began stealing the explosives. They stored the explosives at another person’s residence and returned home. At their residence, they had a box full of blasting caps. When law enforcement approached Culver and Chesher, Culver fled. Both were apprehended. Subsequently, Culver admitted to his involvement in the theft of explosives.
ATF executed a search warrant at Culver and Chesher’s residence. ATF recovered a .22 caliber rifle along with various caliber ammunition. They also recovered a shockwave exploding target and multiple explosive labels and instructional materials.
Along with the theft of explosive material charge, Culver is also charged with possession of explosive material and possession of a firearm by prohibited person. Culver is prohibited from possessing explosive material and a firearm because he has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, to include receiving stolen property $10,000 or more, burglary in the third degree, and theft by unlawful taking.
Along with the theft of explosive material charge, Chesher is further charged with possession of explosive material by a prohibited person. She was prohibited from possessing explosive materials because she has previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including receiving stolen property under $10,000, trafficking in methamphetamine, and convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
If convicted, Culver faces a maximum sentence of 35 years in prison. Chesher faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Bumgarner thanked the law enforcement partners and prosecutors for their extraordinary work. “This doesn’t happen without strong leadership, strong partnerships, and, most importantly, dedicated and well-trained agents, officers and prosecutors. Job well done.”
“The possession and use of explosives are strictly regulated due to the significant risks they pose,” said ATF Special John Nokes. “This theft created a serious and unnecessary danger to the public. As a result, the ATF and LMPD made this investigation a top priority, working in close coordination to ensure the safe recovery of all explosive materials and the swift apprehension of those responsible.”
“This successful recovery of the stolen explosives and subsequent arrests underscores the strength of coordinated law enforcement and the professionalism of our officers,” said LMPD Chief Paul Humphrey. “LMPD’s Bomb Squad, Homeland Security Unit, SWAT Team, Fugitive Unit, Drone Unit, and Sixth Division Patrol worked seamlessly alongside our ATF partners to help recover a significant amount of stolen explosives and protect our community. I’m extremely proud of the dedication and expertise these units demonstrated. Our continued partnership with the ATF—both the Louisville and Lexington offices—remains vital to keeping our city and region safe.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the ATF and LMPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Lantz of the United States Attorney’s Office Louisville Branch is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A complaint merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tifton Man Sentenced to Prison for Armed Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Tifton, Georgia, man who sold heroin mixed with fentanyl from an outdoor table—maintaining a burn barrel to quickly destroy drugs if needed and offering discounts or trades for wood pallets to keep the fire burning—has been sentenced to prison for armed fentanyl distribution.
Kabryen Sharrod Ross, aka “Juice,” 33, of Tifton, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on April 2, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on July 30, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Fentanyl dealers endanger the entire community by distributing this lethal and illegal substance,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “The Tift County Sheriff’s Office and the GBI successfully shut down this fentanyl source, saving lives and holding those responsible accountable.”
“The GBI remains committed to stopping the supply of deadly substances like fentanyl into our communities,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Our agents and law enforcement partners place themselves in harm’s way each day to apprehend those responsible, purge these drugs from our communities and protect the public.”
Ross’ co-defendant, Adrian Jarod Stanley, 33, of Tifton, was sentenced to 121 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Oct. 30, 2025, after he pleaded guilty to one count of distribution methamphetamine on July 29, 2025.
According to court records and statements made in court, an undercover GBI agent was introduced to Ross, a known heroin dealer in Tift County. Authorities discovered Ross was selling heroin, sometimes mixed with fentanyl, from a table near a residence on South Ridge Avenue in Tifton. At this location, Ross kept a burn barrel to quickly destroy drugs and offered discounts or extra heroin in exchange for wood pallets to keep the fire going. Working with the Tift County Sheriff’s Office, the undercover agent conducted eight controlled purchases from Ross between March and May 2022. During the first purchase, agents seized 0.445 grams of fentanyl mixed with half a gram of heroin and observed Ross with a Glock firearm. On June 3, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Ross’s home on Park Avenue South, where agents found fentanyl, other drugs, a loaded Glock and ammunition.
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.
The GBI and the Tift County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit prosecuted the case for the Government.
St. Thomas Pastor Arrested on Federal and Local Sex Offenses Involving MinorRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, U.S.V.I. – United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that on April 1, 2026, a St. Thomas man was arrested on criminal charges related to his alleged transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.
According to court documents, Lawrence Turnbull, 65, of Estate Mandahl, was the minor’s pastor and youth leader. On multiple occasions, he transported the minor to different locations and touched the minor inappropriately.
Turnbull is charged with transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, coercion and enticement, unlawful sexual contact, and child abuse. If convicted, Turnbull faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Virgin Islands Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rhonda Williams-Henry is prosecuting the case.
An information is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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St. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 114 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a woman who committed an armed carjacking in St. Louis to 114 months in prison.
On the evening of March 12, 2024, in the 3400 block of Grace Avenue in St. Louis, Jonniece Wilson, now 21, of St. Louis, pointed a firearm at the driver of a Hyundai Accent and demanded the keys to the car. She then got in and drove away.
About 30 minutes later, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers spotted the car and tried to pull it over. The vehicle sped up instead of stopping and weaved through traffic and red lights before crashing into a light pole and striking a pedestrian. Wilson, who was not driving the stolen vehicle, was arrested after fleeing on foot with a backpack containing a handgun.
Wilson pleaded guilty in October to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
Second Straight Week of 231 New Immigration Cases in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – For the second consecutive week, federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 231 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. From March 27 to April 2, charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes, burglaries, numerous DWIs, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Devin Michael Brady, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with human smuggling on March 27. A U.S. Border Patrol camera operator observed four individuals running north from the U.S-Mexico border before boarding a silver pickup truck north of Texas Highway 20. Agents conducted a traffic stop on the pickup and, while they did not find any passengers with Brady, they noticed several cell phones inside the truck. A criminal complaint affidavit alleges that a cell phone located on the driver’s seat belonging to Brady, was unlocked and displayed a WhatsApp conversation with a Mexican phone number. The messages were allegedly indicative of a possible smuggling scheme and included a proof-of-life video. The affidavit further alleges that Brady was to be paid $750 for each of the five illegal aliens he picked up and had just dropped the aliens off near his residence. Brady’s lengthy criminal record dates to January 2003 and includes possession of prohibited weapons, evading arrest, and three separate felonies for failure to comply and register as a sex offender following a conviction for aggravated sexual assault as a juvenile.
Ervin Lopez-Marroquin, an illegal alien from Guatemala, was charged with illegal re-entry after being found north of the Rio Grande River, south of the train tracks, and west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. Lopez-Marroquin was previously deported in June 2025 following a conviction for assault, cruelty toward a child, and driving under suspension. In 2024, he was convicted of resisting an officer and a DUI.
Michel Romero Martinez-Jimenez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found in El Paso after having been previously removed for the second time in April 2016. Martinez-Jimenez has been previously convicted for multiple assaults and a DUI.
Juan Carlos Ruiz-Morales, an illegal alien from Mexico, was found in San Marcos after being arrested for his fourth DWI. Ruiz-Morales was last removed from the U.S. in September 2025. He’s now charged with illegal re-entry in Austin.
Also facing an illegal re-entry charge in Austin, Mexican national Jose Israel Silva Ibarra was transferred to ICE custody following his arrest for possession of a controlled substance. Silva Ibarra’s criminal history includes three separate convictions for burglary of a vehicle and a conviction for burglary of a habitation.
In San Antonio, Crispin Juan Carlos Luna-Gutierrez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was transferred to ICE custody from the Atascosa County Jail on March 28. Luna-Gutierrez had been jailed in Jourdanton following a March 8 arrest for a DWI. A review of his criminal record indicated four prior convictions for illegal re-entry.
Jose Antonio Hernandez-Gomez, also an illegal alien from Mexico, was encountered during a traffic stop by the La Vernia Police Department on March 31. He was transported for ICE processing, and a review of his criminal record revealed two prior illegal re-entry convictions, as well as two assault causing bodily injury convictions and a DWI felony. Hernandez-Gomez now faces his third illegal re-entry charge.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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.
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Prime Capital Ventures CEO Sentenced to 97 Months for Multimillion Dollar Wire Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kris Roglieri, age 46, of Queensbury, New York, was sentenced to 97 months in prison for a wire fraud conspiracy committed in connection with the operation and collapse of his purported commercial lending business, Prime Capital Ventures, LLC.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Roglieri admitted that he operated Prime Capital Ventures, LLC (“Prime Capital”) and, between mid-2022 and January 2024, conspired with others to fraudulently obtain tens of millions of dollars from Prime Capital’s clients. As part of the scheme, Roglieri falsely promoted Prime Capital as a lending business capable of making large commercial loans through third-party funding arrangements. Roglieri admitted that he and his co-conspirators deceived clients into sending Prime Capital tens of millions of dollars in payments based on false promises that the payments would allow Prime Capital to obtain these large loans and that the payments would be refunded if those loans did not materialize. Roglieri then used that money to repay or fund prior clients and on extravagant purchases for himself, including private jet travel, jewelry, and cars made by Ferrari, Porsche, Mercedes-Benz, and Maserati.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow Roglieri’s release from prison as well as forfeiture of a $55,484,674.84 money judgment, twelve vehicles, eight watches, a Virginia Beach, Virginia mansion, and other property derived from the scheme. Restitution will be ordered at a later date.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated: “Kris Roglieri callously deceived victims all over the country into trusting him with tens of millions of dollars under the false pretenses that he would secure funding for their projects. Instead of keeping that money safe and delivering on that funding, Roglieri turned around and spent it on exotic cars, rare watches, and private jet travel. Thanks to the hard work of the FBI and members of my office, Roglieri will forfeit those ill-gotten gains, swap his luxury suits for a jumpsuit, and get on the fast track to federal prison.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Tremaroli stated: “Today’s sentence ensures Mr. Roglieri will not just forfeit his luxury belongings and lifestyle, but also his freedom. The FBI was committed to investigating this case to bring justice to the victims he brazenly stole from to build his wildly extravagant lifestyle. This case should send a strong message that the FBI is dedicated to working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable anyone who uses illegal means to take advantage of hardworking Americans.”
Two co-conspirators have also pled guilty in connection with this case. Kimberly Owen, a/k/a Kimberly “Kimmy” Humphrey, age 41, and her brother Christopher Snyder, age 45, both of Virginia Beach, have each pled guilty to a charge of wire fraud conspiracy. Both Owen and Snyder admitted to conspiring with each other and Roglieri to defraud Prime Capital clients. Snyder is scheduled to be sentenced on April 16, 2026, and Owen is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2026.
The FBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuted it. The U.S. Trustee’s Office for the Northern District of New York provided assistance in this investigation.
Previously convicted felons, including an armed career criminal, sentenced to prison on gun chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: One man caught carrying a gun in Savannah’s mall and another who fired shots in a neighborhood face years in prison on firearms charges after sentencings in federal court.
Herman Lamont Dessasure, 43, of Savannah, and Darvin Prest Morris, 41, of Ludowici, Georgia, each were sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, said Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood determined that Dessasure was an armed career criminal because of at least three prior violent felony convictions, and under enhanced sentencing guidelines sentenced him to 170 months in prison, followed by four years of supervised release.
Judge Wood sentenced Morris to 110 months in prison, fined him $1,000 and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Our commitment to safe communities means absolutely no tolerance for convicted felons carrying guns,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “If you’re prohibited from possessing a firearm because of a history of committing crimes, we’ll work with our law enforcement partners to take you off the streets.”
Dessasure, who has a substantial criminal history, was arrested in November 2021 when an Oglethorpe Mall security guard spotted what appeared to be the outline of a firearm under Dessasure’s shirt and alerted Savannah police. An officer found a pistol tucked in Dessasure’s waistband in violation of mall rules, and determined that Dessasure’s prior felony convictions prohibited him from possessing firearms.
Morris, who previously was convicted in federal court for illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, was indicted after an April 2021 incident in which citizens of a McIntosh County neighborhood detained Morris for police after he drove through a man’s yard, brandished a firearm and fired multiple shots.
The cases were prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Makeia R. Jonese, John P. Harper III, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Olsen.
Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 15 years of incarceration on his conviction of distributing child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Justin Hughes, 45, on April 2, 2026. Hughes was also sentenced to 10 years of federal supervision following his release from prison and ordered to pay restitution to one victim.
According to information presented to the Court, Hughes sent at least two emails including 11 video files and one image containing child sexual abuse material to another individual in Ohio. Law enforcement was able to attribute these emails and the email account to Hughes, who is a registered sex offender in Pennsylvania with a prior sexual abuse conviction around 2007.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Hornak commented on the very serious nature of Hughes’ offense, which, in turn, required serious punishment. The judge also noted the harm to Hughes’ victim and the impact of distributing child sexual abuse material.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole A. Stockey prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Hughes.
Olathe Man Sentenced to 97 Months for Stealing 41 Firearms and Transporting Child Pornography into the United StatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Olathe, Ks., man was sentenced yesterday for stealing 41 firearms from a gun store in Raytown, Mo., and for transporting child pornography on his cell phone into the United States from Mexico.
Frank Guereca, 24, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 97 months in prison without parole for stealing firearms from a federal firearms licensee and for transportation of child pornography.
On June 16, 2023, Guereca and two others backed a stolen U-Haul truck into the store of a federally licensed firearms dealer, located in Raytown, Mo., creating a hole in the front of the business. Thereafter, Guereca and the two others entered through the hole and took 41 firearms from the business. One of the stolen pistols from the gun store was recovered in Tracy, Calif., on Nov. 14, 2023. A second stolen pistol was recovered in Chihuahua, Mexico, on Dec. 19, 2023. A third stolen pistol was recovered in Juarez, Mexico, on Feb. 6, 2024.
Guereca was arrested on April 25, 2024, as he attempted to cross back into the United States from Mexico. Guereca had in his possession a Samsung Galaxy cell phone, which was seized by law enforcement. Subsequent review of the contents of the phone pursuant to a federal search warrant revealed at least 250 images and 70 videos depicting child pornography, which Guereca transported into the United States from Mexico.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection records, Guereca had previously crossed the border approximately 20 times since the burglary and theft on June 16, 2023.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Alison D. Dunning. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Raytown, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Guereca will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
North Fort Myers Man Sentenced to More than Six Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Michael Peacock (39, North Fort Myers) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kyle Dudek to six years and six months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Peacock pleaded guilty on October 28, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Peacock was part of a ring of drug distributors in the Palmona Park neighborhood of North Fort Myers. In July 2024, Peacock sold a confidential informant approximately 2 ounces of methamphetamine for $500.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.
Nicaraguan Illegal Alien Guilty of Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that FRANDER ULISES ESPINOZA-RUGAMA (“ESPINOZA- RUGAMA”), age 29, a native of Nicaragua, pleaded guilty on March 31, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long to being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(5)(A) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on or about June 30, 2024, ESPINOZA-RUGAMA, an individual unlawfully present in the United States, was found in possession of a Smith & Wesson nine-millimeter handgun, Model SW9VE. He was arrested by ICE officers for violating immigration laws.
At sentencing, ESPINOZA-RUGAMA faces a maximum penalty of 10 years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 10, 2025.
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.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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New Orleans Man Previously Convicted of Attempted Murder Now Sentenced after Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –KYLE CONERLY (“CONERLY”), age 33, was sentenced on March 25, 2026 by U.S. District Judge Sarah S. Vance to 33 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on November 20, 2023, New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers were conducting surveillance on a residence in the Holly Grove neighborhood. When officers moved in to make arrests, CONERLY ran to the backyard of the residence and threw a loaded handgun over the fence. CONERLY is prohibited from possessing a handgun because of prior convictions for attempted second degree murder and manslaughter in Orleans Parish.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Drug-Trafficking Crimes and Machinegun PossessionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –BRANDON DUNN (“DUNN”), age 20, pleaded guilty on April 1, 2026 before U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to conspiracy to distribute, and possession with intent to distribute, marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(D), and 846, and possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, since at least 2023, DUNN sold marijuana and tapentadol in the New Orleans area. On May 9, 2024, New Orleans Police Department Officers were surveilling DUNN’s residence. DUNN arrived in a stolen Infinity Q60 and exited the driver’s seat of the vehicle. When DUNN saw the officers, he fled on foot and discarded a Glock Model 19, nine-millimeter handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device and an extended magazine loaded with 25 rounds of ammunition. DUNN was apprehended after a short chase. There was a distributable quantity of marijuana in DUNN’s stolen car and DUNN had over $1,000 cash in his pockets. Inside DUNN’s bedroom, officers recovered a money counter, over $15,000 in cash, a Romarm/Cugir Model Micro Draco, 7.62x39-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, credit cards in other people’s names, and a washed check.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, DUNN will serve 11.5 years in prison. The Court took DUNN’s guilty plea but deferred its decision on whether to accept or reject the negotiated plea until sentencing. DUNN also faces a term of supervised release of at least two years up to life. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Threatening a Federal Judge and a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Michael Buck, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 300 months in federal prison for threatening a federal judge, a federal law enforcement officer and their families. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down yesterday by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On February 4, 2025, Buck, 53, of Glenallen, Missouri, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a five-count Second Superseding Indictment for threatening a federal judge, threatening family of a federal judge, threatening a federal law enforcement officer, threatening family of a federal law enforcement officer, and false statements to a federal law enforcement officer. On April 29, 2025, Buck pleaded guilty to the five counts in the Second Superseding Indictment. Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Buck to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In March 2025, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated Buck, who was then an inmate in the Federal Correctional Institution in Forrest City, Arkansas, for making various threats and statements about his intent to kill numerous people upon his pending release from prison. In a surreptitious recording at the federal correctional institution, Buck can be heard making numerous violent threats against the federal judge who sentenced Buck in his 2008 commercial sex trafficking case in the Western District of Missouri. Buck also threatened to kill the former federal prosecutor who had prosecuted Buck’s case, and also family members of both the judge and the former federal prosecutor.
The recording then captures Buck admitting that he has used a contraband prison phone to locate his victims and that he has already called one of them to verify his information and that he hung up the call once he could hear their voice on the call.
Buck has a significant violent criminal history and had served nearly 17 years in prison and was due to be released soon from federal prison. As his release date neared, he continued to make threats and tell people he was going to kill the judge, the prosecutor, their families, and the victims from his previous case in 2008 in the Western District of Missouri where he was convicted of trafficking into involuntary servitude and coerced commercial sex trafficking. Buck’s criminal history includes convictions for second-degree burglary, assault, simple assault, domestic violence, resisting arrest and creating a substantial risk of injury/death to any person, and violation of an order of protection.
“Threats to kill public officials and their families for simply doing their jobs will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ross. “Here, once law enforcement learned that in addition to the defendant’s grotesque threats to murder and torture family members of the public officials involved in his original commercial sex trafficking conviction, that the defendant had also taken steps to locate his intended victims just as he was about to be released from prison, quick action was taken to prevent his release and to notify everyone involved to take precautionary measures. We are grateful for the brave witness that came forward to notify law enforcement of Buck’s wicked plans and also the investigation by the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Prisons that resulted in stopping Buck from the evil he intended to carry out. We are thankful that the court recognized that Buck is a sadistic and dangerous individual that needs to be removed from society for an additional 25 years.”
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the United States Marshals, and the Bureau of Prisons. The case was prosecuted by United States Attorney Jonathan D. Ross and Assistant United States Attorney Bart Dickinson, along with other Assistant United States Attorneys in the United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern District of Arkansas.
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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
Michigan Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 29-year-old man pleaded guilty in federal court to assaulting a federal officer while the officer was performing his official duties.
Damarko Amir Kimble, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty April 2 to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance and Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding Certain Officers or Employers.
According to court documents, on Oct. 7, 2024, federal agents encountered Kimble at a service plaza parking lot on the I-80/90 turnpike in Sandusky County. Kimble’s rental vehicle had expired registration tags. A K-9 officer working with the agents alerted to the presence of illegal substances in Kimble’s vehicle. Agents then conducted a probable cause search of his car and located a backpack on the rear floorboard. Inside, agents found a plastic bag that was suspected—and later confirmed— to contain 577.7 grams of pure methamphetamine. As agents attempted to arrest Kimble, he rushed towards one of the agents to knock him off his feet, throwing him to the ground. Kimble attempted to flee but was apprehended.
Kimble is scheduled to be sentenced July 14. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol Sandusky Bay Station.
Assistant United States Attorney Dexter L. Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio leads the prosecution.
Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison for Sexual Assault on Grounds of Gateway Arch National ParkRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a man to 28 years in prison for sexually assaulting a woman in Gateway Arch National Park in 2023.
Judge Clark ordered the sentence to run consecutive to the 84 months Monte Derrell Boatman, 37, is currently serving for violating his supervised release in a 2009 armed robbery case.
On Dec. 6, 2023, Boatman, of Fairview Heights, Ill., arrived at the Laclede’s Landing MetroLink station at about 5:15 p.m. He was captured on video passing the victim near 4th Street and Washington Avenue at about 5:19 p.m. Roughly one minute later, Boatman turned and began following the victim.
At about 5:30 p.m., Boatman grabbed the victim from behind, wrapped his arms around her and forced her into the bushes with a razor to her neck. Boatman assaulted the victim while threatening her life multiple times.
Boatman was arrested two days later by rangers with the National Park Service after a struggle that resulted in one ranger needing medical treatment.
Boatman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May of 2025 to one felony count of aggravated sexual abuse.
In court Friday, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson said Boatman’s 2023 crime followed a “largely unabated history of criminality since the age of 13.”
Included in that history is the 2009 robbery case in the Southern District of Illinois. Boatman and others robbed a drug dealer, which sparked a vehicle chase and multistate gun battle with the dealer. He was sentenced in 2010 to 171 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the National Park Service and the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, with assistance from the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
Long Island Investment Advisor Pleads Guilty to $160 Million Investment FraudRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Vincent Camarda, the Chairman and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of A.G. Morgan Financial Advisors, LLC (AGM), pleaded guilty to securities fraud and investment advisor fraud. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Nusrat J. Choudhury. When sentenced, Camarda faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, as well as restitution of at least $160,022,836.81 and forfeiture of $6,639,498.17.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the guilty plea.
“We will aggressively prosecute investment advisors who betray their clients’ trust and commit crimes for their own financial gain,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This defendant used a series of lies to lure clients, including elderly and other vulnerable individuals, into investing with him, all while enriching himself. Today’s guilty plea is an important step toward holding the defendant accountable for the substantial harm he has caused.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), New York Regional Office, for their work on the case.
“CEO Vincent Camarda repeatedly deceived trusting clients to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars to finance extravagant purchases. The FBI is committed to protecting investors from executives who abuse their authority to line their own pockets,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
According to court filings and facts presented during the plea proceeding, the defendant Vincent Camarda was the Chairman and CEO of AGM. At the time of his fraud, Camarda had worked in the securities industry for approximately 30 years. He was a registered investment adviser with the SEC and also held licenses as a registered representative with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). In or about and between January 2017 and December 2024, Camarda, together with others, established several investment funds under AGM (the “Camarda Funds”). He then engaged in a scheme to defraud his victims – clients that he owed a fiduciary duty to – in several ways.
First, Camarda solicited funds from the victims by making material misrepresentations, both in private placement memorandums and orally, regarding the investment of their funds. For example, he made materially false representations regarding the risk profile of the investments. Camarda falsely represented, in sum and substance, that investments in the Camarda Funds were “safe” or “low-risk,” when, in fact, they were not. Camarda also misrepresented the diversification of the investments to induce the victims to invest. These misrepresentations were designed to mislead investors into believing that their investments were safer than they actually were. In addition, Camarda failed to disclose material conflicts of interest in connection with the investments made through the Camarda Funds. For example, although Camarda invested the victims’ funds in a single mining business, Camarda never disclosed to the victims that he received compensation from that business. Likewise, although Camarda invested the victims’ funds in a single food service business, Camarda did not disclose to the victims that he had a familial relationship with an individual involved in the business’s operation or that he served as the President of that business.
Separately, Camarda also misappropriated hundreds of thousands of dollars of the victims’ investments in the Camarda Funds and for his personal benefit. Rather than investing those funds as promised, Camarda diverted them to himself through wire transfers. Among other things, Camarda used these stolen funds to pay for personal expenses and luxury items, including plastic surgery, travel, jewelry and luxury goods. For example, one victim wired over $700,000 to Camarda, who then, after investing approximately $370,000 in the high-risk mining operation, misappropriated the other approximately $400,000 for himself, using the money to, among other things, pay off personal credit card bills.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Adam R. Toporovsky is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Janelle Robinson.
The Defendant:
VINCENT CAMARDA
Age: 62
Amityville, NYE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-51
2026.03.09_information-_filed.pdfKansas farmer pleads guilty to crop insurance fraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Kansas man pleaded guilty to defrauding the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) by falsely claiming severe weather destroyed crops that he had actually sold instead.
According to court documents, David L. Mongeau, 54, of Holcomb pleaded guilty to one count of false statements related to crop insurance and one count of bank fraud/attempted bank fraud.
Mongeau owned Mongeau Enterprises, a farming operation in western Kansas. In 2019, he obtained a crop insurance policy through the USDA’s Federal Crop Insurance Program (FCIP) which is subsidized by the federal government. In January 2020, Mongeau submitted a claim indicating he lost a portion of his corn crop in Rooks County, Kansas, due to hail and excess wind. He failed to disclose having sold more than 33,000 bushels of corn to agricultural commodity traders. The sales included corn that he indicated as a loss when filing a crop insurance claim. As a result, Mongeau received an overpayment, causing $241,645 in losses for the FCIP.
Mongeau obtained farm loans from the First National Bank of Syracuse (now doing business as Dream First Bank of Garden City). He pledged numerous pieces of farm equipment along with crops as collateral to secure the loans. Mongeau either traded in or sold collateral and failed to notify the bank about the dispositions. As a result, the bank did not know the collateral was no longer available, and the bank suffered more than $300,000 in losses.
“Kansas is part of the ‘Breadbasket of America’ because of the important role our farmers play in feeding the nation,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We all know that farming is a challenging profession with a litany of potential obstacles, so the Federal Crop Insurance Program serves as a safety net through difficult times. Mr. Mongeau took what was supposed to be a helping hand and exploited that generosity for his own personal gain.”
“Fraud against federal crop insurance programs is a direct abuse of taxpayer-funded support intended to help farmers recover from legitimate losses,” said Inspector General John Walk for the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General. “As alleged, the defendant sought to profit by falsely claiming losses while selling the same crops, undermining the integrity of a program that producers depend on. USDA OIG will continue to pursue those who attempt to exploit these programs and work with our law enforcement partners to ensure they are held accountable. We thank the United States Attorney’s Office and HSI for their continued collaboration in this case.”
Mongeau is scheduled to be sentenced on July 1, 2026.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General is investigating the case.
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Kansas City Man Sentenced for Fraudulent U.S. Treasury Check SchemeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his role in a scheme to alter and forge stolen United States Treasury checks.
Jevon P. Crudup, Jr., 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Grey Kays to 57 months in prison without parole. The court also ordered Crudup to pay $88,020.33 to the victims of the scheme.
On May 20, 2025, Crudup pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud.
According to court documents, Crudup schemed to defraud financial institutions by passing stolen United States Treasury checks that had been altered and forged. The defendant deposited the altered and forged Treasury checks at ATMs using the bank accounts of other persons he met online. These persons provided the defendant with their account information including debit cards and PIN numbers because they believed Crudup would help them make money.
Crudup would then use these individuals’ debit cards to withdraw funds from the account, or the defendant would require these individuals to make cash withdrawals and electronic funds transfers to him using various online payment systems.
In this manner, Crudup passed at least fifteen stolen and forged United States Treasury checks resulting in an intended loss of approximately $160,000.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Venneman. It was investigated by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA).
Jury Finds Apollo Beach Man Guilty of Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – A federal jury has found Ludwin Borgen (49, Apollo Beach) guilty of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death. Borgen faces a minimum penalty of 20 years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for June 16, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to evidence presented at trial, Borgen was a drug dealer in the Tampa Bay area who had supplied the victim with fentanyl on multiple instances in the past. In the late evening of March 28, 2022, the victim began reaching out to Borgen to arrange a purchase the next day. On March 29, 2022, the victim met Borgen at a pharmacy, where she purchased fentanyl from him. The victim returned to a residence where she had been staying with a friend. That evening, the victim injected herself with the fentanyl while soaking in the bathtub. Intoxicated by the fentanyl, she slid under the water and drowned. After noticing that the victim had been in the bathroom for a long time, her friend checked on her and found her body in the bathtub with her head submerged under the water and a syringe floating next to her.
Toxicology revealed that the victim had approximately ten times the therapeutic concentration of fentanyl in her system—a concentration consistent with overdose deaths. Detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office who specialize in overdose deaths investigated and identified Borgen as the person who had sold the fentanyl to the victim. A detective used the victim’s phone to arrange another meeting with Borgen, who arrived intending to sell more fentanyl to the victim. After the investigation team arrested Borgen, they searched his vehicle and found fentanyl, baggies, syringes, and a scale.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Muriel Moore and Michael Sinacore.
Jamaican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Voting in Presidential Primary ElectionRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Jacqueline Wallace, 53, a Jamaican national, pleaded guilty in federal court to voting by an alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Protecting the integrity of our elections not negotiable. Registering to vote and casting a ballot in our elections are actions that we must ensure are taken only by eligible U.S. citizens. My office will aggressively prosecute cases like this to preserve the security of our elections.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant – a Jamaican national who had not been naturalized as a United States citizen – requested a mail-in ballot in July 2024, which was mailed to her address. The defendant then completed her ballot and submitted it by U.S. mail. Wallace’s handwritten name and address appeared on the front of her ballot envelope, and her signature, personal information, and date appeared on the back. The defendant’s ballot was received on August 12, 2024, and her vote in the Presidential Primary election was registered and cast on August 20, 2024. At the time she submitted her ballot, the defendant knew she was not a United States citizen.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Eric W. Welch is prosecuting the case.
Wallace’s sentencing is scheduled for June 11, 2026, at 11:00 am at the United States District Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark Walker.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Jacksonville Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Jena Marie Osborn, a multi-convicted felon, who is currently serving a state prison sentence for possession of drug paraphernalia, will spend 240 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine after completion of the state sentence. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was recently handed down on April 1, 2026, by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
On November 4, 2025, a one-count Information was filed charging Osborn, 46, of Jacksonville, with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Osborn pleaded guilty on November 4, 2025, to the count in the Information. Judge Moody also sentenced Osborn to five years’ supervised release. On July 14, 2025, Osborn was sentenced to 60 months in state prison and will begin her federal sentence at the completion of the state sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
In May 2025, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) utilized a confidential source (CS) to infiltrate a large-scale methamphetamine distributor. An investigation revealed that an unknown female, later identified as Osborn, agreed to sell large quantities of methamphetamine to the CS. The DEA conducted controlled buys from Osborn on two separate occasions with Osborn selling the CS over a pound of methamphetamine each time.
On June 5, 2025, DEA planned another controlled buy of over a pound of methamphetamine from Osborn. Through ariel surveillance, agents observed Osborn leave the suspected stash house carrying a large bag of suspected narcotics and get into a vehicle she had previously been seen in during the investigation. A short time later, deputies from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on Osborn’s vehicle. During the stop, a K9 was deployed who conducted a free air sniff on the vehicle. After the K9 alerted to the vehicle, deputies searched the vehicle and located several bags of suspected methamphetamine. The DEA lab confirmed the bags contained a total of 568.8 grams of methamphetamine.
Osborn has at least two prior convictions for serious drug offenses and is classified as a career offender and is therefore subject to an enhanced sentence. In addition to Osborn’s previous state conviction for possession of drug paraphernalia, Osborn has felony convictions for possession of methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia with intent to manufacture, possession of firearm by certain persons, possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, maintaining a drug premises, exposing a child to methamphetamine, exposing a child to a chemical substance, criminal attempt to manufacture methamphetamine, and fleeing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA with assistance from the Pulaski County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reese Lancaster.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
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Illegal Alien from China Sentenced After Attempting to Check an Undeclared Firearm and Ammunition at Provo Airport in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Xuemei Zhao, 54, of the People’s Republic of China, who was residing in the United States illegally, was sentenced today to time served (imprisonment approximately one year) after she tried to check a suitcase with an undeclared .357 Magnum revolver and ammunition, at the Provo Airport.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Howard C. Nielson Jr., comes after Zhao pleaded guilty on April 29, 2025, to possession of a firearm by a restricted person (alien). Zhao will now be remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
According to court documents and admissions made at Zhao’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on March 20, 2025, the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) discovered a black Rossi Braztech Int’l .357 Magnum revolver pistol in Zhao’s checked luggage. Prior to delivering the suitcase to American Airlines, Zhao did not disclose the presence of the firearm to TSA or American Airlines. In addition to the firearm, Zhao had 9 rounds of .357 ammunition in her carry-on luggage. Zhao was taken into custody and $10,900 in cash was found hidden in her luggage. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement was contacted and confirmed that Zhao arrived on a tourist visa, had a pending asylum application, and was not a lawful permanent resident of the United States. Zhao’s sentence was enhanced under the United States Sentencing Guidelines because the Court found that Zhao possessed the firearm in connection with other illegal conduct, commercial sex work.
First Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Provo Resident Agency. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Kennedy of the District of Utah 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Illegal Alien and Houston Area Co-defendant Sentenced in Del Rio for Deadly Alien Smuggling OperationRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – Jerry Lee Anderson, 29, of Spring, and Orlin Wilfredo Padilla-Murillo, 25, an illegal alien from Honduras, were sentenced to a total of over 29 years in federal prison this week for their roles in a smuggling operation that resulted in the deaths of two illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, in October 2022, a multi-agency law enforcement investigation began following a failed smuggling event that resulted in a single vehicle crash and the deaths of a load driver and two illegal aliens, along with the serious injury of two additional illegal aliens. The four illegal aliens were confirmed to be from Mexico. Alien smuggling organization (ASO) member Michael Demond Kennedy was the front-seat passenger in the vehicle during the crash.
U.S. v Michael Desmond Kennedey et, al Case #2:22cr2324ICE Homeland Security Investigations agents out of Del Rio led the investigation and identified Padilla-Murillo and Anderson as co-conspirators. Phone numbers belonging to Padilla-Murillo and Anderson were found on the phones of several co-conspirators who participated in failed smuggling events. In one event, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Border Patrol stopped a pickup truck pulling a trailer that concealed 11 illegal aliens on Aug. 20, 2022. On Aug. 25, 2022, USBP stopped and conducted an immigration inspection on a vehicle driven by Dewayne Ellis and Keandrea Dontazia Richards, discovering 10 illegal aliens inside a recreational vehicle near Brackettville. On Nov. 10, 2022, a Texas Department of Public Safety trooper attempted to perform a traffic stop on a pickup truck pulling a horse trailer. The pickup nearly drove head-on into an 18-wheeler and led the DPS trooper on a two-minute pursuit on Texas Highway 277. Troopers observed eight illegal aliens in the horse trailer and identified the driver as Kenisha Keshell Washington.
Padilla-Murillo’s and Anderson’s phone numbers were used in numerous WhatsApp messages and CashApp transactions relating to these and other illegal alien smuggling events that occurred between April 1, 2022, and Jan. 30, 2023.
Padilla-Murillo and Anderson were arrested on Nov. 1, 2023. Padilla-Murrillo stated his sole job was to recruit load drivers to pick up illegal aliens at the border and that he was paid $3,500 per illegal alien transported from Eagle Pass to Houston, splitting the money with Anderson and the load driver. Over the course of the conspiracy, the ASO transported at least 100 illegal aliens, collected an average of $10,000 from each illegal alien to be smuggled, and realized a total net income of more than $1 million.
U.S. v Michael Desmond Kennedey et, al Case #2:22cr2324On Wednesday, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses sentenced Anderson to 168 months in federal prison. Judge Moses sentenced Padilla-Murillo to 188 months in federal prison on Thursday. On Feb. 13, she sentenced Kennedy to 87 months in federal prison with credit for time served since March 28, 2023. Another co-defendant, Rashad Jermaine Joshua, is scheduled to be sentenced on April 7.
ICE HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner 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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Illegal Alien Sentenced to over 21 Years in Federal Prison for Narcotics TraffickingRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 262 months in prison for conspiracy to import methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Pedro Alvarado-Montiel aka “Pelon,” 42, was investigated after he was identified as being a drug trafficking facilitator. Alvarado-Montiel, a confirmed member of the Mexican Mafia-affiliated Sureños gang, was stopped for a traffic violation by a Bastrop County Sheriff’s deputy on Sept. 20, 2023. Following a series of questions, the deputy searched the vehicle and discovered two clear, gallon-sized bags and one sandwich bag containing a black, sticky, tar-like substance. The substance was sent to a Drug Enforcement Administration lab, where it was determined to be approximately two kilograms of heroin.
U.S. v Alvarado-Montiel Case #2:23cr3121Later that day, DEA agents executed a search warrant on Alvarado-Montiel’s residence in Dale, where they discovered a large amount of black tar-like substance spread out across the center island in the kitchen and stuck to the countertop along with plastic wrappings. Agents also found two 9mm handguns, multiple magazines, ammunition and wire transfer receipts. In another DEA lab test, the substance found in the home was determined to be approximately 2.1 kgs of heroin.
Alvarado-Montiel was charged in a five-count indictment on Dec. 6, 2023. He was charged with conspiracy to import methamphetamine, importation of methamphetamine, conspiracy to import heroin, importation of heroin and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. On May 20, 2024, Alvarado-Montiel pleaded to one count of conspiracy to import methamphetamine.
Co-defendant Horlando Depaz-Cruz, Jr. who was arrested on May 16, 2021, after being caught driving through the Del Rio Port of Entry with packages of methamphetamine and heroin inside a car battery, pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 31, 2023. He was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025, to 120 months in federal prison and a $2,000 fine.
U.S. v Alvarado-Montiel Case #2:23cr3121The DEA and ICE Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner 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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Hawaii Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Disaster Relief Funds Intended for Lahaina and Pacific Palisades Fire VictimsRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Chelsea Johnson, 32, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced yesterday to four months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release (the first four months to be served as home confinement), along with $60,458 in restitution to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (“FEMA”), following her guilty plea to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Her co-defendant, Daylyn Harris, who also pled guilty, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026.
According to court records, Harris and Johnson conspired to defraud FEMA by submitting false disaster relief claims tied to the Lahaina and Pacific Palisades wildfires. They claimed lost income, housing, and property even though they did not live in the disaster area or suffer those losses.
Harris falsely claimed that he resided in Lahaina during the Lahaina wildfires and that he lost housing, income, suffered medical bills, and lost property as a result. Johnson assisted that fraud by posing as Harris’s Maui landlord. Johnson then falsely claimed to live in Pacific Palisades, California during the Pacific Palisades wildfires and falsely claimed she lost housing and incurred other expenses as a result. Together, Harris and Johnson received over $60,000 in disaster relief from FEMA intended for victims of the wildfires.
The Department of Homeland Security, Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese prosecuted the case.
Goose Creek Man Sentenced in N. Charleston Public Corruption SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Hason Tatorian “Tory” Fields, 52, of Goose Creek, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for conspiracy to commit bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds and honest services wire fraud, bribery with respect to programs receiving federal funds, and honest services wire fraud.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Fields conspired with others to pay bribes to Sandino Moses. At the time, Moses was serving as a member of the City of North Charleston’s City Council representing District 7. Fields paid Moses two bribes as part of an effort to secure his support for the rezoning of the Baker Hospital site. The application for rezoning was pending before City Council when Fields first approached Moses.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Fields to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Fields is the first defendant to be sentenced of the eight charged in a North Charleston public corruption scheme. Six others are awaiting sentencing. Rose Lorenzo is scheduled for jury selection in July.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whit Sowards and Emily Limehouse prosecuted the case.###
Georgia Man Sentenced to Prison for Interstate Threats to Kill a Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Stephane Brice (23, Georgia) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to 27 months in federal prison for interstate transmission of threats to assault and kill a federal law enforcement officer. Brice pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Brice called the IRS to complain about a tax refund issue. During the call, Brice grew frustrated and threatened to go to the IRS office and kill and behead IRS employees. The following day, a federal law enforcement officer called Brice as part of an investigation into his threats. During this call, Brice began shouting profanity-laced threats to behead the federal law enforcement officer and to burn down his house with his children inside.
This case was investigated by Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) and the Internal Revenue Service. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Wheeler III and Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Milliron.
Fort Wainwright Soldier sentenced to 32 years in sadistic child pornography caseRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A Fort Wainwright soldier was sentenced today to 32 years in prison for possessing thousands of images of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and for producing CSAM.
According to court documents, on Sept. 11, 2024, the Fort Eustis Resident Unit of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID) received a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) cybertip reporting that five images of alleged CSAM were uploaded to the online platform, Discord. Fort Eustis Army CID reviewed the images and determined they depicted CSAM of prepubescent female children.
A subsequent investigation resulted in law enforcement executing search warrants in October 2024 for the residence of David Andres Mayoral, 21, his electronic devices and his Discord account.
A review and forensic examination of Mayoral’s account and electronic devices revealed over 2,500 images and over 680 videos of CSAM, and an additional 1,000 computer generated/artificial intelligence images depicting CSAM. Some images depicted the violent rape of children.
Court documents detail conversations Mayoral had with numerous adults and minors across several social media platforms where he discussed distribution and receipt of CSAM, rape, descriptions of sexual acts, violence and other sadistic behavior, including encouraging self-mutilation and attempting to obtain location information for victims so he could “kidnap” them. Mayoral also admitted to sexually abusing a nine-year-old victim.
Mayoral was arrested on Fort Wainwright on March 13, 2025, and a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging him with three counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography on March 20, 2025. Mayoral pleaded guilty to all four charges on Aug. 15, 2025.
Mayoral is required to spend the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his custodial sentence. In handing down the sentence, the Court emphasized the need to protect children from the defendant’s unrelenting abuse.
“Mr. Mayoral hid behind the perceived anonymity of the internet and exploited children for his own sick desires,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “He was unable to hide from the dedicated law enforcement that ultimately uncovered his perversions. He will now spend over three decades behind bars.”
“Mayoral’s predatory crimes against children, both online and offline, were depraved and an affront to our society,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Brandon Waddle of the FBI Anchorage Field Office. “Protecting our children is one of the highest callings in law enforcement. I commend the outstanding work by members of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force in their commitment to holding child predators accountable and seeking justice for victims.”
“Mayoral betrayed the Army’s core values by preying upon and exploiting our most precious and vulnerable,” said Special Agent in Charge Michele Starostka, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Western Field Office. “This sentencing is a result of Army CID’s relentless commitment to protecting our communities from child predators.”
FBI Anchorage Field Office and Army CID investigated the case as part of the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Vosacek prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Former USDA Official Pleads Guilty to Receiving an Illegal GratuityRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Jason Shitanishi, 60, of Honolulu, Hawaii pled guilty in federal court today to receiving an illegal gratuity as a public official. Sentencing is set for July 17, 2026, before Senior U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor.
According to information presented to the court, on or about April 17, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) initiated the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) to provide direct payments to farmers, ranchers, and consumers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The program was administered by the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) and provided payments to producers of certain commodities that experienced COVID-19 related losses. The FSA required an applicant for CFAP assistance to complete and submit an application form. The public official responsible for reviewing and approving a CFAP application for each county was the FSA County Executive Director.
In 2020 and 2021, Shitanishi was employed by the FSA as a County Executive Director for the City and County of Honolulu. On or about April 12, 2021, a woman submitted a CFAP application to Shitanishi that falsely claimed she operated a farm with $685,500 in commodity sales in 2019. The woman also claimed the farm was in the County of Maui, which was the responsibility of another County Executive Director, who was located on Maui and familiar with the farms there. The woman asked Shitanishi if he would accept her application, rather than require her to submit her application to the Maui County Executive Director. Shitanishi obtained the necessary approvals from the FSA to consider the woman’s CFAP application and then approved it. As a result of the false representation on the woman’s CFAP application, the FSA issued the woman a payment of $65,745, to which she was not entitled.
On or about April 18, 2021, the woman then gave Shitanishi a check for $5,000, which Shitanishi understood was for accepting responsibility for the woman’s CFAP application for her Maui farm. Shitanishi later deposited the check into his own personal bank account.
“Our public officials are entrusted to execute their duties honestly and with integrity. In breaching that trust, Shitanishi not only violated the law, but he betrayed the community he was charged with serving,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute those who breach the public trust.”
If convicted, Shitanishi faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of not more than one year.
The FBI and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates is prosecuting the case.