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1 April 2026
Newtonville Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Newtonville man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to a drug distribution offense involving cocaine.
Trevor Headley, 32, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2026. Headley was arrested and charged in October 2025.
In August 2025, Headley distributed cocaine to an undercover law enforcement officer on multiple occasions. On Aug. 12, 2025, after arranging the first transaction through a series of communications, Headley met the undercover officer at a pre-arranged location and sold approximately 112 grams of cocaine. On Aug. 27, 2025, Headley conducted a second controlled transaction, this time distributing approximately 451 grams of cocaine.
Additionally, on recorded phone calls with the undercover officer in September 2025, Headley discussed obtaining an additional kilogram of cocaine for sale and expressed interest in obtaining firearms and machinegun conversion devices – stating that the firearms would be included as part of the negotiation, in exchange for the cocaine.
During a search of Headley’s residence following his arrest in October 2025, approximately three kilograms of cocaine packaged for distribution, along with more than $32,000 in cash and other items consistent with drug trafficking were recovered.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charges of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute cocaine each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
New Jersey Man Who Engaged in Sexual Activity with Minor, Gave Her Cocaine, Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL FRANCISCO GUZMAN, 31, of Woodbridge Township, New Jersey, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 168 months of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release for child exploitation and drug distribution offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2025, Guzman began messaging on Snapchat with a girl under the age of 13 (“minor victim”) in Connecticut. Guzman solicited sexually explicit images from the minor victim and sent sexually explicit images of himself to the minor victim. Later that night, Guzman travelled to Connecticut and engaged in sexual conduct with the minor victim. He also coerced the minor victim into ingesting cocaine.
A court-authorized search of Guzman’s Snapchat account revealed that, between March and May 2025, Guzman attempted to solicit sexually explicit images and arrange sexual encounters with other minors.
Guzman has been detained since his arrest on August 12, 2025. On November 6, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and one count of distribution of a controlled substance to a person under age 21.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the assistance of local police in Connecticut and the Woodbridge Township (N.J.) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Boyles, with the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
New Jersey Emergency Medical Services Company Owner Admits Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The owner of several New Jersey companies, including an emergency medical services company, pleaded guilty to willfully evading taxes, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced today.
Louis V. Greco III, 38, of Highland Mills, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton federal court today, to an information charging him with tax evasion for tax years 2018 to 2022.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Greco owned NJ Mobile Health Care LLC (“NJMHC”), an emergency medical services company that provided ambulance services out of Mahwah, New Jersey. Beginning in or around 2018, Greco caused NJMHC to fail to pay over payroll taxes that were collected from NJMHC’s employees. After the IRS began efforts to collect the outstanding payroll taxes, Greco opened SSME Services LLC (“SSME”) and moved NJMHC’s employees to SSME. Greco then caused SSME to fail to pay to the IRS payroll taxes that were collected from SSME’s employees. After the IRS began efforts to collect the outstanding payroll taxes owed by SSME, Greco opened Lime Line Operations LLC (“LLO”), and moved employees that were previously under NJMHC and SSME’s payrolls to LLO’s payroll. From 2018 to 2022, Greco caused these three companies to fail to pay to the IRS more than $1.4 million in payroll taxes, as well as over $400,000 in Trust Fund Recovery Penalties the IRS assessed against Greco for causing the three companies to fail to pay their employment taxes.
The tax evasion charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for August 5, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Laserna, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering and Recovery Unit.
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Defense counsel: Kevin G. Walsh, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey
Jude Roberto Cardenas, Esq., Carle Place, New York
greco.information.pdfMount Pleasant Resident Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Create and Distribute Animal Crush Videos Containing Violent Torture of MonkeysRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Mount Pleasant, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to create and distribute animal crush videos, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Joseph Garrett Buckland, 44, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that Buckland and others conspired to pool their money to commission the creation of animal crush videos—that is, videos that show actual obscene conduct in which living non-human mammals, in this case, monkeys, were purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury—and then distributed those videos to other group members and chat groups via an instant messaging application. Buckland admitted to sending money on more than 15 occasions to commission animal crush videos and collecting money from others involved in the conspiracy to pool resources to commission such videos for distribution to individuals on the instant messaging app.
“Producing and trafficking in animal crush videos is a serious federal crime,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “Intentionally inflicting harm and torture on innocent animals not only feeds a broader market of criminal depravity, it also often is linked to, or leads to, additional dangerous and violent conduct that further erodes society and public safety. With our law enforcement partners, we will continue to investigate and prosecute all crimes involving violations of federal law relating to horrific acts of cruelty to animals.”
“Today’s plea should serve as a warning: animal crush videos are illegal and we will prosecute individuals engaged in this sadistic behavior,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Investigating and prosecuting cases like this is not easy, and we commend all who worked to bring this perpetrator to justice.”
“Buckland’s decisions, actions, and financial investments directly contributed to the brutal torture of defenseless animals,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans. “Thanks to the diligent investigative efforts of our special agents, in collaboration with the FBI, he has now admitted his role and will face justice in federal court. HSI will continue to investigate these heinous crimes and work with our law enforcement partners, domestically and abroad, to identify, pursue, and hold offenders accountable.”
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for October 29, 2026. The law provides for a total sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania and Trial Attorney Emily Stone of the Department of Justice’s Environment and Natural Resources Division are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
Homeland Security Investigations New Orleans’ Cyber and Human Exploitation Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Buckland.
Morgantown Man Sentenced to Prison for Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Mansfield Davis, 69, of Morgantown, was sentenced today to five months in prison for failure to register as a sex offender as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). The sentence is to be served consecutively to previously imposed sentences totaling seven years and 10 months in prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis was living in South Charleston when he failed to register as a sex offender as required following his conviction for possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on May 20, 2024.
For that offense, Davis was sentenced on September 5, 2024, to six years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by 20 years of supervised release. Davis failed to self-report to prison as required on October 4, 2024. Law enforcement officers arrested Davis in Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 15, 2024. Davis was sentenced on August 20, 2025, to one year in prison for failing to surrender for a federal sentence, with the sentence to run consecutively to the sentence for possession of child pornography.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-189.
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Michigan City Man Sentenced to 70 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jalen Wilson, 33 years old, of Michigan City, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to distributing 40 grams or more of fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Wilson was sentenced to 70 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on two separate occasions, Wilson sold fentanyl to another person. On another occasion, Wilson sold a firearm that was affixed with a machinegun conversion device. Wilson has a prior federal felony conviction for conspiring to distribute heroin and was therefore prohibited from possessing a firearm.
“Jalen Wilson decided to ignore the lessons he should have learned during his first trip through the federal criminal justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Mildred. “Instead, he escalated by diversifying his illicit business into to fentanyl and firearms. Thankfully, the committed public servants with DEA, ATF, LaPorte County Drug Task Force, and our Office brought this recidivist drug dealer to justice. I commend them all for their efforts.”
“Fentanyl remains the country’s deadliest drug threat, claiming nearly 50,000 lives last year. The Drug Enforcement Administration, along with its law enforcement and prosecution partners, will continue to hold accountable anyone who is cruel and evil enough to drive more Americans towards the poison of fentanyl. Mr. Wilson will have much time in a federal penitentiary to think of the lives he destroyed; and hopefully he will discern ways to be a productive member of society once he is free again,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Chip Cooke.
“Every machinegun conversion device taken off the streets is a potential mass shooting prevented. The sentence imposed in this case reflects the seriousness of these offenses as well as the threat dangerous drugs and illegal machinegun conversion devices pose in our community. ATF, alongside our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office, will continue to work together to ensure these violent offenders are held accountable,” said ATF Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the LaPorte County Drug Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lydia T. Lucius and Andrew A. Krumwied.
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.
Members of Richmond-area cocaine conspiracy sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – Two Richmond men and a woman from Colonial Heights are the latest defendants sentenced to prison for their roles in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy investigated by the FBI’s Richmond Field Office and the Richmond Police Department.
According to court documents, Timothy Keon Cousins, 40, led a cocaine distribution conspiracy based in Southwood Apartments in Richmond. Cousins was the source of cocaine for other members of the conspiracy, who then returned proceeds to Cousins.
From Aug. 23, 2024, through July 17, 2025, law enforcement conducted a series of seven controlled buys during which Cousins sold cocaine. Cousins’ co-conspirators Aiyanah Keturah Holloway, 25, and Dequan Duane Evans, 27, participated in some of those transactions. Evans sold cocaine during separate transactions, during one of which Evans used a juvenile to distribute the cocaine to and receive payment from the buyer.
On Aug. 20, 2025, investigators searched Cousins’ residence and seized four firearms, approximately 173 cartridges of ammunition, and two scales with suspected drug residue.
On Oct. 23, 2025, Cousins pled guilty to distribution of cocaine and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. On March 31, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
On Oct. 23, 2025, Holloway pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. She was sentenced today to five years in prison.
On Nov. 13, 2025, Evans pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, employing minors in drug trafficking, and distribution of cocaine. Evans was sentenced on March 23 to six years in prison.
During the same investigation, law enforcement identified Jamale Raquon Kelly, 26; Atio Terrain Walton, 22; and Davante Aandrell Jefferson, 20.
On March 21, 2025, Kelly was arrested with 5.81 grams of cocaine, $635, and a digital scale. Kelly pled guilty on October 23, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced on March 26 to one year and six months in prison.
On July 10, 2025, Walton was arrested in possession of 5.24 grams of cocaine. On March 20, Walton pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 21 and faces up to 20 years in prison.
On Sept. 13, 2025, Jefferson committed an armed robbery and carjacking and was arrested on Sept. 30, 2025. On Feb. 19, Jefferson pled guilty to carjacking and use, carry, brandish a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16 and faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and up to life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen E. Anthony and Katherine E. Groover prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-131.
Massachusetts Man Arrested for Threatening President TrumpRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Great Barrington, Mass., man has been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening President Donald J. Trump. Defendant allegedly posted messages on Facebook threatening to injure and kill the President.
Andrew D. Emerald, 45, was indicted by a federal grand jury on eight counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications. Emerald was arrested this morning and will appear in federal court in Springfield, Mass., at 2:30 p.m. today.
According to the indictment, from May 2025 to July 2025, Emerald intentionally made eight separate Facebook posts in which he threatened to injure President Trump. Specifically, it is alleged that Emerald made the following posts:
- May 3, 2025: “When I see to it that Trump is put to death. It will be the the day the purpose creation put me here for beyond creating. My daughter is fulfilled. (because what she is destined to do for the world is far greater than mine, taking out the orange menace!)”
- May 13, 2025: “Oh, I’m not just watching!! Either Trump is dead and in the ground by 2026 or I am hunting him down and putting him there. Do you hear that FBI and any other organization that wants to show up at my f****** door? 🚪Put the enemy of the United States in a f****** body bag or I will.”
- May 15, 2025: “Cause and effect. Trump being a monster to humanity caused this family suffering, and they might never choose to have children because of him Affect we’re going to f****** kill Trump on public television so the world sees what we do to f****** monsters and then we’re gonna hang him from the Statue of Liberty until his pathetic bloated corpse rots off falls in the ocean, and I swept out the to see with humanities trash 🚮 After what I just heard if Trump is not dead by 2026 I’m going to Mar-a-Lago and I’m going after myself.”
- May 15, 2025: “That’s not a threat that’s a f****** promise and I don’t have Trump arrangement syndrome. The bulls*** they made up. I’m going after him for taking my second amendment rights on constitutionally for calling him the Russian asset that he is! Cause and f****** affect!!!’ I’m going after him because I’m an actual f****** patriot. By the way, if there’s any arrangement syndrome caused by Trump it’s what his cult is inflicting on the rest of us!!!! That is going to end up going down in the psychological history books. Including the bulls*** that is Trump arrangement syndrome. I have very good reason to threaten his life and to go after it whether I have my second amendment rights or not. If the people that are supposed to have not gone after him by the new year, I am hear Trump I’m coming for you you little b****.”
- May 30, 2025: “If others have not taken care of you before the end of the year, Trump, I will, and I won’t make the mistake of not knowing where the f*** you are when I come for you. I’ll make sure you’re at Mar-a-Lago when I burn it to the f****** ground.”
- May 30, 2025: “And you shouldn’t have listened to my father when he said I wasn’t dangerous. I burned a house to the ground once in my life on accident when I burn you to the ground, it will very much be by intention, and I will revel in it instead of regret it for the rest of my life.”
- June 14, 2025: “Because killing is not wrong defending your life or putting down a predator you see taking others through murder. Which is why I’m coming for you, Trump. You’ve killed millions of people by proxy. And you’re a monster to f****** humanity and it is my mission in this life to end your f****** existence. And I won’t be murdering you I will be executing a monster. I will be fulfilling my constitutional duty to execute a criminal citizen that’s committed high treason just like the constitution tells me too, tells us all f****** too.”
- July 7, 2025: “Trump either you’re dead by 2026 or I’m coming for you personally and if I’m the one that kills you, you’re gonna suffer you little f****** b****.”
The charge of interstate transmission of threatening communications provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the United States Secret Service; the United States Postal Inspection Service; and the Great Barrington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Madison Man Sentenced to 3 Years for Marijuana TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Dejaun Angelo, 23, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 years in federal prison for possessing marijuana intended for distribution. The prison term will be followed by 4 years of supervised release. Angelo pled guilty to this charge on November 19, 2025.
In June 2025 the Federal Bureau of Investigation received a tip indicating that Angelo’s “X” account posted racist and violent threats to kill Jews and African Americans. Police obtained a search warrant for Angelo’s near eastside Madison apartment and found numerous marijuana compounds including approximately 19.5 pounds of marijuana, 423 grams of hashish, and 1,500 grams of hashish oil. Police also found numerous firearms in the apartment and hundreds of ammunition boxes in Angelo’s rented storage unit. The investigation determined that Angelo operated a cannabis company and regularly sold marijuana in the community.
At Angelo’s sentencing, Judge Conley expressed profound concern over Angelo’s hateful online comments and noted that it was fortunate police stopped him “before he went further.”
The charge against Angelo was the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted the case.
Lynn Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Two WomenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for benefitting financially from trafficking two women for sex and knowingly persuading and coercing both women to travel to another state to engage in prostitution.
Anthony Coleman, 36, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 12 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Coleman was also ordered to pay $77,000 in restitution. In December 2025, Coleman pleaded guilty to two counts of benefitting financially from trafficking and two counts of knowingly persuading and coercing a person to travel to engage in prostitution. Coleman was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024 and subsequently arrested in April 2024. He has remained in federal custody since.
Coleman targeted victims who had lost their jobs or homes during the COVID-19 pandemic shutdowns in March through August of 2020. Coleman had his victims move in with him, posted or controlled online commercial sex advertisements for them, provided them scripts to negotiate payment and terms with commercial sex buyers and transported his victims to hotels and other places to engage in commercial sex. The victims were required to give Coleman all the money they made. Coleman also regularly coerced his victims to have sex with him.
Specifically, in March 2020, Coleman recruited one victim who had lost her job due to the pandemic. The victim would sometimes be forced to engage in sex acts with 10-16 clients per day, with Coleman taking all the profits. Coleman also took the victim to Florida on multiple occasions to engage in commercial sex. Coleman also physically abused the victim – one time holding the victim underwater and threatening to drown her.
Around March and April 2020, Coleman recruited a second victim, convincing her to come live with him after she was kicked out of her home. The victim was unable to get a job because many businesses were closed due to COVID-19. The victim began engaging in commercial sex for Coleman and in May 2020, Coleman persuaded the victim to travel to California to engage in commercial sex. After she left him, Coleman threatened the victim – telling her he would hurt her mother and her sibling.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Revere and Cambridge Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torey B. Cummings of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit prosecuted the case.
Luzerne County Man Charged with Pandemic Fraud OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that George Moses, age 45, of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on wire fraud, mail fraud, and bank fraud charges.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Moses submitted applications for unemployment compensation, pandemic unemployment compensation, economic injury disaster loan, and paycheck protection program loan benefits falsely representing that he had qualifying income from the operation of multiple businesses in 2019 and 2020. Based upon the false representations, Moses is alleged to have received benefits totaling $134,083.88. The indictment further alleges that during the same time-period, Moses orchestrated a bank fraud scheme, writing checks to himself from financial institution accounts which had been closed or did not maintain sufficient funds, and then depositing those checks, causing total losses of approximately $11,656.90 to financial institutions.
The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Pennsylvania Department of Labor & industry (PA DLI) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's efforts to combat fraud related to the COVID19 pandemic, particularly with respect to the resources made available by Congress through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act for programs including the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, and the Provider Relief Fund.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Ludlow Man Charged with Witness Tampering and RetaliationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Ludlow man has been arrested and charged for allegedly threatening the father of a victim in a pending federal sex trafficking case.
Christopher Barbaro, 72, was charged with harassing and threatening a witness in an ongoing sex trafficking prosecution. The defendant was arrested on March 27, 2026 and made an initial appearance before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Paul G. Levenson in federal court in Boston. The defendant was released on conditions.
According to the charging document, in May 2025, Barbaro’s grandson was charged with conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor and with transporting a victim to engage in prostitution. While those crimes were under investigation in the fall of 2024, government investigators interviewed multiple people, including one of the victims and that victim’s father. After the individuals had been interviewed, Barbaro allegedly sent the victim’s father a text message in November 2024 that stated: “You and your kid are a couple of f***** rats [rat emoji] and you know what happens to rats they choke on cheese you no good mother f***** I know what you guys did.”
It is further alleged that in December 2025, Barbaro allegedly called the victim’s father and left the following voicemail: “You c***sucker. I’m gonna get ahold of you at your f****** office, you prick. Be ready!” Five minutes after leaving that voicemail, Barbaro allegedly called the victim’s father again and told him, among other things, that he was a “rat.”
In March 2026, Barbaro allegedly told federal agents that he made communications to the victim’s father. It is further alleged that Barbaro confirmed that he knew where the victim’s father lives and works. Barbaro allegedly stated that if he saw the victim’s father he would “beat the s*** out of him…after what he did to my grandson.” When asked again if he would beat up the victim’s father, Barbaro allegedly stated, “I’d like to smash his face is what I’d like to do, for what he did miss. I’ll be honest with you. You can write that down. Take it as a threat. Whatever you wanna do. But that’s my feelings towards him. Alright? He’s a slippery SOB.”
“My office is committed to vigorously prosecuting anyone who threatens or harasses victims or witnesses,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This office is committed to protecting the brave individuals who report crimes and assist in prosecutions to hold defendants accountable for their criminal conduct.”
“Christopher Barbaro learned today that witness tampering can land you in handcuffs,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Mr. Barbaro is accused of harassing and threatening to harm a federal witness in a sex trafficking conspiracy case involving his grandson. Let me be clear: ensuring the safety of federal witnesses both before and after a prosecution is paramount, and the FBI takes Barbaro’s alleged acts extremely seriously.”
The charge of harassing another person and thereby hindering a person from assisting in a criminal prosecution, or attempting to do so, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of threatening to cause bodily injury with intent to retaliate against a witness, or attempting to do so, provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
U.S. Attorney Foley and FBI SAC Docks made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Ludlow, Wilbraham and East Longmeadow Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings, Craig Estes and Kunal Pasricha of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lakeland Couple Pleads Guilty to Committing String of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - Andres Correa (39, Lakeland) and Cassandra Kerr (46, Lakeland) have pleaded guilty to a string of Hobbs Act robberies that occurred in August 2025. Correa pleaded guilty to four Hobbs Act robberies, four counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and conspiring to commit the robberies. Kerr pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and conspiring to commit the robberies. Sentencing dates have not yet been set. Each faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, on July 28, 2025, Correa and Kerr robbed a food truck on Sheldon Road in Tampa. During the robbery, Correa entered the business and brandished a firearm while demanding money from two victims. Kerr acted as a lookout for Correa during the robbery.
On August 5, 2025, Correa and Kerr robbed a gas station in Tampa. Correa brandished a pistol and demanded money. Correa pointed a firearm into one of the victim’s stomachs until he received money. Kerr acted as a lookout for Correa outside the store in her vehicle.
Two days later, Correa and Kerr robbed a food mart in Tampa. Correa entered the business and produced a pistol from his chest area while demanding money. Correa held one of the store clerks at gunpoint until receiving cash from the register. Kerr again acted as a lookout for Correa during this robbery.
On August 19, 2025, Correa robbed a smoke shop in Seffner. After pulling a pistol from his chest area, Correa grabbed a customer and moved him back towards the counter. He pointed a gun at the back of his head and demanded cash. The clerk complied by handing Correa the cash register drawer.
On August 26, 2025, FBI and ATF agents, along with detectives from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, executed search warrants in two residences. Inside one of the homes they found clothing consistent with surveillance footage, a firearm consistent with the firearm used in the robberies, a stomach holster, and a ledger with a list of banks and smoke shops along with directions to get to those businesses.
This case is the result of joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Justice Department Sues New Jersey Township over Natural Gas BanRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against Morris Township, New Jersey, over its ordinance banning natural gas, propane gas, and fuel oil infrastructure and appliances in certain new construction. This lawsuit is another example of the Department hard at work in keeping President Donald J. Trump’s promise to the American people to restore consumer freedom and cut energy costs.
As detailed in the complaint, filed Tuesday in the District of New Jersey, Morris Township’s natural gas ban drives up energy costs for everyday American consumers and weakens our Nation’s energy dominance. Such policies reflect a radical left effort to outlaw federally regulated gas stoves, furnaces, water heaters, dryers, and other appliances that American families rely on daily to cook their meals and heat their homes.
“This latest litigation in New Jersey follows two successful lawsuits in California as this Department of Justice fights to make energy more affordable for Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Radical environmentalist policies that drive up costs and limit consumer choice will not stand.”
“The Department brought this lawsuit to protect American citizens the Township abandoned by kowtowing to progressive fearmongering in passing its natural gas ban,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward.
“The Township’s illegal interference with national energy policy must be stopped,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate. “Congress preempted local efforts to outlaw gas stoves and other appliances Americans count on and prefer. This case is about upholding that choice.”
“Where the federal government has exclusive authority to regulate appliances and infrastructure, we will fight state and local overreach,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “Banning natural gas is illegal. It makes heating, cooking, drying, and other life functions more unaffordable for consumers. This Administration is committed to unleashing American energy and empowering Americans.”
Read the full Department of Justice complaint here.
The case is the latest action from the Justice Department fighting back against state and local overreach. Earlier this year, the Department successfully sued two California cities, for similar progressive natural gas bans. As a result of the Department’s suit, the City of Morgan Hill and the City of Petaluma passed ordinances earlier this month rescinding their previous prohibitions on natural gas, in recognition of their unlawfulness.
Justice Department Sues Idaho for Failure to Produce Voter RollsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced it has filed a federal lawsuit against the state of Idaho for failing to produce their full voter registration lists upon request. This brings the Justice Department’s nationwide total to 30 states and the District of Columbia.
“The Justice Department will continue to fulfill its oversight role dutifully, neutrally, and transparently wherever Americans vote in federal elections,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Many state election officials, however, are choosing to fight us in court rather than show their work. We will continue to verify that all States are carrying out critical election integrity legal duties.”
According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with broad authority to request election records under the Civil Rights Act of 1960. This Act allows her to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of statewide voter registration lists that can be cross-checked effectively for improper registrations.
Jamaican national sentenced to six years in prison for trafficking cocaine and returning proceeds to MexicoRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Jamaican national was sentenced today to six years in prison for his role in an international cocaine trafficking conspiracy investigated as part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative.
According to court documents, since at least early 2022, Jason Kristian Duncker, 54, conspired with others in the United States and Mexico to traffic multi-kilogram loads of cocaine and collect the proceeds to be sent to co-conspirators in Mexico. In all, Duncker trafficked between 75 and 100 kilograms of cocaine in 2021 and 2022.
On July 22, 2022, Duncker coordinated a bulk cash pickup of cocaine-trafficking proceeds in Chesapeake, after which law enforcement conducted a traffic stops. Investigators searched Duncker’s vehicle and recovered $250,004 destined for Mexico.
After his arrest, Duncker fled to Mexico. On Oct. 2, 2025, Mexican law enforcement, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), located Duncker and arrested him in General Teran, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. Mexican immigration authorities transported Duncker to Laredo, Texas, where he was turned over to U.S. law enforcement.
Duncker pled guilty on Dec. 22, 2025, to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute cocaine; distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and interstate travel in aid of racketeering.
The DEA’s Washington Division investigated this case with assistance from USMS.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Hudson, former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Butler, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Stolle prosecuted the case.
The HSTF is a United States government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, transnational gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) worldwide. This initiative identifies TCOs engaged in a wide range of criminal schemes that violate federal law, while dismantling cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks that fuel violence and instability that threatens the safety and security of the United States and its global partners. It also places a particular emphasis on criminal offenses involving children and ensures the use of all available law enforcement tools to prosecute offenders and/or facilitate the removal of criminal aliens from the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-24.
Illegal Alien, a Convicted Cocaine Dealer Previously Deported Five Times, Sentenced to 122 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON -- Damion Alexander Peddie, 54, a Jamaican citizen who previously had been convicted of multiple drug trafficking offenses and removed from the United States on at least five prior occasions, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 122 months in federal prison in connection with possessing a cache of weapons and narcotics and for illegally re-entering the country, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Peddie pleaded guilty on Dec. 19, 2025, before Judge Timothy J. Kelly to a three-count information charging him with unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, alien in possession of a firearm, and unlawful re-entry of a previously removed alien. In addition to the 122-month prison term, Judge Kelly ordered Peddie to serve three years of supervised release and to comply with any order of deportation.
“Damion Peddie showed a complete disregard for our laws and our borders—deported five times, yet he chose to come back and arm himself with a cache of weapons and narcotics. A previously convicted drug trafficker, he continued to put American communities at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “This career criminal illegal alien is exactly the type of offender the Trump administration is working tirelessly to remove from our country—after serving his sentence, he will be deported.”
According to court documents, in the Summer of 2024, FBI agents initiated a long-term investigation of a drug trafficking conspiracy centered around the 2900 block of Knox Place, SE. Law enforcement had identified an alleged fentanyl and PCP trafficker with a stash house in the 2900 block of Knox Place. Over the course of their investigation into the trafficker’s narcotics suppliers, investigating agents determined that Peddie was conspiring with members of the drug trafficking operation (DTO) in the redistribution of fentanyl, amongst other narcotics.
On August 26, 2025, FBI agents executed a search warrant at a home in the 400 block of Taylor Street NW as part of a coordinated arrest and search warrant operation in connection with the Knox Place DTO investigation. Agents encountered Peddie walking down the stairs from the second floor of the residence.
In Peddie's bedroom, agents found a ghost gun, a privately manufactured black 9mm Polymer 80 pistol bearing no serial number and untraceable by law enforcement, along with a .22 caliber handgun. Agents also recovered about seven pounds of marijuana, along with distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine.
On the first floor of the home, agents found an H&R .32 caliber revolver, an AR-style ghost gun, six ammunition magazines, assorted rounds of ammunition, and a High Point 9mm carbine rifle.
This criminal case marks Peddie's fifth federal conviction for unlawful re-entry of a previously removed alien. He previously had been convicted of the same offense in the District of Maryland in January 1996, and in the District of Columbia in May 2004, October 2010, and October 2013.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
This case was prosecuted under the auspices of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) network, which is directed under President Trump’s Executive Order titled Protecting the American People Against Invasion.
The mission of the HSTF network is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs and transnational criminal organizations, and to ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office, with assistance from the DEA Washington, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, John Crabb, and Sarah Akhtar of the Violence Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section. Valuable assistance was provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sitara Witanachchi and John Parron.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcIllegal Alien who Shot at DEA Agents Charged with Attempted Murder of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – An illegal alien who shot at Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) special agents attempting to arrest him during a fentanyl sale on Feb. 24, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted murder.
Eduardo Valenzuela Lopez, 33, of Cajeme, Sonora, Mexico, has been charged with Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer; Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding a Law Enforcement Officer; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of/Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense; Possession of a Firearm by an Alien Unlawfully Present in the United States, Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and two counts of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
His codefendant, Jael Gonzalez Banuelos, 22, of Phoenix, was also indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl. The two men were arraigned today in federal court.
“Under the leadership of President Trump and Attorney General Bondi, we are driving a nationwide effort to choke off the flow of fentanyl at every level- from transnational criminal organizations to street-level distribution,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “We continue to stand by our federal agents as they confront these violent criminal networks head on.”
The indictment alleges that the men conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl on Feb. 24, 2026. According to court documents, from Jan. 30, 2026, through Feb. 24, 2026, Valenzuela Lopez negotiated and coordinated the sale and delivery of approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills. Law enforcement officers became aware of the deal and tried to arrest Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos as they delivered the pills. When agents approached their Dodge Ram truck, Valenzuela Lopez opened fire on officers. In response, officers returned fire. No injuries or fatalities resulted, and law enforcement officers subsequently arrested Valenzuela Lopez and Gonzalez Banuelos. Investigators then discovered a firearm on the ground by the driver’s side of the truck, as well as approximately 50,000 fentanyl pills in the truck’s passenger compartment. Later, law enforcement also located a brick of fentanyl powder weighing approximately 1 kilogram at Valenzuela Lopez’s residence.
Convictions for Attempted Murder of a Federal Officer and Assaulting, Resisting, or Impeding a Law Enforcement Officer each carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. Convictions for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of/Use of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Offense; Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl; and Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 grams or more of Fentanyl each carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. The maximum sentence for Possession of a Firearm by an Alien Unlawfully Present in the United States is 15 years in prison.
The FBI Phoenix Division investigated the assault on a federal officer. DEA Phoenix conducted the drug investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 26-CR-00284
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-055_Valenzuela Lopez, Gonzalez Banuelos
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news
Honduran Citizen Guilty of Illegally Re-entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that JULIO VALERIO-SENTENO (“VALERIO-SENTENO”), age 39, pled guilty on March 30, 2026 to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, VALERIO-SENTENO was previously removed from the United States on July 1, 2011, February 27 2012, and October 2, 2013. He was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on May 15, 2025 and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter the United States. United States District Judge Barry W. Ashe accepted the guilty plea and scheduled a sentencing date of May 21, 2026.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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).
Guatemalan National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Pleads Guilty to DepredationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Guatemalan National unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty today after intentionally striking a government vehicle with his car.
Alvaro Carrillo, 33, pleaded guilty to depredation of government property.
According to court documents, on November 11, 2025, federal border patrol agents assisting Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers initiated a traffic stop of a car Carrillo was driving. Carrillo put the car in drive and fled the scene. Carrillo struck the border patrol agents’ vehicle several times during the pursuit, ultimately losing control of his car and colliding with a concrete barrier.
On December 9, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Carrillo with aggravated assault and depredation of government property.
Carrillo was sentenced today to time served after serving nearly five months in custody and he was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,409.27.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon prosecuted the case.
Great Falls man sentenced to 15 years in prison for illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who was prohibited from possessing firearms was sentenced yesterday to 180 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
During an October 2025 trial, a jury found Daniel Lee Evenson, 35, guilty of one count of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in September 2023, Daniel Lee Evenson, a convicted felon on state supervision, was the suspect of new crimes in the Great Falls area. As part of the investigation, law enforcement searched Evenson’s residence and seized a loaded, 9mm Smith & Wesson pistol from a floor vent in his bedroom. The pistol was stolen from a local vehicle in June 2023. During Evenson’s interview, he acknowledged his prior felony convictions, his prohibition from possessing firearms, and the stolen nature of the 9mm pistol.
Evenson further acknowledged committing two hotel robberies with a BB gun but ultimately denied committing a third robbery. Evenson acknowledged being on probation since around 2017 or 2018. Evenson knew roughly what neighborhood the firearm came from but claimed he did not steal it. When officers showed him a photograph of the 9mm pistol, Evenson acknowledged it was the same firearm found in the vent in his bedroom.
At the time of the offense, Evenson had been convicted of at least three prior offenses for violent felonies.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The ATF, Great Falls Police Department, Cascade County Sheriff’s Office, and Montana Probation and Parole conducted the investigation.
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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Four Rockford Men Indicted in Federal Court on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A federal drug investigation has resulted in criminal charges against four individuals for allegedly trafficking cocaine in the Rockford area.
The investigation, led by the FBI and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office, utilized covert surveillance operations, undercover narcotics purchases, and wiretapped communications to shut down an alleged drug trafficking organization involving four Rockford men—AMJED ALSADUN, 38, AHMED ALSADUN, 38, NAMARIO L. HALEY, 38, and WILL A. EVANS, 32. An indictment unsealed on Tuesday in federal court in Rockford charges the four defendants with drug conspiracy and drug distribution.
Amjed Alsadun, Ahmed Alsadun, and Haley were arrested on Tuesday morning and pleaded not guilty during their arraignments that afternoon in federal court in Rockford. Detention hearings for Amjed Alsadun and Ahmed Alsadun are set for April 3, 2026, while a detention hearing for Haley will be held on April 7, 2026. Evans is currently in state custody in Winnebago County on an unrelated charge. His arraignment in federal court is set for April 6, 2026.
The charges and arrests were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Gary Caruana. Winnebago County Sheriff. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Kim.
The public is reminded that an indictment contains only charges and 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.
alsadun_indictment.pdfFour Defendants Sentenced to Federal Prison for Their Role in Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced the sentences of four defendants who assisted each other in distributing methamphetamine in southern Idaho. Two of the defendants lived in eastern Oregon and traveled to Idaho to help conduct a drug transaction.
According to court records, beginning in 2023, Aaron Wesley Newman, 58, of Boise, sold controlled substances to another person on three separate occasions. During the last transaction, investigators identified three other individuals who aided Newman in distributing the methamphetamine. Jessica Leticia Cuevas, 39, of Nyssa, Oregon obtained payment from Newman for the drugs. Selena N. Medrano, 30, of Ontario, Oregon supplied the methamphetamine to Newman. Clark Christopher Brown, 44, of Boise, helped Newman weigh and package the methamphetamine before distribution.
Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced Newman to 156 months in federal prison. Newman was also ordered to complete five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Judge Winmill previously sentenced Newman’s codefendants to prison. On October 28, 2025, he sentenced Brown to 77 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release and sentenced Medrano to 29 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On November 13, 2025, he sentenced Cuevas to 12 months and one day in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Nampa Police Department, Idaho State Police, Idaho Department of Corrections Probation & Parole, Nyssa Police Department, and High Desert Drug Task Force, which led to the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher A. Booker prosecuted the case.
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Four Admit to Drug Trafficking in North Central West VirginiaRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Four people have pled guilty in federal court this week for fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Michelle Denise Gallo, 57, of Fairmont, West Virginia, pled guilty today to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. According to court documents and statements made in court, Gallo was working with others to sell methamphetamine and other drugs and had firearms with her during her drug trafficking work. She’s facing 10 years to life for the drug charge and 5 years to life for the firearms charge.
Lisa Dawn Andrews, 40, of Montrose, West Virginia, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Andrews admitted to working with others to sell methamphetamine in Randolph County and elsewhere. She’s facing 10 years to life in federal prison.
Shawn Galin Whitley, Jr., 35, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents and statements made in court, Whitley was traveling from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Lewis County, West Virginia when the vehicle he was in was stopped by the Lewis County Sheriff’s Department. Officers found a small amount of fentanyl stamps and cash in the vehicle. During a lawful search of Whitely’s hotel room, task force officers seized more than 3,700 fentanyl stamps. He’s facing up to 20 years in prison.
Justin Michael Hoover, 35, of Huttonsville, West Virginia, pled guilty to the distribution of five grams or more of methamphetamine. According to statements made in court, Hoover was selling methamphetamine from his home. He’s facing 5 to 40 years in federal prison.
A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Former West Virginia Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy Against Inmates’ RightsRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Michael Pack, 39, of Beckley, a former corrections officer at the Southern Regional Jail in Beaver, pleaded guilty on Monday, March 30, 2026, for his role in a conspiracy in which he and other correctional officers would use unreasonable force against inmates, including pretrial detainees, as a form of punishment and retaliation. Pack pleaded guilty to one count of violating 18 U.S.C. § 371.
According to his plea agreement and during the plea hearing, Pack acknowledged that he and his co-conspirators would strike, assault, and harm inmates they believed or perceived to have engaged in misconduct. As part of this conspiracy, Pack and his co-conspirators would bring inmates to “blind spots” – areas of the jail that were not captured on surveillance cameras – so that they could use unreasonable and unjustified force against the inmates without being recorded and thus avoid being held accountable for their actions.
Pack further admitted that, as part of the conspiracy, he and his co-conspirators would prepare false reports denying their unreasonable uses of force against inmates and failing to document injuries that inmates sustained during use of force incidents, so that the conspirators would not be investigated or held accountable for their actions.
Pack is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and United States Attorney Moore Capito for the Southern District of West Virginia made the announcement. The FBI Pittsburgh Field Office, Charleston Resident Agency, investigated the case.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Deputy Chief Christine M. Siscaretti and former Trial Attorney Sam Kuhn of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:26-cr-30.
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Former State Department Contractor Sentenced for Sexual Assault While Deployed to Embassy in IraqRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Killeen man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to 18 months in prison for abusive sexual contact, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Taurean Clarence Coppage, 40, sexually assaulted a woman in her residence while he was a contractor with the U.S. Department of State in Baghdad, Iraq. Coppage was to leave Iraq on Feb. 19 and attended a going-away party at the bar on the U.S. Embassy compound the night prior, on Feb. 18. After the party, Coppage walked the female to her residence on the embassy grounds. The two agreed that, given the time of day, Coppage would sleep at the woman’s residence to avoid being out past curfew.
A factual basis filed in the court documents states that, at one point in the night, the woman woke up to Coppage attempting to engage in sexual activities with her, which she rejected and pushed him away before losing consciousness. She reported the events to the authorities, launching an investigation by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), and Coppage admitting he sexually assaulted the victim.
Coppage was summoned to appear in federal court on March 24, 2025. A superseding information was filed on July 31, and he pleaded guilty on Aug. 5. On March 31, 2026, U.S. District Judge David Counts sentenced Coppage to 18 months in federal prison and ordered him to pay $4,949.98 in restitution to the victim.
DSS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Kucera and Department of Justice Criminal Division Trial Attorney Daria Andryushchenko prosecuted the case.
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Former Employee of the Croatian Mission to the U.N. Charged with Embezzling $750,000 Through Fraudulent Invoicing SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael Alfonso, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging RENATA SUPINA-SALTUS in connection with a long-running wire fraud scheme in which she fabricated invoices to embezzle approximately $750,000 from her then-employer, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations (the “PMRC”). SUPINA-SALTUS was arrested and presented today in the District of Connecticut before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia.
“When someone is given access to an organization’s finances, they are being trusted—plain and simple,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Renata Supina-Saltus allegedly abused that trust and turned the Croation Mission into a personal piggy bank, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars.”
“Renata Supina-Saltus held a position of trust as member of the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the United Nations,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “She’s alleged today to have absolutely exploited that trust, enriching herself to the tune of $750,000. Financial crime and corruption undermine institutions and HSI will leverage our international footprint to aggressively pursue those who abuse their positions to benefit themselves.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
From at least in or about July 2017 through in or about November 2023, SUPINA-SALTUS worked at the PMRC in a financial administrative capacity. By virtue of her position, SUPINA-SALTUS had unique access to the PMRC’s vendor payment systems and was authorized to submit and process invoices on the PMRC’s behalf.
For approximately six years SUPINA-SALTUS used her access and position to carry out a fraudulent invoicing scheme to embezzle funds from the PMRC’s accounts into her own personal bank accounts. SUPINA-SALTUS carried out this scheme by at least two different means. SUPINA-SALTUS sometimes made double payments for certain invoices, which typically involved an authorized payment to the vendor for the PMRC and then a second payment of the same amount to one of SUPINA-SALTUS’s own bank accounts. At other times, SUPINA-SALTUS created fake invoices—sometimes from fictitious vendors—and billed them to the PMRC, but then directed the fraudulent payments to bank accounts under her control.
In total, SUPINA-SALTUS embezzled at least approximately $750,000 over the course of her fraudulent invoicing scheme and used the funds for her personal benefit.
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SUPINA-SALTUS, 59, of West Haven, Connecticut, is charged with one count of wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and two counts of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton thanked the State Attorney's Office of the Republic of Croatia, Office for the Suppression of Corruption and Organised Crime. Mr. Clayton also praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI, its New England Field Office and Attache in Vienna, as well as the New York City Police Department.
The case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Pavlis is in charge of the prosecution. The Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Office of Overseas Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training Regional Resident Legal Advisor at U.S. Embassy Zagreb, Croatia provided assistance.
[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.
Florida man who traveled from Florida to Western New York to have sex with a minor going to prisonRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jose Francisco Cardoso Tehovnik, 23, of Orlando, Florida, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 132 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that in February 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik, who was 21 years old at the time, began communicating with a 16-year-old minor victim on social media. Between February 2024 and April 2024, the minor victim sent a video file and two image files depicting the minor victim to Cardoso Tehovnik, each of which constituted child pornography.
In late April 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik flew from Florida to the Western District of New York and rented a hotel room to meet the minor victim in person. On April 27, 2024, the minor victim met Cardoso Tehovnik in the hotel room and the two engaged in sexual intercourse. Between April 2024 and June 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik continued to communicate with the 16-year-old victim on social media. On June 4, 2024, Cardoso Tehovnik again traveled to the Western District of New York to meet the minor victim. Cardoso Tehovnik picked up the minor victim from her school and left the district with the minor victim, intending to take her to Florida. Law enforcement located Cardoso Tehovnik with the victim in New Jersey and Cardoso Tehovnik was arrested and taken into custody.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari, with assistance from the Beach Haven, NJ, Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Markoski.
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Everett Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Everett man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for selling more than half a dozen firearms, including AR-15 style rifles.
Joao Victor Da Silva Soares, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to time served (18 months in prison), to be followed by two years of supervised release. In December 2025, Da Silva Soares pleaded guilty to one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. Da Silva Soares was arrested in September 2024 in a related state case. Da Silva Soares was charged in federal court by criminal complaint in January 2025 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025.
Between August and September 2024, Da Silva Soares supplied firearms for sale in Eastern Massachusetts. Specifically, on Aug. 26, 2024, Da Silva Soares delivered two AR-15 style rifles and sold them for $6,000 in a parking lot in Malden. On Sept. 11, 2024, Da Silva Soares participated in another sale involving a total of five firearms (consisting of rifles, pistols and a shotgun) outside a residence in Milford.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and David T. Wesling, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Malden and Milford Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Del Rio Man Sentenced to over 8 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Traffic FirearmsRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Del Rio man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 105 months in prison for conspiracy to traffic firearms, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Mark Anthony Jimenez aka “M-Thang,” 24, obtained a pistol equipped with a machine gun conversion device, also known as a switch, and purchased two boxes of 9mm ammunition in Del Rio.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives discovered videos Jimenez shared on Facebook depicting himself, a juvenile, and codefendant Alleena Nikole Soto, firing rounds from the pistol with the switch attached, in fully automatic mode. ATF canvassed the property where Jimenez was seen firing the automatic pistol and recovered multiple 9mm shell casings consistent with the ammunition that he purchased.
Jimenez and Soto were arrested on Feb. 8, 2024. Both defendants pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms. Soto was sentenced to 44 months in prison with credit for time served on Nov. 18, 2025.
The ATF investigated the case with support from the Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Border Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, the Val Verde County Sheriff’s Office, the Del Rio Police Department, and Val Verde County Adult Probation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Ellis-Dotson and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Allyson Breach 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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DeKalb County felon indicted for possessing firearm in connection with shootingRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Shikino Quantavius Reid has been arraigned on federal charges of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after Reid allegedly discharged a firearm in a Decatur neighborhood last summer. Reid was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 24, 2026.
“Shikino Reid’s dangerous and violent alleged actions put himself and others at serious risk of injury or death,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We will continue our efforts to prevent and punish gun crime in our community by prosecuting unlawfully armed felons.”
“Repeat offenders pose a serious threat to public safety,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd. “ATF is proud to work alongside our law enforcement partners to protect our communities.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On July 23, 2025, Shikino Quantavius Reid allegedly attempted to start an altercation at his neighbor’s residence in Decatur, Georgia by discharging two firearms into the air. After Reid returned to his vehicle, the neighbor’s associates drew their own firearms and fired at Reid, striking him in the arm as well as a house across the street.
Reid is a multi-convicted violent repeat offender, having been convicted of Attempted Burglary, Aggravated Assault, and Aggravated Battery, as well as being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Shikino Quantavius Reid, 31, of Decatur, Georgia, was arraigned today before U.S. Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins III. Reid will remain in federal custody through the conclusion of his case.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Bircoll is prosecuting the case.
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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Dallas man sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentence under Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of TexasRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas –A Dallas man has been sentenced to over 12 years in federal prison under the Homeland Security Task Force for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Marvin Alexander Portillo, 29, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 151 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Amos L. Mazzant, III on March 31, 2026.
According to information presented in court, in June of 2023, Portillo was identified during a drug trafficking investigation involving the distribution of fentanyl-laced pills in the Eastern District of Texas. Portillo admitted to being involved in a conspiracy responsible for distributing at least 400 grams of a substance containing fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Convicted Felon Sentenced in Possessing Two Loaded Revolvers and Resisting ArrestRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Phillip Alphonso Mayes, 74, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 10 months in prison for unlawful possession of two handguns and ammunition and 6 months in prison for resisting arrest, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Mayes pleaded guilty on Dec. 1, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and to resisting arrest. In addition to the prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Mayes to serve 1 year of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2025, a Metropolitan Police Department officer was dispatched to a multiunit housing building in the 3800 block of W Street SE, where a .38 Special revolver had been found in a mailbox. While the officer was guarding the firearm, Mayes descended the stairs, attempted to retrieve it, and stated “that’s mine” before the officer forcefully removed it from his grasp. The officer attempted to place Mayes under arrest. Mayes struggled with the officer, pushed her against a wall, and pulled her up two flights of stairs before she broke free and returned to the ground floor, sustaining scratches to her right forearm and the right side of her face.
Following his arrest, officers executed a search warrant at Mayes’ unit and recovered a second loaded firearm, a .357 Magnum revolver, concealed in a bag in a closet. Mayes admitted both weapons belonged to him.
Mayes was prohibited from possessing any firearm due to prior felony convictions: a 2001 conviction for possession of a controlled substance in Illinois for which he was ultimately sentenced to two years in prison, and two 1992 convictions for retail fraud and being a habitual offender in Michigan for which he was sentenced to a prison term of between 16 months and two years.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Blake J. Ellison and John Parron.
This case was prosecuted under the Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful initiative. Make D.C. Safe Again is a law enforcement initiative in support of President Trump’s Executive Order to crack down on gun violence, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenses, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
Still Photo of Mayes Holding the Firearm After Taking It from the Mailbox
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Convicted Felon Indicted for Allegedly Possessing a Firearm as a Restricted Person Following a Shooting in Downtown Salt Lake CityRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a previously convicted felon of a firearm crime after he allegedly opened fire outside a downtown Salt Lake City bar where two people were shot.
SLCPDAngelo Mark Garcia, 40, of Salt Lake City, was initially charged by complaint on March 19, 2026.
According to the allegations in court documents, on March 14, 2026, at approximately 1:15 a.m., officers with the Salt Lake City Police Department (SLCPD) responded to a shots fired call outside a bar in downtown Salt Lake City. Upon the officers’ arrival, they located a victim with a gunshot wound. At approximately 1:17 a.m. a Utah Highway Patrol trooper stopped a white SUV near 400 South State Street in Salt Lake City for a traffic violation. The trooper noticed the driver, identified as Garcia, and his passenger had red-brown stains on their clothing and appeared to have been in a recent altercation. During a preliminary search of the vehicle, the trooper observed a firearm underneath the front passenger seat. Subsequently, a search warrant was obtained, and SLCPD detectives seized a Glock 19 9mm semi-automatic pistol. At the scene of the shooting, multiple 9mm casings were recovered. Detectives also obtained video of the incident from multiple sources, and Garcia is allegedly shown firing into the air before firing multiple rounds in the direction of several individuals. Investigators later learned a second person had been shot during the incident. As a previously convicted felon, Garcia is restricted from owning or possessing a firearm and ammunition.
Garcia is charged with felon in possession of a firearm. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for April 3, 2026, at 1:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
First Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The Salt Lake City Police Department’ Patrol Division and Gang Unit is investigating the case. Valuable assistance was provided by the Utah Highway Patrol and FBI.
Assistant United States Attorney Victoria K. McFarland of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Colorado Springs Man Sentenced to 46 Months After Being Convicted on Charges Arising from Hate Crime HoaxRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Derrick Bernard, 36, of Colorado Springs was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release, and a $200 special assessment after being found guilty by a federal jury for conspiring to threaten or convey false information about a threat when he burned a cross in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign defaced with a racial slur and publicized the threatening activity. The cross burning took place on April 23, 2023, just over three weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election was being held.
Evidence presented at trial demonstrated that ten days before the cross burning, Bernard sent a message to the threatened candidate in which he explained he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then immediately texted co-defendant Ashley Blackcloud, “I got a plan.” After the burning occurred, Bernard and Blackcloud then worked together to send an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other local, state, and national organizations. Attached to the email was a short video of the cross burning and a still photograph. The email falsely blamed the candidate’s political opponent for the crime. The defendants then worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms.
The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The CSPD’s extensive review of the footage revealed three people prowling through the darkness between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning to stage the crime. Additional investigative work by the CSPD and exhaustive efforts by the FBI ultimately identified Bernard and Blackcloud, self-declared activists and social media personalities, as two of the culprits.
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI Denver Field Office, with substantial assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline.
CASE NUMBER: 24-cr-00320-RMR
Cleveland Man Who Led Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Operation Gets More Than 24 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – After a multi-year federal investigation, a 38-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for his role as the leader of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed deadly controlled substances throughout Northeast Ohio.
Jerone Tate, 38, of Westlake, Ohio, was sentenced to 292 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after pleading guilty in July of 2025 to the following offenses:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances (fentanyl and cocaine)
- Distribution of a Controlled Substance (cocaine)
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (fentanyl)
- Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (cocaine)
Tate was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, in 2021, federal agents began an investigation into a large-scale drug trafficking organization suspected of being led by Tate. During the investigation, it was discovered that Tate was responsible for organizing and distributing large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl throughout Northeast Ohio. Agents executed multiple search warrants related to the DTO and raided a residence in Cleveland, Tate’s personal residence in Avon Lake, and a restaurant he owned in Richmond Heights.
Throughout the investigation agents seized:
- Approximately 1,902 grams of cocaine
- Approximately 494.2 grams of fentanyl
- Approximately 112.53 grams of fentanyl analogue
- Approximately 19 kilograms of marijuana
- Approximately $63,111 in cash
- A drug press, cellphones, drug ledgers, and other drug paraphernalia.
Co-conspirator Terrill Colbert, 40, of Cleveland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the DTO and is currently serving a 10-year prison sentence.
This investigation was conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.
Cleveland Armed Drug Dealer Sentenced to More Than 24 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 43-year-old man has been sentenced to prison for selling illegal narcotics throughout Cuyahoga County and the surrounding areas.
Omari Clifton, of Garfield Heights, Ohio, was sentenced to 292 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Patricia A. Gaughan for the following offenses:
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm; previous convictions include Drug Trafficking in 2021 and 2018; Drug Possession in 2015; and Felonious Assault in 2013
- Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime
Clifton was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, in October 2024, a local drug task force began an investigation into suspected trafficking of crack cocaine in Northeast Ohio. Clifton was identified as a drug trafficker. In December 2024, a search warrant was executed at his residence in Garfield Heights, where task force officers seized distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, cocaine base (crack), scales, baggies multiple cellphones, and cash. Two loaded firearms— a Smith & Wesson 9mm handgun and a Glock 23 .40 caliber handgun —and ammunition were also seized.
This investigation was conducted by the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force and the FBI Cleveland Division Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, and Laundering Task Force.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Payum Doroodian for the Northern District of Ohio.
Chester man pleads guilty to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Chester man accused of possessing images and videos depicting child pornography admitted to charges yesterday, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
The defendant, Brandon Wayne Roos, 35, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography which carries the following penalties: a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston presided. U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing will be set for a later date. Roos was released on conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on September 24, 2023, Brandon Wayne Roos attempted to cross into Montana from Canada at the Sweetgrass Port of Entry. Acting on a tip, officers from Customs and Border Protection's Office of Field Operations (CBP-OFO) seized Roos’ cell phone and searched it, finding several videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The investigation revealed the images were downloaded to Roos’ phone via the Telegram application and officers found a total of 151 images and 49 videos of child pornography. When interviewed, Roos admitted purchasing and downloading child pornography images via Telegram to both his phone and computer at his home in Chester.
Law enforcement traveled to Roos’ home and seized his computer. A forensic examination revealed 50 images and eight videos of child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations, CBP-OFO, and the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Brook Park Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Trafficking Nearly 2,000 Child Sexual Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 53-year-old Cuyahoga County man has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking thousands of Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM) across the internet.
Ernest A. Fuller II, of Brook Park, Ohio, has been sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison by U.S. District Benita Y. Pearson, after pleading guilty in December 2025, to Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct. He was also ordered to serve five years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay $71,500 in restitution to victims.
Court documents show that throughout a nearly three-year period, Fuller was regularly distributing CSAM using peer-to-peer computer applications. During a search warrant executed at his residence, Fuller’s electronic devices were seized. A forensic analysis of his devices revealed hundreds of saved images depicting the rape, torture, and abuse of children ranging from toddlers to teenagers. Most of the nearly 2,000 files in the defendant’s possession were of minors who were under the age of 12. In addition, investigators found evidence that Fuller regularly deleted CSAM files using a program to optimize speed and disk space. Along with the electronic devices, agents also found CDs that contained CSAM and a child-sized sex toy.
The investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Cleveland Division.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer J. King for the Northern District Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Aviation company employee attempted to take proprietary information to ChinaRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – An Oklahoma man pleaded guilty after lying to U.S. customs officials while attempting to board a flight to the People’s Republic of China with proprietary information belonging to his employer.
According to court documents, Junjie Zhang, also known as Jeff Zhang, 57, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement.
Zhang, a naturalized United States citizen originally from China, worked for an aviation company in Wichita. His position as a senior material and process engineer provided him access to confidential data and proprietary information. In 2018, Zhang’s employer reported him to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) after an incident during a work trip to China where he displayed suspicious behavior.
In September 2019, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) stopped Zhang at an airport in Dallas, Texas, as he was attempting to board a flight to China. During an interview, agents asked if he had any work-related information on his electronic devices to which he responded, “no”. Zhang told the agents the thumb drive and laptop he carried only contained personal information. However, when CBP agents examined the devices, they discovered documents belonging to Zhang’s employer marked “Proprietary” and “Confidential” along with graphs and blueprints associated with the aviation company’s work. Zhang then changed his story to say that his employer had given him permission to have the documents.
CBP alerted the FBI who contacted Zhang’s employer. The company informed the FBI that Zhang was not authorized to have confidential documents on his personal devices or to leave the country with that information.
“Americans invest heavily into technological research and development. Intellectual property theft causes U.S. companies across numerous sectors to lose billions of dollars a year. Often that cost ultimately falls on consumers. Not only are Internet hackers a risk for this theft but so are insider threats from rouge employees,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “The Department of Justice works tirelessly to safeguard the hard-earned intellectual property of Americans and their companies from theft.”
The proprietary data on Zhang’s devices is estimated to be valued at more than $100,000.
Zhang is scheduled to be sentenced on July 23, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Rask and Taylor Hines are prosecuting the case.
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Associate of Motorcycle Gang Drug Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 12 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An associate of the Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a conspiracy to distribute crystal methamphetamine.
Daniel Loughman, a/k/a “Swiss,” 40, of Wakefield, Mass. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In December 2025, Loughman pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine and one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.
Loughman was one of four individuals charged in a large-scale methamphetamine trafficking ring operating in Eastern Massachusetts by members and associates of the Unknown Bikers Motorcycle Club.
In approximately October 2023, Loughman was identified as a drug trafficker who distributed methamphetamine to customers throughout Eastern Massachusetts. Investigators conducted controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Loughman, as well as from his co-conspirators James Snow, of Tewkesbury, Danielle Steenbruggen, of Peabody, and James Adams, of Byfield. Approximately 10 pounds of methamphetamine and four firearms were seized throughout the investigation from controlled purchases, motor vehicle stops and search warrants.
Loughman is the fourth and final defendant to be sentenced in the case. Steenbruggen pleaded guilty in August 2025 and was sentenced to 93 months in prison in November 2025. Snow pleaded guilty in December 2025 and was sentenced to 90 months in prison on March 23, 2026. Adams pleaded guilty in December 2025 and was sentenced to 151 months in prison on March 20, 2026.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Boston Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; Jason Buckley, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Chief Steven A. Skory of the Wakefield Police Department made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Newbury, Newburyport, Haverhill, Peabody and Hampton (N.H.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dawley of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Albuquerque Man Sentenced to Life Plus 60 Months for Violent Kidnapping-for-Ransom SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man was sentenced to life in prison plus 60 months after a federal jury convicted him on kidnapping charges stemming from a 2018 abduction, following nearly seven years on the run from law enforcement.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in 2018, just weeks after his release from prison for a felony firearm conviction stemming from a high-speed police chase, and while under court supervision and wearing a GPS ankle monitor, Jose Ramirez, 47, engineered a calculated and violent kidnapping-for-ransom scheme targeting his former employer, a 68-year-old business owner who had fired him years earlier for theft.
On July 25, 2018, the day before the kidnapping, Ramirez met with his co-defendants in Albuquerque and enlisted them in the scheme, which he described as a plan to retaliate against his former boss and “take him for all he had.” One co-defendant further recruited a third participant, who acted as the primary enforcer during the attack. In the early morning hours of July 26, after stealing a vehicle from a family member, cutting off his GPS monitor and discarding his phone to conceal his movements, Ramirez and his co-defendants traveled to the victim’s residence in Placitas.
At approximately 6 a.m., the defendants ambushed the victim as he exited his home. Ramirez restrained the victim in a chokehold and held a knife to his throat. During the ensuing struggle, the victim was pistol-whipped multiple times before being subdued. The defendants forced the victim into his own Ford Ranger and drove him to a remote location, where they robbed him of cash and a check, bound him, and transported him to a dilapidated shed in Albuquerque.
Ramirez held the victim captive for approximately 15 hours, during which the victim endured additional beatings. Throughout the day, Ramirez made multiple ransom calls to the victim’s daughter, demanding $9,600 and directing her to wire money to a bank account in Mexico. Despite his previous efforts to avoid detection, Ramirez used his personal cell phone to make the calls, which were traced by investigators, and he spoke directly to the victim’s daughter during a recorded call, further identifying himself.
The scheme ultimately unraveled when Ramirez failed to provide the necessary banking information required to complete the international wire transfer. After obtaining only $600 from the victim, Ramirez abandoned the ransom attempt. That evening, the victim was released in southwest Albuquerque and walked to a nearby gas station, where he called for help.
In the aftermath, Ramirez attempted to profit further by using a stolen check bearing his fingerprint, which led to an additional bank fraud conviction for an associate. He then fled New Mexico, traveling to California, where he lived under aliases and continued engaging in criminal activity. Ramirez evaded law enforcement for seven years before being apprehended in California.
On December 12, 2025, a federal jury convicted Ramirez on multiple charges, including conspiracy to kidnap, kidnapping, conspiracy to carjack, carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and extortion. Due to his more than thirty years of criminal conduct and the particularly violent and calculated nature of the crime, the government requested—and the court imposed—a sentence of life in prison plus 60 years.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Valencia County Sheriff’s Office, Albuquerque Police Department and New Mexico Corrections Department Probation and Parole. Assistant United States Attorneys Jack E. Burkhead and Sarah Mease are prosecuting the case.
31 March 2026
Wilbraham Man Sentenced to 32 Months in Prison for Threatening Public Officials, Private Individuals and ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wilbraham, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for making numerous violent threats on social media targeting public figures, private individuals, children in Wilbraham and Boston, and an elementary school in Springfield, Mass.
Funwayo Mbilini Nyawo, a/k/a “Jonathan Funwayo Nyawo,” a/k/a “Michael Jacobs,” a/k/a “Robert Jacobs,”a/k/a “Carl Fields,” 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 32 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In July 2025, Nyawo pleaded guilty to 13 counts of interstate transmission of threatening communications and one count of stalking through facilities of interstate commerce. Nyawo was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2025.
Between July 30, 2024 and Oct. 1, 2024, Nyawo posted various threatening communications on X (formerly known as Twitter). These threats explicitly referenced killing, shooting, or bombing; targeted a wide variety of public figures, private individuals and sensitive public locations such as shopping malls and an elementary school; and often urged Islamic terrorist groups or holy warriors to commit these acts of violence.
Nyawo’s threats included threats to kill an elected United States official (and their family); a former United States official (and their family); a former member of a Massachusetts police department (and their family); two private individuals; local officials and their family members; the children of Wilbraham and Boston; members of the Wilbraham Police Department and Wilbraham Fire Department (and their families); and targeted two shopping malls and an elementary school in Springfield, among others.
In addition, between Aug. 17, 2024 and on or about Oct. 1, 2024, Nyawo used X to engage in a course of conduct with the intent to harass and intimidate the elected United States official, their spouse, their child, their child’s spouse and their grandchildren.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and J. Thomas Manger of the United States Capital Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wilbraham Police Department, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and the Miami-Dade Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Vermilion County Business Owner Sentenced to Jail for Tax FraudRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A Danville, Illinois, man, Howard Keith Wilson, 73, was sentenced on March 30, 2026, to three years of supervised release, during which he will serve thirty consecutive weekends in jail, for failure to pay employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and failure to file federal income tax returns.
On July 24, 2025, Wilson pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Eric I. Long to fifteen separate counts of collecting employment taxes from his employees, which included taxes for his employees’ Social Security and Medicare payments, but then failing to turn over those taxes, or pay the employer’s portion of those taxes, to the IRS. At the time of his plea, Wilson admitted that he had failed to pay those taxes from 2013 through 2020. Wilson also pleaded guilty to three counts of failing to file a personal federal income tax return from 2018 to 2020.
At the sentencing hearing, the government presented evidence establishing that Wilson was the sole owner of Wilson’s Body Shop, a collision repair and car painting business located in Danville, and employed several individuals. Wilson generated and distributed Forms W-2 to his employees whereby he deducted federal employment tax withholdings from their salaries, but then failed to pay those taxes, or the employer’s share of those taxes, to the IRS. Wilson failed to pay employment taxes from at least 2013 through 2020, totaling an employment tax loss of $351,152. Moreover, Wilson failed to file a personal federal income tax return or pay federal taxes for 2018, 2019, and 2020, despite income of $698,354, $1,058,401, and $772,603, respectively, resulting in an additional federal income tax loss of $505,871. The evidence showed that Wilson has a substantial net worth and continues to operate Wilson’s Body Shop in Danville.
U.S. District Judge Colin S. Bruce ordered Wilson to serve one day in jail (time served), to be followed by three years of supervised release, and to pay a $1,575 mandatory special assessment. As a condition of supervised release, Judge Bruce ordered Wilson to pay restitution of $614,411.26 to the IRS and to serve 30 consecutive weekends (known as intermittent confinement) in a local jail where the United States Marshals Service has a contract to hold federal inmates. Judge Bruce also ordered Wilson to pay 50% of his disposable income each month towards his restitution obligation.
The statutory penalties for each count of failing to pay employment taxes are up to five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, full restitution, and a $10,000 fine.
The case investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations Division. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Eugene L. Miller represented the government in the prosecution.
Two Illegal Aliens Arrested with More than 100 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Two illegal aliens were arrested and charged with conspiring with a cartel to distribute more than 100 pounds of methamphetamine in the Northern District of Oklahoma.
Perfecto Alejandro Lopez, 33, a Guatemalan national, and Christian Bernardo Zamora, 26, a Mexican national, are charged with Drug Conspiracy and Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.
During an investigation, DEA agents obtained two search warrants. One was for a home, and the second was for a vehicle. On March 28, the vehicle was pulled over for a traffic violation. DEA agents notified the law enforcement officer that they had a search warrant authorizing a search of the vehicle. When agents searched the vehicle, they found approximately 105 pounds of methamphetamine.
Shortly after the traffic stop, agents executed the search warrant on the home in east Tulsa. Inside the home, agents recovered a large amount of cash, a loaded firearm, and a digital scale.
Lopez and Bernardo Zamora were both arrested and admitted that they entered the United States illegally.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Tulsa Resident Office is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Two Foreign Nationals Sentenced to Prison in March for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that two foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced to prison this month.
Jorge Adalberto Dejesus Rondon, aka Jorge Garcia, Henry Matos, and Edwin Carrillo, 38, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Gerald A. McHugh to 40 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Dejesus had previously been removed from the U.S. three times: in February 2011, following his conviction and sentencing on drug charges in the Philadelphia County Court of Common Pleas; in June 2015, after serving the sentence imposed for his first illegal reentry conviction in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania; and in August 2019, after serving sentences for illegal reentry in the Southern District of Texas and violating his supervised release in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
After Dejesus eluded an attempted arrest in April of last year, law enforcement officers located and arrested him in June in a Philadelphia residence.
The defendant was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in July and pleaded guilty in November.
Warlin DeJesus Arnaud-Salcedo, 41, a Dominican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Costello to 14 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Arnaud-Salcedo had previously been removed from the U.S. in May 2016.
In May of last year, ICE encountered the defendant on the 6100 block of Hegerman Street in Philadelphia, while searching for other individuals. He provided identification and was permitted to leave the area. Shortly thereafter, ICE personnel determined that Arnaud-Salcedo had reentered the country illegally. They located and took him into custody the following day.
Arnaud-Salcedo was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in June of last year and pleaded guilty in October.
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.
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark Dubnoff and Mark Sendek.
Tugboat Captain Charged in Biscayne Bay Collision Resulting in Deaths of Three ChildrenRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A tugboat captain has been charged with seaman’s manslaughter after operating a barge with obstructed visibility and without a proper lookout, resulting in a fatal collision in Biscayne Bay that killed three children.
“Our hearts are with the families of the children who lost their lives in this tragedy,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “This information alleges a preventable loss of life on our waterways, including the failure to follow basic maritime safety rules and cellphone use during transit at or near the time of the collision. We will present the evidence in court with care and professionalism. As in every case, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
According to court records, Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, of Miami, was piloting a tugboat pushing a barge loaded with construction debris across Biscayne Bay on July 28, 2025. The vessel’s forward view was obstructed by a deckhouse and crane, and no one aboard was assigned as a lookout.
At the same time, a children’s sailing camp was operating nearby. A sailboat carrying one counselor and five children lost wind and stalled in the path of the tugboat and barge. Due to the obstructed visibility, and lack of a lookout, Insua did not see the stalled sailboat before the barge struck it.
A forensic review of Insua’s cellphone revealed internet activity during transit, including at or near the time of the collision.
The counselor and two children escaped after being dragged under the barge. Three children were trapped in the wreckage and drowned.
Insua is charged with seaman’s manslaughter. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Edward L. Songer of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS), Southeast Region; and Captain Frank J. Florio III of U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), Sector Miami, made the announcement.
CGIS, Southeast Region; USCG, Sector Miami; and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) are investigating the case. U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones commends the valiant rescue efforts of the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office, the Miami Police Department, and the Miami Beach Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Gilfarb and Daniel Rosenfeld, along with Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner Stiehl, are prosecuting the case.
An information is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 26-cr-20122.
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The United States Attorney’s Office Welcomes New Members of the Civil DivisionRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office Welcomes New Members of the Civil Division
CONCORD – U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces a number of new additions to the United States Attorney’s Office Civil Division.
Sam Martin joined the Civil Division for the District of New Hampshire in January 2026 as an Assistant United States Attorney. He previously worked at the Portsmouth office of a national labor and employment law firm. In this role, he represented public and private employers in state and federal courts in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine. He also represented employers before the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission and state EEO agencies. The cases he handled included claims arising under Title VII, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and the Fair Labor Standards Act. Sam has also served the people of New Hampshire as the Chair of the Executive Branch Ethics Committee. He has also served as a Director of the New Hampshire Bar Foundation, a charitable foundation established by the New Hampshire Supreme Court and affiliated with the New Hampshire Bar Association, which supports civil legal aid and education throughout the state and administers the New Hampshire IOLTA program. He is a graduate of Boston College Law School and Fordham University, where he earned a degree in Political Science and Theology and practiced debate.
Bridget Davidson joined the Civil Division for the District of New Hampshire in February 2026 as an Assistant United States Attorney. Before joining the District of New Hampshire, Bridget worked as an Assistant Corporation Counsel for the City of Boston in the litigation division. There, Bridget defended the City and its employees in numerous cases that involved torts, negligence, employment, civil rights, and wrongful convictions in both the federal and state courts as well as administrative agencies. She is a graduate from Suffolk University Law School and earned her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Mount Ida College. Bridget is currently a First Circuit Representative for the Young Lawyers Division of the National Chapter of the Federal Bar Association.
Jesse Renauld-Smith joined the Civil Division for the District of New Hampshire in February 2026 as a Special Assistant United States Attorney from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), where he serves as Assistant Chief Counsel. Prior to joining DHS, Jesse was a Juvenile Justice Legal Supervisor at the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services. He has also served as an Assistant Concord City Prosecutor and a prosecutor for the Tilton and Sanbornton police departments. Prior to his legal career, Jesse served as a police officer for the Plymouth State University and Tilton Police Departments. He is a graduate of University of New Hampshire School of Law and Plymouth State University, where he earned degrees in Criminal Justice and Spanish Language and Literature.
AUSAs Martin and Davidson and SAUSA Renauld-Smith join Civil Division Chief Raphael Katz and fellow AUSAs Anna Dronzek and Kasey Weiland to complete the office’s team of civil litigators. “Our civil litigation team is a dream team,” said U.S Attorney Creegan. “These litigators represent the United States in protecting the public fisc, reclaiming taxpayer dollars, defending federal law and civil liberties such as religious freedom, and preserving the immigration system established by Congress. New Hampshire is a better place because these advocates stand and represent their country in our court system.”
Sudbury Man Pleads Guilty to Carrying Out $7.8 Million Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Sudbury man, formerly of Hudson (Mass.), pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to carrying out a scheme from at least 2015 to 2024 to steal money from his two former employers, both medical practices.
Adam Gentile, 39, pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2026. Gentile was charged in December 2025.
In or around 2014, Gentile was hired as an administrative assistant for a medical practice. He was promoted to the role of office manager shortly thereafter. In his capacity as office manager, Gentile processed payroll and oversaw other recordkeeping and administrative responsibilities for the practice. Beginning in or around 2015 and continuing through November 2020, Gentile embezzled more than $4.5 million from his employer by issuing himself extra paychecks, sometimes labeling the payments as “bonuses.” Gentile also paid off personal credit cards with the practice’s bank account.
In 2021, Gentile was hired as an officer manager for a second medical practice, for which he similarly had sole responsibility for processing payroll. From in or around April 2021 through May 2024, Gentile executed a similar scheme in which he caused extra payroll payments to be issued to himself – sometimes recording these payments as “bonuses.” Gentile used the employer’s bank account to pay off his personal credit cards; purchase and upgrade his home in Hudson; and put toward a side business he ran while employed by the medical practice. Gentile embezzled more than $3.3 million from his second employer.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross loss involved. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Leominster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown is prosecuting the case.
Suburban Chicago Woman Indicted for Allegedly Defrauding Multiple Victims out of $3.5 MillionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal grand jury in Chicago has indicted a woman on fraud charges for allegedly swindling multiple victims out of at least $3.5 million by falsely claiming their money would be used to support immigration services, projects in Ukraine, and other supposed needs.
TATIANA BAZER falsely represented to victims that their money would be used in various ways, including, among things, projects in Ukraine, immigration services, or as loans to Bazer to help resolve her purported arrest for shoplifting, according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Some of the victims entrusted Bazer with hundreds of thousands of dollars, the indictment states. Bazer spent much of the victims’ money in a manner other than what she had represented, including for her own personal use, the indictment states. Bazer concealed the fraud by sending the victims false records, including bogus wire transfer receipts and fraudulent checks, the indictment states.
Furthermore, after learning that federal law enforcement was investigating her fraud scheme, Bazer pretended to be FBI agents, a prosecutor, and a criminal defense attorney to lull victims into believing that her case would be resolved and that victims would receive their money back, the indictment states.
Bazer, 40, of Buffalo Grove, Ill., is charged with seven counts of wire fraud and two counts of impersonating a federal law enforcement officer. Bazer pleaded not guilty to the charges during her arraignment in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing is scheduled for April 21, 2026, at 10:30 a.m.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Illinois Secretary of State’s Securities Department provided valuable assistance.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. Each count of wire fraud carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison, while each count of impersonating a federal law enforcement officer is punishable by up to three years. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
If you or someone you know may be a victim of fraud allegedly committed by Tatiana Bazer, you are encouraged to report it to the FBI by clicking here.
bazer_indictment.pdf