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Tuesday 17 February 2026
Dominican National Previously Convicted of Drug Distribution Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Worcester was sentenced in federal court in Worcester for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. The defendant was previously convicted and sentenced for illegal reentry in 2020 and subsequently removed from the United States.
Jose Luis Urena-Vasquez, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to three years in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In December 2025, Urena-Vasquez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.
Urena-Vasquez was encountered by immigration officials in 2008 while serving an 11-month sentence for drug distribution in the Essex County House of Corrections. Upon completion of his sentence, Urena-Vasquez was placed into removal proceedings and was deported to the Dominican Republic on March 25, 2009.
Sometime after his removal, Urena-Vasquez illegally reentered the United States. In 2018, he was charged in Lawrence District Court with armed assault to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm. He then fled the state and in July 2018, Urena-Vasquez was arrested in Florida and returned to Massachusetts to face the state charges. In October 2018, Urena-Vasquez was indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawful reentry of a deported alien and pleaded guilty to the offense in May 2019. He was subsequently sentenced in April 2020 to eight months in prison and three years of supervised to be served consecutively with his pending state charges. Urena-Vasquez then pleaded guilty to the armed assault to murder and other charges in Essex Superior Court and was sentenced to several years in prison.
Urena-Vasquez was removed from the United States in February 2024 and unlawfully re-entered in or about July 2024. Urena-Vasquez came to the attention of federal authorities in May of 2025 after he was arrested and charged in state court in Worcester for alleged state fraud offenses.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Court Orders EES Coke Battery to Comply with Clean Air Act and Pay $100 Million Civil PenaltyRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ordered DTE Energy Company and three of its subsidiaries to comply with the Clean Air Act and pay a penalty of $100 million in a decision issued today concerning a coke battery in River Rouge, Michigan.
The EES Coke facility (Facility) is located on Zug Island, between River Rouge and Detroit, in an area that fails to meet federal standards for sulfur dioxide in the air. The Facility uses coal and other raw materials to produce metallurgical coke, an input for making steel. The court found that the Facility increased its sulfur dioxide pollution as a result of changes the company sought to its state air permit in 2014. For example, the Facility emitted over 3,200 tons of sulfur dioxide pollution in 2018, compared to permitted baseline sulfur dioxide levels of under 2,100 tons per year.
In an August 2025 order, the court found that the Facility violated the Clean Air Act. The court then held a two-week trial in September to determine which DTE Energy Company entities were liable and the appropriate relief for the violations.
“This decision demonstrates that the Department of Justice will seek relief against companies that fail to comply with the nation’s environmental laws,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This ensures a level playing field for all businesses and advances the Administration’s initiative to Make America Healthy Again.”
“Our goal in this litigation has been to secure compliance with the clear mandates of the law and stop unlimited emission of a criteria air pollutant. The court’s judgement achieves that,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Even as this Administration grows American industry, we will ensure that uncontrolled pollution does not follow and that Americans have clean air. We will be ready to pursue judicial action from the outset of a case.”
In today’s decision, the court found that emissions from the Facility caused asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of cancer, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, and early deaths.
The court found that DTE Energy Company, DTE Energy Resources LLC, and DTE Energy Services Inc. were all liable as operators of the EES Coke facility. The court found each entity “exhibit[ed] a high degree of control over the Facility, including over environmental decision-making and operations.” In addition, the court had previously found that EES Coke Battery LLC was liable as an owner and operator of the Facility.
Turning to civil penalty, the court found that a penalty of $100 million was appropriate for the primary claim. The court found that the evidence showed that defendants saved about $70 million by failing to comply with the Clean Air Act as required, and were thus able to use that money in other ways. The court also found that the DTE Defendants each had a “substantial” ability to pay for relief ordered by the court.
Next the court ordered defendants to seek New Source Review permits from the Michigan Department of the Environment and Great Lakes (EGLE) within 250 days. The required permit applications will include proposals for stringent pollution controls consistent with the lowest achievable emissions rate and best available control technology, as determined by EGLE. The Court noted that the desulfurization technology described at trial for potential use at the Facility was “mature and well-established in the coking industry.”
The EPA investigated the case.
Attorneys Tom Benson, Samantha Ricci, and Sasha Alvarenga of ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section handled the case, with assistance from Geoffrey Stewart and Ada Baser of ENRD.
Compton Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting and Injuring Federal Officer During Anti-Immigration Enforcement Riot Last Year in ParamountRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Compton man pleaded guilty today to assaulting and injuring a federal officer by throwing chunks of concrete at passing government vehicles during an anti-immigration law enforcement riot last year in Paramount.
Elpidio Reyna, 41, pleaded guilty to one felony count of assault on a federal officer by deadly or dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury.
Reyna has been in federal custody since July 2025.
“This defendant could have easily killed a federal officer or innocent bystander,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “As he found out the hard way, violence against law enforcement is not constitutionally protected and will be met with swift justice. Those who engage in similar violence will be arrested, charged, and eventually convicted in a court of law.”
According to his plea agreement, on June 7, 2025, Reyna forcibly and intentionally assaulted with a deadly and dangerous weapon a federal law enforcement officer engaged in his official duties, resulting in the infliction of bodily injury to the officer.
On that day, federal law enforcement officers were staging a joint enforcement operation in Paramount in the vicinity of a Home Depot. Protestors, including Reyna, began to throw rocks at the officers’ official vehicles, lit objects on fire, and impeded law enforcement activity.
During this time, Reyna knowingly and intentionally lit objects on fire in the middle of the street and threw rocks at a convoy of law enforcement vehicles occupied by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, including the victim – identified in court documents as “R.T.” – all of whom were engaged in their official duties as federal officers.
Reyna threw a rock at R.T.’s government vehicle, which caused glass to shatter and injure R.T. by cutting his forehead.
United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled an August 7 sentencing hearing, at which time Reyna will face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Border Patrol investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Brenda N. Galván of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Chilean National Sentenced to 75 Months in Prison for Cross-Country Credit Card Theft SpreeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Tuesday sentenced a Chilean national who went on a cross-country crime spree involving stolen credit cards to 75 months in prison.
During the spree, Rene Arviso Velasquez, 51, stole purses or bags containing credit cards and then quickly used the cards to buy gift cards or other items. On Aug. 25, 2024, Velasquez stole one victim’s Lululemon belt bag, which was hanging from her seat at a Cottleville, Missouri restaurant. Less than an hour later, Velasquez used her credit card to purchase five Visa gift cards and a pack of salted nuts for $1,031. Later that day, Velasquez stole a different victim’s purse at a Brentwood restaurant and used her credit card to buy $1,445 worth of gift cards. On Nov. 3, 2024, Velasquez stole a woman’s wallet at a St. Peters restaurant and charge five Visa gift cards and a Pepsi for $1,035.
Velasquez stole at least $40,000 from victims in the St. Louis area and across the country.
Velasquez, who has used the names Miguel Antonio Carrasco-Gomez and Henry Diaz, was living in Tarzana, Calif., but is a Chilean national.
Velasquez pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Charlotte Man Sentenced to More Than 32 Years in Prison for String of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for a string of armed robberies, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Andrew Marquis Jackson, 33, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 394 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Jackson was previously convicted at trial of three counts of Hobbs Act robbery; three counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and one count of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Reid Davis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, Jackson and his co-conspirators, Joshua Jon’tavious Blount and Messiah Lynn Blair, robbed at least three businesses in Charlotte at gunpoint. The first robbery occurred on January 24, 2023. The defendants entered a Dunkin Donuts located on Beatties Ford Road. Jackson approached the counter and demanded cash from the register. He then fired a shot into the ceiling. Blair jumped over the counter and searched the back office for money. Jackson held an employee at gunpoint while taking money from the registers. Blount was the getaway driver.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Dunkin Donuts
The second armed robbery occurred three days later, on January 27, 2023. Evidence presented at trial showed that Jackson entered a 7-Eleven located on Brookshire Blvd.
Upon entering the store, Jackson fired a shot into the ceiling with a handgun. He then pointed a gun at a store employee ordering him to hand over all the money in the register. Jackson took the money and ran out the store. Blount was inside the store pretending to be a customer during the robbery.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at 7-Eleven
The third robbery took place on February 1, 2023. Blount went into the Family Dollar store located on Beatties Ford Road store to survey the number of people present. Jackson and Blair then entered the store, armed with firearms. The men pointed their guns at the employee behind the counter and demanded money from the register and safe. The robbers proceeded to take all the cash from the registers before they fled the scene.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Family Dollar
Jackson remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
California Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 10, 2026, Joathan Colula (age: 33) was sentenced to 228 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and for conspiracy to commit money laundering. A jury had found Colula guilty of both charges on July 17, 2025, following a nine-day trial. After completing his prison sentence, Colula will be on supervised release for an additional 60 months.
According to court documents, Colula was a source of supply for an organization that had distribution hubs throughout the Midwest, including in Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, the greater Chicago area, and Northern Indiana. From these hubs, Colula and his fellow conspirators distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine, thousands of fentanyl pills, and pounds of methamphetamine. To disguise his illegal activity, Colula laundered the proceeds of his drug trafficking through various business bank accounts. Colula also coordinated the receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash payments that were flown from the Midwest to California.
On November 29, 2022, case agents arrested fifteen individuals associated with the organization and executed search warrants at locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and California. The search warrants resulted in the seizure of over 10 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 7.5 kilograms of cocaine, more than a kilogram of methamphetamine, nearly 2 kilograms of heroin, ecstasy, oxycodone, approximately 170 pounds of marijuana, marijuana edibles, over $450,000 in cash, and 19 firearms.
In pronouncing sentence, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper noted this was a large-scale, multi-state, multi-drug operation in which Colula played an integral role. She also noted that Colula was one of the longest running members of the group.
A co-defendant, Michael Williams, also was found guilty at July 2025 trial. Williams operated the organization’s primary stash location in Minneapolis. He and others mixed, tested, and packaged controlled substances, including kilogram quantities of fentanyl. He was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.
“Virtually everyone knows someone whose life has been utterly destroyed by the extraordinarily dangerous drugs that have inundated our communities of every shape and size,” said U.S. Attorney Schimel. “Modern day drug traffickers have dramatically changed the very nature of our world with the violence, crime and death that follows in their wake. The judge sent the clear message that our community has had enough of the suffering wrought by these criminals.”
"The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) is proud of the role our officers played in this case and grateful for the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in this investigation. Drug traffickers bring great harm to our community and must be held accountable.” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. “MPD values our collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners in criminal cases like this to build a safer city for everyone to live, work and play.”
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of the harm caused by large-scale drug trafficking operations and the meaningful accountability that follows,” said DEA Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Todd Smith. “Through close coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we dismantled a multi-state organization responsible for distributing dangerous drugs throughout the Midwest."The case was investigated by agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Milwaukee Police Department, West Allis Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice - Division of Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Internal Revenue Service and the Apple Valley Police Department also participated in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Monfils and Erica Lounsberry prosecuted the case. The investigation was supported by the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement task forces to disrupt or dismantle local, multi-state and international drug trafficking organizations.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Bryan County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Paul Puentes, age 50, of Durant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, punishable by up to 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on July 4, 2023, Puentes knowingly and intentionally possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, intending to distribute it.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Durant Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Puentes will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Bronx Man Charged with Federal Narcotics Offenses Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging TEDDY CACERES, a/k/a “Tito,” with distribution of narcotics resulting in death in connection with the April 13, 2025, fentanyl overdose death of a resident of Yorktown Heights, New York. CACERES was also charged with drug and firearms offenses in connection with the search of his Bronx residence in January 2026, during which law enforcement found a significant quantity of fentanyl and a loaded firearm. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
“As alleged, Teddy Caceres sold fentanyl that tragically claimed a life,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “That did not deter him from dealing in death. Nine months later, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, Caceres was once again allegedly in possession of fentanyl, as well as a loaded firearm. New Yorkers want streets free from those who distribute deadly fentanyl, and together with the NYPD, the FBI, the DEA and our other law enforcement partners, the women and men of the SDNY will hold them accountable.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to decimate the drug trafficking industry and save American lives,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Teddy Caceres is an example of the problem; he allegedly continued to traffic fentanyl even after he contributed to the fatal overdose of an unsuspecting victim. The FBI remains determined to investigate and charge those who threaten our community’s safety with narcotics and firearms.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:[1]
On or about April 13, 2025, the victim was found unconscious by members of her family at their residence in Yorktown Heights, New York. The victim was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. At the family’s residence, law enforcement recovered several yellow glassines filled with fentanyl, consistent with the yellow glassines that video surveillance captured CACERES had sold to the victim the day before.
Approximately nine months later, on or about January 14, 2026, law enforcement executed a search warrant at CACERES’s apartment in the vicinity of Pelham Parkway South in the Bronx, New York, where they recovered a black .45 caliber Glock 21 with a magazine loaded with 18 .45 caliber live rounds, and 17 cartridges of 9mm ammunition, as well as two large blocks of fentanyl.
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CACERES, 43, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of distribution of narcotics resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine base, and methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of firearms use, carrying, and possession, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The minimum and 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 the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, New York City Police Department, and Yorktown Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations & Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hoffman is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Bolivian National Arrested in Tulsa for Child Sexual Abuse Material; Wanted by INTERPOLRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Bolivian national currently residing in Tulsa and wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) was charged by Criminal Complaint for receiving, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Vismar Erick Atahuichi Alanoca, 39, is charged with Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, and Possession of or Access with Intent to View Child Pornography.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline received three reports from Facebook. Court documents show that Facebook reported that photographs consistent with child sexual abuse material were uploaded and shared by a Facebook user. Agents executed a search warrant and discovered that Alanoca possessed child sexual abuse material, including a prepubescent child being sexually abused. It is further alleged that Alanoca messaged with a Facebook user requesting child sexual abuse material.
Court records show that, during the investigation of Alanoca, agents discovered that he is listed as a wanted fugitive by INTERPOL. The risk factors listed show that Alanoca has violent tendencies, is an escape risk, a sexually violent predator, and is cautioned that he is a sex offender, specifically involving minors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Blue Hill Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day for Making a False Statement During Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Blue Hill man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for making a false statement during purchase of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Caleb Rhine, 22, to 12 months and one day in prison and 3 years of supervised release.
According to court records, on June 8, 2023, Rhine was indicted in Hancock County Superior Court on one count of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs. On May 5, 2024, Rhine, while still under indictment, attempted to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Ellsworth. To make the purchase, Rhine filled out a Form 4473 required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In response to the question, “Are you under indictment or information in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year . . .?,” Rhine falsely checked the box “No.” Rhine was able to successfully buy the gun a few days later based, in part, on his representations on the ATF form.
ATF and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Bank Insider Pleads Guilty to Facilitating Fraud Schemes from Inside Two Financial InstitutionsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, NJ – Edward Low, a/k/a “a Mang Wah Low,” a/k/a “Eddie Low”, a former New York-based employee of TD Bank, N.A. and another financial institution, pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes to provide confidential customer information of TD Bank customers and to falsifying bank records to open a bank account at another financial institution, which helped co-conspirators commit more than $500,000 of fraud.
Low, 31, pleaded guilty today before the Honorable Esther Salas in Newark to a two-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2026.
“This defendant chose to sell his access to the banking system from the inside. By accepting bribes at two separate financial institutions, he betrayed the trust placed in him and enabled outside fraudsters to exploit customer accounts and falsify bank records for personal gain. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to root out corruption within our financial institutions and hold accountable those—whether insiders or outsiders—who undermine the integrity of our banking system.”
- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
According to court filings and statements made in court, from January 2021 through May 2021, Low, of Flushing, New York accepted bribes and leveraged his position to obtain confidential TD Bank customer information. He then passed the information to outside co-conspirators, who used it to take over accounts and steal money from customers. Low also processed some of the illicit transactions for co-conspirators. In total, Low received at least $26,700 in bribes and facilitated $484,572.16 of fraud.
Then, from May 2022 through August 2022, Low was an employee at another financial institution. In exchange for a bribe, Low falsified bank records to help a co-conspirator open an account in the name of a shell company. Co-conspirators then used that account to commit at least $47,195 of fraud.
The charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater.
IRS-CI and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
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Defense counsel: Michael P. Koribanics, Esq.
low.information.pdfBakersfield Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Explosives and for Manufacturing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Matthew Henry Jacober, 44, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 5 years in prison for being a felon in possession of explosives and manufacturing crystal methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in July 2025, Jacober possessed 50 pounds of dynamite, which he had hidden in a cave approximately 10 to 15 feet from a travel trailer where Jacober was residing. In 2021, Jacober was convicted in Kern County Superior Court of making a destructive device without a permit, a felony. As a convicted felon, Jacober was thus prohibited from possessing explosives. In addition, Jacober was in the process of manufacturing crystal methamphetamine in his trailer, where he possessed both finished product and methamphetamine in the process of changing from liquid to a crystal form. On Nov. 24, 2025, Jacober pleaded guilty to the charges that gave rise to his sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, and the Kern County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Pataca 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Prison for Selling Glock Switch and Possessing over 6,000 Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An armed drug trafficker was sentenced to prison today for selling a machinegun conversion device (or “Glock switch”) and possessing over 6,000 fentanyl pills, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jalein Young, 27, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 138 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court records, Young sold a firearm fitted with a Glock switch to an undercover law enforcement agent in 2024. The firearm was a Glock model 19 pistol converted from a semiautomatic weapon to one capable of fully automatic fire. In March 2024, Young agreed to sell 5,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover law enforcement agent. Investigators intercepted Young and found over 5,000 pills in his vehicle. A laboratory chemical analysis identified the pills to contain at least 504 grams of fentanyl. An additional 1,532 pills weighing approximately 358 grams were found in Young’s garage. In late March 2024, Young contacted the undercover agent offering to sell 4,000 additional fentanyl pills. In May 2024, Young was arrested while trying to fly to the Dominican Republic on a one-way ticket.
Young pleaded guilty to transfer of a machinegun and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The ATF conducted the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Todd Philip Wilkerson, age 54, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department, and the Ardmore Police Department.
On July 9, 2025, Wilkerson pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 26, 2025, Wilkerson knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a victim who was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct and physically incapable of declining participation or communicating unwillingness to engage in that act. The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Wilkerson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Alleged Major Sinaloa Cartel Drug Trafficker Appears in San Diego CourtRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Alleged Sinaloa Cartel member Miguel Angel Valdez Ruiz, aka Flaco, made his initial appearance in federal court today following his arrest on charges that he participated in an international conspiracy to traffic cocaine from Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, and Mexico into the United States.
Valdez was a fugitive following his 2019 indictment in the Southern District of California charging him with International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
Prior to his arrest, on February 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Valdez pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for materially contributing to the illicit activities of major Mexican cartels to traffic cocaine into the United States.
According to the OFAC designation, Valdez worked as an intermediary between major Ecuadorian drug trafficker Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan and Ismael Zambada Garcia, aka El Mayo, who at the time was a major leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. OFAC alleges that Valdez used a fleet of private aircraft to transport cocaine from Ecuador to Mexico and coordinated with associates to import the cocaine into the United States.
At today’s hearing, Valdez entered a not guilty plea. A detention hearing is scheduled for February 20, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Berg.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Martin, Jordan Arakawa, Ashley Goff and Mary Walters.
DEFENDANT Case Number 19CR1610-GPC
Miguel Angel Valdez Ruiz Age: 36 Sinaloa, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, 963
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of the Treasury
United States Coast Guard
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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).
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the California Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Drug Trafficking
Edgar Narvaez Vega, 23, from Quito, Ecuador, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment with two years of supervised release to follow for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. According to court documents, on July 5, 2025, a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper stopped the defendant and his brother on I-80 for speeding. The defendant was a passenger. The trooper smelled marijuana and observed it in plain view, leading to a probable cause search. Inside the vehicle troopers discovered large quantities of narcotics hidden in trash bags and wrapped in multiple layers of plastic wrap and oil to deter detection. Troopers seized 63 packages of methamphetamine (74.17 lbs.), along with cocaine (2.6 lbs.), fentanyl pills (1.3 lbs.), heroin (1.5 lbs.), and smaller amounts of marijuana. The Wyoming Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. The defendant was indicted on Sept. 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Feb. 9, 2026, in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00124
Leisa Michelle Reese, 47, with no fixed address, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, on June 11, 2025, law enforcement in Crook County, Wyoming, contacted the defendant in her vehicle which was parked at a hotel, after observing suspicious activity. At first, she provided a false name, but was eventually identified through hotel records, arrested on an active South Dakota warrant, and found with methamphetamine paraphernalia. In the vehicle deputies found a black bag on the passenger-side floorboard containing large quantities of methamphetamine, smaller baggies, cash, and items bearing the defendant’s name. Approximately 517 grams of methamphetamine were seized. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case. Reese was indicted on Sept. 17, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 10, 2026, in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00136
Dennis Bayless, 65, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, in October 2024, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) began investigating Bayless as a suspected methamphetamine supplier in Goshen County. Law enforcement seized over 500 grams of methamphetamine from Bayless at various locations. DCI investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Bayless was arrested on Aug. 5, 2025, waived indictment and pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 10 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00154
Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Jose Vazquez, 50, of Colima, Mexico, was sentenced to six month’s imprisonment with one year of supervised release for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the U.S. and fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other entry documents. He will be deported following his sentence. According to court documents, in July 2025, a Hall County, Georgia woman reported identity theft after discovering a fraudulent use of her social security number traced to Jose Vazquez in Kemmerer. Kemmerer Police found that Vazquez had been using the victim’s social security number on employment documents and had another social security card in his possession that belonged to a different individual. HSI determined Vazquez had previously been removed from the U.S. in 2006 and had not applied for permission to reenter. HSI and the Kemmerer Police Department investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 9 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00167Joaquin Mejia-Andrade, 48, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for illegal re-entry into the U.S. of a previously deported alien. According to court documents, on Oct. 25, 2025, Mejia-Andrade was arrested in Jackson for driving under the influence of alcohol. Based on the defendant’s fingerprints, ICE determined he had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in October 2016. ICE investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 10, 2026, in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00157
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
Monday 16 February 2026
District of Arizona Charges 155 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Feb. 7 through Feb. 13, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 155 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 99 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 40 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 16 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Luis Miguel Salas-Blanco. Salas-Blanco was charged by complaint with Reentry of Removed Alien, Feb. 10, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on Oct. 7, 2021, after being convicted of Possession of a Weapon by a Prohibited Person and Forgery-Possession of a Forged Instrument, both felonies, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Salas-Blanco was sentenced to two and a half years of imprisonment for each count, with the sentences to be served concurrently. 26-9011MJ, Phoenix.
United States v. Fileman Gomez-Casteneda. Gomez-Casteneda was charged by complaint with Bringing an Alien to the United States Unlawfully. A Border Patrol Agent first observed five suspected illegal aliens walking northbound near exit 87 on I-8. Another BPA located the five individuals—one of whom was later identified as Gomez-Casteneda—hiding under a tree and wearing camouflage shirts and pants. Immigration checks confirmed that Gomez-Casteneda and the four others are citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. 26-01114MJ, Phoenix.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-028_February 13 Immigration Enforcement
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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.
Friday 13 February 2026
Zachary Man Sentenced to 175 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Thomas Mills V, age 59, of Zachary, Louisiana, to 175 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of child pornography. A jury trial had commenced before Mills entered his guilty plea. The Court further sentenced Mills to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court imposed restitution in the amount of $45,000 and ordered him to register as a sex offender upon his release.
According to admissions made during his plea, on or about October 22, 2018, officers with the Zachary Police Department were dispatched to an area on Highway 19 in reference to a suspicious vehicle. An anonymous caller advised that an unknown male was parked in an alley behind a party store. Upon arrival, officers approached the entrance of the alleyway and encountered Mills, who was the driver and sole occupant of a 2008 Honda Fit. Mills exited the vehicle and initially told officers that he was cleaning his car behind the buildings. He then advised he was using the internet to send emails. Mills presented officers with his Louisiana driver’s license, which indicated that he was a resident of Baton Rouge and a registered sex offender.
Because Mills initially told officers that he lived in Zachary but was registered as a sex offender in Baton Rouge, officers believed that he was possibly in violation of state sex offender registration laws. Mills was observed acting nervously when speaking with the officers. Despite officers requesting him to remain in front of one of the patrol vehicles as they attempted to verify his information, Mills was observed moving towards his vehicle and was ordered to return to the front of the patrol unit on three separate occasions. While officers were questioning him about the address discrepancy, they approached his vehicle and observed a laptop computer in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard and a USB storage device on the front passenger seat.
Officers initiated a criminal history check on Mills, which revealed he had a previous federal felony conviction for possession of child pornography in 2012. After learning this information, Mills was asked if he was on probation. He responded affirmatively, identified his probation officer and provided their contact information. Officers also verified that the 2008 Honda Fit was registered to Mills.
While on scene, officers contacted the probation officer and learned that Mills was in violation of his conditions of supervised release by possessing a computer and computer components such as USB storage devices. The probation officer requested that officers seize the electronic devices in his possession.
After securing Mills inside of the unit, officers recovered approximately nineteen electronic devices from his vehicle. The nineteen devices seized from Mills were sent to a forensic examiner with U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services for forensic analysis. The analysis revealed approximately 1,325 pictures and 6 videos depicting child exploitation images.
In 2013, Mills was sentenced to 62 months of imprisonment for his 2012 conviction for possession of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Zachary Police Department, and U.S. Probation and Parole, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
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 https://www.justice.gov/PSC.
Western District of Texas Federal Prosecutors File 255 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 255 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for child sexual assault, violent crimes, DWIs, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Mexican national Luis Soto-Leyva attempted to enter the United States through the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry (POE) in El Paso on Oct. 1, 2024. That encounter led him to an improper entry conviction. Soto-Leyva was detained again in February 2026, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers observed him crossing the U.S.-Mexico border west of the Paso Del Norte POE. A criminal complaint alleges that Soto-Leyva stated he had been an alien smuggler for approximately four years, making an average of $1,000 to $3,000 per week. He is now charged with one count of alien smuggling and one count of illegal re-entry.
Brenda Nina Sanchez-Felix, who maintains a Lawful Permanent Resident Card, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents after agents located her pickup truck pulled over with a flat tire on TX-20. The maroon vehicle allegedly matched what a camera had captured near suspected alien activity eight miles west of the Tornillo POE. A criminal complaint alleges that agents noticed fresh wet mud on the trim of the vehicle door and several muddy footprints leading away from vehicle, leading the agents to discover nine individuals hiding in the brush. Eight of the individuals stated they were in the U.S. illegally, while one stated he was a U.S. citizen. In September 2025, Sanchez-Felix was convicted of alien smuggling and sentenced to two years of probation.
Convicted felon Marco Antonio De La Vega-Macias, a Mexican national, was found approximately half a mile west of the Bridge of the Americas POE in El Paso on Feb. 9. He was removed from the U.S. for the fourth time on Sept. 29, 2023, following his second illegal re-entry conviction. De La Vega-Macias has a prior conviction for engaging in sexual contact with a minor and multiple theft charges.
In San Antonio, Mexican national Abraham Hermilindo Gallegos-Mendez was charged with one count of alien in possession of a firearm. On Feb. 9, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a traffic stop on a sedan. A criminal complaint alleges Gallegos-Mendez exited the front passenger door of the vehicle and ran. The troopers apprehended him a short distance from the initial stop and conducted a search of the front passenger area where Gallegos-Mendez had allegedly been sitting in the vehicle. The complaint alleges that the troopers located a blue jacket containing a loaded 9mm handgun.
Mexican national Leonel Nazario Ramos-Guerrero was arrested near Maverick on Feb. 7 and charged with illegal re-entry. He was recently deported for the seventh time on Oct. 29, 2025. His criminal record includes illegal re-entry, two convictions for assault causing bodily injury, assault on a law enforcement officer, and resisting an officer.
Zeferino Turrubiates-Ramos, also a Mexican national, was arrested near Val Verde on Feb. 8 and charged with illegal re-entry. He was recently deported on Nov. 17, 2025—also for the seventh time. He was convicted in 2017 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and in 2018 for illegal re-entry. In 2021, he was found to have violated previously imposed conditions of probation.
Mexican national Ruben Villela Briones was taken into ICE custody on Feb. 6, after serving two years in the Travis County Jail for a stalking conviction. Briones has been previously removed from the U.S. three times with three additional voluntary returns. His criminal record also includes two assault convictions, resisting arrest, and illegal re-entry.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Washington State Woman Charged with Threatening to Murder a Federal Law Enforcement Officer and Members of the Officer’s FamilyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment, charging Brenna Marie Doyle, age 18, with threating to murder a federal law enforcement officer, threatening to murder members of the law enforcement officer’s immediate family, and with interstate transmission of communications threatening to injure the federal agent and their immediate family members, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today.
According to court documents, on January 14, 2026, in response to an immigration enforcement action, a large group of protesters in Minneapolis vandalized and significantly damaged FBI-owned vehicles, stealing weapons and ammunition, and seizing government-owned equipment and documents containing federal employees’ phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, and driver’s license numbers. FBI personnel were on scene to investigate an officer-involved shooting and not for any immigration enforcement. One of the individuals whose personal information was confiscated and broadcast on the Internet was an FBI Special Agent.
On January 16, 2026, the Special Agent received a series of threatening voicemail messages on their government-issued cell phone. Subsequent investigation identified the phone number associated with three of those threatening calls as belonging to Brenna Marie Doyle. The voicemail messages threatened to kill the Special Agent and members of their immediate family.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
Virginia company, owner, and senior employee sentenced for illegally exporting millions of dollars of U.S. technology to RussiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, were sentenced today for conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act.
According to court records, between approximately February 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc., a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia.
Eleview, Nayandin, and Borisenko operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly. They then consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Nayandin and Borisenko, on behalf of Eleview, coordinated shipments of items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan that were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, they made numerous false statements to other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments.
In the Turkey scheme, Eleview exported 23 shipments of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey that was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service. The telecommunications equipment that Eleview exported illegally as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks.
In the Finland scheme, Eleview exported 83 shipments of goods to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, Eleview affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods Eleview exported illegally as part of the Finland scheme included items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets.
In the Kazakhstan scheme, Eleview exported approximately 52 shipments of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that Eleview exported illegally as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled, dual-use items.
Eleview was ordered to pay a fine of $125,000 and sentenced to three years of probation that included requirements to submit biannual compliance reports and mandate export-control training for its employees. Nayandin was sentenced to three years in prison. Borisenko was sentenced to a year in prison.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Sehar F. Sabir and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda St. Cyr and Dave Peters for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section 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. 1:25-cr-46.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 114 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 114 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On February 8, Raul Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 55 packages containing 137 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the front and rear bumpers of the defendant’s vehicle’s as he tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On February 11, Gelacio Ortiz-Dominguez, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Ortiz was intercepted by Customs and Border Protection officers as he ran northbound in the primary vehicle lanes at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The defendant was previously removed from the U.S. in 2022, and at least twice before that.
- On February 9, Juan Manuel Estrada Cortez and Manuel Monterrosa Mendoza, citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, the defendants were arrested by Border Patrol agents north of the border, about eight miles east of Tecate, after a brief chase. The defendants and three others fled their disabled vehicle after its tires were deflated by the Border Patrol’s Vehicle Immobilization Device was deployed.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against Metropolitan Police Department Officer Epshane Porter for a shooting that occurred on November 17, 2025, and fatally injured a 25-year-old District resident (D.C.) at the side of 1221 47th Place, N.E., Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement accounts, crime-camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, and reports from MPD.
According to the evidence, Porter was patrolling the neighborhood with another officer. The officers observed a group of men standing outside of 4725 Minnesota Avenue, N.E. When the group observed the police, D.C. and another male began to run away in separate directions. Officer Porter chased after D.C. Porter gave commands during the chase for D.C. to display his hands to the officer. The foot chase ended when D.C. entered a small, fenced area alongside 1221 47th Place, N.E. Porter gave several additional commands for D.C. to stop reaching for his hip area. In addition to ignoring the commands, D.C. and Porter had a brief physical encounter. Porter discharged his weapon at this point. The police recovered a .45 caliber Glock from D.C.’s pocket. Despite life-saving measures, D.C. would ultimately succumb to his wounds and be declared dead.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully violated the civilian’s rights.
Investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending February 13, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 66 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 4 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 55 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 33 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
U.S. Attorney's Office Collects $20,238,028.08 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced today that the District of Oregon collected more than $20.2 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, nearly $15 million was collected in criminal actions and over $5.2 million was collected in civil actions. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
“The District of Oregon’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit provides critical support to victims of crime by holding those who profit from criminal conduct accountable and pursuing civil recoveries,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “We take seriously our obligation to make victims as financially whole as possible. Our annual collections reflect the dedication, persistence, and resolve of our team in the pursuit of justice.”
For example, to date, the government has recovered over $4.5 million in restitution from Sergey and Galina Lebedenko, who used their ill-gotten gains to purchase fourteen homes and properties, seven vehicles, an ownership interest in a private jet, and countless luxury items. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and wire fraud, the Lebedenkos were ordered to pay over $33 million in restitution. The government sought to remit and restore forfeited assets on behalf of the victim, including real properties and nineteen financial accounts.
In another example, the government secured the full restitution payment totaling $1.346 million from Michael James Defrees, who was convicted of wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. Defrees agreed to satisfy this obligation prior to sentencing, but failed to do so. The United States secured payment through seizing three vehicles, multiple winter sports equipment, a racing boat, and a trailer, and helped facilitate the sale of two parcels of real property to pay his restitution judgment in full and satisfy his forfeiture money judgment.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Two Men Sentenced for Their Roles in Mail Theft and Check Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men were sentenced this week in federal court in Boston for fraudulently depositing checks stolen from the mail.
Imanol Rios-Franco, 26, of Canton, was sentenced by Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris on Feb. 10, 2026, to 35 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Rios-Franco was also ordered to pay $12,528 in restitution. In November 2025, Rios-Franco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail.
Brandon Baez, 23, of North Attleboro, was sentenced by Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris on Feb. 12, 2026, to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Baez was also ordered to pay $10,285 in restitution. In November 2025, Baez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail.
From at least June 2023 until February 2024, the defendants and their co-conspirators stole mail from USPS collection boxes, looking to steal checks. After they stole these checks, they washed the hand-written ink from the checks using commercially available chemicals. The checks were then re-issued to the co-conspirators or other bank accounts that they controlled. After the checks were fraudulently deposited, the defendants and their co-conspirators withdrew money from ATMs or bought money orders with those fraudulently obtained funds. A review of the co-conspirators’ cellphones revealed that they had collaborated to advance this criminal scheme.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge for the Boston Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston and Wellesley Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Twenty-Seven Members and Associates of Tren de Aragua Splinter Faction Anti-Tren Charged with 2024 Double Murder in New York and Sex Trafficking, Kidnapping, Racketeering, and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
A 38-count superseding indictment (S4 indictment) was unsealed today charging 27 members of the Anti-Tren faction of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TDA or TdA) with offenses including racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering in connection with an April 15, 2024, double murder in the Bronx, New York, murder-for-hire conspiracy, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy, and other offenses. Twenty-one of the 27 defendants charged in the S4 indictment were previously charged in a 12-count indictment. Of the six newly added defendants, five are now in federal custody.
To date, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has charged approximately 38 members or associates of TDA and Anti-Tren.
“As alleged, these members of Anti-Tren, a splinter faction of the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua, planned and carried out a series of horrific crimes, including gunpoint robberies, murders, and the exploitation of vulnerable young women through sex trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). “Tren de Aragua is in the business of murder, sex trafficking, and intimidation, and they brought that business to New York while being unlawfully present in the United States. Today’s charges reflect our commitment to bankrupt TDA and bring its members to justice. The gang members charged today exerted ruthless control over sex trafficking victims through intimidation, brutality, and threats of violence against them and their loved ones — leaving lasting trauma in their wake. The women and men of the SDNY are unwavering in their commitment to bankrupt gangs that corrupt our neighborhoods, prey on the vulnerable, and pursue violence as a way of life.”
“Homeland Security Investigations New York continues to stand at the forefront of investigations against vicious criminal enterprises like Tren de Aragua and Anti-Tren,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Through their use of ruthless tactics and blatant disregard for human life, TdA and its offshoots are among the fastest emerging transnational criminal organizations to encroach upon American soil. HSI New York, through the Homeland Security Task Force, continues to target these gangs that seek to perpetrate destruction and terror in our communities. Together, alongside our law enforcement partners, we are committed to ensuring that no corners of the TdA and Anti-Tren enterprises are beyond the reach of justice.”
“TdA and its faction Anti-Tren grew from a prison gang to a transnational criminal organization to a foreign terrorist organization. The violence and horrific acts as charged here including the double murder, murder for hire, kidnapping, and sex trafficking will be met with the full weight of our justice system,” said Co-Director Christopher Eason of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). “The charges against these TdA associates and Anti-Tren members are directly in line with JTFV’s mission: a collaborative, whole of government effort to destroy TdA and its factions. We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to investigate and bring these important charges.”
According to the allegations contained in the S4 indictment, Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of TDA. Anti-Tren operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, and in New Jersey, and elsewhere around the country, including in Illinois and Washington. The purposes of Anti-Tren included:
- Preserving and protecting the power and territory of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at members and associates of TDA;
- Enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things:
- The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including women and girls from Venezuela, into the United States,
- The sex trafficking of young women or “multadas” who had been unlawfully smuggled into the United States,
- The trafficking of controlled substances, including “tusi,” and
- Armed robberies;
- Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence;
- Promoting and enhancing Anti-Tren and the reputation and activities of its members and associates;
- Providing assistance to members and associates of Anti-Tren who committed crimes for and on behalf of Anti-Tren, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of Anti-Tren to flee prosecution, or bail money for members or associates of Anti-Tren who are detained; and
- Protecting Anti-Tren and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of Anti-Tren.
Anti-Tren engaged in human smuggling and sex trafficking of young women or “multadas,” into the United States in exchange for debts that the young women would pay back by engaging in commercial sex work. Like TDA, members of Anti-Tren enforced compliance among these young women by, among other things:
- Threatening to kill the young women and their families,
- Assaulting the young women,
- Shooting or killing the young women, and
- Tracking down and kidnapping the young women who tried to flee.
Members of Anti-Tren also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and to expand Anti-Tren’s criminal operations, resolve disputes within Anti-Tren, to retaliate against rival organizations, including Tren de Aragua itself, and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. Anti-Tren members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.
The new charges in the S4 indictment allege, among other things, that:
- On or about April 15, 2024, Yender Mata, Ervin Hernandez, also known as “Coco” and “Coquito,” and Kerlyn Nataliy Perez-Lopez, also known as “Mou,” conspired to murder and caused the murders of Jhombeyker Jose Bisbal Pina and Adrian Mendoza Isturiz, who were shot to death in the Bronx.
- In or about April 2025, Guillermo Enrique Freites-Velazquez and Roiman Noe Bello Ferrer conspired to kill an individual in New York (Intended Victim-1).
- From in or about February 2025 until in or about March 2025, David Valencia-De La Rosa and Johan Carlos Mujica-Urpin, also known as “Sobrino,” conspired to kill another individual in New York (Intended Victim-2).
- In or about April 2025, Roiman Noe Bello Ferrer and others conspired to kill an individual in Florida (Intended Victim-3).
- On or about Oct. 5, 2024, Jesus David Barrios Garcia, also known as “Morocho,” ordered Kellen Jaspe Bustamanate to shoot an Anti-Tren member in the leg as a form of gang punishment. On or about the same day, Barrios Garcia also ordered Enrique Gustavo Boada Yanez, also known as “Chino,” to shoot a different Anti-Tren member in the leg, also as gang punishment.
- In or about January 2025, Keiswuel Orlando Palacios-Milano, also known as “Oturache” and “Inmortalidad,” Anderson Smith Zambrano-Pacheco, and Yeferson Prieto Galviz, also known as “Flacot” and “Flacote,” conspired to commit and did commit a gunpoint home invasion robbery of an individual (Robbery Victim-1) and Robbery Victim-1’s family in Yonkers.
- In or about January 2025, Keiswuel Orlando Palacios-Milano, also known as “Oturache” and “Inmortalidad,” Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, Mario Pereda, also known as “Cara de Hombre,” Wilfredo Jose Avendaño Carrizalez, also known as “Kabuvy,” and Carlos Gabriel Santos Mogollon, conspired to commit a gunpoint robbery of a drug trafficker (Robbery Victim-2) in the Bronx.
- In or about 2024, Luis Jose Velasquez-Hurtado, also known as “Chito,” engaged in sex trafficking of a young woman from Venezuela (Trafficking Victim-1) whom Velasquez-Hurtado threatened with a gun, caused to be kidnapped, and whose immigration documents Velasquez-Hurtado caused to be seized.
- In or about 2024, Jesus David Barrios Garcia, also known as “Morocho,” Enrique Gustavo Boada Yanez, also known as “Chino,” Jesus Ruben Lopez Gonzalez, also known as “Lopez,” and Danger Leoner Sanchez Alfonzo, also known as “Danger,” engaged in sex trafficking of another young woman from Venezuela (Trafficking Victim-2).
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
U.S. Attorney Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI New York, Seattle, Chicago, and Portland, and the NYPD. He also thanked Joint Task Force Vulcan; the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s New York and Chicago Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); U.S. Marshals Service-District of Oregon; U.S. Customs and Border Protection-New York; the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; the Computer Crimes Unit at the NYPD; the King County, Washington Sheriff’s Office; and the Seattle Police Department.
This case is a part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and is now expanded to target Tren de Aragua. The JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
This case is being handled by JTFV and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, Timothy Ly, and Andrew K. Chan for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twelfth and Final Member of ‘21st and Vietnam’ Crew Sentenced to 101 Months on Narcotics, Weapons CountsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Van Robinson, 44, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 101 months for his participation in the violent, armed gang of drug dealers known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew which distributed an array of narcotics in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Robinson was a key member of a crew that menaced our community around 21st Street and Maryland Avenue for years with its toxic mix of lethal drugs and random violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “With Robinson’s sentencing today, the 21st and Vietnam crew has definitively been put out of business.”
Robinson, aka “Boogie,” pleaded guilty on March 19, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Robinson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the 21st and Vietnam crew distributed crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs in significant quantities and were involved in two shootings charged in connection with this case: a March 7, 2024, incident in which co-defendant Charles Manson opened fire on a passerby walking his dog near the crew’s open-air drug market; and an April 19, 2024, drive-by shooting, committed by co-defendants Briyon Shuford and Trevon Palmer, which wounded four people and terrorized others.
Robinson was an active member of 21st and Vietnam, which staged a takeover of an apartment complex and used it as a headquarters for the crew’s operations. Robinson was observed by law enforcement on a near daily basis in and around the apartment complex on the 1900 block of I Street NE during the course of the investigation, working with his co-conspirators to sell drugs.
During the execution of a search warrant on May 15, 2024, at Robinson’s residence, investigators recovered a loaded Glock 27 firearm, 14 grams of suspected fentanyl, and an assortment of drug trafficking paraphernalia.
Robinson is the twelfth and final member of the 21st and Vietnam crew to be sentenced in this case.
- Damien Jenkins, aka “Woe,” was sentenced to 151 months
- Trevon Palmer, aka “Rocky,” was sentenced to 192 months
- Charles Manson, aka “Cheese,” was sentenced to 170 months
- Jamiek Bassil, aka “Onion,” was sentenced to 135 months
- Nathaniel Russell, aka “Thump,” was sentenced to 42 months
- Briyon Shuford, aka: “Breezy,” was sentenced to 161 months
- Jason Green was sentenced to 115 months
- Ahmed Mikal Bailey was sentenced to 30 months
- Jerome Powell was sentenced to 27 months
- Lydell Douglas was sentenced to 24 months
- Abrian Walker was sentenced to 12 months with 6 months home confinement
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Chris Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the MPD. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel.
24cr226
St. Paul Woman Indicted by a Minnesota Federal Grand Jury for inflicting Bodily Injury on a Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the Performance of His Official DutiesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury has returned a true bill of indictment charging Claire Louise Feng, age 27, with inflicting bodily injury on a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent on January 24, 2026, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today. According to court documents, on January 24, 2026, CBP and HSI officers were attempting to establish and maintain a secure perimeter near Nicollet Avenue, between 27th and 28th St. in Minneapolis, following an officer involved shooting.
While a CBP officer attempted to arrest an individual who threw a chemical canister toward deployed federal law enforcement officers, Feng tackled the CBP officer. In response, a HSI special agent took Feng to the ground. As the HSI special agent gained control of Feng, she forcibly bit his right ring finger, severing the tip of his right ring finger, leaving the bone exposed.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
Shelby Township Resident Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Pandemic Assistance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Shelby Township resident was sentenced yesterday for his role in a multi-million-dollar Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey, Homeland Security Investigations.
Samer Kammo, 46, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
"This defendant and his co-conspirators tried to cheat the system by exploiting a federal relief program meant to help Americans in need. Let this case send a clear message: crime does not pay,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “FBI Detroit and HSI Detroit stand shoulder to shoulder in holding fraudsters accountable and protecting taxpayer dollars. If you abuse government programs for personal gain, you will be found, and you will face serious consequences under the law.”
“Although the pandemic is years behind us, HSI and our partners are committed to holding fraudsters accountable for PPP fraud,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “By now the writing on the wall should be crystal clear, if you fraudulently obtained government funds during the pandemic, you will be held accountable.”
According to court records, Kammo and his co-conspirators caused fraudulent PPP applications to be submitted for several business entities. Those applications misrepresented payroll information for the business entities and falsely certified that PPP loan funds would be used for permissible business-related purposes. The defendants also caused fictitious payroll, health insurance, bank, and tax records to be submitted in connection with the PPP loan applications.
Kammo and his family members received nearly $2.5 million in fraudulent PPP loan funds.
The Paycheck Protection Program was created by Congress to provide assistance to businesses harmed by the economic dislocations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kammo was sentenced by Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey. His co-defendant, Rita Shaba, was previously sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. Kammo’s wife, Christina Anasi, still awaits sentencing.
As part of his sentence, Kammo was also ordered to pay $2,493,348.50 in restitution.
According to court records, the conspirators misappropriated the personal identifying information of several of Kammo’s family members to commit their crime, including that of Kammo’s own mother.
Kammo was previously sentenced to a three-year federal prison sentence for dealing drugs out of his parents’ liquor store.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. The Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has also provided valuable assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. Related forfeiture and restitution matters are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Nathan.
Serial Burglar Gets 80 Months in Prison for Multiple Burglaries in 2025Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vernon Daniels, 60, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, to 80 months in prison, on charges stemming from the burglaries of multiple organizations in Northwest, from February until April 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro.
Daniels pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree burglary and one count of attempted second-degree burglary in Superior Court on August 29, 2025. The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Daniels to the prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 1, 2025, at approximately 8:21 p.m., Daniels entered through the garage of Monument Advocacy, located at 975 F Street Northwest. After gaining access to the building, Daniels stole three laptops and other property valued at approximately $6,857 before exiting the building. Furthermore, on April 6, 2025, Daniels entered the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, located at 1722 I Street Northwest, at approximately 11:30 a.m. Once inside, the Defendant stole two laptops. Surveillance showed the Defendant fleeing the scene. Police recovered a latent fingerprint that matched the Defendant’s from the scene.
Daniels previously was convicted of burglaries in 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2016, and 2022.
Daniels was arrested on June 11, 2025, and has been in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Inspector General Mason commended those who investigated the case from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuel Hampton, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 006539; 2025 CF3 006541
Seminole County Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Scott Waldon, age 44, of Bowlegs, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that Waldon was convicted of Rape Second Degree in Seminole County, Oklahoma, on August 29, 2002, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from October 2, 2025, until December 11, 2025, Waldon failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshal Service Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Waldon will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.
Savannah Woman Sentenced to 2 Years Imprisonment for Defrauding Local Law FirmRead the Press Release
Savannah, GA: A federal judge has ordered a local woman to be confined for 24 months and to pay back nearly $180,000 in restitution after she spent years stealing from her employer.
Robin Stell, age 55, of Savannah, GA, was charged in August 2025 with one count of Wire Fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap. On February 13, 2026, following a guilty plea, Stell was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, by the Honorable R. Stan Baker, Chief Judge for the Southern District of Georgia.
“This defendant abused the trust placed in her by a local law firm and its clients and betrayed that trust for her own personal benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Crimes like this harm not only the direct victims, but also the public’s confidence in the honesty and integrity of the legal profession. We are committed to holding those who commit such breaches of trust accountable.”
According to court documents and in court testimony, Stell was the office manager of a local law firm from 2021 to 2024. During that time, she routinely used company credit cards to make unauthorized purchases for her own use and benefit, to include booking cruises and other vacations, purchasing concert tickets, and spending tens of thousands of dollars on Amazon. In total, Stell defrauded the local firm of nearly $180,000.
“When company insiders abuse the trust that their institutions place in them, they will be held accountable,” said Brad Snider, FBI Georgia Supervisory Senior Special Agent who leads the Savannah Resident Agency. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to root out financial fraud.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.
San Diego Woman Sentenced to 63 Months in Embezzlement and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Ping “Jenny” Gao of Point Loma was sentenced in federal court today to 63 months’ custody after admitting that she embezzled and laundered more than $8.5 million from her employer’s bank accounts.
U.S. District Judge James E. Simmons, Jr. also ordered Gao to pay $3,295,000 in restitution to victims of the offense – Nautical Hero Group, LLC and Vitality International Management, LLC.
According to admissions in her plea agreement, Gao worked for three aviation investment firms – Nautical Hero Group, LLC, Axiom United Holdings, LLC, and Vitality International Management, LLC – based at Montgomery Field airport and owned by the same employer. She funneled company funds into accounts she fraudulently created and then went on a spending spree, buying a $160,000 Porsche and a $2.9 million home with views overlooking San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline.
When her employer discovered the theft and sued in San Diego Superior Court, Gao falsely claimed her actions were authorized by the real owner of the companies in China and the person who sued her was an “imposter.” To support this false defense, Gao paid more than $100,000 of embezzled funds to people in China to fabricate evidence, which she then knowingly filed with the Superior Court to oppose a motion for a preliminary injunction. Gao also committed perjury at her deposition in the civil matter by claiming the funds in the companies’ bank accounts belonged to her.
Though the Superior Court issued multiple orders barring Gao from further spending, transferring, or dissipating the proceeds during the pendency of the civil case, Gao disregarded the orders and continued to make transactions with the embezzled proceeds. Those transactions included wiring $1.6 million overseas to a bank account in Hong Kong, China.
According to the United States’ Sentencing Memorandum, Gao knowingly completed more than 300 financial transactions in violation of court orders and purposefully deceived her own lawyers into unwittingly filing fabricated evidence to the Superior Court to support her false defense.
In September 2023, the civil case went to trial and Gao testified in her defense. Gao committed perjury again by claiming the funds were from her investments in China. She also falsely claimed that one of the managers of the companies was helping to move her funds into the United States using “underground banks” to avoid Chinese laws limiting overseas transfers.
The Superior Court ultimately ruled against Gao and converted the preliminary injunction into a permanent injunction. Despite the permanent injunction, Gao continued to dissipate proceeds in violation of the court order. This included selling the $160,000 Porsche to CarMax for $75,000 and exchanging a $70,000 cashier’s check from proceeds of that transaction with another individual for cash.
According to her plea agreement, Gao admitted that she transferred more than $1 million of the embezzled funds to her personal bank accounts and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxuries and at high-end fashion stores. There is also more than $3.29 million of embezzled funds that were squandered or remain unaccounted for to date.
“The cover-up is often worse than the crime,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Those who fabricate evidence and lie under oath to conceal their crimes undermine our judicial system – and they will be held accountable.”
“The lengths that Gao took to hide her criminal activity are appalling in and of themselves, showing a complete disregard for our justice system,” said TJ Holland, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Today’s sentence reflects the magnitude of these types of financial crimes. FBI San Diego is dedicated to using all of its resources to investigate any criminal activity impacting our local industries and ensure a fair and just outcome for the victims.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-CR-2380-JES
Ping Gao, aka Jenny Gao, Gao Ping Age: 55 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater
Concealment Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Sallisaw Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Tyler Blankenship, age 39, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for one count of Possession of Ammunition After Conviction of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sallisaw Police Department.
On November 10, 2025, Blankenship pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 24, 2024, after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of Battery (Domestic Violence) in Putnam County, Florida, and knowing of that conviction, Blankenship knowingly possessed eight rounds of ammunition.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Blankenship will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Lewis Reagan represented the United States.
Registered Sex Offender from Worcester Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Worcester man was sentenced to over a decade in prison on Feb. 4, 2026 in federal court in Boston for possessing hundreds of files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Andres DeJesus, 66, was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2025, DeJesus pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
On Aug. 8, 2025, DeJesus arrived at Logan Airport from the Dominican Republic. DeJesus had been refused entry into the Dominican Republic because of his status as a registered sex offender. Upon his return to Logan Airport, a search was conducted of his luggage, when several articles of children’s clothing and a large amount of chocolate and other sweets were found. A Zip file on DeJesus’ cell phone had three videos containing CSAM. A later forensic examination of the cell phone revealed at least 600 images of CSAM.
In 2010, in the Middlesex County Superior Court, DeJesus was found guilty of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, possession of child pornography and posing or exhibiting a child in a sexual act. DeJesus was sentenced to eight years to eight years and one day in state prison.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; and Chief Paul B. Saucier of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Providence Man Arrested for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Providence man arrested and charged for allegedly transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Mark Huynn, 39, of Providence, R.I., was charged by criminal complaint with one count of transporting child pornography. Huynh was arrested on Feb. 12, 2026, and made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later that day.
According to the charging documents, in 2025, Huynh was arrested at Boston Logan Airport entering the country with an active arrest warrant out of Rhode Island. Searches of Huynh’s electronic devices at the airport revealed multiple files consistent with CSAM.
The charge of transporting child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit in Boston is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ponce Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 12, 2026, United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi Jordan sentenced Melvin E. Rivera-Oliveras to 57 months in prison and five years of supervised release, and restitution for his role in a bank fraud scheme involving fraudulent point of sales (POS) transactions. Rivera-Oliveras utilized a company called Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico, LLC to further the bank fraud scheme. Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico, LLC pleaded guilty and was sentenced on January 15, 2026.
According to court documents, from 2020 to 2025, Melvin E. Rivera-Oliveras executed a scheme and artifice to defraud multiple federally insured financial institutions in Puerto Rico. Rivera-Oliveras attempted to conduct numerous fraudulent refund transactions for more than $7 million using multiple debit cards at various companies that he managed and operated.
After acquiring point of sale (POS) systems, Rivera-Oliveras conducted fraudulent refund transactions and was able to gain temporary access to the funds and to spend a portion of the funds that did not belong to him. In total, Rivera-Oliveras successfully submitted over 20 fraudulent refund transactions and illegally obtained over $680,000 as a result of the fraud scheme. Rivera-Oliveras was previously convicted and served jail time for felony violations involving forgery, larceny, and misappropriation of funds.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was in charge of the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy from the Financial Fraud & Public Corruption Section prosecuted the case.
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Plainfield, Vermont Man Sentenced to 2 years of Probation for Social Security Disability FraudRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on February 10, 2026, John Cozza, 64, of Plainfield, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a two-year term of probation and ordered to pay $68,323.20 in restitution to the United States Social Security Administration. Cozza previously pleaded guilty to submitting false information in his application for Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) benefits.
According to court records, Cozza stated in a March 2021 application for SSDI benefits that he had not been self-employed in 2020 or in 2021, through the date of his application. When Cozza submitted the application, he knew that information was false. In fact, Cozza had been working as a handyman through his businesses, J.C. Handy Man Services and Black Bear Building Services from 2019 through the date of his application (and continuing until at least 2023). There was ample evidence of defendant’s self-employment through his advertising of his businesses and his social media posts for those businesses. As a result of his false statements to the Social Security Administration, Cozza obtained $68,323.20 in SSDI benefits to which he was not entitled.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations (SSA OIG-OI) and the Vermont State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Aliberti and Jason Turner. John Cozza was represented by Michael Shklar, Esq.
Orlando Area Tax Return Preparers Preliminarily Enjoined from Preparing Returns for OthersRead the Press Release
Note: View order here.
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida issued a preliminary injunction against Orlando area tax return preparers Juan Humberto Garcia, Marcos Yariel Figueroa, and Garcia’s tax return preparation business, The Tax Master of BVL Inc. (Defendants).
The court issued the injunction following a hearing where the government presented evidence that showed the Defendants engaged in a pattern of preparing and filing false returns that understated their customers’ federal income tax liabilities and claimed inflated tax refunds by:
- Fabricating medical expenses, charitable donations, and personal property taxes as deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A; and
- Fabricating or inflating business losses on Form 1040 Schedule C.
In granting the government’s motion, the court primarily relied on the deposition testimony from over a dozen of the Defendants’ customers who all testified that they did not know about the fraudulent deductions claimed by the Defendants. In addition to finding strong proof that the Defendants fabricated deductions and losses, the court determined that the government would face irreparable harm absent an injunction. The court noted in this regard that the Defendants continued to prepare fraudulent returns even after they were served with a copy of the government’s complaint.
The injunction bars Garcia, Figueroa, and The Tax Master from preparing and filing tax returns for others, working for or having an ownership stake in any tax return preparation business, and advising anyone about the preparation of a tax return.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation Branch made the announcement.
Attorney Franklin D. Sandrea-Rivero of the Tax Litigation Branch is handling this matter.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
In the past decade, the Department of Justice has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Civil Division, Tax Litigation Branch with details.
Garcia et al PI Order_0.pdfNine Illegal Aliens Charged with Immigration Related Criminal Offenses in the Southern District of FloridaRead the Press Release
MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones announced today that a federal grand jury in Miami has separately charged nine illegal aliens with various immigration related criminal offenses.
Lazaro Gaddiel Flores-Arita, 24, of Honduras, was indicted after he was apprehended on Jan. 20 in Monroe County for allegedly possessing a firearm and ammunition as an unlawful alien (Case No. 26-cr-10003). If convicted, Flores-Arita faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Medinel Joseph, 28, of Haiti, was charged by information with attempted illegal entry into the U.S. after coming ashore in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 (Case No. 26-cr-20038). If convicted, Joseph faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison.
According to the indictments, the following defendants are charged with unlawfully reentering or attempting to reenter the U.S. after prior removals:
Wendy Esmeralda Ponce-Hernandez, 30, of El Salvador, was found in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-20046);
Yolander Ceeald Bish, 27, of Jamaica, came ashore in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2025 (Case No. 26-cr-20045);
Jean Woodley Franezy, 25, of Jamaica, came ashore in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2022 (Case No. 26-cr-20044);
Guillermina Carolina Pimentel Lara, 30, of the Dominican Republic, came ashore in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2023 (Case No. 26-cr-20042);
Sandro Boror-Rivera, 51, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2009 and 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-20034);
Juan Carlos Rafael Avila, 36, of Mexico, was found in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2011, 2012, 2017, and 2022 (Case No. 26-cr-20032); and
Rafael Corona-Mendez, 46, of Mexico, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2012 (Case No. 26-cr-20033).
Illegal reentry after deportation carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Corona-Mendez faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison based on prior convictions, qualifying him for an increased maximum sentence. Rafael Avila and Boror-Rivera each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison based on allegations of prior aggravated convictions, qualifying for an increased maximum sentence.
The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
The cases are being prosecuted by the newly formed Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section. BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect maritime and land points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats.
BICE Deputy Chief Yvonne Rodriguez-Schack, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson Dering, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Roca Shaw, Tanner Stiehl, Vanessa Terrades, and Jeffrey Pierce are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment 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.
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New York Man Who Used TikTok and Snapchat to Prey on Girls Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES PAGLIARO, 27, of Middletown, New York, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to multiple child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in approximately October 2024, Pagliaro began messaging a 15-year-girl (“minor victim”) in Connecticut on TikTok. In December 2024, the minor victim told Pagliaro that she was 15 years old, and they began text messaging. In January 2025, Pagliaro traveled to Connecticut at least three times to engage in sexual conduct with the minor victim.
In February 2025, a forensic examination of the minor victim’s iPhone revealed hundreds of sexually explicit images and videos of the minor victim, and more than 11,000 text messages and more than 300 iOS and FaceTime calls between Pagliaro and the minor victim. In the messages, Pagliaro instructed the minor victim to perform specific sex acts, including sadistic and masochistic conduct. Pagliaro also asked the minor victim to recruit another minor to engage in sexual conduct with him.
The investigation further revealed that Pagliaro also exchanged sexually explicit messages, images, and videos with a 15-year-old girl in the United Kingdom, a 15-year-old girl in New Jersey, and a 16-year-old girl in Florida. He also initiated contact with thousands of other minors on TikTok and Snapchat. In March 2025 alone, Pagliaro sent messages, many of which were sexually explicit, to approximately 600 Snapchat users who appeared to be minors, and sent sexually explicit images of himself to at least 68 of those Snapchat users.
Pagliaro, who has been detained since his arrest on March 19, 2025, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; and traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for May 8.
This investigation has been conducted by HSI New England, HSI New York, the Orange County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office, and the Danbury, Ridgefield, and Watertown Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon
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 York Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New York operations manager was sentenced in federal court in Boston for conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
Timothy Doyle, 45, of Selden, N.Y. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 14 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $27,225,434 in restitution and $1,102,725 in forfeiture. In January 2025, Doyle pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute.
From at least June 2013 through at least September 2020, Doyle conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Doyle and his alleged co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Doyle and his alleged co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.
The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Castle Man Involved in Puerto Rico-Sourced Cocaine Trafficking Operation Pleads Guilty to Narcotics and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and firearm laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Daniel Feliciano, 49, pleaded guilty to six counts before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab on February 12, 2026.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between October 2022 and March 2024, Feliciano conspired with others to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania, specifically in the New Castle area. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Feliciano pleaded guilty to distributing and/or possessing with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine on three different dates, as well as possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
On March 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Feliciano’s New Castle residence, where they seized approximately 150 grams of cocaine and cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack, multiple digital scales that contained or later tested positive for cocaine residue, an assortment of drug packaging materials, nearly $2,000 in cash, three cell phones, three firearms, and various calibers and quantities of ammunition and loaded and unloaded magazines that totaled more than 2,400 rounds. The firearms included two 9mm semi-automatic pistols—one loaded with approximately 10 rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber, and that was accompanied by a similarly loaded second magazine, and the second firearm loaded with a magazine capable of holding approximately 31 rounds of ammunition and containing 14 rounds—and a .40 semi-automatic pistol that contained 13 rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber, that was accompanied by three magazines, each loaded with between 12 and 18 rounds.
Investigators determined that Feliciano possessed these firearms to protect his product, his profits, and his person in relation to his drug trafficking crimes. Feliciano was convicted in 2002 of an aggravated assault felony in Puerto Rico, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
Feliciano was one of 17 defendants from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, indicted in March 2024 in this case, which saw members of the conspiracy transporting drugs from Puerto Rico to Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and elsewhere for distribution (read the Indictment news release here). Feliciano was the last of the defendants to plead guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation in this case, with significant assistance from the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture.
Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Mount Vernon Man Sentenced to 160 Months in Prison for Sex Trafficking A MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that RAI THOMAS, a/k/a “Bandz,” was sentenced today to 160 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor and use of interstate facilities to promote sex trafficking and prostitution. In October 2025, THOMAS was convicted at trial before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Rai Thomas preyed on a child for profit, advertising her to strangers on the internet and selling her for sex again and again so he could enrich himself,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers want child sex traffickers off our streets, never to return. Today’s lengthy prison sentence is indicative of this Office’s commitment to continuing to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to remove sex traffickers like Thomas from our streets and communities.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and the evidence at trial:
Between January and February 2022, THOMAS trafficked Minor Victim-1 to engage in commercial sexual activity across multiple hotels within the Bronx and Brooklyn, New York. Minor Victim-1 had been living in a children’s group home at the time that THOMAS trafficked her. THOMAS facilitated and benefited from the scheme in numerous ways, including by enticing Minor Victim-1 to engage in commercial sex; coordinating the transportation of Minor Victim-1 to hotels; reserving the hotel rooms in which she engaged in commercial sex; facilitating the advertisement of Minor Victim-1 on the internet to customers for commercial sex; and profiting from the sex trafficking scheme.
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In addition to the prison term, THOMAS, 31, of Mount Vernon, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, and the New York City Police Department.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Qais Ghafary, Kaiya Arroyo, and Jorja Knauer represented the Government at trial, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Gabriela Salerno, Samantha Olsen, and Shannon Becker.
Miami Man Charged in Connection with Grandparent Scam and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on January 23, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Otmane Khalladi, 33, of Miami, Florida, with conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiring to launder monetary instruments, and failure to appear.
Khalladi entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on Friday, February 13, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Khalladi be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Khalladi is alleged to have participated in a conspiracy involving a “grandparent scam” and is further alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of that scam. He was initially arrested in Miami, Florida, in April 2023, and was released on a $100,000 bond. Khalladi failed to appear for a court hearing in December 2024, and was detained in Mexico by Mexican immigration authorities and removed to the United States.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Khalladi is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Khalladi faces up to 60 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, as well as Customs and Border Protection, and recognized the contributions of the FBI in assisting with locating Khalladi in Mexico.
The prosecutors are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nate Burris and Michelle Arra. Khalladi is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Vermont comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Diplomatic Security Services, the Internal Revenue Services-Criminal Investigation, and state and local partner agencies, with prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.
Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Years for Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Octavio Zamora-Chona, 39, a Mexican citizen living in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Zamora-Chona to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Zamora-Chona’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On November 21, 2024, DEA agents and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at Zamora-Chona’s residence in Omaha. They recovered more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine, five firearms, and more than $19,000 in cash. One of the firearms was a short-barreled rifle. Review of extracted data from Zamora-Chona’s seized cell phone showed his involvement in methamphetamine dealing.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from the Omaha Police Department, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, and Saunders County Sheriff’s Office.
Mexican National Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Using a Vehicle to Assault, Resist, Oppose, Impede, Intimidate, or Interfere with a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cristian Geovanni Rojas Benitez, 37, a Mexican national who overstayed his visa and remained illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 14 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with an officer of the United States, while using a deadly or dangerous weapon — specifically, a motor vehicle — while the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.
Rojas Benitez was charged by indictment in August of last year and pleaded guilty in October. During his plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he intentionally drove his pickup truck in the direction of a federal agent.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on the morning of June 23, 2025, that Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI") agent and other federal officers were attempting to locate Rojas Benitez and take him into administrative custody after he had violated conditions of his immigration release, including a 2024 conviction in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas for false identification to law enforcement, operating a vehicle without ignition interlock, knowing and intentional possession of a controlled substance, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Based on information they had received, the federal officers surveilled a residence in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. At approximately 8:30 a.m., a man matching the description and photograph of Rojas Benitez exited the residence and got into a pickup truck. When the defendant started to drive away, the federal officers quickly conducted a vehicle stop.
Rojas Benitez did not comply with the federal officers’ commands to get out of the vehicle or roll down his window. During this encounter, the HSI agent moved to the front of the vehicle to maintain visibility of the driver. The law enforcement officers told Rojas Benitez that if he did not comply, his window would be broken, and when Rojas Benitez continued not to comply after multiple warnings, one of the federal officers broke the rear driver’s side window of the truck.
The defendant then put the vehicle in drive and drove over the sidewalk in the direction of the HSI agent, who had to push off the truck with his hand and jump out of way to avoid being struck. The defendant also narrowly avoided hitting a passing school bus.
Rojas Benitez then fled the state and was ultimately located by the U.S. Marshals Service on July 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jose Rodrigo Alejandro Muniz, 27, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced on February 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Alejandro Muniz to 108 months’ imprisonment. After his release from prison, he will begin a two-year term of supervised release.
This case involves a Mexican source of supply of methamphetamine who has been supplying the Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, areas through a local network of drug couriers since 2021. Customers will call the source and order the drugs, who will then send a courier to meet them and complete the transaction.
Alejandro Muniz was the main drug courier for the Mexican source of supply starting in June of 2023. On June 15, 2023, law enforcement utilized a cooperating witness who purchased one pound of methamphetamine from the Alejandro Muniz at an Omaha location. Phone messages confirmed he was working for and being directed by the Mexican source of supply.
On September 26, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the Alejandro Muniz’s Council Bluffs apartment and discovered approximately 3.9 pounds of methamphetamine and $2,750 in U.S. currency. During a post-Miranda interview, the defendant admitted to distributing at least 25 pounds of methamphetamine in last six months. The investigation revealed that he distributed most of the methamphetamine in the Omaha area.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States after prior removals.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Isidro Gonzalez-Peleaz, 41, to time served. Gonzalez-Peleaz had been incarcerated since November 11, 2025.
According to court records, in November 2025, a Border Patrol agent encountered Gonzalez-Peleaz and his brother, Alfredo Gonzalez-Peleaz, leaving a jobsite in Calais. The Border Patrol agent conducted a field immigration inspection of the two men and determined that they were Mexican citizens and did not have any documentation to be in the U.S. legally. A review of immigration records confirmed Gonzalez-Peleaz had been removed from the country in November 2006, at Brownsville, Texas; December 2012, at Calexico, California; March 2013, at Calexico, California; and August 2018, at San Luis, Arizona.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. Alfredo Gonzalez-Peleaz also received a sentence of time served, which was imposed by Judge Woodcock earlier today.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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