Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
30 March 2026
Illegal Alien from Mexico Living in West Virginia Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Federal Fraud CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Rosmery Morales-Mejia, also known as “Rosita Mejia-Perez,” 27, a Mexican national living illegally in Nitro, pleaded guilty today to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents and was sentenced to time served. Morales-Mejia will be subject to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainer for her transfer to ICE administrative custody for removal proceedings.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from on or about June 28, 2025, to on or about January 16, 2026, Morales-Mejia used a counterfeit Immigration Form I-551, also known as a Permanent Resident Card or Green Card, to obtain employment at the Rio Grande Mexican Restaurant in Nitro.
Morales-Mejia admitted that she and her husband each purchased a counterfeit Green Card and a counterfeit Social Security card, that she and her husband knew these documents were counterfeit, that her counterfeit documents did not list her real name, and that she and her husband both used their counterfeit documents to obtain employment at the restaurant.
Morales-Mejia further admitted that she and her husband rented a room from restaurant owner Miguel Aguirre-Arello Sr. in a house he owned behind the restaurant. Morales-Mejia also admitted that she and her husband lived in the house with other foreign nationals who were living and working in the Southern District of West Virginia without legal status.
Morales-Mejia and her husband, Wilmar Aristo Pablos-Miguel, are among six illegal aliens indicted following the execution of a January 16, 2026, search warrant at the restaurant on charges alleging they were working there without legal status. In addition to Morales-Mejiam, Pablos-Miguel, also known as “Ariosto Pablos-Miguel,” 42, and Jose Alfredo Cruz-Perez, 22, each pleaded guilty to fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents and were sentenced to time served with ICE immigration detainers pending.
Aguirre-Arello Sr., 65, and his son, restaurant manager Miguel Angel Aguirre, 43, both of Nitro, were indicted on charges alleging each harbored aliens, while aiding and abetting each other, and aided and abetted fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents. That indictment and the indictments against the remaining illegal alien defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The January 16, 2026, search warrant was executed as part of Operation Country Roads. Conducted by ICE with state and local law enforcement partners, the immigration enforcement operation resulted in over 650 arrests throughout West Virginia.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Nitro Police Department, and the St. Albans Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing and imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:26-cr-16.
###
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tavoyn Billy Morrison, 26, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 31, 2025, Morrison sold approximately 3 grams of crack to a confidential informant for $200 at a Huntington residence. As part of his guilty plea, Morrison admitted to conducting the transaction and further admitted that he sold approximately 3 grams of crack to a confidential informant for $200 outside of the Huntington residence on August 14, 2025.
Morrison is scheduled to be sentenced on July 13, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Morrison is among seven individuals who pleaded guilty as the result of an investigation targeting the distribution of controlled substances in the Huntington area.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-156.
###
Gardner Woman Pleads Guilty to Social Security FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Gardner woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to fraudulently receiving Social Security disability benefits for 10 years.
Michelle M. DiSalvo, 53, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of stolen government money or property; one count of Social Security fraud; and one count of false statements. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for July 16, 2026. DiSalvo was charged in February 2026.
In 2001, DiSalvo began receiving Supplemental Security Income (SSI) disability benefits from the Social Security Administration (SSA). Eligibility for SSI is based, in part, on the applicant having limited income and resources. In assessing a married individual’s eligibility for SSI, the income and resources of the applicant’s spouse is considered if they live together. If an applicant is awarded SSI, they have a continuing obligation to notify SSA of any changes in their marital status, living arrangements and household income and resources.
In June 2014, DiSalvo truthfully reported to SSA that she was married, but falsely stated that she and her husband had separated in September 2013, when, in fact, they were living together. In five additional redetermination interviews with SSA between December 2014 and August 2023, DiSalvo continued to conceal that she lived with her husband with the intent to fraudulently obtain SSI benefits. DiSalvo also submitted a fraudulent lease agreement to SSA in October 2023 that DiSalvo omitted her husband because she knew that if she reported living with him, DiSalvo’s husband’s income and resources would have made her ineligible for SSI.
From October 2013 through October 2023, DiSalvo fraudulently received $93,640 in SSI disability benefits.
The charge of receipt of stolen government money or property provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of Social Security fraud provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of false statements provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Amy Connelly, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Newport News firefighter pleads guilty to sexually abusing an infant and distributing videos of the abuseRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Suffolk man pled guilty on March 25 to production of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and coercion of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to court documents, beginning in October 2024, Alex Tyler Buenaga, 32, began sexually assaulting a three-month-old infant, filming the abuse, and distributing the resultant CSAM online. Buenaga invited others, including Ryan Wade Johnston, 45, of Virginia Beach, to his residence to participate in the sexual abuse and smoke methamphetamine. Buenaga, a former Newport News firefighter, recorded himself sexually abusing the infant over 90 times and on at least one occasion, recorded himself blowing methamphetamine smoke in the infant’s face.
On Jan. 24, 2025, in response to an emergency tip that a user of the Telegram instant messaging application was producing and distributing CSAM, agents with the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force located and proceeded to Buenaga’s residence. Buenaga and Johnston were arrested before they could inflict additional abuse on the infant.
Buenaga is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 22 and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and up to life plus 60 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Johnston is charged with production of CSAM, receipt of CSAM, coercion and enticement of a minor, and possession of CSAM. A bench trial for Johnston is scheduled for June 15.
The FBI’s Norfolk Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-31.
Former High School Wrestling Coach Sentenced for Sending Obscene Material to MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Burlington, Mass. man was sentenced on March 26, 2026 for sending obscene material to an undercover agent posing as a 14-year-old girl on Kik messenger.
Stephen James Lemelin, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to two years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In December 2025, Lemelin was convicted of three counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Lemelin was arrested and charged in May 2024 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024.
Over the course of five months, Lemelin –a Burlington High School wrestling coach at the time – sent sexually explicit messages and obscene material over Kik Messenger to an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl. In the messages, Lemelin sent three separate obscene photographs of his genitals to the purported child and proposed meeting in person for sex.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection and the Arlington, Boston, Brookline, Burlington, Salisbury and Winchester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David G. Tobin and Eric L. Hawkins prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
Florida Pair Pleads Guilty to Filing Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rossy Alberto, age 45, and Juan Nunez, age 38, both of Lakeland, Florida, pled guilty on March 27, 2026, before United States District Judge Julia K. Munley, to conspiring to defraud the United States, among other tax related crimes.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Alberto and Nunez operated a tax-preparing business, RA Multiservices and Immigration, in Hazleton, Pennsylvania, and between 2016 and 2021 they conspired to defraud the United States by preparing approximately 35 false or fraudulent tax returns on behalf of their unknowing clients. These false returns reported false tax withholding amounts, childcare expenses, residential energy credits, among other false items, causing the IRS to issue inflated tax refunds Alberto and Nunez’s clients were not entitled to receive. Additionally, Alberto and Nunez impeded and obstructed the functions of the IRS in that after the IRS expelled Alberto from the electronic filing program, Alberto continued to prepare and electronically file tax returns between 2016 and 2021 using Nunez’s name and electronic filing identification number. Alberto further pled guilty to two counts of tax evasion, for evading her personal taxes in years 2018 and 2020. Alberto also admitted that she was in contempt of court for continuing to prepare and file tax returns after she was permanently enjoined from doing so by a court order from a U.S. District Court Judge in 2020, including five false returns in 2021.
“Tax return preparers have a duty to their clients to prepare tax returns that comply with the law and are accurate,” stated Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigation, Philadelphia Field Office.
The matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service. Assistant United States Attorneys James Buchanan and Trial Attorney Likhitha Butchireddygari of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section are prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is five years’ imprisonment and a fine of $250,000. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
###
Five Charged in $3.5M Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — The United States District Court for the District of South Carolina has unsealed an indictment charging five individuals for their roles in a fraud and money laundering scheme that resulted in a cumulative loss of at least $3.5 million.
The following have been charged for their roles in the scheme:Xavier Gordon, 25, of Charleston;
Warner Gordon, 27, of Charleston;
Kevin Milton Simpson, 30, of Charleston;
Tashagae Narcia Leslie, 25, of Orlando, Florida; and
Kemar Christopher Edwards, 28, of Charleston.
The indictment alleges that the defendants engaged in a scheme to deceive individuals by convincing them that they were the winners of cash prizes from sweepstakes. The defendants would then claim that before the victims could receive their winnings, they had to pay taxes and fees. Believing they had won, the victims transferred money to the defendants either through the mail or by wire transfer. After receiving the money, the defendants are alleged to have laundered the funds and then transferred a portion of the proceeds to individuals located in Jamaica. The indictment alleges that the victims lost more than $3.5 million through the scheme, and that a substantial portion of the more than 100 victims were elderly.
Xavier Gordon is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; multiple counts of mail fraud; wire fraud; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Xavier Gordon faces a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.
Warner Gordon is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; mail fraud; multiple counts of wire fraud; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Warner Gordon faces a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.
Kevin Milton Simpson is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Simpson faces a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.
Tashagae Narcia Leslie is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Leslie faces a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.
Kemar Christopher Edwards is charged with conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Edwards faces a maximum penalty of 30 years' imprisonment, a maximum fine of $500,000, and a term of supervised release of three years.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Sowards is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.###
Felony Sex Offender Arrested on Federal Warrant for Illegally Voting in North Carolina ElectionsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The FBI arrested James Osborne, 36, of Wilmington on a Federal arrest warrant. The FBI obtained the warrant pursuant to a Federal criminal complaint signed by a U.S. Magistrate Judge which accuses Osborne of making False Statements on Voter Registration or Ballot while being a convicted felon and serving a sentence of supervised release for Possession of Child Pornography.
According to the complaint, Osborne was ineligible to legally register to vote or cast a ballot because he was serving a federal sentence of supervised release at the time for his felony conviction for Possession of Child Pornography. Osborne, who must register as a sex offender, signed and submitted a voter registration on November 4, 2025, voted in-person inside an elementary school polling site in the November 5, 2024, presidential election, and voted in-person inside a public library polling site in the February 25, 2026, primary election. On each such occasion, Osborne falsely indicated to voting officials that he was not serving a felony sentence.
"This case is an example of the FBI’s commitment to election security and serves as a warning that we will arrest and prosecute anyone who illegally participates in our democratic process," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
Osborne is charged with False Statements on Voter Registration or Ballot in violation of Title 52, United States Code, Section 20511(2)(A), and Title 52, United States Code, Section 20511(2)(B), and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison for each violation.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The FBI is investigating the case, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew R. Petracca is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Employees and Inmates at Citrus County Detention Facility Charged with Bribery and Introduction of ContrabandRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of four indictments charging employees, inmates, and associates of inmates at the Citrus County Detention Facility (CCDF) with bribery and drug-related charges. The unsealed indictments charge the following individuals:
NameChargesMaximum PenaltyJustin Harvey (50)
Inverness, Florida
Acceptance of a Bribe by a Public Official
Introduction of Contraband to a Prison
15 years in prisonDekarri Nixon (28)
Jasper, Florida
Acceptance of a Bribe by a Public Official15 years in prisonCourtney Smith (35)
Brooksville, Florida
Conspiracy to Bribe a Public Official
Acceptance of a Bribe by a Public Official
Introduction of Contraband into a Prison
15 years in prisonJoshua Gallimore (31)
Dade City, Florida
Conspiracy to Bribe a Public OfficialFive Years in PrisonNicole Knecht (43)
Beverly Hills, Florida
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Conspiracy to Bribe Public Officials
Acceptance of a Bribe by a Public Official
20 years in prisonAshley Fraccalvieri (41)
Spring Hill, Florida
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Conspiracy to Bribe Public Officials
Bribery of Public Officials
20 years in prisonApril Vanzant (58)
Lady Lake, Florida
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Conspiracy to Bribe Public Officials
Bribery of Public Officials
20 years in prisonErnest Grimaldi (40)
Lecanto, Florida
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Controlled Substances
Conspiracy to Bribe Public Officials
20 years in prisonThis group of indictments charge employees and inmates of the CCDF. This facility is a private jail where federal inmates are held in custody while awaiting trial or sentencing for matters pending in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida. Like all prisons, this facility was intended to be a secure facility, and contraband, like cellphones and controlled substances, are prohibited. Across the four indictments, the above named individuals are charged with violating the law by ignoring the facility’s secure nature and bringing in cellphones and controlled substances in exchange for money.
According to the first indictment, Justin Harvey was a correctional officer at CCDF. While there, an inmate (working at law enforcement’s direction) approached Harvey and requested that Harvey bring in a contraband cellphone. Harvey agreed to do so. And to effectuate that smuggling, Harvey met up with another person to receive that cellphone and $4,000 as payment. Harvey later smuggled the cellphone into CCDF and gave it to the inmate.
Like Harvey, the second indictment that charges Dekarri Nixon alleges that Nixon also worked as correctional officer at CCDF. While Nixon was employed at CCDF, an inmate (working at law enforcement’s direction) approached Nixon and requested a cellphone from Nixon. Nixon met with another person outside the jail and accepted $4,000 to introduce a cellphone to CCDF.
According to the third indictment, Courtney Smith and Joshua Gallimore worked together to introduce contraband into CCDF. Smith worked as a commissary worker at the facility, while Gallimore was a federal inmate. Smith agreed to smuggle contraband into the facility for Gallimore, and in return, Smith received at least $5,700 in bribes from Gallimore and his associates. Through this scheme, Smith smuggled a cellphone into facility in exchange for approximately $300.
The fourth indictment alleges that Nicole Knecht, Ashley Fraccalvieri, Ernest Grimaldi, and April Vanzant worked together to introduce contraband, including controlled substances, into CCDF in exchange for money. Knecht worked as a nurse at the facility and Fraccalvieri previously worked as a correctional officer there. Grimaldi was a state inmate at the facility. This group worked together to introduce controlled substances and other contraband into the facility. Grimaldi directed Knecht and Fraccalvieri, via the facility’s jail call system, to receive contraband from individuals outside the CCDF for smuggling into the facility. Knecht received money from Fraccalvieri and Grimaldi for her smuggling services. Eventually, law enforcement stopped Knecht with controlled substances after she met with Fraccalvieri. Knecht planned to smuggle these controlled substances into CCDF. Law enforcement officers later stopped Fraccalvieri with more than 400 oxycodone pills that were to be introduced into the facility. Fraccalvieri had obtained these pills after meeting with Vanzant.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
These cases were investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office. They will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Buchanan.
Indictment 1 Indictment 2 Indictment 3 Indictment 4El Paso Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Investors as Third-Party NBA Preseason Game PromoterRead the Press Release
Update: If you believe you might be a victim of the crimes Johnson committed, and/or have information relevant to this investigation, please visit https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/johnson-investment-investigation-questionnaire
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man pleaded guilty in federal court to seven counts of wire fraud as part of a Ponzi scheme in which he represented to investors that he would use their funds to promote NBA preseason games, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, beginning around Feb. 9, 2009, and continuing through about May 14, 2020, Timothy France Johnson, 63, solicited investments from individuals and claimed to invest their money into NBA preseason games and game promotion. Johnson falsely represented that, as a third-party promoter, he would use the investment funds to obtain the venues and fund the marketing and promotion of the games. He provided investors with investment agreements that promised a guaranteed return on their investment, essentially representing that the investments had zero risk. Additionally, Johnson provided his victims with fraudulent investment statements and other fraudulent contracts and letters to substantiate his claimed connection to the NBA.
An FBI investigation revealed that investments were not used to pay for preseason NBA games or game promotion but were instead used to make payments to earlier stage investors, were withdrawn as cash, or were spent on other non-business-related expenses.
One victim of Johnson’s scheme invested for approximately five years, wiring $15,000 to Johnson on April 24, 2014. Johnson told the victim an investment between a minimum $12,500 and maximum $25,000 was required. At the end of the preseason, Johnson contacted the investor to tell them how much money they made on the games and to convince the investor to “roll the money over” into the next season’s games. Records show the investor made an additional $20,000 investment on June 28, 2018.
On April 8, 2019, the victim signed an investment agreement with Johnson’s company, BOLO Sports & Entertainment LLC. The terms of the agreement stated the victim would invest $50,000 in an NBA preseason game played by a specific NBA team. The contract guaranteed the return of the initial $50,000 investment plus a percentage of the net revenue from the game.
Records indicate the victim wired $50,000 on April 9, 2019, and further sought to invest an additional $50,000 in the preseason game just over a week later. Johnson and the investor-victim signed another investment agreement, and the funds were wired on April 17, 2019.
Johnson told another victim that there would be a 33% return on investment and that there would be “zero risk” because the games were insured in case something went wrong or if the ticket sales did reach the breakeven point. He also claimed that he had been organizing the NBA games since the late 1980s to early 1990s. That victim invested $100,000 with Johnson in 2019 and signed an investment agreement guaranteeing 100% return on his investment plus any additional profit. Shortly after the first investment, Johnson offered an opportunity for the victim to invest in a second preseason game for $60,000. The victim agreed and wired the money.
Following their investments, Johnson discussed with the victims the potential for them to acquire his business. Johnson provided the two victims with tickets to the NBA preseason game in which they had allegedly invested, and they were told that they would meet with NBA and team executives to discuss Johnson’s business and learn more about the sports and entertainment industry. Though they did attend the game with Johnson, the two investors did not meet with any executives.
A third victim invested $75,000 with Johnson over the 2019 and 2020 NBA preseasons. A financial analysis of Johnson’s accounts showed that none of the invested funds used to pay the NBA, NBA teams, venues, or any other apparent promotion-related expenses.
Johnson was charged in April 2024 with seven counts of wire fraud and three counts of engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity. He pleaded guilty on Friday to the seven wire fraud charges and faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shane Romero, Chris Skillern and James Watson are prosecuting the case.
###
D.C. Man Gets 23 Years in Prison for Murder in a Northwest ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Quateze Moore, 46, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to a total 23 years in prison for shooting and killing Martinez Robinson on August 23, 2024, and possession with intent to distribute while armed on January 1, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Moore pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and possession of a controlled substance, (cocaine) with the intent to distribute it while armed on January 14, 2026. The Honorable Judge Jason Park ordered Moore to serve the 23-year prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 23, 2024, Moore and the victim, Martinez Robinson, were at 14th and Girard Street Park, when they encountered one another. A short time later, Robinson ran out of the park and Moore followed. Moore was shooting at the victim as he was running away. The defendant struck Robinson three times, hitting him once in the right arm, once in the right thigh, and once in the torso, causing injuries from which Robinson died. The defendant’s dog, Ace, was also struck by his gunfire and killed. Robinson was in possession of a Glock 23 .40 caliber firearm with a laser, a giggle-switch and 19 live cartridges in a 22-capacity magazine, which he had not fired.
When Moore was arrested on January 1, 2024, Metropolitan Police Department officers recovered a firearm and a clear plastic bag from in between the center console, which contained numerous substances that, after chemical testing, yielded positive results for cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone. He has been in custody since his arrest.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Dinan, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF1 000077
Convicted Felon Sentenced in Possession of Stolen Handgun with Extended MagazineRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Robert Geiger, 47, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced Friday to 33 months in prison for illegally possessing a loaded stolen handgun with an extended magazine, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Geiger pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2025, before Judge Trevor N. McFadden to unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. In addition to the 33-month prison term, Judge McFadden ordered Geiger to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 11, 2024, about 7:25 p.m., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers on patrol in the 1500 block of S Street SE approached a vehicle with heavily tinted windows that appeared to be idling. Officers observed the driver, later identified as Geiger, place an object to his side and pull his shirt over his waistband. After asking Geiger to exit the vehicle, officers conducted a protective pat-down and discovered a loaded 9mm Glock 19 with an extended magazine holding 25 rounds concealed in his waistband. The firearm had been reported stolen by the Nash County Sheriff's Office in North Carolina.
This case was investigated by the MPD with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rajbir Datta.
25cr130
Police officers discovered a loaded 9mm Glock 19 with an extended magazine holding 25 rounds concealed in Geiger’s waistband.
Charlestown, Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 66 Months for Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 27, 2026, Richard J. Vardenski, 57, of Charlestown, Massachusetts was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 66 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Vardenski previously pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbing a convenience store in the Old North End of Burlington, Vermont.
According to court records, Vardenski walked into a convenience store in the Old North End on August 25, 2024, pointed what appeared to be a pistol at the store clerk, demanded money, and took approximately $500 in cash from the register as well as a pack of cigarettes. Vardenski then left the store and fled in a Volvo. Investigators later recovered the apparent weapon used in the robbery, which was in fact a BB-gun. Vardenski was on federal supervised release at the time he committed the robbery, and has a criminal history that includes federal convictions for bank robbery and assault with intent to do bodily harm.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Burlington Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Vardenski was represented by Evan Barquist, Esq.
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.
Broker Charged with Insider Trading and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging RONALD SMITH, formerly a registered broker at a brokerage firm in New York City, with securities fraud, wire fraud, falsification of records, and conspiracy. The charges arise from an alleged insider trading scheme in which SMITH used confidential corporate deal information stolen from an investment bank in New York City to make millions of dollars in illegal profits trading securities on behalf of himself, his girlfriend, and his brokerage clients. SMITH will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels.
“As alleged, Ronald Smith used confidential deal information stolen from an investment bank in New York City to generate millions in profits for himself, his girlfriend, and his clients,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The hallmarks of our world-leading securities markets are transparency and fairness. Insider trading undermines those principles, and our Office will continue to work vigorously to hold insider traders accountable.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
SMITH was a registered broker at a brokerage firm in New York City, where he worked with his fellow broker and friend, Jordan Meadow. Over time, SMITH and Meadow came to share a book of clients and would split commissions on trades executed in those clients’ accounts. In 2021, Meadow started receiving information about planned corporate acquisitions from a source with illicit access to confidential investment banking documents. Meadow provided the stolen information to SMITH, and they each placed securities trades based on the information even though they understood the information had been wrongfully obtained.
Meadow received the stolen information from his friend, Steven Teixeira, who obtained it by secretly accessing confidential work documents on a computer belonging to Teixeira’s then-girlfriend, an executive assistant at an investment bank. Those documents contained confidential information about planned corporate acquisitions in which the investment bank served as an adviser.
Among the planned corporate acquisitions that Teixeira learned about by secretly accessing his then-girlfriend’s computer were planned acquisitions of Score Media and Gaming Inc. and of VMware, Inc. Teixeira shared that information with Meadow, who, in turn, shared it with SMITH. Despite knowing that the information came from an illicit source, SMITH and Meadow profitably traded on it: they purchased Score and VMware securities before any public announcement of acquisitions and then sold those securities at a profit after the public announcements of the acquisitions caused the stock prices to rise. SMITH and Meadow used the stolen information not only to trade for themselves, but also to place trades on behalf of some of their brokerage firm clients. As a result of that trading, SMITH earned approximately $484,000 in profits on Score and $47,000 on VMware; he earned his girlfriend approximately $25,000 in profits trading the securities; and together, SMITH and Meadow earned nearly $5 million in profits for their clients, on which they earned approximately $500,000 in commissions. In exchange for receiving the profitable confidential information, SMITH and Meadow agreed to give gifts or other compensation to the sources of the information, including Rolex watches (although they never followed through on providing compensation).
In the fall of 2021, FINRA contacted SMITH and Meadow, inquiring into what motivated their decision to invest in Score. SMITH and Meadow coordinated their responses, in which they falsely conveyed that their Score trades were based on research into publicly available information about the company and its sector, and not based on material nonpublic information.
* * *
SMITH, 37, of Stamford, Connecticut, is charged with three counts of securities fraud under Title 15, one count of wire fraud, and one count of falsification of records, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of securities fraud under Title 18, which carries a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison; and two counts of conspiracy, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which today filed a separate action.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas W. Chiuchiolo and Samuel P. Rothschild are in charge of the prosecution.
Bellevue, Washington tax preparer convicted of assisting in the creation of false tax returnsRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 65-year-old Bellevue, Washington tax preparer was convicted last week of three counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Thanjavur Manavalan, the owner and operator of Mano Accounting Services, was convicted following an eight-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated for about two days before reaching the guilty verdicts. U.S. District Judge Lauren King scheduled sentencing for July 15, 2026.
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Manavalan falsified a variety of items on clients’ tax returns, including charitable contributions, proceeds and initial price (basis) of investments sold, business losses, rental income, and private loans. Manavalan’s tax preparation business attracted clients who worked in the tech field, many of whom were originally from India, and they testified that they trusted Manavalan to compute and file their taxes correctly. In closing argument, Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Forstein told the jury that the items Manavalan added to the tax returns “were not typos, they were complete inventions… (For three clients) these businesses did not exist. Manavalan made up businesses with substantial losses in order to deduct the losses on tax returns.”
Prosecutors noted that Manavalan’s tax prep business filed thousands of returns and grew substantially over the course of the fraud scheme. By saving his clients money on their taxes, Manavalan developed a reputation that helped build his business. That business growth meant he earned more money.
“Taxes can be complicated, but Mr. Manavalan’s scheme was not. He simply lied, going out of his way to falsify his clients’ tax returns,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “Mr. Manavalan tried to grow his business and increase his profits through fraud, but today’s guilty verdict puts an end to these schemes.”
The trial detailed 12 different tax returns for tax years 2018-2020 with false and fraudulent information. The jury convicted on three of the twelve counts, acquitted on one count and was unable to reach a verdict on eight of the counts. The total tax loss to the U.S. Treasury from the 12 counts is estimated to exceed $420,000.
Manavalan’s attorneys attempted to place the blame on the taxpayers who used Manavalan for their tax preparation, saying they were the ones who provided information to the tax preparer. Assistant United States Attorney David T. Martin countered that, if that were true, “Manavalan found an extremely dishonest group of clients.” The reality was that “Manavalan took a kernel of truth and made it into a lie on the tax return.”
Manavalan has owned and operated Mano Accounting Services since 2004.
Aiding and assisting with the preparation and presentation of a false tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David T. Martin and Carolyn Forstein.
Beckley Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Sharee Woodson, 45, of Beckley, was sentenced on March 27, 2026, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 29, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Woodson’s residence and seized 150.23 grams of methamphetamine, 80.57 grams of fentanyl, and 13.94 grams of cocaine. As part of his guilty plea, Woodson admitted that he intended to distribute the seized controlled substances in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. Officers also seized a Taurus GC3 9mm handgun and assorted ammunition during the search.
Woodson has a criminal history that includes prior convictions for distribution of 5 grams or more of cocaine base, grand larceny, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-116.
###
Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export American-Made Ammunition Used in War Against UkraineRead the Press Release
Today, Italian national Manfred Gruber pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export control violations. Gruber illegally exported ammunition worth over $540,000 from the United States to Kyrgyzstan, via companies that the defendant and his co-conspirator controlled in Italy. After reaching Kyrgyzstan, most of this ammunition was subsequently reexported to Russia. Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl for the Eastern District of New York. In January 2026, Sergei Zharnovnikov, a Kyrgyzstan-based co-conspirator of the defendant, was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to violating the Export Control Reform Act.
“Gruber’s crimes helped sustain a bloody war that has claimed countless lives,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “NSD is committed to holding accountable those illegally funneling weapons and ammunition to Russia’s war machine.”
“Manfred Gruber put many lives at risk by illegally supplying Russia with hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of American-made, military-grade ammunition to advance its war in Ukraine,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “Today’s guilty plea demonstrates the serious consequences of violating U.S. export controls and the FBI’s commitment to holding accountable those who illegally fuel our foreign adversaries’ war efforts. We will continue working with our partners across law enforcement and the private sector to safeguard our national security by keeping American-made military supplies out of the hands of hostile nation-states.”
“The defendant used multiple companies to hide his scheme to send military‑grade ammunition to Kyrgyzstan, before it was reexported to Russia to support its war effort,” stated United States Attorney Joseph Nocella for the Eastern District of New York. “I commend our partners at the FBI and the Department of Commerce for uncovering this deadly scheme and swiftly bringing Gruber to justice.”
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our commitment, in concert with our partners, to aggressively enforce America’s export control laws," said Department of Commerce Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement David Peters.
As set forth in court filings, Gruber is Director of Sales for Italian Company-1, a large wholesale distributor of firearms and ammunition. Gruber served as a key member of an international ammunition procurement network for Russia during its war against Ukraine, purchasing ammunition from the United States and reexporting it to Kyrgyzstan in violation of DOC licenses issued to Italian Company-1, which required that the ammunition stay in Italy. Gruber did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or reexport ammunition to Kyrgyzstan.
For example, U.S. Company-1, headquartered in Nebraska, had a license to lawfully export ammunition to Italian Company-1, but the ammunition could not be reexported out of Italy. In violation of the license, Gruber, using a cutout company, Italian Company‑2, reexported U.S. Company-1 ammunition to Zharnovnikov, an arms dealer from Kyrgyzstan who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate export controls by sending U.S.-made firearms and ammunition to Russia. A contract found on Zharnovnikov’s phone indicated that he had contracted with a Russian company for ammunition manufactured by U.S. Company-1.
In addition, U.S. Company-2, headquartered in Tennessee, had a license to lawfully export ammunition to Italian Company‑1, but the ammunition could not be reexported out of Italy. Gruber exported the ammunition from U.S. Company-2 to Italy, and then reexported the U.S. Company-2 ammunition from Italy to Kyrgyzstan.
Gruber was aware that U.S. law prohibited the reexport of U.S. ammunition without further licenses, which he did not obtain. To help the unlawful export scheme succeed, the defendant took steps to disguise the true destination of the ammunition. In encrypted messages on or about September 23, 2023, Gruber exchanged the following messages with an unapprehended co-conspirator:
Co-Conspirator:
Approximately 100,000 [U.S. Company-1 bullets]
What delivery time do we have?
***
Gruber:
🤣🤣🤣they give me an answer in a few days... you have to give them everything at once? I ask because of the possible destination.... They caught the Slovenian [U.S. Company-1] distributor who had triangulated with Russia... FBI International
Co-Conspirator:
No, this request is from an Armenian customer.
We can even split up the shipment
Gruber:
I’d say that would be better, so it goes unnoticed. 😉
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise, Tara B. McGrath, and Adam Amir for the Eastern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from Litigation Analysts Rebecca Roth and Matthew Jennings.
Arms Dealer Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Export American Made Ammunition Used in War Against UkraineRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Italian national Manfred Gruber pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit export control violations. Gruber illegally exported ammunition worth over $540,000 from the United States to Kyrgyzstan, via companies that the defendant and his co-conspirator controlled in Italy. After reaching Kyrgyzstan, most of this ammunition was subsequently reexported to Russia. Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl. In January 2026, Sergei Zharnovnikov, a Kyrgyzstan-based co-conspirator of the defendant, was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to violating the Export Control Reform Act.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and David Peters, Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement, U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), announced the charges.
“The defendant used multiple companies to hide his scheme to send military‑grade ammunition to Kyrgyzstan, before it was reexported to Russia to support its war effort,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “I commend our partners at the FBI and the Department of Commerce for uncovering this deadly scheme and swiftly bringing the defendant to justice.”
“Gruber’s crimes helped sustain a bloody war that has claimed countless lives,” stated Assistant Attorney General for National Security Eisenberg. “NSD is committed to holding accountable those illegally funneling weapons and ammunition to Russia’s war machine.”
“Manfred Gruber facilitated an international network to unlawfully supply American-made ammunition to Russia during its war against Ukraine. Gruber exploited licensing caveats and ignored export restrictions to support an adversarial nation’s military campaign. The FBI continues to hold accountable any individual who utilizes U.S. companies or armaments to further a foreign country’s wartime agenda,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
“Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our commitment, in concert with our partners, to aggressively enforce America’s export control laws," stated DOC Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Peters.
As set forth in court filings, Gruber is Director of Sales for Italian Company-1, a large wholesale distributor of firearms and ammunition. Gruber served as a key member of an international ammunition procurement network for Russia during its war against Ukraine, purchasing ammunition from the United States and reexporting it to Kyrgyzstan in violation of DOC licenses issued to Italian Company-1, which required that the ammunition stay in Italy. Gruber did not apply for, obtain, or possess a license to export or reexport ammunition to Kyrgyzstan.
For example, U.S. Company-1, headquartered in Nebraska, had a license to lawfully export ammunition to Italian Company-1, but the ammunition could not be reexported out of Italy. In violation of the license, Gruber, using a cutout company, Italian Company‑2, reexported U.S. Company-1 ammunition to Zharnovnikov, an arms dealer from Kyrgyzstan who pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate export controls by sending U.S.-made firearms and ammunition to Russia. A contract found on Zharnovnikov’s phone indicated that he had contracted with a Russian company for ammunition manufactured by U.S. Company-1.
In addition, U.S. Company-2, headquartered in Tennessee, had a license to lawfully export ammunition to Italian Company‑1, but the ammunition could not be reexported out of Italy. Gruber exported the ammunition from U.S. Company-2 to Italy, and then reexported the U.S. Company-2 ammunition from Italy to Kyrgyzstan.
Gruber was aware that U.S. law prohibited the reexport of U.S. ammunition without further licenses, which he did not obtain. To help the unlawful export scheme succeed, the defendant took steps to disguise the true destination of the ammunition. In encrypted messages on or about September 23, 2023, Gruber exchanged the following messages with a co-conspirator:
Co-Conspirator: Approximately 100,000 [U.S. Company-1 bullets]
What delivery time do we have?
***
Gruber: 🤣🤣🤣they give me an answer in a few days... you have to give them everything at once? I ask because of the possible destination.... They caught the Slovenian [U.S. Company-1] distributor who had triangulated with Russia... FBI International
Co-Conspirator: No, this request is from an Armenian customer.
We can even split up the shipment
Gruber: I’d say that would be better, so it goes unnoticed. 😉
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise, Tara B. McGrath, and Adam Amir are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, with assistance from Litigation Analysts Rebecca Roth and Matthew Jennings.
The Defendant:
MANFRED GRUBER
Age: 61
Ora, ItalyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 26-CR-61 (HG)
Armed Cobb County drug dealer who ran from police sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Traon Turk, an armed felon and drug dealer who led police on a car chase in Marietta, Georgia, has been sentenced to over seven years in federal prison following his convictions for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute.
“Just weeks after his release from state prison, Turk picked up where he left off, trafficking deadly drugs while armed with a loaded pistol and attempting to outrun the police,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Thankfully, solid collaboration between law enforcement agencies produced a federal prosecution, removing this repeat offender from our community for several years.”
“Our partnership with the Cobb County Police Department has been critical in moving this case forward and ensuring accountability. Today’s sentencing makes it clear that armed drug dealers will be held responsible, and we will continue to pursue anyone who threatens the safety of our communities,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Ryan Todd.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: On April 4, 2020, the Cobb County Police Department observed an SUV that reportedly had been involved in a drive-by shooting days earlier. When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver, Turk, fled at a high rate of speed, bailed out of the moving car, and left his five passengers behind. While running from the police, Turk dropped a loaded .40 caliber pistol that officers quickly recovered.
About an hour later, the police found Turk hiding in an abandoned vehicle and arrested him. Officers then found a bag of 24 pills containing methamphetamine in his pants pocket. He was also carrying a phone that was replete with evidence of drug dealing activity. In the SUV Turk had been driving, law enforcement located a larger bag of ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine, numerous pieces of pills matching the pills recovered from Turk’s pocket, counterfeit Percocet pills containing methamphetamine, counterfeit Xanax pills, and individually packaged bags of marijuana.
Turk had been previously convicted of numerous felonies in Cobb County, including violation of the street gang terrorism and prevention act, possession of cocaine, methamphetamine, and marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, obstruction of law enforcement officers, and theft by receiving stolen property.
Traon Turk, 31, of Austell, Georgia, was sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to serve seven years, eight months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. A federal jury convicted Turk on November 17, 2025, of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Turk had previously pleaded guilty on March 12, 2025, to possessing a firearm unlawfully.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Cobb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Hwang, Michael Herskowitz, Laurel Milam, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise Peters prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Amherst Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Possessing Enormous Child Pornography CollectionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Amherst, Mass. man has been sentenced in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for possessing more than 100,000 files of sexual abuse material (CSAM). The defendant possessed disturbing images of violent acts including a female being shot in the head, a cat in a blender and a dog being beaten to death.
Daniel Tocci, 31, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to four years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of 70 months in prison. In September 2025, Tocci pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
During a search of Tocci’s Amherst residence in November 2023, it was revealed that Tocci possessed over 100,000 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of minors. More than 100,000 CSAM files were found saved across five thumb drives and more than 10,000 CSAM files were found on Tocci’s laptop. Some CSAM files portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct or sexual exploitation of a toddler.
Tocci’s laptop also contained extremely disturbing images of violent acts, such as a cat being killed by being put in a blender; a male shooting a female in the head; a dog being beaten to death; severed limbs; as well as images and videos of bestiality. Tocci’s devices also revealed Google searches related to child sexual abuse, such as “countries with legal prostitution under 18.”
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and the Amherst Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
American Health Companies, dba American Health Partners, Agrees to Pay over Two Million Dollars to Resolve False Claims Act Liability Involving a Tennessee Nursing HomeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek for the Middle District of Tennessee announced today that American Health Companies, LLC (“AHC”), doing business as American Health Partners (“AHP”), has agreed to pay $2,090,309 to the United States and Tennessee to resolve False Claims Act allegations related to billing Medicare and TennCare for grossly substandard nursing home services from Lewis County Nursing and Rehabilitation, LLC, between 2019 and 2024. During those years, Lewis County Nursing and Rehabilitation did business as AHC Lewis County and operated as a subsidiary of AHP. AHP is a company headquartered in Franklin, Tennessee, that provides senior health services and owned nursing homes, including AHP Lewis County, during the relevant years. AHC Lewis County was a 131-bed facility in Hohenwald, Tennessee.
“This settlement is essential to protecting the elderly and disabled residents of our community who depend on quality care,” said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek. “But it is equally essential to protect the taxpayers who fund these programs. When facilities inflate charges while cutting corners on care, they undermine both quality for the people they serve and the public trust. Strong enforcement sends a clear message that exploiting seniors and the American taxpayer will have real consequences.”
“We’re proud to team up with our federal partners to ensure there is no safe harbor for those who profit from neglect of Tennessee seniors,” said Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti. “This settlement is proof that when we work together, providers who fail the vulnerable people they’re supposed to serve will be held accountable.”
“Ensuring that nursing home residents receive safe, appropriate, and dignified care is one of our top priorities,” said Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Kentucky. “The substandard conditions identified at AHC Lewis County represent an unacceptable failure to meet the basic obligations required of facilities that participate in Medicare and TennCare. We will continue to work with our federal and state partners to hold providers accountable when they place residents’ health and safety at risk.”
The United States and Tennessee alleged that AHC Lewis County systematically provided grossly substandard and/or worthless nursing home services that failed to meet the required standards of care in various ways. For example, the United States and Tennessee alleged that AHC Lewis County failed to provide residents with proper wound care, appropriate infection control, and protection from falls. The United States and Tennessee similarly alleged that AHC Lewis County failed to prevent residents from weight loss and loss of their range of motion. The United States and Tennessee also alleged that AHC Lewis County overprescribed antipsychotic medications to residents.
In addition, in June 2023, the Tennessee Health Facilities Commission temporarily suspended admissions to AHC Lewis County due to a survey report that found conditions at the facility to be, or likely to be, detrimental to the health, safety, or welfare of residents. Around the end of 2024, AHP sold its nursing homes, and AHC Lewis County now operates under new ownership.
Under the settlement agreement, AHP will pay a total of $2,090,309, plus interest. Of that amount, $1,196,074 goes to the United States, and $894,235 will go to Tennessee.
The civil claims settled by this Settlement Agreement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
The resolution of this matter was the result of an investigation by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office with assistance from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Inspector General and the Tennessee Attorney General’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Bowden McIntyre represented the United States, and Tennessee Assistant Attorney Generals Leslie Williams Fisher and Haylie Robbins represented Tennessee.
# # # # #
Albion man going to prison for receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Norman Kelly, 69, of Albion, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that on October 20, 2023, Kelly arrived at the Port of Detroit Metropolitan Airport in Romulus, Michigan, on a flight from Incheon, South Korea. During an inspection of his baggage, Kelly removed a cellular phone from his pocket, and had a computer bag, which contained a laptop computer, and four USB thumb drives. Due to a lack of eye contact during questioning, inconsistencies in his travel story, and nervous behavior, the devices were authorized to be examined. A Customs and Border Protection officer examined the cell phone, laptop and one of the thumb drives and discovered what appeared to be suspected child pornography. Subsequent investigation determined that between March 12 and September 20, 2023, Kelly used his laptop computer to entice minors to engage in sexually explicit behavior for the purpose of producing images, which he would receive via the internet. On March 12, 2023, Kelly received a sexually explicit image of a female child, approximately 10-12 years old. On July 20, 2023, he received a sexually explicit video file of an infant female, approximately 1.5 to three years old. Kelly possessed approximately 475 image files and 377 video files of child sexual abuse material. Some of the images included depictions of violence against children.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan. Additional assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations in Detroit, Michigan.
# # # #
Akron Man to Spend More Than 10 Years in Prison for Trafficking Meth and Fentanyl While Out on ParoleRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Summit County man has been sentenced to prison for trafficking controlled substances and for having a pistol in his possession while he was out on parole.
Travon Robinson, 32, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 130 months (10.83 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after pleading guilty in November of 2025 to the following charges:
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Prior conviction of Trafficking in Heroin in 2016
Robinson was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. Due to his previous drug convictions, he was designated as a career offender.
According to court documents, in early 2022 investigators learned that Robinson was trafficking drugs while he was out on parole after serving prison time for a previous drug offense. A parole search of Robinson’s bedroom revealed a grocery bag containing 450 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators also seized several cellphones, cash, drug trafficking paraphernalia, and more than four grams of fentanyl. Robinson was also found to be in possession of a Beretta, 32 caliber pistol and ammunition.
The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Ohio Adult Parole Authority with assistance from the Akron Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin E. Bringman for the Northern District of Ohio.
12 Previously Removed Aliens Charged with Illegal Re-entry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
CLEVELAND and TOLEDO, Ohio – Federal grand juries returned indictments charging 12 individuals from Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico with violating immigration laws. These are separate cases and not related.
The following defendants were charged with illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code 1326. They were found in the Northern District of Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.
- Alonso Diaz-Espinosa, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being Feb. 13, 2026. He was found near Fremont, Ohio, (Sandusky County) on March 7.
- Fredy Garcia Rosa, 26, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Aug. 14, 2023. He was found in Elyria (Lorain County) on March 5.
- Santos Antonio De Jesus Gomez, 46, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S on at least two occasions with the most recent being Oct. 26, 2024. He was found near Fremont, Ohio (Sandusky County) on March 7.
- Mario Gregorio-Arias, 49, a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least four occasions with the most recent being April 17, 2018. He was found in Norwalk (Huron County) on Feb. 17.
- Cuauhtemoc Hernandez-Marquez, aka Ramon Velarde-Marquez, aka Rafael Partida, aka Ramon C. Velarde, aka Cuatemoc Ramon Velarde-Marguuez, aka Cuatemoc Ramon Velarde-Marques, aka Ramon Velarde, aka Abraham Perez-Rodriguez, 56, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S. on as least one occasion with the most recent being May 2, 2003. He was found in Oregon, Ohio, (Lucas County) on March 4.
- Candelaria del Rosario Lopez-Bautista, 38, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Nov. 16, 2010. She was found in Sandusky, Ohio (Erie County) on Feb. 20.
- Cesar Mazariegos-Lopez aka Cesar Masariegos-Lopez aka Cesar M. Lopez, 45, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Nov. 16, 2010. He was found in Sandusky, Ohio (Erie County) on Feb. 20.
- Wiliam A. Mendez-Rivera, aka William Rivera-Santos, aka Wuilian Mendes-Santos, 32, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least three occasions with the most recent being April 6, 2016. He was found in Akron (Summit County) on Jan. 10.
- Alan Ramos-Capultitla, 21, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the U.S on at least one occasion with the most recent being Feb. 14, 2026. He was found near Fremont, Ohio (Sandusky County) on March 7.
- Jeyson Rodriguez-Lanza, 35, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being March 15, 2023. He was found in Norwalk, Ohio (Huron County) on Feb. 17.
- Genry Sanchez-Espinoza, 29, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least one occasion with the most recent being Feb. 9, 2018. He was found in Sandusky, Ohio (Erie County) on Feb. 16.
- Carlos Sauceda-Alvarez, 38, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the U.S. on at least two occasions with the most recent being Sept. 23, 2025. He was found near Fremont, Ohio (Sandusky County) on March 7.
The investigations in these cases leading to the indictments were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ava Rotell Dustin, Matthew D. Simko, Frank H. Spryszak, Jennifer King, and Brett S. Hammond for Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
29 March 2026
Honduran Illegal Alien Sentenced for Illegal Reentry of Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – CARLOS RENE MEDINA-AYALA (“MEDINA-AYALA”), age 49, was sentenced on March 12, 2026, after pleading guilty on January 29, 2026, to illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on June 2, 2025, MEDINA-AYALA was found to have reentered the United States after being previously deported on or about November 7, 2013. U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced MEDINA-AYALA to an imprisonment term of time served and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. MEDINA-AYALA was also ordered to be transferred into the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately following his sentencing for removal to Honduras.
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).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Border Patrol in investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
28 March 2026
Former Postal Employee Charged with Mail TheftRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – AHMAD BANKS, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, was charged on March 24, 2026 with mail theft by a United States Postal Employee, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1709, announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, at the time of the offense, AHMAD BANKS was employed as a letter carrier, delivering U.S. mail in Metairie, Louisiana. On or about January 26, 2024, he took a letter from the mail on his delivery route that he was entrusted to deliver that day, intending to remove and keep the contents for himself.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the Bill of Information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Postal Service-Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Irene González of the General Crimes Unit.
* * *
27 March 2026
“Ghost preparer” pleads guilty for role in tax return schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A local woman has admitted to aiding or assisting in the preparation of false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney John G.E. Marck.
From 2017 to 2023, Jamie Nevid Wallace owned Donahue Tax Service and operated as a “ghost preparer” to conceal her involvement in the scheme. As such, she made it seem that clients were filing their own returns without the assistance of anyone else. Wallace was required to obtain and use a Provider Tax Identification Number on any returns she prepared but instead concealed her role by creating accounts for her clients using tax preparation software.
Wallace prepared false tax returns that included fraudulent Schedule A deductions and Schedule C business and education credits, which generated refunds her clients should not have received. She also charged fees for those returns.
As part of her plea, she admitted to filing a false 2021 income tax return that included $68,453 in false Schedule A deductions, $36,852 in false Schedule C losses for a business that did not exist and a false education credit showing expenses supposedly paid to a local university. These false entries resulted in $18,075 in tax loss.
Wallace has admitted responsibility for $244,824 in losses to the IRS and has agreed to pay that amount in restitution.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett will impose sentencing June 25. At that time, Wallace faces up to three years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray is prosecuting the case.
Zuni Man Pleads Guilty After Shooting into an Occupied VehicleRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty after firing a shotgun into an occupied vehicle and seriously injuring a passenger.
According to court documents, March 20, 2025, Shane Austin Loretto, 32, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, fired a shotgun at the car John Doe was a passenger in, with intent to do bodily harm. John Doe was hit in the face and neck with multiple pellets and required medical treatment.
Law enforcement tied Loretto to the shooting through witness statements and subsequently located the shotgun and ammunition in a safe inside a shed adjacent to Loretto’s residence. During a subsequent interview, Loretto claimed he had heard about the shooting but did not know where the gunshot came from.
Loretto pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence and faces not less than five years and up to life in prison at sentencing.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron O. Jordan is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement (Loretto).pdfWyoming man sentenced to over 9 years in prison for drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Wyoming man with prior felony convictions who was found in possession of drugs and guns on two separate occasions was sentenced today to 118 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, Acting U.S. Attorney Tim Racicot said.
Kristofer Mikal Wright, 38, pleaded guilty in May 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of being a prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on March 20, 2024, Wright had an active warrant for his arrest by Wyoming probation. He was also being investigated for distributing drugs. He was located by the U.S. Marshals Service in Billings and arrested. Wright had been surveilled driving a Jeep Grand Cherokee to a storage unit, so law enforcement searched the vehicle and seized two loaded firearms, ammunition, and 35.2 grams of methamphetamine.
About two months later, on May 31, 2024, Wright was again in Billings with an active warrant for his arrest on his Wyoming case. Law enforcement saw him in the Jeep at a local motel and watched him as he drove around Billings. He parked at a residence and the U.S. Marshals prepared to effect an arrest, but Wright came out of the house and got back in his Jeep. The officers tried to pin Wright’s vehicle to prevent him from leaving but he ignored their commands, started the car, and tried to escape by ramming a broken-down van parked in front of him on the street. He also tried to back into a marked police vehicle. Law enforcement ultimately fired non-lethal, bean bag, shotgun rounds to break Wright’s windows and get him to surrender.
When officers subsequently searched Wright’s Jeep, they found two firearms, ammunition, 253.7 grams of actual methamphetamine, and 90.8 grams of fentanyl.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case. The ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation.
Would-Be Sex Trafficker Sentenced for Attempted Coercion of a Child, Attempted Sex Trafficking of a Young AdultRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Steven Terrell Lewis of El Cajon was sentenced in federal court today to 19.5 years in prison for attempted coercion and enticement of a 14-year-old high school student and attempted sex trafficking by force or coercion of a 22-year-old woman.
At today’s hearing, the adult victim addressed the court, describing the devastating harm human traffickers inflict and how they deliberately target society’s most vulnerable – including children and, in her case, individuals experiencing homelessness. The mother of the minor victim provided a written statement to the court, sayng the defendant’s “predatory behavior” caused “immeasurable trauma.”
Lewis was convicted by a federal jury on May 2, 2025. According to evidence presented at trial, on April 22, 2024, as the 14-year-old victim was walking to a friend’s house after school around 3 p.m. in El Cajon, Lewis used his vehicle to block her path on the sidewalk, exited his vehicle and snatched her cellphone from her hand to get her cellphone number.
Lewis then proceeded to send sexually explicit text messages to the victim before she was able to block his phone number. The next day, on April 23, 2024, Lewis continued texting the victim, except this time from a different phone number through TextFree, a mobile application and web service.
When Lewis identified himself as “Pimpin,” sent a sexually explicit photograph and invited the minor to “go get some money” with him, the minor victim immediately notified a coach at her high school. The El Cajon Police Department and San Diego Sheriff’s Office responded. The case was further investigated by the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force.
After Lewis’ attempt to sex traffic the minor victim failed, one week later, on April 28, 2024, he began recruiting the 22-year-old victim through MegaPersonals and sent her to Roosevelt Avenue in National City, known as “the blade,” to work street-based prostitution for his financial benefit. On April 29, 2024, the adult victim was picked up by an undercover National City police officer posing as a commercial sex buyer and was offered resources to leave prostitution. However, Lewis continued to message the adult victim, threatening to kill her if she did not continue to engage in commercial sex for his benefit.
“Sex traffickers prey on the most vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “This sentence is a strong reminder that federal prosecution awaits those who attempt to traffic human beings for profit.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndzie M. Carter and Derek Ko.
If you believe you or someone you know has had an encounter with Lewis, investigators ask that you contact the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr1349-JES
Steven Terrell Lewis Age: 40 El Cajon, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Coercion/Enticement of a Minor – 18 U.S.C., Section 2422(b)
Maximum penalty: Ten-year mandatory minimum up to life
Attempted Sex Trafficking by Force/Coercion, 18 U.S.C., Section 1591(a)
Maximum penalty: Fifteen-year mandatory minimum up to life
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
Homeland Security Investigations
National City Police Department
El Cajon Police Department
San Diego Sheriff’s Office
San Diego District Attorney’s Office
The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force is a cooperative effort involving the California Department of Justice, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, California Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, National City Police Department, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, San Diego City Attorney’s Office, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, San Diego County Probation Department, San Diego County Sheriff’s Department, San Diego Police Department, Southwest Border High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
This case is the result of the ongoing efforts of the Special Victims Unit. Formed in April 2025, the SVU is tasked with leading collaborations between federal and local law enforcement in the investigation and prosecution of cases involving sex trafficking and child exploitation, civil rights, and labor trafficking. The SVU oversees the Southern District of California liaisons to the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and Project Safe Childhood
Western District of Texas U.S. Attorney’s Office Adds 231 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 231 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from March 20 to March 26, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for violent crimes, drug trafficking, numerous DWIs, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Miguel Angel Castro, of Fabens, was arrested on human smuggling charges Tuesday. U.S. Border Patrol agents responded to a sensor activation near San Elizario and allegedly encountered three illegal aliens. A criminal complaint alleges that, during processing, one of the illegal aliens identified two phone numbers in his phone that were used to coordinate with the intended smugglers. Further investigation led the agents to an arranged pickup. The complaint alleges that when the smuggler, Castro, arrived at the agreed upon location and the agents identified themselves, he attempted to flee at a high rate of speed. U.S. Border Patrol agents located Castro at his residence, where he was arrested. The complaint alleges Castro worked with a known smuggler and intended to pick up the illegal aliens for $1,000 and transport them to a stash house in Horizon City. Castro was previously convicted of human smuggling in 2020 and again in 2024. He was sentenced to five months and 21 months in prison, respectively, in those cases.
Francisco Irineo Rodriguez-Cordero, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested and charged with illegal entry after allegedly being found approximately 10 miles east of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry near Sierra Blanca. Rodriguez-Cordero has been previously deported four times, the last being on Nov. 24, 2025, through Nogales, Arizona. He also has three prior convictions for DUI, assault, and dangerous drugs.
Mexican national Jesus Manuel Jacquez-Beltran was arrested less than a quarter mile west of the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry. He was deported for the third time on Jan. 15 through Harlingen. Jacquez-Beltran has been convicted of three prior illegal re-entry charges as well as assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon and aiding and abetting. He now faces a fourth illegal re-entry charge.
Arturo Ortiz, an illegal alien from Mexico, was encountered at the Bandera County Jail, after he was arrested for escape while arrested/confined and possession of a controlled substance. On March 20, he was sentenced to 10 years of probation and transferred to ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. Ortiz has been previously convicted of DWI, driving with a suspended license, public lewdness, interfering with emergency request for assistance, and assault on a family member.
In San Antonio on Thursday, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a traffic stop on a driver identified as Ruben Hernandez. A criminal complaint alleges that assisting HSI agents had information that Hernandez was an illegal alien who was deported in 2010 following an illegal re-entry conviction. The complaint further alleges that a Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force Officer questioned Hernandez, leading to a search of Hernandez’s apartment and the discovery of 11 bundles of cocaine amounting to 12.65 kgs. Agents also found an undetermined amount of U.S. currency that Hernandez allegedly claimed to be proceeds from cocaine trafficking. Hernandez is charged with possession with intent to distribute over five kgs of cocaine.
Jesus Elmer Amaya-Machado, an illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested by the ICE ERO Fugitive Operations Unit in San Antonio on Tuesday. A criminal complaint alleges that, as ICE agents approached Amaya-Machado, he attempted to flee into his residence, entering through a back door, though he eventually exited voluntarily and was taken into ICE custody without incident. Amaya-Machado was last removed from the U.S. in 2013 and has three DWI convictions.
Mexican national Norberto Vasquez-Almanza was arrested by ICE officers after he was pulled over for a traffic stop in Seguin on Tuesday. Vasquez was last removed from the U.S. in 2016, following a conviction for illegal re-entry. His criminal record also includes a conviction for unlawful carrying of a weapon, for which he was sentenced to one year of probation.
Over the weekend, Mexican national Saul Albadaba Arriaga was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Maverick. He was deported in December 2025 for the fourth time, following his sixth conviction for driving under the influence.
Abel Aguilar-Valdez, an illegal alien from Mexico, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry after being deported for the sixth time on Feb. 20. Three weeks prior to his sixth removal last month, Aguilar-Valdez was convicted of this third DWI and sentenced to four years in prison.
Luis Gutierrez-Aguilar, also a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry after being recently removed from the U.S. on Feb. 17 through Brownsville. Since March 26, 2024, Gutierrez-Aguilar has been convicted of multiple felonies, including illegal use of a weapon and burglary of a building.
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.
###
West Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Federal Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Jonathan Ray Forrest, 43, has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for possessing over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine with intent to distribute. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
In June 2024, Forrest was found in possession of 165 grams of methamphetamine, 2.7 pounds of marijuana, 395 grams of mushrooms, 90 Xanax pills, and half a gram of heroin during the execution of a search warrant at his residence in Kenton, TN. This was Forrest’s sixth felony drug offense involving his illegal distribution of methamphetamine, and he was on probation for the last of his prior offenses when he committed the instant drug offense.
Following his guilty plea to the one-count indictment, United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced Forrest to 20 years in prison and five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Recidivist drug dealers who profit from the pain, addiction, violence and death caused by methamphetamine deserve significant punishment, and this sentence does just that."
This case was investigated by members of the West Tennessee Violent Crime & Drug Task Force, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Waco Babysitter to Spend Remainder of Life in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Young ChildrenRead the Press Release
WACO, Texas – A Waco man was sentenced in a federal court in Waco to 960 months in prison for three child pornography charges, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Kevin Duane Pridemore, 41, made at least 50 posts on a child pornography website, leading law enforcement officers to execute a search warrant at his residence on March 24, 2025. An FBI agent reviewed an SD card seized during the search, which revealed a 15-minute video in which Pridemore engaged in sexual activities with a fully nude girl between the ages of five and seven years old. FBI examiners also viewed a series of videos produced in October 2024, which also showed Pridemore sexually abusing a minor female who was approximately five years old at the time.
A complete forensic examination revealed Pridemore possessed approximately 23,728 images and 155 videos of child sexual abuse material. The images included prepubescent images, including infants and toddlers. The FBI also discovered at least four known victims who were sexually abused and recorded by Pridemore at various times when he babysat the victims.
Pridemore was named in a two-count indictment on April 8, 2025. Prosecutors filed a superseding information on Nov. 24, 2025, charging Pridemore with one count of possession of visual depictions of sexual activities by minors and two counts of production of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to all three counts the following day.
U.S. District Judge Alan D. Albright sentenced Pridemore to 360 months for each production charge and 240 months for the possession count, totaling 960 consecutive months in federal prison. Judge Albright also ordered Pridemore pay $207,000 in restitution.
“While nothing makes up for the harm caused by this defendant, the 80-year sentence handed down by Judge Albright highlights the egregious nature of the abuse in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Thanks to the FBI for vigilantly investigating this case. While we unfortunately cannot undo the harm this vile child predator brought to his many young victims and their families, we absolutely hope they find some peace in knowing he will surely spend the rest of his life behind bars and will never again be able to treat a child like he treated the children in this case.”
“The FBI has zero tolerance for those who commit these heinous crimes against children,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Alex Doran of the FBI San Antonio Field Office. “This case is particularly egregious and represents a profound abuse of trust, as the defendant exploited hisposition as a babysitter to harm the very children he was entrusted to protect. Those who exploit children online or in our communities will be relentlessly pursued, and the FBI will use every available resource to hold child predators accountable and keep them from ever harming innocent children again.”
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Gloff prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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.
###
Vanderwagen Man Charged with AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Vanderwagen man has been charged in connection with an alleged assault that reportedly left the victim with serious injuries.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2026, Larry Wilbur Begay, 66, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly struck the victim multiple times with a metal workout bar inside a residence in Vanderwagen, New Mexico. The victim then fled to a nearby residence and was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
As a result of the assault, the victim suffered serious injuries, including fractures to his right femur, left fibula, right wrist, and maxillary bone, as well as a deep laceration to the left side of his head that required staples.
Begay is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charge, Begay faces up to 10 years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 132 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 132 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On March 22, Jacob Ross Juri, a citizen of the United States, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found 59 pounds of cocaine concealed in a non-factory compartment in the roof of the vehicle the defendant was driving when applying for entry to the U.S. at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry.
- On March 23, Victoriano Angulo-Estrada, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. According to a complaint, a Border Patrol Agent encountered Angulo-Estrada, who was illegally present in the U.S., about 1.5 miles north of the international border, west of the Tecate Port of Entry. He had been previously deported in October 2025 through San Ysidro.
- On March 25, Miguel Rosas Zambrano, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, the defendant was the captain of a smuggling boat that was intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard about 3.5 miles west of Point Loma with eight undocumented Mexican nationals on board. Also arrested were Daniel Eduardo Guerrero Miranda, Jose Guadalupe Padilla Munoz and Maria Elena Tello Figueroa. They were charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation.
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 Announces MS-13 Trial Set to BeginRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is set to begin presenting evidence in the trial involving alleged members and associates of La Mara Salvatrucha, commonly referred to as MS-13. This phase of the trial is scheduled to begin on March 30, 2026, before United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.
As alleged in a 34-count third superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury, Jose Luis Reynaldo Reyes-Castillo, aka Molesto; David Arturo Perez-Manchame, aka Walter Melendez, aka Herbi, and aka Catracho; and Joel Vargas-Escobar, aka Momia, are alleged members and associates of MS-13. Charges include murder, attempted murder, and/or kidnapping in aid of racketeering, use of a firearm during a crime of violence, causing death through the use of a firearm, and aiding and abetting.
The FBI investigated the case.
A Superseding Indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
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 two-week period ending March 27, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 98 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 6 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 19 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 include theft, aggravated DUI, aggravated assault, use of false immigration documents, aggravated vehicular assault, child sexual assault, domestic violence, alien smuggling, narcotics trafficking and prior immigration offenses.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Illegal Aliens with Prior Felony Convictions and Multiple Deportations Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – Two Mexican nationals unlawfully residing in Las Vegas made their initial court appearances today to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Ismael Bernal Olguin and Jaime Adalberto Espinosa-Ramos are both charged with one-count of deported alien found in the United States. Preliminary hearings for both defendants are scheduled for April 10, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Albregts.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaints and statements made during court proceedings, Olguin and Espinosa-Ramos are both citizens and nationals of Mexico and were both previously deported and removed from the United States and reentered the United States illegally. On March 9, 2026, Nevada Highway Patrol arrested Olguin for Possession of Controlled Substance, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and False Statement to Obstruct Public Officer. On March 11, 2026, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Espinosa-Ramos for Driving Under the Influence. Olguin and Espinosa-Ramos were both turned over to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody based on immigration detainers, and ICE referred them for Federal prosecution.
Olguin had previously been deported by ICE on two prior occasions; on or about December 11, 2018, and again on March 1, 2022. Olguin has three prior separate felony convictions for Attempt Possession of Stolen Vehicle, Attempt Battery with Substantial Bodily Harm, and Deported Alien Found Unlawfully in the United States, the third being the same offense he is currently charged with.
Espinosa-Ramos had previously been deported by ICE on four prior occasions; on or about March 2, 2006, September 16, 2016, October 22, 2020, and July 24, 2024. Espinosa-Ramos has a prior felony conviction from the U.S. District Court for the District of Utah, for Illegal Reentry after Deportation, the same offense he is currently charged with.
If convicted, Olguin faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
If convicted, Espinosa-Ramos faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Ruben Levya made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
###
Two Family Members Federally Indicted in Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A mother and son who are tax return preparers were federally indicted on March 24, 2026, for their roles in filing fraudulent tax returns with the IRS, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
According to the indictment, during the years 2020 through 2024, Jessie Badillo, 60, of Lancaster, Texas, and her son, Manuel Badillo, 37, also of Lancaster, allegedly conspired to file false tax returns through their businesses, JES Financial Service and Manny Financial Services located in DeSoto, Texas. The charges state that the fraudulent tax returns filed by the Badillos sought false refunds by fabricating itemized deductions, such as medical and dental expenses, and/or by fabricating businesses with large losses.In addition to conspiracy to defraud the United States, Jessie Badillo was charged with 40 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns as well as two counts of subscribing to her own false tax returns. Manuel Badillo was charged with 25 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and one count of conspiracy.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each of the other charges.
“Tax preparers occupy a position of trust in our system. We trust that they will accurately and honestly prepare tax returns. When that trust is violated, through the fictitious creation of deductions and expenses, they don’t just fail their clients, they fail the American people,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This is theft from the honest American taxpayer. The indicted defendants are alleged to have done that, and we will vigorously prosecute this case and other tax cheats in North Texas.”
“During the filing season, it is especially important that taxpayers are able to trust their return preparers,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus, of the Dallas Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Jessie and Manuel Badillo allegedly violated that trust in an attempt to line their own pockets. IRS-CI will continue to pursue return preparers who exploit their clients and undermine the tax system.”
IRS-Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ignacio Perez de la Cruz is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The IRS has published the Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026. Those can be accessed here: Dirty Dozen Tax Scams for 2026.
Three Men Sentenced to Prison in Multimillion Dollar Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Three family members were sentenced today to prison following a jury trial that resulted in convictions for their roles in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme. David Hunt was sentenced to 92 months in prison, his son Baylon Hunt was sentenced to 38 months in prison, and Baylon’s half-brother Corey Burt was sentenced to 94 months in prison for orchestrating a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. A fourth family member who was also convicted at trial is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
According to statements made in court and evidence presented at trial, the Hunts, of Arlington, Texas, Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, and another family member orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled. In total, they sought more than $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. As part of their scheme, Baylon Hunt and the other family member submitted additional fake documents to the IRS including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders. Even after receiving warning letters to discontinue their fraudulent submissions, they continued filing false returns and other documents with the IRS.
As a result of the scheme, the co-conspirators received over $1.7 million in fraudulent proceeds from the IRS, which they shared and used to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade and a house in Mississippi.
All four defendants were convicted at trial of conspiracy to defraud the United States. David Hunt, Burt, and the other family member were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
In addition to the terms of imprisonment, the defendants were jointly ordered to pay $1,774,864 in restitution to the United States.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould for the Northern District of Texas made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas prosecuted the case.
Three Drug Dealers Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Henry and Carroll CountiesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – Danny Trotter, 51, Carla Stout, 38, and Randi Black, 40, have been sentenced for their roles in engaging in a monthslong conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Henry and Carroll counties. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.
Through the utilization of controlled purchases of methamphetamine, traffic stops, physical surveillance, and the execution of search warrants, law enforcement officers were able to determine that Carla Stout was supplying Danny Trotter and Randi Black with hundreds of grams of methamphetamine for redistribution. All three defendants also have a history of committing crimes involving the distribution of methamphetamine.
Following their guilty pleas to conspiring with each other to distribute over 50 grams of actual methamphetamine, United States District Judge S. Thomas Anderson sentenced the defendants as follows:
- Danny Trotter - 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release
- Carla Stout - 168 months in prison and five years of supervised release
- Randi Black - 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release
There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Drug trafficking offenses are at the root of some of the gravest problems facing our country. The ‘fruit’ of the drug plague is everywhere; it fills our streets, our jails, our hospitals, our morgues, and our nurseries. Federal law applies in every square inch of this district, and criminal conspiracies that distribute harmful drugs in our rural communities can no longer hide.”
This case was investigated by members of the 24th Judicial District Drug Task Force, the Henry County Sheriff’s Office, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant United States Attorney Josh Morrow prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
###
For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Three Accused of Defrauding the Elderly via Gold Bar ScamRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three people accused of involvement in a conspiracy that stole $8 million from elderly victims have been federally charged in St. Louis and arrested.
Raj Chauhan, 33, Monarch Sachdev, 28, and Elon Harper, 27, were each indicted on Feb. 4, 2026, with one count of wire fraud. Chauhan was the final defendant to appear in U.S. District Court in St. Louis, where he pleaded not guilty Friday. All three were arrested in February outside Missouri: Harper was arrested in Maine, Sachdev in Texas and Chauhan in northern Illinois.
The indictment says co-conspirators outside of the U.S. contacted elderly victims via telephone calls and electronic messages and claimed that the victims’ financial accounts had been compromised. Victims were told to liquidate their savings and retirements funds, purchase gold bars and gold coins, and hand the gold over to “government” couriers. The indictment says Chauhan, Sachdev and Harper were couriers and Sachdev also managed the pickups of other couriers, including his co-defendants.
In one example in the indictment, Sachdev instructed Chauhan to pick up gold from an elderly resident of Cedar Hill, Missouri, who had been told that she had erroneously been sent money via PayPal and would have to pay income taxes unless she bought $200,000 in gold. Chauhan also worked as a courier in St. Louis and elsewhere, the indictment says. Harper worked as a courier in locations including Dallas and Lindale, Texas; Orrick, Mo.; Mount Pleasant, S.C.; Bonita Springs, Fla.; and Norman, Okla., the indictment says. Sachdev managed pickups in Houston; Canon City, Colo.; Quincy, Ill. and St. Louis.
Detention motions say Sachdev was personally responsible for retrieving fraud proceeds on at least 65 different occasions, resulting in losses of at least $5.4 million. He also facilitated the pickup of at least $4.2 million in fraud proceeds by others, the motion says. Harper was responsible for at least 20 pickups, it says. The call center where the scam originated is in India, the motion says.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. Restitution is mandatory.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting and provide resources and referrals. Reporting frauds can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission can also be contacted at 877-FTC-HELP and at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov.
Thibodaux Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – The United States Attorney’s Office announced that on March 17, 2026, LINEZ GREEN, (“GREEN”), age 32, of Thibodaux, Louisiana, was sentenced to 66 months imprisonment, 4 years of supervised release, 4 years of supervise release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Brandon Long on March 17, 2026.
GREEN previously pled guilty to Conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, controlled substances, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1); § 841(b)(1)(B), and 846, to Distribution of a quantity of a mixture of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and § 841(b)(1)(C), and Illegal use of communications facility, in violation of Title 21, U.S.C. §843(b) and Title 18, U.S.C. §2.
According to the indictment, beginning on a time unknown but continuing until at least May 4, 2024, GREEN conspired with several individuals to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, methamphetamine throughout the Lafourche and Terrebonne Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting the narcotics to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications. On numerous occasions, GREEN used his cell phone to further this conspiracy and distributed methamphetamine to numerous customers in Thibodaux.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The United States Attorney’s Office praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Louisiana State Police, Thibodaux Police Department, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.Texas Fugitive Apprehended and Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for $61M Telemarketing Fraud Scheme Targeting Medicare BeneficiariesRead the Press Release
A Texas man was sentenced Wednesday to 150 months in prison and two years of supervised release for organizing and leading a $61.5 million health care fraud and wire fraud conspiracy in which thousands of Medicare beneficiaries who were the victims of deceptive telemarketing were sent thousands of orthotic braces, foot baths, and genetic tests they did not need.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Robert “Bobby” Leon Smith III, 50, of Archer City, Texas, owned and operated seven durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies based in Florida, Texas, and Maryland through which he submitted millions of dollars in false claims to Medicare for orthotic braces and foot baths that beneficiaries did not need.
Smith also owned a marketing company based in Texas that he used to conduct deceptive telemarketing campaigns that targeted Medicare beneficiaries for medical services they did not need. Working with an offshore call center located in the Philippines, Smith and his co-conspirators peddled medically unnecessary orthotic braces, foot baths, and genetic tests to Medicare beneficiaries nationwide. In audio recordings presented at trial, Smith was heard pressuring beneficiaries to accept these products even after the beneficiaries protested that they did not need or want them.
Smith obtained doctors’ orders for these products by paying kickbacks and bribes to illegitimate telemedicine companies. He then sold these doctors’ orders to other medical suppliers that he knew used them to submit false and fraudulent claims to Medicare. In another recording presented at trial, Smith was heard complaining about instances in which he bought doctors’ orders he could not sell, calling the orders “trash” and “junk.” Smith’s former business partner testified that they eventually began using “fake” doctors’ orders that contained forged signatures of doctors who were unaware of the scheme.
After four days of a jury trial, Smith pleaded guilty in March 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and one count of health care fraud. Smith absconded and failed to appear for sentencing. He remained at large for over a month before he was apprehended by the U.S. Marshals Service. At sentencing, the Court ordered Smith to pay $30,158,608.25 in restitution and to forfeit $9,215,225 as well as real estate located in Texas.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Owen Dunn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Telemedicine Company Owner Pleads Guilty to $46M Medicare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The owner of a telemedicine company pleaded guilty today to organizing and leading a $46.2 million Medicare fraud conspiracy that spanned more than six years.
According to court documents, Christopher Harwood, 43, of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, admitted that he owned and operated a telemedicine company called TelevisitMD. Harwood and his co-conspirators targeted Medicare patients through aggressive telemarketing campaigns, inducing them to accept orthotic braces and genetic tests that they did not need. Harwood paid doctors to approve orders for these braces and genetic tests. These doctors did not follow Medicare’s rules for telemedicine visits, did not have real medical relationships with the Medicare patients, and often signed orders for orthotic braces and genetic tests without any meaningful interaction with the Medicare patients. Harwood then sold the signed doctors’ orders to durable medical equipment (DME) supply companies, laboratories, and marketers who were part of the scheme.
Harwood also owned and operated multiple DME supply companies based in Florida that he used to bill Medicare millions of dollars for orthotic braces that Medicare patients did not want or need. In total, at least $46.2 million in false and fraudulent claims were submitted to Medicare as part of Harwood’s scheme. Medicare paid $17.9 million based on these claims, and Harwood personally received more than $10.4 million from the fraud scheme.
Harwood pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud and agreed to pay $17.9 million in restitution. Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date. Harwood faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Owen Dunn of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Prison for Drug Distribution Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Edward Lee Cromartie, 45, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison following his conviction on charges relating to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine, distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, this local drug trafficking operation has been dismantled. This substantial prison sentence ensures our community will be safe from this dangerous criminal for many years to come. Our citizens deserve safe, drug-free streets, and my office will continue to aggressively prosecute those who threaten the health and safety of our communities until we send every last peddler of this deadly poison to federal prison.”
Court documents reflect that in July 2025, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration and Leon County Sheriff’s Office received information regarding the trafficking of cocaine in Leon County. During the investigation, agents conducted undercover drug purchases from Cromartie and his co-defendants, leading to the recovery of more than 167 grams of methamphetamine. Agents also identified a suspected drug stash location for the conspirators and, upon execution of a federal search warrant at a storage unit connected to Cromartie, seized approximately 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, along with multiple firearms, including a stolen .45 caliber handgun.
“The Panhandle of Florida has been on DEA’s radar for quite some time regarding cocaine and, in particular, methamphetamine trafficking,” said Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar, DEA Tampa Field Division. “We have made significant arrests and dismantled drug trafficking organizations throughout this region and will continue to do so.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Suburban Chicago Investment Advisor Sentenced to Six and a Half Years in Prison for Swindling ClientsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago investment advisor has been sentenced to six and a half years in federal prison for inducing clients to invest in nonexistent business opportunities.
RALPH ROGERS III held himself out as an entrepreneur and investment advisor. From 2021 to 2023, Rogers fraudulently obtained funds from multiple individuals by falsely promising to invest their money in purported business opportunities, including fiber optic cable installation, computer chip manufacturing for Tesla, and a fitness recovery studio. Instead of investing the funds as promised, Rogers used the money for his own personal benefit, including for travel, hotel rooms, jewelry, apparel, and gym fees. He also made Ponzi-type payments to lull earlier investors.
Rogers carried out his scheme while on court-supervised release following a period of incarceration for a prior federal fraud conviction.
Rogers, also known as “Tres Rogers,” 63, of Batavia, Ill., pleaded guilty in November 2025 to a federal wire fraud charge. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Sara L. Ellis imposed the 78-month prison term and ordered Rogers to pay $238,044.62 in restitution to his victims.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Defendant is a serial fraudster who, through both sophisticated and unsophisticated means, pursues every opportunity to victimize any person who comes into his orbit,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin M. Pinkston argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Defendant selects his victims from his immediate environment: his gym, the local bicycle store, the local smoothie shop, the hotel bar where he is a guest, the restaurant where he is dining, the relatives of his romantic partner. He will defraud anyone he can.”
Submariner Smugglers Extradited from Colombia to Face International Cocaine Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
This afternoon, in federal court in Brooklyn, Elkin Armando Alomia Quiñones, Luis Alberto Arboleda Escobar, Diego Luis Obregon Aguirre, Edwin Obregon Castro, Juan Matias Obregon Castro, Rodrigo Obregon Saavedra and Narjel Paredes, all citizens of Colombia, will be arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho on an indictment charging them with violations of the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and international cocaine distribution conspiracy. The seven defendants were extradited yesterday to the Eastern District of New York from Colombia where they were previously arrested in March 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A. Tarentino III, Associate Chief of Operations, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Northeast Region, and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York) announced the extraditions.
“As alleged, the defendants are members of a Colombian transnational maritime drug trafficking organization who sought to clandestinely traffic tons of cocaine on semi-submersible vessels to Mexico, ultimately for distribution in the United States,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “With these arrests and extraditions, the defendants’ smuggling scheme has been sunk and holding them accountable in a U.S. courtroom demonstrates the Administration’s resolve through Operation Take Back America and the Homeland Security Task Force to eliminate cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from these evildoers.”
Mr. Nocella praised the outstanding investigative work of DEA New York’s Task Force, DEA Bogota and HSI New York’s Homeland Security Task Force Cartel Investigations Group. Mr. Nocella also expressed his appreciation to Colombia’s Cuerpo Técnico de Investigación, the Colombian Navy, DEA Puerto Rico, DEA Madrid, HSI Bogota and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico for their substantial assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá provided significant assistance in this matter.
“The extradition of these seven individuals underscores DEA’s global pursuit to identify and target those responsible for trafficking illicit narcotics destined for the United States,” stated DEA Northeast Regional Associate Chief of Operations Tarentino. “Using submersible vessels in a calculated attempt to evade law enforcement doesn’t make you invisible! Whether you attempt to hide beneath the surface or above, the DEA, alongside our domestic and international partners, will relentlessly pursue and defeat those drug trafficking organizations threatening our communities and killing Americans.”
“Today, seven alleged drug smugglers are facing charges in the United Stated after years of unchecked cocaine trafficking. Homeland Security Investigations’ international footprint gives us the ability to track bad actors back to the source and, through our partnerships, bring them to justice,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “These drugs have done untold damage to millions of families across the country. HSI works alongside our law enforcement partners every day to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and stop the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities.”
According to the indictment and court filings, the defendants were members of an international drug trafficking organization (DTO) which conspired to traffic more than five tons of cocaine in self-propelled semi-submersible vessels, like submarines, launched from the Pacific coast of Colombia towards areas controlled by the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico. The drug trafficking organization conducted a sophisticated maritime drug distribution operation, managing each step of the process. First, members of the conspiracy found investors to finance multi-ton cocaine loads and to finance the construction of semi-submersible vessels. Next, members of the conspiracy built semi-submersible vessels capable of carrying thousands of kilograms of cocaine. The trafficking organization also hired crew members to fill the semi-submersible vessels with cocaine and then transport the cocaine to Mexico. Members of the conspiracy also conducted countersurveillance on the high seas by strategically positioning fishing vessels on the same routes as the semi-submersible vessels. These countersurveillance ships attempted to spot military and law enforcement ships that might intercept the semi-submersible vessels.
On June 27 2023, the Colombian Navy seized approximately 2,312 kilograms of cocaine from a DTO semi-submersible vessel near the Colombian Pacific coast, which, based on a coordinate chart located aboard the vessel, was en route to Mexico (pictured below).
EDNYOn October 7, 2023, the Colombian Navy seized approximately 3,300 kilograms of cocaine from another DTO semi-submersible vessel near the Colombian Pacific coast, which was en route to Mexico (pictured below).
EDNYThe charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, 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 New York comprises agents and officers from HSI; the FBI; DEA; the New York City Police Department; IRS Criminal Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Secret Service; with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York leading this prosecution.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Lorena Michelen and Katherine P. Onyshko are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
ELKIN ARMANDO ALOMIA QUINONES
Age: 40
ColombiaLUIS ALBERTO ARBOLEDA ESCOBAR
Age: 53
ColombiaDIEGO LUIS OBREGON AGUIRRE
Age: 47
ColombiaEDWIN OBREGON CASTRO
Age: 41
ColombiaJUAN MATIAS OBREGON CASTRO
Age: 49
ColombiaRODRIGO OBREGON SAAVENDRA
Age: 69
ColombiaNARJEL PAREDES
Age: 56
ColombiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-462 (EK)
detention_letter.pdfSouth Hero Man Charged with Mail Theft, Attempted Mail Theft, and Possession of Stolen MailRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on March 12, 2026 a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Kevin Manning, 42, of South Hero, Vermont, with three counts of mail theft/attempted mail theft, and one count of possession of stolen mail.
On March 26, 2026, Manning entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment before United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier. Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss had previously ordered Manning be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, the case arises out of an investigation into theft of mail from porches and mailboxes in and around Grand Isle County, Vermont. In mid-November 2025, residents of Grand Isle County began reporting to the Sheriff’s Office that packages that had been shipped to them never arrived, or packages that were shipped to them had been reported delivered, but when the recipients went to retrieve the packages from their porches or mailboxes, the packages were not there. On December 24, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Manning’s residence and recovered multiple items that had been contained in the stolen mail packages. Over an approximate three-month period from November of 2025 to February of 2026, it is alleged that Manning stole hundreds of mailed and shipped items worth thousands of dollars.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Manning is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. If convicted, Manning faces up to 5 years of incarceration on each of the four counts with which he is charged. 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 the Grand Isle Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Katherine Flynn. Manning is represented by Federal Public Defender Alejandro Fernandez.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls man convicted of Possession of Ammunition by Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on March 23, 2026.
Joseph Carpenter, 38, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Carpenter was indicted for Possession of Ammunition by Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on January 2, 2026.
The case arose on February 13, 2025, when law enforcement in Sioux Falls searched a hotel room where Carpenter had been staying and discovered ammunition of various types. Carpenter is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because of a previous felony conviction.
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Carpenter was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.