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Wednesday 4 February 2026
Wood County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cory Alan Fout, 32, of Walker, was sentenced today to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a person previously convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 17, 2025, Fout possessed 12 firearms at his residence in Walker. As part of his guilty plea, Fout admitted to possessing the firearms and that one of them, a loaded Smith & Wesson model M&P 45 Shield M2.0 .45-caliber pistol, was reported stolen.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior conviction for a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Fout knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his conviction for domestic battery in Wood County Circuit Court on August 22, 2022.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Wood County Sheriff's Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Wood County Probation Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-133.
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Wareham Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wareham man pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to possessing and receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Brandon Bendall, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for May 7, 2026. He was arrested and charged by criminal complaint on May 2, 2025 and indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025.
According to court documents, Bendall was a member of an online chat group in which members viewed and posted CSAM. While in the chat group Bendall posted at least 17 videos containing CSAM. During a search of Bendall’s residence and cell phone, approximately 9,400 images and videos of CSAM, including images of children as young as infants being sexually assaulted, were located.
The charges of receipt and possession of child pornography each provide for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and 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 Massachusetts State Police and the Wareham, Marion and East Bridgewater Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Utah Business Owner of Urban Armz LLC Sentenced to Two Years’ Imprisonment After Defrauding Victims $591,932Read the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – A Utah man who misrepresented his business, Urban Armz, LLC, as a federal firearms licensee based in St. George, was sentenced today to 24 months’ imprisonment after he engaged in financial fraud by falsely representing to customers that his business could fulfill orders to help first responders in Ukrainian warzones. Instead, the defendant and his coconspirator used the money elsewhere, including on personal expenses.
John Earl Donaldson, 32, of Saratoga Springs, Utah, pleaded guilty on May 19, 2025, to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to launder money.
In addition to Donaldson’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Ann Marie McIff Allen, sentenced Donaldson to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $591,932.73 jointly and severally with his codefendant.
According to court documents and admissions made at Donaldson’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, between December 2021 and January 2023, in the District of Utah, Donaldson engaged in financial fraud by holding himself out as the owner and operator of Urban Armz LLC, a purported federal firearms licensee. He falsely represented to two customers that his company sold large quantities of ammunition and had an established business relationship with a major ammunition supplier. When Donaldson received the victims’ money, he failed to deliver the ordered products. At one point, Donaldson obtained capital from a financial firm by lying about his company’s revenues and altering bank statements to reflect fictitious revenues. In March 2022, shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine, a Ukrainian American nonprofit and a Detroit-based company separately sought to donate needed supplies to first responders (police, paramedics, and firefighters) in warzones. Those entities paid Urban Armz to deliver body armor, bullet proof vests, and other equipment to Ukraine. Donaldson lied about his ability and intent to fulfill the order. He instead took the charitable donors’ money—over $517,000—and spent it elsewhere, including on personal expenses. In all, Donaldson and his coconspirator caused a $591,932.73 loss to four victims. See prior press release: Utah Married Couple Running a Gun and Ammo Shop, Arrested and Indicted After Deceitfully Obtaining Over $600,000 from Customers.
“Defendant preyed on charitable donors seeking to help first responders on the front line in Ukraine. Stealing charitable donations is pernicious, but particularly so when the donations are meant to help those suffering horrific conditions in warzones,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute individuals who exploit others for their own financial gain.”
"Mr. Donaldson’s actions were more than just financial fraud; they were a heartless exploitation of a global crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. "By pocketing over $517,000 intended for life-saving equipment in Ukraine, he prioritized personal greed over the safety of first responders. The FBI remains dedicated to ensuring that those who use deception to defraud others are held fully accountable."
The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency and Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI).
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects over $8 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions and Forfeitures in FY 2025Read the Press Release
LAFAYETTE - U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana collected $7,695,567 in criminal and civil actions, as well as $420,268 in asset forfeiture actions, in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $2,410,275 was collected in criminal actions and $5,285,291 was collected in civil actions. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
The Office also worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $637,270 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $2,946 was collected in criminal actions and $634,323 was collected in civil actions.
“These collections demonstrate our Office’s commitment to holding individuals and entities accountable for violations of federal law and restoring lost funds to victims,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Our Office remains focused on securing restitution for victims, protecting public funds, and working with our partners to promote public trust in the justice system.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
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CONTACT
Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
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U.S. Attorney Ganjei announces record-breaking year for border security, cartel dismantling, and espionage disruptionRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The Southern District of Texas marked major milestones in the pursuit of justice and fulfilled its duties with substantial results in safeguarding the district with important actions in the recent year, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The highlighted matters include major announcements throughout the district, Houston/Galveston cases as well as significant actions from other divisions, to include Corpus Christi/Victoria, McAllen, Laredo and Brownsville.
Most notably was the implementation of “Operation Pick-Off,” an initiative created in the Southern District of Texas that targets criminal illegal aliens who are currently serving terms of probation following convictions for state crimes, such as drug offenses, human smuggling, fraud, burglary, assault and other violent crimes. The enforcement effort, originally announced Aug. 25, 2025, led to federal charges against 67 illegal aliens in the Rio Grande Valley area, 65 of whom had returned to the country after being previously removed, only to commit other crimes, according to the allegations. In a subsequent roundup in Laredo, law enforcement took another 28 into custody, including a convicted murderer. More actions are in place for the remaining counties within the district.
In a case out of the Houston Division, Operation Gatekeeper uncovered a scheme in which Alan Hao Hsu and Benlin Yuan allegedly conspired together to obtain export-controlled Nvidia GPUs through straw purchasers and falsely claimed the goods were destined for approved locations. The GPUs were routed through U.S. warehouses, relabeled under a fake company name and misclassified as generic computer parts before being shipped to the People’s Republic of China and Hong Kong, according to the charges.
Prosecutors also announced charges against 14 Banditos Outlaw Motorcycle Gang members for racketeering activity, assault and murder. According to the indictment, members and associates engaged in a conspiracy to commit racketeering activity and carried out violent crimes, including murder and attempted murder, as part of a turf war with rival gang BEAST that began in 2019. The indictment alleges Bandidos leadership authorized a “smash on site” order targeting BEAST members, resulting in gunfire on public roadways and in public establishments with civilians present.
As part of Operation Double Down, numerous Houston-area residents were indicted on various charges including conspiracy, operating illegal game rooms, bribery and money laundering. Approximately 700 law enforcement officers from 18 agencies served a total of 45 search and 40 seizure warrants at locations throughout Houston and the surrounding area and closed 30 illegal gaming rooms.
Also in 2025, a 33-year-old Chinese state-sponsored hacker was taken into custody for his alleged involvement in U.S. computer intrusions, including the reckless and indiscriminate HAFNIUM campaign that compromised thousands of computers worldwide. According to court documents, in early 2020, Xu Zewei and his co-conspirators targeted U.S.-based universities and researchers conducting COVID-19 vaccine, treatment and testing research and reported their activities to officers in China’s Ministry of State Security, who directed the hacking operations.
In a major case out of Laredo, the extradition of three Guatemalan nationals were part of a national announcement for their charges stemming from a 2021 mass casualty event in Chiapas, Mexico. The crash allegedly involved a tractor-trailer packed with at least 160 illegal aliens – many of them Guatemalan – that killed more than 50 people, including unaccompanied children, and injured over 100 more. The three smugglers – Tomas Quino Canil, Oswaldo Manuel Zavala Quino and Josefa Quino Canil De Zavala – were arrested in Guatemala last December and made their appearances in Laredo Sept. 4, 2025.
A six-count second superseding indictment was also unsealed in Houston, charging four Venezuelan nationals for providing material support to foreign terrorist organization, Tren de Aragua, as well as international drug trafficking. According to court records, Yohan Jose Romero and Juan Gabriel Rivans Nunez are two of the topmost leaders of TdA involved in the illegal mining of gold in Venezuela. Giovanni Vicente Mosquera and Jose Enrique Martinez Flores are TdA leaders allegedly involved in international drug trafficking.
In another Houston case, charges allege Venezuelan national Juan Carlos Cairo-Padron and Thomas Michael Fortinberry conspired for years to sell chemical catalysts, industrial equipment and associated services to Venezuelan state-owned steel mills and petrochemical companies that are subject to U.S. sanctions. According to the charges, the scheme involved U.S. and overseas front companies, foreign bank accounts and falsified shipping documents to conceal the fact that goods and services were destined for sanctioned entities.
Notable sentencings out of the Houston Division included Fredrick Douglas Shelton who received 27 years after he was linked to three fentanyl overdose deaths. At the hearing, the court commented on the disturbing fact that after the deaths, Shelton continued to sell fentanyl with a verbal warning to customers that the drugs were strong.
Mexican national Eustorgio Quiroz-Salto was ordered to serve 240 months for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute bulk methamphetamine. He arranged to deliver over 20 kilograms in the parking lot of a church. A subsequent search of his residence resulted in the seizure of an additional 93.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, 12 firearms, a silencer, 351 rounds of live ammunition and multiple firearm parts.
In other Houston cases, two local men received major sentences for child exploitation crimes. Manvel resident Brian Jones received 840 months after uploading more than 1,000 child pornography files and had over 11,000 images and more than 850 videos. They depicted children engaged in sexually explicit conduct which included sadistic and masochistic conduct. During sentencing, the court heard additional evidence regarding how he convinced a woman to send videos of her sexually abusing her own children. Also sentenced was 28-year-old Vermont man Daniel Lee Hicks, who received 300 months for the production of child pornography and coercion of enticement of a child. Hicks began communicating with the 14-year-old minor victim, during which he sent demeaning and threatening messages to coerce the minor to create and send videos and images depicting sexually explicit conduct.
A 25-year-old Houston resident was sentenced to 60 years for robbing five fast-food and convenience store locations. At trial, the jury heard Carl Pickens carried out a series of armed robberies at McDonald’s locations while wearing a red Nike sweatshirt or black hooded jacket, brandishing a pistol and threatening victims as he demanded money from the safe. He then fled through the back door and fled in a stolen black Chevrolet Tahoe, which needed scissors to start.
Another notable sentencing involved a 39-year-old Mexican national with a felony criminal history. Luis Adrian Torres-Tamayo received 105 months in federal prison for illegally reentering the country after removal. He has prior convictions for possession of a controlled substance and in 2022, Torres-Tamayo assaulted two members of law enforcement during a domestic violence dispute. He seized their taser guns and attacked them with his fists.
Other pending Houston division cases include seven Houston residents who were charged for their roles in a $110 million hospice fraud and kickback scheme. According to a superseding indictment, Dera Ogudo and Victoria Martinez operated United Palliative & Hospice Company. The indictment alleges the company falsely enrolled elderly Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries in hospice care and misrepresented the services provided. They also allegedly paid kickbacks to group home operators and a physician to improperly certify patients as terminally ill.
Another notable case involves a nationwide business email compromise scheme for which seven people have been indicted. The investigation began when an individual used a synthetic identity to open a bank account that received $3 million in fraudulent payments from a Catholic church in Indiana, according to the charges. Law enforcement has allegedly identified over 80 victims, including public entities, insurance companies, law firms, schools, real estate companies and churches. More than 50 people have been indicted nationwide, including nine in the Southern District, with the group allegedly responsible for more than $100 million in fraud routed through Australian banks.
A 40-year-old Nigerian citizen who illegally resided in Houston has pleaded guilty for his role in a business email compromise conspiracy and nationwide romance scam. From 2018 through 2023, Leslie Chinedu Mba and others accessed business email accounts, redirected payments to fraudulent accounts and moved the proceeds as money mules. Mba also attempted to obtain U.S. permanent residency through fraudulent marriages after being ordered removed.
A podiatrist and the self-proclaimed CEO of a local medical clinic were also charged in a $90 million Medicare fraud scheme in a 15-count superseding indictment. The charges allege David Jenson and Nestor Rafael Romero Magallanes conspired to bill Medicare for skin substitute products for patients who did not have qualifying wounds or any wounds at all. The charges allege they falsified medical records to make it appear patients had chronic wounds and continued billing even after a 2023 audit denied the claims and flagged the conduct as improper.
In Galveston, eight high-level Mara Salvatrucha, commonly known as MS-13, gang members pleaded guilty to racketeering activity, murder and other violent crimes and are facing prison terms of 35-50 years. MS-13 members committed multiple murders, extortion, drug trafficking, robbery and obstruction of justice in and around the Houston area. They committed the murders to maintain or elevate their status, targeting suspected rivals with law enforcement or opposing the gang. They killed the victims using machetes, baseball bats and strangulation, then sent photos of the bodies to senior MS-13 leaders in El Salvador.
From the Corpus Christi Division, Honduran national Marvin Reyes received 108 months in federal prison. He was the leader of an alien smuggling organization responsible for transporting hundreds of illegal aliens from the border further into the United States. Reyes and others coordinated the movement of illegal aliens through the Border Patrol checkpoints near Sarita and Falfurrias as well as by airplane. He also arranged private flights for illegal aliens from Weslaco to Houston.
Valentine Cancino received 324 months for production of child sexual abuse material, otherwise known as sexual exploitation of a child. The investigation began when authorities received multiple cyber-tips indicating CSAM had been uploaded onto the internet. A search warrant led to the seizure of two electronic devices. Upon inspection, law enforcement discovered a video recording Cancino made of himself engaging in sexual activity with a minor relative.
Also of note was the sentencing of Robstown resident Guadalupe Calderon III for pointing a gun at a law enforcement officer. During a traffic stop on Calderon’s truck, he pointed a Ruger pistol at the officer’s face and pulled the trigger. When the firearm misfired, he fled the scene in his truck. After locating him riding in another vehicle, authorities discovered the firearm in the backseat along with over 30 rounds of ammunition and a high-capacity drum magazine.
In McAllen, a 35-year-old Mexican citizen who illegally resided in Palmview received a life sentence for producing CSAM of a family member and coercing the production of the material using various chat platforms. At the hearing, the court heard that Jesus Adrian Barraza-Vega’s ongoing abuse of a minor family member continued until just days before his encounter with law enforcement.
Also of note was the sentencing of three members of the Pasia gang for assaulting two federal corrections officers at the East Hidalgo Detention Center. The inmates, who were already in custody pending federal immigration charges, outnumbered the officers and repeatedly punched and kicked them. They were housed in a gang-designated unit within the facility. One inmate wielded a sock with a bar of soap as a weapon during the assault. One correctional officer sustained injuries that resulted in multiple staples in his forehead.
Laredo’s Operation Noreste Parte Dos resulted in the convictions of six individuals for their roles in an alien-smuggling conspiracy that led to the death of a Guatemalan man in July 2024. Each person filled key roles in the operation, including transportation coordinator, driver, scout, vehicle purchaser, stash-house operator and Mexico-based logistics coordinators.
A father and son were also charged in the division with trafficking over 500 weapons along with ammunition and magazines. Emilio Ramirez Cortes and Edgar Emilio Ramirez Diaz were smuggling the weapons and related items in exchange for payment and had done so on multiple occasions. Authorities had found false walls in both trailers which resulted in the discovery of approximately 534 firearms, 31,482 rounds of ammunition, 525 magazines, 40 scopes, four lasers, 10 rifle slings and other related items. They have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
In another Laredo case, Jesus Covarrubias, a convicted felon and Hermanos de Pistoleros gang member, orchestrated a long-running straw purchasing scheme that supplied over 50 firearms, including high-powered rifles, to a Mexican cartel. Covarrubias falsely reported the weapons stolen and later fled to Mexico after killing a man in a Laredo bar while out on bond. He was returned to the United States and received 120 months in federal prison.
In Brownsville, an armed repeat illegal alien was sentenced to 60 months for his part in a human smuggling event. Alejandro Ramirez-Carranza was a river guide and had conspired with Issac Azuara-Vasquez to transport and smuggle illegal aliens in the bed of a truck after they illegally arrived from Mexico via boat on the Rio Grande River. Ramirez-Carranza, Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico, admitted to transporting and bringing an alien into the United States as well as illegal reentry and being an alien in possession of a firearm.
The final two members of a deadly alien smuggling group were also ordered to prison in 2025. Julia Isairis Torres and Erasmo Garcia were involved in the attempted smuggling of illegal aliens in March 2019 by motor vehicle from the Rio Grande Valley to Houston. During this failed attempt, a vehicle rolled over and caused the deaths of four non-U.S. citizens with serious injuries to one other. Authorities had identified a Rio Grande City-based smuggling organization as responsible and linked it’s leader and others to a separate February 2022 human smuggling attempt by watercraft from South Padre Island to the Corpus Christi area. The watercraft capsized, resulting in the deaths of four other non-U.S. citizens and serious injury to another.
A 38-year-old Georgia woman pleaded guilty to smuggling 17 firearms and 27 magazines concealed in a vehicle’s gas tank. Mirna Luna attempted to cross into Mexico at the Brownsville-Matamoros Port of Entry. Authorities discovered the weapons during secondary inspection. Luna admitted she owned and drove the vehicle but did not have a license to export the firearms.
Finally, a Brownsville federal jury also returned a guilty verdict against the owners of Abby’s Bakery and Dulce’s Café in Los Fresnos for employing and housing illegal aliens within their restaurant. The jury deliberated for less than three hours before finding Leonardo Baez-Lara and Alicia Avila-Guel guilty as charged following a two-day trial. Testimony revealed they hired and harbored workers who were in the United States illegally or on B1/B2 visas without having the right to work. The jury heard that employees were living in a storage area with only one exit, sleeping on mattresses and rarely had hot water.
The district remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
Two Mescalero men charged in assaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Mescalero men are facing federal charges in connection with a unprovoked assault.
According to court documents, on September 11, 2025, John Doe was at a residence within the exterior boundaries of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation when he was allegedly assaulted without provocation by Harlyn Cody Geronimo, 49, and Raymond Shaun Chee, 28, both enrolled members of the Mescalero Apache Tribe. Geronimo and Chee allegedly struck John Doe and repeatedly kicked him while he was on the ground, causing him to lose consciousness. As a result of the attack, John Doe sustained multiple injuries, including serious head injuries that required medical treatment.
Witnesses reported that Geronimo, who was wearing steel toed boots, kicked John Doe in the head and that Chee also participated in the assault. After the incident, Chee fled the scene.
Following his arrest, Geronimo’s steel-toed boots were recovered and found to contain dried blood. Geronimo later denied assaulting John Doe, despite witness statements to the contrary.
Geromino and Chee are charged with assault causing serious bodily injury. If convicted of the current charges, Geromino and Chee face ten years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Silvia Delgado is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Individuals Sentenced for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On January 28, 2026, United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón sentenced two individuals to multiple years in prison for child exploitation.
Aneudy Jazzan Pérez-Santiago was sentenced to 10 years in prison for child exploitation. Pérez-Santiago was indicted on July 10, 2025, and arrested on July 14, 2025.
According to court documents, from February 2023 to February 2025, Aneudy Jazzan Pérez-Santiago used a cellphone, online instant messaging services, and social media to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexual activity and transferred obscene material to her.
The defendant plead guilty on October 2, 2025, to one count of coercion and enticement of a 14-year-old female minor. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation.
In a second unrelated case, defendant José Antonio Vilella, of Fajardo, was sentenced to 57 months (four years and nine months) in prison for possession of child pornography. According to court documents, from April 2024 until November of 2024, Velilla knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view images containing child exploitation material, including child pornography of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age. Velilla was indicted on November 20, 2024; arrested on November 13, 2024, and pleaded guilty on October 16, 2025.
“There’s no greater priority than safeguarding our children from those who seek to exploit or harm them,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the prosecution of child sexual predators. We will not rest until those who commit these heinous crimes are brought to justice.”
“These sentences demonstrate the seriousness with which these crimes are prosecuted and the severe consequences faced by those who prey on children. These cases also prove that child predators have no single profile—one offender was a minister and teacher, while the other was a collector of online child exploitation images. We urge parents and trusted adults to remain vigilant and closely supervise the online activities of their children. Let this serve as an unequivocal warning: child predators will be found, prosecuted, and held fully accountable for their actions. HSI San Juan is unwavering in our commitment to protecting children and ensuring that anyone who threatens their safety is brought to justice,” said HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emelina Agrait Barreto of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Yariel Ramos, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations San Juan made the announcement.
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Three Defendants Indicted for $447,000 COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three men from the Kansas City metropolitan area have been indicted by a federal grand jury for their receipt of $440,000 in fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans being issued under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
Robert Turner, Kansas City, Mark Crosby, Kansas City, and Earl Howard, Grandview, were charged in separate sealed indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on January 28, 2026. These indictments were unsealed following the initial appearance of these individuals in court this week.
These federal indictments allege that Robert Turner’s company, Handy Hands Services LLC, submitted a fraudulent application for a PPP loan. Based upon false payroll records, Turner received a $324,900 PPP loan. Mark Crosby submitted fraudulent applications for two companies, Crosby Auto LLC and MSC & Sons Trucking LLC. Crosby Auto received $71,400 based upon false payroll records submitted with the application and MSC & Sons Trucking received $20,832 based upon similar false statements regarding the company’s payroll. Howard’s company, Turn 2 LLC, also submitted a fraudulent PPP loan application. Turn 2 received a $30,800 PPP loan. The applications allegedly caused more than $447,000 in fraudulent PPP loans to be issued to these three ineligible borrowers, all of which were forgiven by the SBA even though the funds were not used for the purposes specified in the PPP.
The charges contained in these indictments are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. They were investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Texas man pleads guilty for his role in narcotics conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Norman Patillo, 45, of Houston, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a fine of $10,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler, Donna Duncan, and Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who are handling the case, stated that between April 2023, and February 20, 2025, Patillo conspired with others to sell cocaine. Patillo primarily transported cocaine to bulk cocaine customers around the U.S., including to co-conspirators in Buffalo, NY. The cocaine, which came from Mexico, was collected by Patillo for transportation in Texas. Patillo would also pick up narcotics proceeds in Buffalo, and elsewhere, to be returned to Texas. Patillo personally made numerous trips to Buffalo to drop bulk cocaine or collect narcotics proceeds.
Patillo was arrested in April 2025, along with six other defendants, including: Winnie Taru Woods a/k/a Ru, Sharron McCullough a/k/a Black, Marlon Holt, Jr. a/k/a Scooter a/k/a Professor, Gary Sudesh Gosine, Sr., Ian Dyer, and Shannell Gosine. Patillo is the first to be convicted. On May 7, 2024, the Ontario County, NY Sheriff’s Office seized more than nine kilograms of cocaine and 3,528 grams of pure methamphetamine from Marlon Holt during a traffic stop.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo/Rochester comprises agents and officers from HSI and the FBI with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Enforcement Division. Additional assistance was provided by the Ontario County, NY, Sheriff’s Office, the 23rd Judicial Taskforce, Tennessee, as well as Homeland Security Investigations in NY, and Houston and Austin, Texas.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 14, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Vilardo.
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South Bend Man Found Guilty by JuryRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Octavius Wentland, 22 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was found guilty of illegal possession of a machinegun after a two-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 20, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the South Bend Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joel Gabrielse and Luke N. Reilander.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Shiprock man pleads guilty to assault with a dangerous weaponRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty in federal court to a violent assault in which he stabbed a victim three times in the back without provocation.
According to court documents, on April 19, 2025, Matthew David Charley, 30, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, stabbed John Doe three times in the back without provocation, causing serious injury.
Charley pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. At sentencing Charley 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 Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Mondragon is prosecuting the case.
Ryan Wesley Routh Sentenced to Life in Prison for Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump and Assault of a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
Today, Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, was sentenced to life plus 84 months in federal prison for the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and related violent and firearms offenses. U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon for the Southern District of Florida imposed the sentence following Routh’s conviction by a federal jury on all five counts charged in the indictment.
“Ryan Routh’s heinous attempted assassination of President Trump was not only an attack on our President — it was a direct assault against our entire democratic system," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to our prosecutors in the National Security Division and the Southern District of Florida, Routh will never walk free again.”
“Routh’s plan to kill a major presidential candidate, President Donald Trump, was a despicable attack on our democratic system,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Thanks to the work of the FBI and our Justice Department partners, he will pay a high price for his actions. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the justice system will not tolerate such heinous attacks.”
“Routh attempted to assassinate President Trump and thereby cast our Nation into what would have been one of its darkest periods,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence is a resounding rejection of political violence and a clear reminder that we resolve our differences through civil discourse, democratic elections, and lawful protest, not by force.”
“This life sentence reflects a fundamental truth: political violence is un-American and will never be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “An attempted assassination of a presidential candidate is an attack on our democratic process and the rule of law itself. This assassination attempt was stopped by the courage and professionalism of U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, whose decisive actions protected lives and prevented a national tragedy. Today’s life sentence ensures the defendant will never again threaten public safety and sends a clear message that those who choose violence to advance their beliefs will face swift, certain, and decisive justice.”
“Political violence is unacceptable in the United States, and this sentence is commensurate with the gravity of Routh’s actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI Miami Field Office. “The investigation was immense and left no stone unturned. The FBI worked shoulder to shoulder with the Secret Service, ATF, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI covered leads across the country and around the globe using all the tools and techniques at our disposal to include FBI Laboratory analysis, the Computer Analysis Response Team and the Cellular Analysis Survey Team. I commend our law enforcement partners and investigative team for their tireless work which led to today’s result.”
In September 2025, after a two-week trial in Fort Pierce, Florida, a jury found Routh guilty of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assault of a federal law enforcement officer, and multiple firearms offenses.
According to evidence presented at trial, then-U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano was patrolling one hole ahead of President Trump at the Trump International Golf Club when he observed Routh pointing what appeared to be an AK 47-style rifle at him from a sniper’s hide concealed in a fence line bordering the golf course. Fearing for his life and the life of President Trump, Special Agent Fercano fired at Routh, who fled the scene.
Rifle Behind Fence LineLaw enforcement officers later recovered a Norinco SKS rifle equipped with a scope, a loaded magazine containing 19 rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber, steel armor plates, and a camera affixed to the fence and pointing at the sixth green of the golf course where President Trump was about to play golf.
A civilian witness reported seeing Routh run across a roadway and enter a black Nissan Xterra. Based on that information, Routh was apprehended while traveling northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
A search of Routh’s vehicle revealed multiple mobile phones and a list of international flights along with directions to Miami International Airport. Cell phone records showed that between Aug. 18 and Sept. 15, 2024, Routh’s phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International Golf Club and the President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago on multiple occasions.
Testimony at trial also established that Routh had dropped off a box at a witness’s residence in April 2024 after making another trip to the area near the golf course. Inside the box was a handwritten letter addressed “Dear World,” in which Routh stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
Routh Handwritten LetterFBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and Martin County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with this case.
Senior Counsel John C. Shipley, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Browne, National Security Division Chief Maria K. Medetis Long, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Luce for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys James Donnelly and John Cella of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Ryan Wesley Routh Sentenced to Life Plus Seven Years in Prison for Attempted Assassination of President Donald J. Trump and Assault of a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Ryan Wesley Routh, 59, was sentenced today to life plus 84 months in federal prison for the attempted assassination of then-presidential candidate Donald J. Trump and related violent and firearms offenses.
U.S. District Judge Aileen M. Cannon imposed the sentence following Routh’s conviction by a federal jury on all five counts charged in the indictment.
“Ryan Routh’s heinous attempted assassination of President Trump was not only an attack on our President — it was a direct assault against our entire democratic system," said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Thanks to our prosecutors in the National Security Division and the Southern District of Florida, Routh will never walk free again.”
“Routh attempted to assassinate President Trump and thereby cast our Nation into what would have been one of its darkest periods,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s sentence is a resounding rejection of political violence and a clear reminder that we resolve our differences through civil discourse, democratic elections, and lawful protest, not by force.”
“This life sentence reflects a fundamental truth: political violence is un-American and will never be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “An attempted assassination of a presidential candidate is an attack on our democratic process and the rule of law itself. This assassination attempt was stopped by the courage and professionalism of U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano, whose decisive actions protected lives and prevented a national tragedy. Today’s life sentence ensures the defendant will never again threaten public safety and sends a clear message that those who choose violence to advance their beliefs will face swift, certain, and decisive justice.”
“Routh’s plan to kill a major presidential candidate, President Donald Trump, was a despicable attack on our democratic system,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Thanks to the work of the FBI and our Justice Department partners, he will pay a high price for his actions. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the justice system will not tolerate such heinous attacks.”
“Political violence is unacceptable in the United States, and this sentence is commensurate with the gravity of Routh’s actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office. “The investigation was immense and left no stone unturned. The FBI worked shoulder to shoulder with the Secret Service, ATF, the Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office. The FBI covered leads across the country and around the globe using all the tools and techniques at our disposal to include FBI Laboratory analysis, the Computer Analysis Response Team and the Cellular Analysis Survey Team. I commend our law enforcement partners and investigative team for their tireless work which led to today’s result.”
In September 2025, after a two-week trial in Fort Pierce, a jury found Routh guilty of attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate, assault of a federal law enforcement officer, and multiple firearms offenses.
According to evidence presented at trial, then-U.S. Secret Service Special Agent Robert Fercano was patrolling one hole ahead of President Trump at the Trump International Golf Club when he observed Routh pointing what appeared to be an AK 47-style rifle at him from a sniper’s hide concealed in a fence line bordering the golf course. Fearing for his life and the life of President Trump, Special Agent Fercano fired at Routh, who fled the scene.
Law enforcement officers later recovered a Norinco SKS rifle equipped with a scope, a loaded magazine containing 19 rounds of ammunition and one round in the chamber, steel armor plates, and a camera affixed to the fence and pointing at the sixth green of the golf course where President Trump was about to play golf.
A civilian witness reported seeing Routh run across a roadway and enter a black Nissan Xterra. Based on that information, Routh was apprehended while traveling northbound on I-95 by officers from the Martin County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office.
A search of Routh’s vehicle revealed multiple mobile phones and a list of international flights along with directions to Miami International Airport. Cell phone records showed that between Aug. 18 and Sept. 15, 2024, Routh’s phone accessed cell towers located near Trump International Golf Club and the President’s residence at Mar-a-Lago on multiple occasions.
Testimony at trial also established that Routh had dropped off a box at a witness’s residence in April 2024 after making another trip to the area near the golf course. Inside the box was a handwritten letter addressed “Dear World,” in which Routh stated, among other things, “This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I am so sorry I failed you.”
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Skiles announced the sentence.
FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the U.S. Secret Service and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office and Martin County Sheriff’s Office also assisted with this case.
Senior Counsel John C. Shipley, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher B. Browne, National Security Division Chief Maria K. Medetis Long, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Luce for the Southern District of Florida, and Trial Attorneys James Donnelly and John Cella of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-80116.
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Rock Island Man Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Cocaine ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Rock Island man was sentenced on January 28, 2026, to seven years in federal prison for false statements during purchases of firearms, possession with intent to deliver cocaine, and carrying a firearm during and in relation to drug trafficking.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Lashawn Leroy Williams, Jr., 24, purchased at least 21 firearms between September 2022 through December 2024 and falsely claimed he was not a drug user and provided a false address. Seven of the guns Williams purchased have been recovered by law enforcement, including during drug and homicide investigations. In March 2025, Williams was arrested with a distribution quantity of cocaine and a firearm with an extended magazine that he carried for protection.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Williams will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN aims to hold illegal firearm possessors and straw purchasers accountable. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN
Rochester Man Sentenced to 4 Years’ Imprisonment for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and CocaineRead the Press Release
Rochester Man Sentenced to 4 Years’ Imprisonment for
Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl and Cocaine
CONCORD – A Rochester man was sentenced yesterday in federal court for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Trevor Mackenzie, age 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 48 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In May 2025, Mackenzie pleaded guilty to the single-count indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, namely, fentanyl and cocaine.
“Fentanyl and crack cocaine bring misery to our state,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “This sentence demonstrates that we are committed to interdicting the supply of these harmful drugs.”
“Fentanyl is an incredibly dangerous drug that destroy lives and tears communities apart. HSI continues to work alongside our state and local partners to disrupt the distribution networks that bring these drugs to our streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England.
According to the charging documents and plea agreement, investigators learned that Mackenzie had been conspiring with a drug trafficking organization led by codefendant Michael Martinez to purchase fentanyl and cocaine. Vehicle tracker data on cars operated by Martinez’s drug couriers or “runners” showed repeated trips to Mackenzie’s home. Toll analysis showed that Mackenzie had at least 354 separate contacts with a phone belonging to Martinez between May 8, 2024, and August 6, 2024. CashApp records showed that Mackenzie paid a total of $4,900 to Martinez between April 28, 2024, and July 3, 2024. A search warrant for Martinez’s TextNow account revealed numerous messages between the defendant and Martinez discussing Mackenzie’s purchases of narcotics from Martinez. Mackenzie would in turn sell narcotics he acquired from Martinez to his own customers.
On October 16, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at Mackenzie’s home, where they arrested him on a federal warrant. In a back bedroom, investigators found scales, baking soda, and plates with residue on them. In the living room, investigators found on a coffee table approximately 269 grams of fentanyl (almost nine and a half ounces) and approximately 164 grams of powder cocaine (over five and a half ounces) in multiple baggies, which were distribution-level quantities of those drugs.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. The Strafford County Sheriff’s Office provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Shannon and Yasir Sadat prosecuted the case.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Methamphetamine in the Lakes RegionRead the Press Release
Repeat Offender Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for
Distributing Methamphetamine in the Lakes Region
CONCORD – A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court for drug trafficking in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Christopher Davis, 54, of Haverhill, Massachusetts, was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment and 4 years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Steven McAuliffe. In October 2025, Davis pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of a controlled substance, namely methamphetamine, after selling the drug during a controlled purchase. This was his third felony conviction for distributing controlled substances in the Lakes Region.
“The defendant has persistently and brazenly distributed drugs throughout the Lakes Region across multiple decades,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “We will continue to pursue individuals and organizations who profit from the trafficking of methamphetamine and other dangerous substances in our state.”
“Christopher Davis is a repeat offender, committed to selling methamphetamine and making money,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Today’s sentence shows how the FBI’s Major Offender Task Force is just as committed to getting illegal drugs and the career criminals who peddle them off the streets. We’re working hard every day to make the Granite state safer by removing those who have no regard for the incredible damage they’re inflicting on people’s lives.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation Major Offender Task Force led the investigation. The Laconia Police Department, the New Hampshire State Police, and the New Hampshire Attorney General’s Drug Task Force provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo 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.
Repeat Drug Offender Pleads Guilty to Meth and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
A man who conspired to distribute meth and illegally possessed a firearm pled guilty February 2, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.
Seann Mackey, 31, from Mount Pleasant, Iowa admitted that between June 2024 and December 2024, he was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 1500 grams of mixed methamphetamine which contained at least 150 grams of pure methamphetamine. On December 20, 2024, law enforcement apprehended Mackey after he operated a motor vehicle in a high-speed/reckless driving filled chase. Then during a foot pursuit, Mackey was observed throwing a firearm. Law enforcement seized methamphetamine, numerous empty baggies and a digital scale from Mackey, along with a Glock 9mm handgun.
Mackey had three prior convictions for drug offenses, and a conviction for possession of a firearm by a felon. Each of these convictions prohibit Mackey from possessing any firearm and also enhance his sentencing penalties.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mackey remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mackey faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $8,250,000 fine, and at least eight years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4006. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Raleigh Man Sentenced for Selling Dangerous Counterfeit Car AirbagsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced a Raleigh man to one year and a day for importing and selling thousands of counterfeit car airbags into the Raleigh area over the past two years. The defendant, Mateen Mohammad Alinaghian, 31, sold the counterfeit airbags locally and to online buyers through Facebook Marketplace. The court also ordered Alignaghian to pay restitution in the amount of $83,405.95 to the victims who unknowingly purchased a counterfeit airbag, and to the car manufacturers, and forfeit $154,693.16.
“Selling fake airbags recklessly puts our citizens in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “This sentence makes clear that we do not tolerate criminals who endanger drivers on our roads. We will keep working with our partners to take these threats off the streets and out of our cars.”
“Unregulated and untested counterfeit airbags threaten the safety of the traveling public and place unsuspecting consumers at significant risk,” said Greg Thompson, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region. “Today’s sentencing underscores DOT-OIG’s commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to keep these dangerous products out of the nation’s vehicles and off our roads”
“This case spotlights the serious consumer health and safety dangers posed by many counterfeit products like fake vehicle airbags and exemplifies the importance of interagency cooperation in protecting public safety and bringing counterfeiters to justice,” said Secretary of State Elaine Marshall.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Alinaghian, imported approximately 2,500 counterfeit air bags into Raleigh between May 2022 and April 2024. Alinaghian imported airbags with counterfeit markings of Honda, Chevrolet, General Motors, and Toyota, from a supplier in the United Kingdom. Alinaghian then sold the counterfeit airbags to unsuspecting customers using the Facebook Marketplace seller profile of “Matt AutoParts” or “Medo Smith” to advertise and sell the counterfeit airbags.
According to testing done by Honda, General Motors, and Toyota, the steering wheel airbags obtained and sold by Alinaghian were not manufactured by the car companies and often included materials of lesser quality. In testing, the counterfeit airbags often malfunctioned, either not fully inflating or worse, inflating late – posing a potentially serious risk of injury to the vehicle driver.
The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation, along with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. The investigation included a search of Alinaghian’s house, which resulted in the seizure of approximately 20 counterfeit airbags, and multiple seizures by Customs and Border Control of in-bound packages from the United Kingdom containing counterfeit airbags en route to Alinaghian.
After identifying that Alinaghian was importing the counterfeit airbags from a source in the United Kingdom, HSI contacted law enforcement abroad. As a result, the City of London Police’s Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PICU) executed a search warrant on September 19, 2024, PICU officers searched two residential and one business address and seized a total of 500 counterfeit airbags and an estimated £140,000 in cash. Three men were arrested on suspicion of fraud by false representation, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and conspiracy to distribute counterfeit goods. The UK investigation is still ongoing.
Although not specifically linked to this case, according to a consumer alert published by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), three people in the U.S. were killed and two people suffered injuries from September 2023 to July 2024 as a result of their vehicles being fitted with substandard replacement airbags.
Individuals who suspect they purchased a counterfeit airbag should consult their brand’s dealership or a reputable mechanic to determine if the parts need to be replaced, and report it to their local Homeland Security Investigations office or submit an online complaint to the National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Center or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Haughton prosecuted the case. The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) led the investigation, along with the U.S. Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the N.C. Secretary of State Trademark Enforcement Division or Anti-Counterfeit Task Force.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-00013-FL.
Previously Convicted DC Man Indicted for Felony Burglary with Enhancements for Two Prior Convictions for Crimes of ViolenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Michael Scott, 34, of Washington, D.C., was indicted by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on four counts related stemming from an October 2025 assault on two women, U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro announced.
Scott was indicted on February 2, 2026, on one count each of first-degree burglary, assault, destruction of property and resisting arrest.
According to the indictment, on October 25, 2025, Scott entered the home of a woman, Victim 1, with the intent to assault his ex-romantic partner, Victim 2, who was also inside the dwelling. Upon entering the apartment, Scott broke down the bedroom door, assaulted and threatened Victim 2.
Scott has two prior convictions for crimes of violence.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivis Hinerfeld.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Plymouth Woman Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing over Seven Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Plymouth Woman Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison
for Distributing Over Seven Pounds of Methamphetamine
CONCORD – Jessica Olena, 48, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 8 years in federal prison and 4 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces. Olena previously pleaded guilty to two counts of methamphetamine distribution.
“Today’s sentence reflects the serious threat posed by those who deal in dangerous drugs like methamphetamine,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “This defendant was distributing large quantities of this highly potent substance. Our office will continue supporting our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners in drug interdiction efforts to prevent illicit drugs from reaching our streets, and to hold accountable those who seek to profit from poisoning New Hampshire communities.”
“DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine off the streets of New Hampshire,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Today’s sentence not only holds Ms. Olena accountable for her crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in New Hampshire.”
Between January and June 2024, a confidential source, acting at the direction of law enforcement, arranged to purchase more than one and a half pounds of methamphetamine from Olena. When law enforcement arrested Olena for these drug transactions on June 26, 2024, she admitted to selling a pound of methamphetamine to someone else the night prior and to routinely purchasing significant quantities of methamphetamine for distribution.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The New Hampshire State Police Mobile Enforcement Team provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar Vega and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Anderson prosecuted the case.
Pittsburgh Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of Firearm and Trafficking of Fentanyl and HeroinRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on February 3, 2026, to charges of violating federal firearms and narcotics laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Jamar Perminter, 26, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan to one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and one count of possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl and a quantity of heroin.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on July 31, 2025, law enforcement executed search warrants of Perminter’s person, residence, and two vehicles, and recovered a loaded and chambered 9mm pistol, a firearm magazine, and 9mm ammunition. In addition, law enforcement recovered dozens of bricks of fentanyl/heroin, a digital scale, multiple cell phones, and approximately $84,000 in United States currency from Perminter’s home and vehicles. Perminter has previously been convicted in federal court of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and a quantity of heroin. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for May 27, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 45 years in prison, a fine of up to $2,250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant. Perminter will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Stowe Township Police Department, McKees Rocks Police Department, and Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Perminter.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Pedophile Sentenced for Receiving and Distributing Hundreds of Photos and Videos of Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A pedophile living in Tulsa was sentenced for receiving and distributing hundreds of photos and videos that showed children, toddlers, and infants being sexually abused, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Devin James Woodis, 34, for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Woodis was ordered to serve 240 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, he will be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Russell further ordered Woodis to pay $18,000 in restitution.
The Tulsa Police Department received a CyberTip from the messaging app, Kik, reporting that Woodis was distributing child pornography. After officers executed a search warrant at his home, they found that Woodis was engaging in sexually explicit conversations with several people, including a person he believed to be a 14-year-old minor child. Officers discovered that he used various messaging apps, including Kik, TeleGuard, and Sessions. After reviewing devices collected during the search warrant, officers found 258 photos and 242 videos of children, toddlers, and infants being sexually exploited and abused.
The child sexual abuse material found on Woodis devices was submitted to the National Child Victim Identification System managed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sixty children were identified from the submitted photos and images. Several of those victims provided victim impact statements to the court. Restitution paid by Woodis will go directly to the child victims identified.
Woodis will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert 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.
Pasadena Woman Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Stalking Campaign and for Threats to Bomb U.S. Consulate in VietnamRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley woman was sentenced today to 64 months in federal prison for stalking a victim then impersonating him and his wife to further stalk government employees at a United States consulate in Vietnam, which she threatened to bomb.
Nathalie Nguyen, 40, of Pasadena, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sherilyn Peace Garnett, who also ordered her to pay $5,372 in restitution.
Nguyen pleaded guilty in April 2025 to one count of stalking and one count of threat by interstate commerce to kill another person and to damage and destroy buildings by fire and explosives. She has been in federal custody since February 2024.
Nguyen stalked a victim – identified in court documents as “T.H.” – from April 2023 to February 2024, sending emails threatening to kill him and his wife. One of the emails contained screenshots of a text conversation about paying a hitman $15,000 to kill the victim’s wife.
She also began stalking five employees at the U.S. consulate in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. At times, she impersonated T.H.’s wife, including in an August 2023 email in which she threatened to “bomb the [expletive] consular in Ho Chi Minh City.”
In October 2023, Nguyen – impersonating T.H. and using T.H.’s email account without permission – sent an email to three government employees at the U.S. consulate stating, “i wil [sic] kill every [expletive] one of you who has been delaying issuing my wife visa.”
In January 2024, Nguyen – impersonating T.H.’s wife – sent a message to U.S. officials through an online portal stating, “Device will be detonated at America consular in Saigon and in San Francisco. All of you will be exploded for causing my separation with my husband for this last year. Everything will be exploded around new year or after.”
The following month, Nguyen impersonated T.H. and sent an inquiry to a U.S. Embassy online portal threatening to explode grenades around the time of the lunar new year at the consulate. Several minutes later, Nguyen, impersonating T.H., sent an email to the Vietnamese consulate stating, “i have a grenade set to be exploded this lunar new year at the consulate. my wife is ready.”
“[Nguyen’s] methods were technical and calculated,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “She stole her victims’ identities, cut off their electricity, and interfered with their health insurance. She researched specific Vietnamese Consulate employees, finding the names of their spouses, parents, and children, which she used to terrify the employees…[Nguyen’s] terror campaign upended her victims’ lives.”
The FBI investigated this matter with assistance from the Diplomatic Security Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Diane B. Roldán of the Major Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Parolee Who Shot Police Officer While Resisting Arrest Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Andrial Ortiz, 30, from Lansing, was sentenced to 15 years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “Andrial Ortiz was a felon who was not allowed to possess a gun, and the moment he did he used it to shoot a police officer. My office was happy to prosecute this case. We accept the 15-year sentence as a just response. I hope everyone reading this will take a minute to remember and appreciate that we ask law enforcement officers to risk their lives on a regular basis.”
Police pulled Ortiz over while investigating a road rage incident. Ortiz was on parole for selling drugs, unarmed robbery, and larceny. Police searched his car and found drugs. When they attempted to arrest Ortiz, he violently resisted. During the struggle, he was able to remove guns from two of the officers’ waistbands. He fired one of the guns, striking a patrol officer in the leg.
“Ortiz’s conduct was reckless, violent, and showed a complete disregard for the lives of the officers involved,” said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing firearms, yet this defendant violently resisted arrest, disarmed officers, and fired a weapon, seriously injuring a patrol officer. This sentence reflects the seriousness of that violence and sends the right message to drug trafficking convicted felons in our community who attack law enforcement: if you do this, pack your bags because you’re going to prison for an extended period of time.”
The Michigan State Police, Lansing Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olivia Ghiselli and Jonathan Roth prosecuted it.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Oregon Man Sentenced to More Than 11 years for Marijuana and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Michael J. Konior, 50, of Salem, Oregon, was sentenced on February 4, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute marijuana and money laundering. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Konior to 135 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After completing his term of imprisonment, Konior will begin a three-year term of supervised release.
Konior was charged based on his involvement with a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that transported large quantities of marijuana and marijuana products, as well as the proceeds from the sale of those products, across the country for more than 20 years. Konior’s involvement began around January 1, 2000, when he began assisting the DTO with several illegal California marijuana grow operations. The marijuana from these operations was cultivated and shipped to customers outside of California to include Nebraska.
Konior’s involvement with the DTO progressed over the years after he established his own marijuana customers and began using the DTO to transport his own marijuana. The proceeds from the sale of the marijuana were then collected and shipped back to California by the DTO where it was distributed to other co-conspirators and owners of the marijuana. The investigation resulted in the seizure of thousands of pounds marijuana and marijuana products and more than $30 million in cash and assets purchased with the proceeds from the illegal sales.
This is the result of a long-term investigation that is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, Nebraska State Patrol, Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, and various other state and local agencies across the United States.
Oklahoma City Nurse Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Pornography in Case Connected to a Former South Carolina State RepresentativeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – CHRISTIAN ISMAEL SOTO RETAMOSA, 35, of Oklahoma City, has pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to court records, in March 2024, the mobile messaging application Kik submitted a tip to law enforcement regarding a user distributing videos containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The FBI determined that the user was exchanging CSAM with Retamosa, a registered nurse who was then working in Oklahoma City. Court records further indicate that Retamosa exchanged CSAM with Robert John May III, a former state representative for South Carolina. May III was charged separately in the District of South Carolina and was recently sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for distributing child pornography.
On February 3, 2026, Retamosa pleaded guilty and admitted he knowingly possessed several electronic devices containing CSAM, including images of prepubescent children.
At sentencing, Retamosa faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, Homeland Security Investigations offices in Columbia, South Carolina, and Oklahoma City, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department in South Carolina. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bow Bottomly.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ohio Man Indicted for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Ohio man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Massachusetts in connection with multiple sales of firearms transported from Ohio to Massachusetts.
Ruben Joel Sanchez Jr., 31, of Youngstown, Ohio, was indicted on one count of engaging in the business of dealing in firearms without a license and two counts of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sanchez was arrested on Jan. 8, 2026, and remains in federal custody.
According to the charging documents, beginning at least as early as June 2025 through January 2026, Sanchez engaged in the business of unlawful trafficking in firearms. Specifically, in June 2025, Sanchez, who is not licensed to deal in firearms, allegedly sold three firearms to an individual in exchange for $4,000. It is further alleged that, on Jan. 8, 2026, Sanchez was recorded and observed selling four additional firearms to the same individual in return for $8,500. Sanchez was arrested at the scene where an AR-style pistol equipped with a loaded, 100-round drum; a rifle equipped with a loaded, 100-round drum; a loaded pistol equipped with an extended magazine; and an additional loaded pistol were allegedly recovered.
The charge of felon in possession of firearms and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of unlawful trafficking in firearms provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julissa Walsh of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nicaragua National Who Unlawfully Attempted to Purchase Firearm Indicted for Assault of ICE OfficerRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A citizen of Nicaragua illegally residing in the Mount Washington neighborhood of Pittsburgh has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of assaulting a federal officer, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Darwin Alexander Davila-Perez, 33, as the sole defendant. Davila-Perez was initially charged in a December 23, 2025, Criminal Complaint.
According to the Indictment and Criminal Complaint, on December 17, 2025, Davila-Perez assaulted an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer while being apprehended for being illegally present in the United States. The Department of Homeland Security previously had learned that Davila-Perez had attempted to purchase a firearm from a federal firearms licensee (FFL) in the Western District of Pennsylvania, claiming to be a United States citizen. The firearm sale was denied by the FFL as Davila-Perez is a citizen and national of Nicaragua with no legal status to be present in the United States. Federal law prohibits those without legal status from purchasing firearms.
When officers with ICE activated the emergency lights on their vehicle and attempted to detain him, Davila-Perez forcefully resisted, including backing his vehicle into a law enforcement vehicle with an officer still inside, fleeing his vehicle, elbowing an officer in the face, attempting to unholster an officer’s service weapon, biting an officer’s arm, and striking an officer in the forehead with a swinging handcuff. Throughout this incident, officers gave commands to Davila-Perez, such as to stop and to give up his hands, in both English and Spanish. Davila-Perez, however, actively resisted, ignored their commands, and remained noncompliant until he was secured and in handcuffs. The officers suffered contusions, abrasions, and a bite mark, requiring medical attention.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed will be based upon the seriousness of the offense and prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Davila-Perez has been in custody since his arrest and remains detained pending resolution of this criminal charge.
Assistant United States Attorney Lee A. Fry is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
Homeland Security Investigations/Immigration and Customs Enforcement conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
New York Man and Alleged Member of Nihilistic Violent Extremist Organization 764 Charged with Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Aaron Corey, also known as “Baggeth,” of Albany, New York, appeared in federal court yesterday after being charged with receiving child pornography.
“The 764 network is a depraved criminal group that exploits vulnerable children and revels in their abuse,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “The very serious crimes alleged in this indictment will be aggressively prosecuted until justice is served, as the Justice Department and federal partners continue efforts to take down this violent extremist network.”
“Let this send a warning to anyone engaged in any conduct that involves assaulting children: You eventually will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” said Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York. “I thank the FBI and the New York State Police for their hard work and the sacrifices they make to keep our communities safe.”
“Aaron Corey, an alleged member of the nihilistic violent extremist group 764, has been charged today for allegedly receiving sexually explicit content of minors via the Internet. Preying on our nation’s children, who are among the most vulnerable members of society, is beyond comprehension,” said FBI Co-Deputy Director Christopher Raia. “The FBI won’t tolerate these heinous acts and remains determined to stop these predators in their tracks. Along with our law enforcement partners, the dangerous criminals involved with the atrocious activities of violent online networks will be held accountable.”
According to the criminal complaint, between October and December 2025, Corey received video and image files depicting pre-pubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct via the Internet.
The complaint also alleges that Corey is a member of “764,” a criminal organization of Nihilistic Violent Extremists operating within the United States and abroad. Those involved with the 764 network methodically target vulnerable, underage populations by using social media to encourage the possession, production, and sharing of extreme gore media and child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Members of 764 seek to desensitize young people to violence and break down societal norms regarding it. They normalize the possession, production, and sharing of explicit CSAM and gore material to corrupt and groom their victims toward future violence, gain notoriety among other members of the network, and spread fear for the purpose of accelerating chaos with an aim toward the disruption of society.
The charge filed against Corey carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. If convicted, a judge will impose a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Corey’s initial appearance yesterday in Albany was before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart for the Northern District of New York. Corey was ordered detained pending a detention hearing which is scheduled for tomorrow.
The FBI is investigating the case, with assistance from the New York State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping for the Northern District of New York is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The charges in the complaint are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Terrorism-Related Charges Filed Against Alleged Killer of Israeli Embassy EmployeesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Elias Rodriguez, 31, of Chicago, was charged in a 13-count superseding indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court with multiple terrorism-related offenses in connection with the May 21, 2025, fatal shootings of two Israeli Embassy staff members outside the Capital Jewish Museum in downtown Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Rodriguez previously was charged with the murder of a foreign official, causing death through the use of a firearm, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, two federal counts of hate crime resulting in death, and two counts each of first-degree premeditated murder while armed and assault with intent to kill while armed under the D.C. criminal code.
The superseding indictment adds four counts of acts of terrorism while armed (two counts each for the first-degree murders and assaults with intent to kill) in violation of the D.C. criminal code and a federal statutory aggravating factor for substantial planning and premeditation to commit an act of terrorism.
Several of the charges filed against Rodriguez carry a maximum penalty of death or life imprisonment.
“My office will not rest in our efforts to hold Elias Rodriguez accountable for this horrific, and targeted act of terror against Yaron Lischinsky, Sarah Milgrim and our Jewish community,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “These additional terrorism-related charges carry a mandatory life sentence under D.C. Code, while also reflecting the reality that this act was in fact an act of terror.”
“In addition to allegedly murdering two innocent people and terrorizing the survivors of his attack at the Capital Jewish Museum, Rodriguez wrote and published a manifesto attempting to morally justify his actions and inspire others to commit political violence,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office. “His alleged actions warrant the additional terrorism charges being announced today.”
Yaron Lischinsky, 30, and Sarah Milgrim, 26, died in the attack. Lischinsky was an Israeli citizen and employee of the Government of Israel who was in the United States on official business while working for the Israeli Embassy. Milgrim, from Overland Park, Kansas, was also employed by the Israeli Embassy. Two surviving victims also worked for the Embassy.
According to the superseding indictment, Rodriguez allegedly approached the victims as they left a “Young Diplomats Reception” at the museum, fired approximately 20 shots from a semi-automatic handgun, and called out “Free Palestine.”
After the shooting, Rodriguez entered the museum. Several event attendees were still present. Rodriguez allegedly displayed a red keffiyeh and said, “I did it for Palestine. I did it for Gaza.”
As police removed Rodriguez from the museum, he shouted, “shame on you” and “shame on Zio-nazi terror” at the remaining event attendees.
The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia with assistance from the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.
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42_rodriguez_superseding_indictment_1.pdfNew Orleans Man Indicted for Assaulting Postal Carrier with a Deadly WeaponRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – GILBERT DARBY (“DARBY”), age 48, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted on January 30, 2026, for assaulting a federal officer, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 111(a)(1) and (b); discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(iii); and being a felon in possession of ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to the indictment, on or about January 12, 2026, DARBY assaulted a United States Postal Carrier of the United States Postal Service during the performance of his official duties. During the assault, DARBY discharged a deadly weapon.
If convicted of the assault count, DARBY could receive up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000.00 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100.00 special assessment fee.
If convicted of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence count, DARBY could receive a mandatory minimum of ten (10) years imprisonment and a maximum of life imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to a maximum of 3 years supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
If convicted of the felon in possession of ammunition count, DARBY could receive up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
United States Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Postal Inspectors and the New Orleans Police Department for investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul J. Hubbell, I.V. of the Violent Crime Unit.
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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft and False Use or Forgery of a PassportRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Michael Scott Hillwig, 59, of Camden, New Jersey, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and false use or forgery of a passport. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “It is of vital importance to raise awareness about the vulnerability of our personal identifying information online, which fraudsters relentlessly pursue as they seek to enrich themselves by exploiting their victims. As this defendant has learned, my office is just as relentless in our pursuit of criminals like him, and we aggressively prosecute such frauds to the fullest extent to achieve justice for the victims of these crimes.”
Court documents reflect that in May 2023, the defendant unlawfully obtained personal identification information of other people, including their names, dates of birth, social security numbers, and passport card numbers. He then fraudulently withdrew funds from the bank accounts of multiple victims by presenting U.S. passport cards bearing his photograph, but with the personal identifying information of the victims. During the course of this fraud scheme, Hillwig travelled to financial institutions in South Carolina and throughout Florida, including in Bonifay, Niceville, and Winter Garden, where he would provide bank tellers with a victim’s social security number and the fraudulent U.S. passport card in order to make withdrawals from their bank accounts.
Hillwig faces up to thirty years’ imprisonment for the bank fraud counts, up to ten years’ imprisonment as to false use or forgery of a passport, and a mandatory two years’ imprisonment consecutive to any other prison sentence as to aggravated identity theft counts.
The case involved a joint investigation by U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and Holmes County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 2, 2026, at 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before United States District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
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.
MultiCare Health System to Pay Millions to Settle Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
Court Records Establish That MultiCare Endangered Patients and Fraudulently Billed Taxpayers for Medically Unnecessary Spinal Surgeries. MultiCare’s Settlement Follows Federal and State Settlements with Providence Health & Services and Dr. Jason A. Dreyer in Related Actions
Spokane, WA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington today announced that MultiCare Health System (MultiCare), a Tacoma-based hospital and healthcare system that owns and operates MultiCare Deaconess Hospital (Deaconess) and MultiCare Rockwood Clinic in Spokane, will pay $3,728,000 to resolve federal and state allegations that it knowingly endangered patient safety and falsely and fraudulently billed Medicare, Medicaid, and other federal health care programs for spinal surgery procedures performed at Deaconess between 2019 and 2021, by Dr. Jason Dreyer, formerly a licensed physician and MultiCare neurosurgeon.
This settlement with MultiCare comes after two years of successful federal litigation by the United States and the State of Washington,[1] and is part of six years of federal and state investigations, which resulted in a multi-million dollar settlement with Providence Health & Services (Dr. Dreyer’s previous employer) in 2022,[2] and a more than $1.1 million individual settlement with Dr. Dreyer in 2023, which resolved the allegations of the fraud committed while at MultiCare and a nine year exclusion of Dr. Dreyer from Medicare.[3]
In this settlement, MultiCare made factual admissions regarding its conduct, agreeing to pay a total of $3.728 million, $1.6 million of which is restitution, due to the egregious nature of MultiCare’s violations of federal and state law as shown by its own admissions and detailed court records. .[4] Based on MultiCare’s factual admissions and court records, the investigation and resulting litigation has shown that MultiCare hired, credentialed, and supervised Dr. Dreyer while MultiCare ignored and failed to take appropriate action on numerous red flags, warnings, and specific evidence of Dr. Dreyer’s fraud and endangerment of the public, all while increasing its own revenue with fraudulently obtained tax payer money.
Significantly, the court records reveal that, within months of Dr. Dreyer starting to operate on patients at MultiCare, two different physician assistants assigned at MultiCare to assist Dr. Dreyer in the operating room raised patient safety concerns directly to MultiCare management. The first physically walked out of the operating room while Dr. Dreyer was performing surgery, out of fear of patient harm, and immediately complained to MultiCare management. The second physician assistant also raised patient safety concerns to MultiCare management and resigned from MultiCare rather than continuing to work with Dr. Dreyer for fear of further patient endangerment. Court records show that MultiCare did not stop or curtail Dr. Dreyer’s surgeries based on the serious patient safety concerns of its own medical staff, or multiple other red flags. MultiCare instead allowed Dr. Dreyer to perform a high volume of medically unnecessary complex spinal surgeries. Despite knowledge of these concerns about Dr. Dreyer, MultiCare not only permitted Dr. Dreyer to continue performing surgeries, but further incentivized Dr. Dreyer to perform medically unnecessary surgeries quickly by tying his compensation directly to the number of surgeries he performed and their complexity. MultiCare continued to fraudulently bill various federal health care benefit programs for those surgeries.
Several months after two physician assistants reported concerns about Dr. Dreyer, the United States Attorney’s Office directly informed MultiCare that it was investigating concerns that Dr. Dreyer had harmed patients, falsified diagnoses, and performed medically unnecessary surgeries, while working at Providence. The United States Attorney’s Office even supplied documents and evidence to support its concerns. Dr. Dreyer was still permitted to perform surgeries at MultiCare, including the surgery that initiated the present case. Dr. Dreyer was permitted to perform surgeries as a neurosurgeon at MultiCare with little restriction until, over MultiCare’s objection, the Washington State Department of Health summarily restricted Dr. Dreyer from conducting spinal surgeries.
“As the voluminous court records of this case demonstrate, MultiCare had direct knowledge of the danger Dr. Dreyer posed to patients, including through reports made by its own medical staff, and later from explicit warnings from federal investigators,” said Pete Serrano, the First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington. “MultiCare nonetheless allowed Dr. Dreyer to operate on unsuspecting patients for nearly two years, generating thousands in additional revenue and putting profits before patient safety. Today, thanks to years of comprehensive investigation and litigation, MultiCare has been held accountable for its role in defrauding the taxpayers and endangering some of the most vulnerable members of our community.”
Court records show that MultiCare signed a prior settlement agreement in August of 2023 resolving these allegations, then backed out of the agreement, and then litigated the case for two years before resolving it with the settlement announced today. “Today’s settlement shows that no matter who you are, from an individual to a large corporation, if you commit fraud and choose to litigate with the United States rather than accept responsibility, you will be held accountable for your violations and you will pay more in the end,” said Serrano.
“The alleged violations by MultiCare show a wanton disregard for ethics and the medical principle to do no harm,” Washington Attorney General Nick Brown said. “This settlement is a win for patient safety and protecting public dollars to get people necessary healthcare.”
“Patients trust that the care that they receive from their health providers is medically necessary and in their best interest,” said Special Agent in Charge Robb R. Breeden of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “When providers perform medically unnecessary surgeries and bill federal health care programs including Medicare and Medicaid for them, they not only violate that trust but also exploit programs designed to protect vulnerable populations. HHS-OIG will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who put their own profits over patient safety.”
“Healthcare providers have a fundamental duty to protect the well-being of their patients, and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service will work tirelessly to ensure the health and safety of our service members and their families,” said John Helsing, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office. “This settlement concludes an intensive multi-year investigation and underscores our commitment to holding providers accountable for putting financial gain over patient safety.”
“We will continue to hold accountable those who prioritize profits at the expense of the health and safety of vulnerable patients,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General. “We applaud our law enforcement partners and colleagues at the Department of Justice for their dedicated work to protect the welfare of the millions of Americans who rely on our federal health care programs, including the FEHBP.”
“This settlement highlights our steadfast commitment to ensuring high-quality healthcare for veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG is grateful for the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in this case.”
“This is the culmination of a multi-year, multi-agency, collaborative effort to fight egregious health care fraud directly impacting patient safety in Eastern Washington. For years Dr. Dreyer, and both MultiCare and Providence, the hospitals that employed him and unleashed him on an unsuspecting public, endangered and harmed our friends and neighbors while lining their own pockets with taxpayer money,” said First Assistant Serrano. “We could not have held this individual accountable, nor the hospitals that knowingly profited from the fraud, without a dedicated multi-agency team. It is that team that has forced those responsible to pay tens of millions of dollars, stopped Dr. Dreyer from being able to continue harming patients, and that brought the truth of what happened out from the corporate shadows and into the light of day. I’m grateful for the close collaboration we have had with our partners at the Washington Medicaid Fraud Control Division, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Office of Personnel Management Office of Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General,” continued First Assistant Serrano.
This court case began in April 2022, when a former patient of Dr. Dreyer’s at MultiCare, Dr. Deannette Palmer, filed a qui tam complaint under seal in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington.[5] The joint investigation and litigation was conducted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, Seattle Field Office; the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Spokane Resident Office; the Office of Personnel Management, Office of Inspector General, Seattle Field Office; the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Seattle Field Office; and the State of Washington Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler H.L. Tornabene and Derek Taylor and health care fraud contractor Echo Fatsis of the Eastern District of Washington handled this matter for the United States. Assistant Attorney Generals Rachel Sterett and Adam McGerty of the Washington State Attorney General’s Office handled this matter for Washington.
Settlement Agreement
2:22-cv-00068-SAB
[1] On January 26, 2024, the United States and the State of Washington filed their Complaint-in-Intervention. United States and State of Washington File False Claims Act Complaint Against MultiCare for Knowingly Endangering Patients and Fraudulently Billing for Spinal Surgery Procedures, U.S. Dept. Just. (Jan. 26, 2024), https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/united-states-and-state-washington-file-false-claims-act-complaint-against-multicare
[2] Providence Health & Services Agrees to Pay $22.7 Million to Resolve Liability From Medically Unnecessary Neurosurgery Procedures at Providence St. Mary’s Medical Center, U.S. Dept. Just. (Apr. 12, 2022), https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/providence-health-services-agrees-pay-227-million-resolve-liability-medically
[3] Former Physician to Pay More than $1.1 Million to Resolve Allegations He Performed Medically Unnecessary Procedures, U.S. Dept. Just. (Apr. 24, 2023), https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwa/pr/former-physician-pay-more-11-million-resolve-allegations-he-performed-medically
[4] Due to the voluminous nature of the referenced court records below, this press release includes hyperlinks to the specific court records relied upon. The primary court records referred to are found at ECF No. 16, ECF No. 64, and ECF No. 71.
[5]When a whistleblower, or “relator,” files a qui tam complaint, the False Claims Act generally allows the relator to share in any recovery. In the settlement agreement announced today, the relator, Dr. Palmer, will receive 17% of the settlement amount, $633,760. Dr. Palmer was represented by the Gilbert Law Firm of Spokane. In addition to receiving a share of the settlement amount, relators are also entitled to have all of their attorney fees and costs in the action paid by the defendant in successful False Claims Act qui tam case like this one.
Mineral County Man Admits to Selling Fentanyl, MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Keyser, West Virginia man has admitted to working with others in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Mineral County, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Lucas Earl Shoemaker, 34, pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine hydrochloride. Shoemaker used his residence on Knobley Road in Keyser to operate the drug trafficking organization. Investigators received information that led them to obtain and execute a search warrant at the Knobley Road residence, where substantial quantities of fentanyl, high-purity methamphetamine, cocaine, firearms, ammunition, cash, and drug distribution materials were seized.
On September 24, 2024, law enforcement officers encountered Shoemaker following a 911 call reporting suspicious and dangerous behavior at a Mineral County business. Officers located Shoemaker and who was in possession of a loaded Springfield XD .45-caliber handgun concealed on his person, and a Smith & Wesson M&P 15-22 rifle located inside his vehicle. Shoemaker was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction for possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance. Officers also recovered fentanyl from the vehicle, along with syringes indicative of ongoing drug use and drug trafficking activity.
Shoemaker’s guilty plea reflects accountability for his role in distributing fentanyl and unlawfully possessing firearms—conduct that endangered the community and contributed to the ongoing fentanyl crisis impacting West Virginia and communities nationwide. Fentanyl—a substance President Donald J. Trump has publicly described as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality—poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts.
Shoemaker faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Trumble presided.
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison Time for Immigration OffenseRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Miguel Bermudez-Herrera, 48 years old, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to felony reentry of a removed alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Bermudez-Herrera was sentenced to 6 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. The supervised release term would go into effect should the Defendant unlawfully remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings.
According to documents in the case, Bermudez-Herrera was previously removed from the United States in 1997 and 2008. He has been detained since his arrest on October 10, 2025.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Valparaiso Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater.
Mexican National Sentenced to 78 Months in Prison for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Sebastian Martinez-Romero, 22, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Jan. 20, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Angela Martinez to 78 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Martinez-Romero previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine.
On April 30, 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, Martinez-Romero and others possessed approximately 40 kilograms of powder and pills containing fentanyl and more than 55 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to others later that day.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
This HSTF Tucson led investigation comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), the FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with the prosecution being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-2710-AMM-3
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-019_Martinez-RomeroMexican National Sentenced to 48 Months in Prison for Role in Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Aaron Leopoldo Aguirre-Gutierrez, 50, of Nogales, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Jan. 20, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Raner C. Collins to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Aguirre-Gutierrez previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine.
Between Feb. 24, 2024 to August 2024, in Tucson, Arizona, Aguirre-Gutierrez and others distributed approximately 19 kilograms of powder cocaine.
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
This HSTF Tucson led investigation comprises agents and officers from the FBI, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department with the prosecution being led by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Petermann of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-5214
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-020_Aguirre-Gutierrez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Mexican National Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Alien Smuggling and Assaulting a U.S. Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Efrain Pacheco-Ovalles, 30, of Culiacan, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on Jan. 29, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 21 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Pacheco-Ovalles pleaded guilty to assault of a federal officer and conspiracy to transport illegal aliens for the purpose of commercial advantage or private financial gain.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate assaults on federal agents nor the criminal networks that exploit our southern border,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “In Tucson and across Arizona, law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to stop these networks from smuggling people and drugs into our country. We will protect our agents, secure the border, and hold accountable those who profit from lawlessness.”
In January and February of 2025, the defendant was working as a scout for a transnational criminal organization (TCO). Scouts are trusted TCO members who are integral to successfully moving aliens and controlled substances without being interdicted by law enforcement. TCOs have long used remote areas of the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation to smuggle narcotics and aliens from Mexico into the United States. Scouts act as the “eyes and ears” of TCOs. Scouts position themselves on mountain tops in smuggling corridors so that they have views of roads and smuggling routes. They use binoculars to look for law enforcement, and radios and cellphones to communicate with other members of the conspiracy to ensure coconspirators and illegal aliens escape apprehension by law enforcement. The defendant in this case admitted he was expected to scout for three months and was going to be paid $40 per alien that successfully arrived in the Phoenix area.
On Feb. 4, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) agents conducted an operation to disrupt the scout site on Nine Mile Mountain in a remote area of the Tohono O’odham Indian Nation. When agents located the defendant trying to hide under a tree, he fled down the mountain. An agent pursued the defendant. The agent repeatedly identified himself as a USBP agent in English and Spanish. The air unit also maintained visual. The agent chased the defendant downhill for about 1.5 miles. The defendant was taking pictures and videos of the agents while he ran. Agents also saw the defendant throw his binoculars and backpack. When one agent got close enough to try to apprehend him, the defendant intentionally elbowed the agent in the face, resulting in a black eye.
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 U.S. Border Patrol, Tucson Sector, investigated the case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 4:25-CR-01353-AMM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-017_ Pacheco-Ovalles
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Mexican National Sentenced in Federal Cocaine Distribution CaseRead the Press Release
A citizen of Mexico who was living in Arvada, Colorado, was sentenced on Feb. 3 for the distribution of cocaine.
Francisco Javier Miranda-Rodriguez, 39, of Jalisco, Mexico, was sentenced to 16 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release. U.S District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence. The defendant will be deported upon completion of his sentence.
According to court documents, in March 2025, DEA agents received information that the defendant was looking for cocaine customers. Undercover agents conducted a controlled buy in Cheyenne on March 13, 2025, for two ounces and again on April 3, 2025, for approximately three ounces. A third buy for nine ounces was coordinated in Timnath, Colorado on May 6, 2025. At that time, agents asked about purchasing a kilo. The defendant said he could get it and would charge $1,000 per ounce. When attempting to coordinate the delivery of the kilo, communication between the undercover agent and the defendant ceased. Miranda-Rodriguez was arrested on June 18, 2025, after a traffic stop. The same day, agents conducted a search of his apartment and located 92 grams of cocaine. The defendant admitted he would make trips to Douglas and Casper to deliver drugs at least once a month and did so for five months.
“This sentence sends a clear message: drug trafficking will not be tolerated in our communities. This defendant came to the United States, distributed dangerous drugs across state lines, and fueled addiction and crime. Thanks to strong law enforcement work, he will serve time in federal prison and be removed from the country. We will continue to prioritize border security, aggressive drug enforcement, and the removal of criminal aliens who threaten public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith.”
DEA investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison prosecuted the case.
Case No. CR-25-00128
Methuen Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Drugs to Federal Prison in ConnecticutRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Methuen, Mass. man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to sending a package containing drugs to a federal prison.
Tuere Barnes, 43, pleaded guilty to one count of providing contraband in prison. U.S. District Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for May 11, 2026. Barnes was charged on Jan. 12, 2026.
On or about Jan. 23, 2023, Barnes caused a package containing 460 sublingual strips laced with narcotics to be shipped to an inmate at FCI Danbury – a federal correctional facility in Danbury, Conn. Lab testing showed a sample strip contained buprenorphine, a Schedule III substance. Under federal regulations, possession of narcotics is prohibited in federal correctional facilities. The defendant’s fingerprints were found on papers in the package.
The charge of providing contraband in prison provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Mulcahy and Lauren Maynard of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit are prosecuting the case.
Mescalero man charged with assaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man appeared in federal court after allegedly assaulting and strangling a victim.
According to court documents, on October 23, 2025, Lance Marion Cojo, 39, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted and strangled Jane Doe.
Cojo is charged with assault by strangling and/or suffocating and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for February 9, 2026. If convicted of the current charges, Cojo faces ten years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Dickens is prosecuting the case.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Menasha Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 29, 2026, Todd E. Grimm (age: 57) of Menasha, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach.
In April of 2025, in response to a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”), law enforcement sought and received a warrant to search Grimm’s residence and electronic devices. That search uncovered a flash drive containing over 12,500 images and videos of child sexual abuse material (“CSAM”) downloaded off the internet. The flash drive was in an envelope hidden behind a desk drawer. The flash drive also contained “stories” authored by Grimm depicting the drugging and sexual assault of young children.
At sentencing, Judge Griesbach noted the serious nature of the charge, the effect these crimes have on their victims, and the need for just punishment. Following his release from prison, Grimm will spend 15 years on supervised release. Grimm will also be required to register as a sex offender under state and federal law.
“Child pornography monetizes children being sexually abused and robbed of their innocence,” said U.S. Attorney Brad Schimel. “The worldwide multi-billion-dollar child pornography industry is directly supported by people like this defendant who perpetuate sexual violence against children every time they seek out, view or share these materials. Justice for those children demands that we lock up these predators.”This case was investigated by the City of Menasha Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ 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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Memphis Woman Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Defrauding Department of Veterans Affairs of over $2.9 MillionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Quannah Fields Harris, 53, of Memphis, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison for defrauding the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) out of over $2,900,000. Harris was convicted after a jury trial in October 2025. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
On February 2, 2026, United States District Judge John T. Fowlkes, Jr. sentenced Harris to 96 months in prison and ordered her to pay $2,905,853.09 in restitution to the VA for conspiring to defraud the United States and committing wire fraud.
According to the facts presented at trial and sentencing, Harris was the owner of Last Minute Cuts School of Barbering and Cosmetology, a barbering and cosmetology school located at 2195 South Third Street in Memphis, from 2014 to 2019. During this period, Harris engaged in a scheme that defrauded the GI Bill, a federal program administered by the VA designed to help veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces learn vocational skills.
Harris billed the VA for dozens of veterans she enrolled as students at Last Minute Cuts who attended few classes, if any, received no instruction, took no tests or exams, and never obtained a state barbering or cosmetology license. Her school was, in reality, a sham. Many of the veterans Harris enrolled at Last Minute Cuts never set foot in the school again after the day Harris enrolled them; yet, Harris billed the VA for years thereafter for their purported attendance.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces deserve our honor and respect, and this office will always protect them. Victimizing the VA harms veterans and deserves significant punishment. Harris will now spend every “last minute” of her lengthy sentence in federal prison for her crimes against our nation’s best.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
"This sentence demonstrates that the VA OIG and our law enforcement partners will aggressively pursue those who defraud VA," said Special Agent in Charge Nate Landkammer of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General's Mid-Atlantic Field Office. "We remain steadfast in safeguarding the integrity of VA's Post-9/11 GI Bill. The VA OIG’s mission includes vigorously investigating fraud and ensuring that individuals who abuse these crucial benefit programs are brought to justice."
“The defendant schemed to defraud the government, got caught, and is now being held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents will continue collaborative investigative efforts alongside our law enforcement partners to follow the money and find those attempting to defraud the federal government.”
This case was investigated by the VA-Office of Inspector General (OIG) and IRS-Criminal Investigations with assistance from the Veterans Benefits Administration-Education Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Arvin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
McLean executive convicted at trial for $1.5M precious metals Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted the owner and operator of an Alexandria-based precious metals investment firm yesterday on charges of wire fraud and violating the Travel Act relating to a precious metals Ponzi scheme.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, beginning in November 2021, Warith Deen Muhammad, 39, of McLean, falsely told more than a dozen investors that if they invested with him and his business, Niagara Gold and Silver LLC, he would use their money to buy, trade, and sell precious metals. Muhammad guaranteed profits of five to ten percent and told investors that they would receive their principal plus interest back, typically within 30 days.
To mask the fraud, Muhammad used new investors funds to pay prior investors, leading investors to believe that their investment had been “successful,” inducing them to invest more money and to recruit others to invest. In total, from November 2021 through June 2023, Muhammad used fraudulent representations to induce more than 12 investors to send him over $1.5 million.
In addition to spending investor money to pay prior investors, Muhammad also used investor funds to finance his lavish lifestyle. He leased high-end sports cars, including a Ferrari FF, Bentley, and Dodge Challenger Demon. He paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent luxury properties, and he spent tens of thousands of dollars at retailers, including Neiman Marcus, Tiffany’s, and Chanel, among others.
Muhammad faces up to 20 years in prison for count of wire fraud and up to 10 years in prison for Travel Act violation when sentenced on May 6. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack Morgan and Zoe Bedell are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-284.
Maximum Sentence for Neo-Nazi Guilty of Hate CrimeRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A North Carolina man was sentenced to the statutory maximum of five years in prison for sending antisemitic threats to Georgia's only Jewish State House Representative and the Rabbi of Temple Beth Israel in Macon after both women publicly backed the passage of Georgia House Bill 30, the state's first legislation defining antisemitism.
Ariel E. Collazo Ramos, 32, of High Point, North Carolina, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Feb. 4, after he was found guilty of one count of mailing threatening communications with the addition of a hate crime enhancement on Nov. 4, 2025, following a two-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Let me be clear: individuals like this defendant will face federal prosecution for criminal acts driven by hatred,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This case underscores that crimes rooted in antisemitism and any hate crime against race, religion, or protected groups, will be prioritized. Law enforcement stands with the Macon community to unite against hatred, and we will use the justice system to hold offenders accountable."
"Hate has no place in our society," said FBI Atlanta Supervisory Senior Resident Agent (SSRA) Robert Gibbs of the Macon Resident Agency. "Today's sentencing of neo-Nazi Ariel Ramos reinforces the FBI's unwavering commitment to protecting civil rights and sends a clear message that threats based on faith or identity will not be tolerated. "
According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, a neo-Nazi group gathered outside of Temple Beth Israel in Macon in 2023 as the congregation was inside observing the start of Sabbath. In January 2024, Rabbi Elizabeth Bahar of Temple Beth Israel testified before the Georgia Senate Judiciary Committee in support of Georgia House Bill 30, a bill defining antisemitism. The bill was co-sponsored by State Representative Esther Panitch, the only Jewish member of the Georgia House of Representatives. The bill was signed into law on Jan. 31, 2024. Rep. Panitch received an antisemitic postcard from Ramos at her home the morning of the bill signing; Rabbi Bahar received an antisemitic postcard from Ramos at her home the following day, on Feb. 1, 2024.
At the time, Ramos sold candles, postcards and other products depicting racial, antisemitic and white nationalist themes out of his home. Ramos mailed a threatening postcard to Rabbi Bahar’s home address from North Carolina. The postcard contained the handwritten statement, "Is there a child rape, torture, and murder tunnel under your house? We have the Zyklon B. Use Code ‘GASTHEJEWS’ for 10% off!" The reverse side of the postcard displayed a hand-drawn image depicting a purported Jewish male wearing a rat costume and the words “JEWS ARE RATS.” Rep. Panitch received an identical postcard to her home address. Both Rabbi Bahar and Rep. Panitch testified at trial the steps they took for their own safety in response to receiving the threatening postcards. Rabbi Bahar and Rep. Panitch had family members murdered by Nazis using Zyklon B during the Holocaust.
The case was investigated by FBI.
U.S. Attorney Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government with assistance from the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Maui Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Making a False Statement for Using a False Merchant Marine CredentialRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Jeffrey Worthen, 61, of Lahaina, Maui, pled guilty today in federal court to wire fraud and making a false statement to the U.S. Coast Guard. Sentencing is set for June 15, 2026.
According to court records, beginning as early as 2012, Worthen began to falsely represent to employers that he held a valid Merchant Mariner Credential (“MMC”), issued by the United States Coast Guard, in order to work on commercial vessels. In 2021, Worthen provided the false MMC to his employer, for whom he worked operating a small passenger vessel to transport individuals to snorkeling excursions near Lanai, Hawaii.
On June 14, 2022, while on a snorkeling expedition, Worthen operated a passenger vessel that struck a rock, ejecting five passengers overboard and injuring multiple passengers. When later questioned by the Coast Guard about the incident, Worthen falsely stated that he had a valid MMC.
Worthen faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a period of supervised release of up to three years for wire fraud, and a maximum term of imprisonment of 5 years, a fine of up to $250,000, and a period of supervised release of up to three years for making a false statement.
The Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese is prosecuting the case.
Massachusetts Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in the New Hampshire SeacoastRead the Press Release
Massachusetts Resident Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in the New Hampshire Seacoast
CONCORD – A man with ties to a Dominican drug trafficking organization, who previously lived in Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in federal court for drug trafficking in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Jose Luis Guerrero Nunez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. According to court documents and statements made in court, Guerrero Nunez served as a leader in a Methuen-based drug trafficking organization that was distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the New Hampshire seacoast area. In late 2023 and early 2024, he organized controlled purchases of fentanyl and methamphetamine with undercover law enforcement officers. He also was recorded by undercover officers arranging for larger distributions in the future. Charges are still pending against one of Guerrero Nunez’s co-conspirators, Juan Carlos De Los Santos Romero. Three co-conspirators, Carlos Alejandro Chevalier Santos, Eddy Mendez Carmona, and Luis Guerrero Cabral, have previously pleaded guilty and have been sentenced by the Court.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Seabrook Police Department, Hampton Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, Methuen Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Vicinanzo is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Manchester Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Trafficking and Firearm Charges
CONCORD – Craig Pearson, 42, of Manchester, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
According to the plea agreement, in late June and early July 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration seized a total of more than 600 grams of methamphetamine during two separate controlled purchase operations involving Pearson. As a result, on July 7, 2022, DEA arrested Pearson, searched a hotel room he rented, and seized an additional 400 grams of methamphetamine, 200 grams of fentanyl, and a .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle.
The charging statute for the drug trafficking offense provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. The charging statute for the firearm violation provides for a sentence of not less than 5 years and up to life in federal prison, consecutive to any prison term imposed on the drug trafficking offense, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Samanta D. Elliott scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2026.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cesar A. Vega is prosecuting the case.
This effort 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).
Man Who Fired Shots on Columbia Street Sentenced to Federal Prison for Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Brandon Chanell Joyner, 29, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm during a 2023 shooting on Greystone Boulevard in Columbia.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that on July 18, 2023, law enforcement responded to the corner of Greystone Boulevard and Stoneridge Drive regarding witnesses seeing a man shooting a gun into the air. Joyner saw a police car nearby and fired three shots, which hit the vehicle. Additional units responded and pursued Joyner. He then abruptly turned and fired several shots at the group of police cars. Joyner retreated to his hotel room where he reloaded his firearm and began shooting again. Law enforcement eventually returned fire and struck the defendant in the back. The defendant again retreated to his hotel room, changed clothes, and then exited the room. He made contact with police and told them he was an innocent bystander. Officers determined he was the shooter and immediately placed him under arrest. Law enforcement recovered a 9mm pistol from the parking lot of the hotel where Joyner was staying. Joyner’s DNA was found on the gun. Testing showed the casings recovered at the scene matched casings from the firearm recovered from the hotel.
Joyner has previous felony convictions that prevent him from lawfully possessing a firearm.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr sentenced Joyner to 180 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
Joyner was sentenced to 25 years in state prison after pleading guilty to 10 counts of attempted murder. These sentences will run concurrently.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Columbia Police Department and the Richland County Sheriff's Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney E. Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case.
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Level 2 Sex Offender Sentenced to Prison for Unregistered Email AccountRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Caton, 38, a registered sex offender of Albany, New York, was sentenced yesterday to a total of 18 to 24 months in prison following his plea of guilty for failure to register an email address he used to access pornography with the New York State Sex Offender Registry and admission to violating his federal supervised release in doing so. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Acting U.S. Marshal Christopher Amoia made the announcement.
According to Caton’s admissions and statements made in court, Caton was convicted of receipt of child pornography in 2019 and sentenced to 88 months of incarceration, followed by 15 years of post-release supervision. Caton has been registered as a Level 2 sex offender with New York State ever since. Caton violated his supervised release conditions almost immediately following his release from prison by possessing an unauthorized internet-capable device he used to view and possess pornography and was sentenced to 9 months of incarceration. Just three months after his release from that sentence, Caton created an email account, which he used to access pornography, and failed to register the email account with the New York State Sex Offender Registry.
In this case, Caton previously pled guilty to failure to register the email address with the New York State Sex Offender Registry and admitted to violating the terms of his second term of supervised release in doing so. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Caton to a term of imprisonment of 12 to 18 months on his guilty plea, followed by a term of imprisonment of 6 months on the violation of supervised release, for a total sentence of 18 to 24 months in prison. Caton was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and remains obligated to register as a sex offender.
Acting U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated: “Here in the Northern District of New York, we prosecute every sex offender who fails to comply with their registration requirements to the fullest extent of the law. The Marshals’ excellent work combined with my Office’s dedication to holding this sex offender accountable ensured Kyle Caton is right back where he belongs: in prison.”
“The successful prosecution of habitual offender Kyle Caton reinforces the United States Marshals Service’s unwavering commitment to locating and apprehending non-compliant sex offenders. Failure to register is not a technical violation, but a serious crime that places communities at risk,” stated Acting U.S. Marshal Christopher Amoia. “SORNA requires convicted sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction where they reside. Failure to comply with these requirements is a federal offense and undermines efforts to protect the public and monitor known offenders.”
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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