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Wednesday 4 February 2026
Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to More Than 33 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Omar Pitter (45, San Diego) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge William F. Jung to 33 years and 4 months in federal prison for his role in shipping over 65 kilograms of methamphetamine to the Middle District of Florida and conspiring to launder the proceeds of his methamphetamine distribution. A federal jury found Pitter guilty after a four-day trial in September 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, in February 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Colin Zirpoli for suspected methamphetamine distribution. The investigation into Zirpoli led to Zirpoli’s supplier, Elizabeth Poff, and later to her supplier, Tony Marsh. Investigation into Tony Marsh led to the identification of his source of supply, Hopeton Goslin. Search warrants executed at Goslin’s home and storage unit led to the recovery of more than 45 kilograms of methamphetamine. Goslin, Marsh, Poff, and Zirpoli have all pleaded guilty to their roles in the conspiracy and have all been sentenced.
Further investigation led to the identification of Goslin’s source of supply in San Diego. Agents identified Omar Pitter as Goslin’s source of supply, and the investigation revealed that Pitter had been commercially shipping Goslin cocaine and methamphetamine since 2023. Investigators testified at trial that the estimated combined weights of the shipments were 34 kilograms of cocaine and 697 pounds of methamphetamine.
DEA agents traveled to California to arrest Pitter and search two addresses he was associated with. At that time, they also learned of an additional co-conspirator, Pitter’s friend Ciara Guss. Text messages in Pitter’s and Guss’s phones showed that Pitter and Guss had been shipping packages, similar in size and weight to ones sent to Goslin, all over the country since 2021. Guss brokered the deals and received payments for the shipments. Guss was also found guilty at trial of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and has been sentenced to 18 years in federal prison.
During a search of Pitter’s residence, agents located numerous money orders that were either blank or made out to a fictitious person. Agents also seized over $400,000 in appraised jewelry.
The photos below depict several items of jewelry located in Pitter and Fulton’s apartment.
DEA then began investigating Pitter’s girlfriend, Keona Fulton, as well as Pitter, for money laundering. DEA’s financial investigation revealed that Fulton had four bank accounts, including a business bank account, which she used to layer and co-mingle Pitter’s narcotics proceeds. The investigation showed that Fulton and Pitter used some of the money to obtain high-end vehicles, clothing, and jewelry. Fulton was also convicted at trial of conspiracy to commit money laundering and is pending sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
Large-scale Bessemer Drug Trafficking Ring IndictedRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two related indictments charging 19 defendants in a drug trafficking conspiracy based in Jefferson County have been unsealed, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
The following individuals were charged in the first indictment: Hakim Rashad James, also known as “Hop,” 48, of Birmingham, Ranisha Alliya Tolbert, also known as “Nisha,” 26, of Bessemer, Kelvin Dean Lewis, 48, of Bessemer, Walter Jamal Tate, 47, of Birmingham, James Edward Williams, Jr., also known as “Junior,” 42, of Bessemer, Dornita Corine Roberson, 33, of Brighton, Carveyon Tiean Jargee Glover, also known as “Black,” 27, of Bessemer, Sammy Anthony Bryant, Jr., also known as “Pooh,” 43, of Bessemer, Leniqua Tamarshay Wood, 31, of Midfield, Patra Shaneal Floyd, 29, of Birmingham, and Stayci Aieyanna Long, 22, of Brighton.
These individuals were charged in the second indictment: Antonious Somuntez Sanders, also known as “Ant,” 45, of Bessemer, Zestra Cartasha Williams, also known as “Star,” 46, of Bessemer, Anthony Martez Harris, 39, of Birmingham, Luis Antonio Spano, 48, of Warrior, Geoffrey Lawson, 59, of Bessemer, Annenah Majeed, 48, of Bessemer, Tom Devonte Woods, 31, of Columbiana, and an unnamed defendant also known as “Roy,” 70, of Bessemer.
All 19 defendants were charged with conspiracy with the intent to distribute and distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl between February 2025 and December 2025. The indictments also charge 15 of the defendants with at least one count of using a telephone to facilitate a drug-trafficking crime.
The FBI and DEA, along with local law enforcement agencies, have seized over 30 pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl as part of this joint investigation. The indictments include special grand jury findings regarding the amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl attributable to various defendants as part of the drug-trafficking conspiracies:
- Sanders, Williams, and Majeed are charged with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
- Sanders is also charged with conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
- James is charged with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
- Harris, Spano, Lawson, and “Roy” are charged with conspiracy to distribute a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
- Woods is charged with conspiracy to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Tolbert, Tate, Williams, Jr., Roberson, Lewis, and Long are charged with conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
- Glover, Wood, and Floyd are charged with conspiracy to distribute a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
- Bryant, Jr. is charged with conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and a substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
The DEA and FBI investigated the cases along with the Bessemer Police Department, West Alabama Narcotics Task Force, Fairfield Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Vestavia Police Department, Hoover Police Department, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, Irondale Police Department and the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany T. Byrd and Carson R. Gilbert are prosecuting the cases.
This operation 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. The Alabama HSTF comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Internal Revenue Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Lakeland Tax Preparer Sentenced to 57 Months in Federal Prison and Ordered to Pay the Internal Revenue Service Nearly $13 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Mary S. Scriven has sentenced Jeffrey Dixon to four years and nine months in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aiding and assisting in the filing of false and fraudulent tax returns. Dixon pleaded guilty on August 5, 2025. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $1,093,552.50, the proceeds of the criminal conduct, and to pay restitution in the amount of $12,964,382.00 to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, beginning in January 2019, and continuing through July 2023, Dixon engaged in a scheme to defraud the IRS. Dixon prepared or assisted in the preparation of 458 false and fraudulent tax returns for 319 taxpayers, including himself, for tax years 2018 through 2022. The tax returns contained falsified Schedules A and 1, as well as fraudulent Forms W-2G. The returns contained fabricated figures for gambling winnings and losses, and federal tax withholding amounts (based on the fake gambling winnings). The false tax returns requested substantial refunds from the IRS that the taxpayers were not legally entitled to receive.
“Tax fraud isn’t a shortcut—it’s a fast track to prison,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “IRS Special Agents work tirelessly to protect the integrity of the tax system and ensure that those who steal from the American public face justice. IRS Special Agents will continue to pursue anyone who thinks they can game the system.”
The total intended tax loss from the tax returns Dixon prepared was $42,359,399. The actual loss totaled $12,964,382, which the IRS paid out to taxpayers, including Dixon, either as tax refunds or credits applied to prior debts. Dixon personally profited $1,093,552.50 in the form of payments from his taxpayer-clients or refunds he received directly from the IRS.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Roberts and Jennifer Peresie. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne C. Nebesky.
Lake Oswego Resident Sentenced to Federal Prison and Forfeits over $500,000 for Cocaine Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Lake Oswego, Oregon, man was sentenced to federal prison today for trafficking cocaine and laundering the proceeds through a business bank account to buy cryptocurrency.
Michael Wayne Frost, 47, was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison and five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to forfeit over half a million dollars’ worth of assets involved in his money laundering offense, including cryptocurrency and cash.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers engaged in multiple controlled purchases of cocaine from Frost. On July 2, 2024, a federal search warrant was served on Frost’s residence in Lake Oswego. Agents seized a kilogram of cocaine and about $20,000 in cash from the residence. Agents later applied for additional warrants and seized more than $509,000 in cash and cryptocurrency tied to the cocaine sales. Frost deposited some of the cash into a business bank account he controlled and then transferred funds to Robinhood, a platform he used to invest in cryptocurrency, in an effort to launder the drug proceeds.
On August 21, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a seven-count indictment charging Frost with distributing cocaine and money laundering.
On September 24, 2025, Frost pleaded guilty to count one of the Indictment charging possession with intent to distribute cocaine and counts two and three of the Indictment charging money laundering.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office, the Gresham Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office. It was prosecuted by Kemp Strickland and Christopher Cardani, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.
KC Man Sentenced to 32 Years for Murder-for-Hire ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire, felon in possession of a firearm, and violation of a previous term of federal supervised release.
Thomas D. Clegg, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 30 years in federal prison without parole for participating in a conspiracy to commit murder for hire and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Clegg was also sentenced to 2 years in federal prison for a violation of his supervised release on a felon in possession of a firearm case from 2012. He committed the conspiracy and weapons offenses while on that term of supervision. All sentences imposed were ordered to run consecutively for a total of 32 years.
Clegg and others conspired from Aug. 19, 2021, to June 13, 2022, to murder a victim identified as “J.C.” and his family members for payment in cash and marijuana.
The conspiracy included two occasions when Clegg shot J.C. On Aug. 19, 2021, Clegg shot J.C. in the leg and back in the parking lot of Ugly Joe’s bar in Kansas City, Mo. On May 25, 2022, Clegg shot J.C. multiple times in the parking lot of a strip mall located at 4010 Sterling Ave., Kansas City, Mo. The businesses in and near the strip mall included an accounting firm, daycare, and fitness center. One witness had two children in her vehicle and was picking up her third child from the daycare when her vehicle was struck by gunfire. Her driver’s side window was shot out, but no one in her vehicle was injured.
Investigators seized Clegg’s cellphones when he was arrested. Investigators obtained search warrants for Clegg’s cellphones and discovered several text messages between Clegg and co-conspirators demonstrating that Clegg was hired to murder J.C. The messages also showed a persistent pattern of Clegg and others tracking members of J.C.’s family in attempts to locate and murder them.
In May 2025, Clegg pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Clegg was found guilty of the conspiracy to commit murder for hire at the conclusion of a five-day jury trial.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashleigh A. Ragner and Heather Siegele. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department, the Independence, Mo. Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Justice Department Opens Investigation into Baltimore City Health Department for Racially Segregated TrainingRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched an investigation into the Baltimore City, Maryland, Health Department (BCHD) to determine whether it engages in employment practices that discriminate against, or limit, segregate, or classify, employees because of their race, color, and national origin in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended.
“Separating employees into training groups based on their race is discriminatory, illegal, and un-American. Such practices are divisive and foster a racially hostile work environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racial segregation of employees is deeply offensive to the American guarantee of equal rights under the law, and it will not be tolerated.”
Public reporting indicates that BCHD segregates its employees into groups based on race, color, and national origin for “racial equity training.” These groups include the “white caucus” and the “people of color caucus.” BCHD describes the “white caucus” as a “group of white people who meet for the purpose of building analysis, awareness, stamina, and strategy to challenge systemic racism and internalized white supremacy.” BCHD further states that “[w]hite affinity groups allow us to examine our racial conditioning without relying on people of color for answers or subjecting them to our process.”
The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigation. You can read the notice letter here.
Justice Department Files Statement of Interest in Pipeline Case in WisconsinRead the Press Release
Note: View statement of interest here.
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and Civil Division yesterday filed a statement of interest in a case in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Wisconsin involving the potential shut down of the Line 5 pipeline operated by Enbridge.
The statement of interest supports staying the district court’s injunction that requires Enbridge to cease operating its Line 5 pipeline in the Bad River Reservation by June 16, 2026. The case has been pending appeal since December 2023 in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
“If the Line 5 pipeline is shut down in June, America’s energy supply chain would be disrupted and Americans would see increased costs,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of ENRD. “The Seventh Circuit is considering the case, and the district court should not impose drastic actions in this matter while the case is on appeal.”
President Donald J. Trump declared a national energy emergency which underscores the need for an affordable and reliable supply of energy for America’s prosperity and security. A shutdown of Line 5 would damage the United States’ interest because there are no ready alternatives to transport energy products currently flowing through Line 5, as the Justice Department further explained in a statement of interest filed last year in a case between Enbridge and Michigan.
Chief of Staff and Senior General Counsel John Adams of ENRD filed the statement alongside attorneys within ENRD’s Law and Policy Section and the Civil Division’s Federal Programs Branch.
SOI Enbridge Line 5 WI.pdfJury finds Crow Agency man guilty of sexual abuse on the Crow Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Crow Agency man who sexually abused a minor on the Crow Indian Reservation was found guilty by a federal jury today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a three-day trial, Jared Cordell Stewart, 54, was found guilty of one count of abusive sexual contact of a child. Stewart faces up to life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 4, 2026. Stewart was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in July of 2020 Jane Doe disclosed Stewart had been sexually abusing her. However, during a visit from law enforcement Doe denied the abuse.
About one year later, in October 2021, the police spoke with Jane Doe again. This time she said Stewart had sexually abused her many times, beginning when she was seven or eight years old. Law enforcement interviewed everyone who lived in the home, and many reported seeing Stewart go into Jane Doe’s room at night and after she showered. Some of the other people who lived in the home reported seeing Stewart treat Jane Doe differently and saw inappropriate photos of her on his cell phone. One child reported that while he was visiting the home he witnessed Stewart touch Jane Doe’s legs while she was in bed. Another minor, Jane Doe 2, reported Stewart made inappropriate comments about her and approached her while she was alone and asleep in her room on one occasion. Jane Doe 2 said she refused Stewart’s advances, and she believes he thereafter targeted Jane Doe.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelsey Hendricks and Tom Godfrey prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI.
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Jamaican National Sentenced to Prison for Engaging in Fraud Scheme Targeting the ElderlyRead the Press Release
Tucson, Ariz. – Deeno Roberto Jackson, 27, of Jamaica, was sentenced on Jan. 28, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Rosemary Marquez to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Jackson previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud.
“American seniors should be respected, not taken advantage of,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Scammers use fake sweepstakes, health care, tech support, and government imposter schemes to steal seniors’ hard-earned savings. In this case, an Arizona victim lost more than $480,000. My office, alongside our local, state, and federal partners, will continue to pursue justice for victims of fraud.”
“Most people work hard for their well-earned money; Mr. Jackson did not. He preyed on the trust and good faith of our elderly population for personal gain,” said FBI Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Heith Janke. “Any and all reporting of elder fraud is significant, and we are grateful to the victims in this case who came forward. Consistent reporting helps us identify patterns, stop offenders, and protect others who are being scammed. If you believe you have been a victim of fraud, please report it.”
Jackson took part in a conspiracy to defraud elderly victims in what is commonly referred to as a lottery or sweepstakes fraud scheme. Through materially false representations, the co-conspirators created the false impression that the victims won a prize. The co-conspirators communicated that to obtain these winnings, the victims were required to pay fees or taxes. However, in real lotteries, fees and taxes are paid by the winner after receiving the proceeds. In furtherance of the fraud scheme, the co-schemers falsely represented that they were acting as representatives of the federal government. Victims were directed to purchase gift cards, and to deposit funds into bank accounts controlled by Jackson and others. One Arizona victim lost over $480,000 from the scheme. Jackson was also ordered to pay restitution to various victims totaling $74,530.
The FBI, Tucson office, conducted the investigation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 4:25-cr-02403-RM-LCK
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-016_Jackson
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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.
Jamaican National Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DWAYNE CLAUD SINGH, 39, a citizen of Jamaica last residing in New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 22 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2014, Singh was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court of drug, weapon, and forgery offenses and was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. He was deported to Jamaica in January 2018. Singh illegally reentered the U.S. and obtained a California driver’s license in the name of “Kevin Anthony Smith.” He began using that false identity and the fake license to obtain employment and to register and obtain insurance on two vehicles in Connecticut.
Singh has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on July 23, 2025. At the time of his arrest, he also had an active state arrest warrant for breach of peace and threatening offenses, which was issued in March 2023. On October 4, 2025, Singh pleaded guilty in federal court to unlawful reentry.
This matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
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.
Insect Shield LLC and Co-Founder’s Estate Agree to Pay $1.4M to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
Insect Shield LLC, located in North Carolina, and the Estate of Richard Lane, a co-founder and co-owner of Insect Shield, have agreed to pay a combined $1.4 million to resolve allegations that Insect Shield and Lane caused the submission of false claims to the Department of Defense (DoD) under contracts to provide Army Combat Uniforms. Lane served as the president and chief operating officer of Insect Shield until his death in December 2022.
The United States filed its complaint-in-intervention in December 2023 alleging that Insect Shield, a subcontractor to multiple defense contractors who manufacture Army uniforms, violated the False Claims Act by falsifying test results regarding the application of permethrin, an insect repellant, to Army uniforms. The United States alleged that between 2015 and 2021 Insect Shield and Lane failed to follow the permethrin testing requirements by inappropriately combining results from different rounds of testing, re-labeling test samples to hide the true origin of the samples, performing re-tests of uniforms in excess of what the contract permitted, and concealing failing test results.
“Government contractors and subcontractors must comply with contractual commitments and share truthful information with the government,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will aggressively pursue those who defraud the American taxpayers by failing to properly perform required testing on goods supplied to our soldiers.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), is fully committed to safeguarding the integrity of the DoD procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Manipulating and failing to perform contractually required testing is not only fraudulent, but compromises military readiness. DCIS will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate and hold accountable those who submit false claims.”
“Our Soldiers rely on government contractors to provide equipment that they can depend on while serving their country,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith Kelly, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Fraud Field Office. “The result of this investigation shows that our Army CID and our partner law enforcement agencies are relentless in their pursuit of anyone who may attempt to defraud the U.S. Government by falsely reporting compliance with contractually obligated requirements for equipment used by our Soldiers
The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the United States when a defendant has submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for government funds and receive a portion of any recovery. Ms. Downs will receive $315,000 as her share of the settlement. The qui tam case, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, is captioned U.S. ex rel. Downs v. Insect Shield, LLC et al., No. 1:19-cv-1026 (M.D.N.C.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina with assistance from the DoD Office of Inspector General, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Defense Contract Management Agency, and Defense Contract Audit Agency.
The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Jonathan Hoerner, Jikky Thankachan, and Jeffrey McSorley and Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Middle District of North Carolina.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: Read the Insect Shield Agreement here; and the Estate of Richard Lane Agreement here.
Insect Shield LLC and Co-Founder’s Estate Agree to Pay $1.4M to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Insect Shield LLC, located in North Carolina, and the Estate of Richard Lane, a co-founder and co-owner of Insect Shield, have agreed to pay a combined $1.4 million to resolve allegations that Insect Shield and Lane caused the submission of false claims to the Department of Defense (DoD) under contracts to provide Army Combat Uniforms. Lane served as the president and chief operating officer of Insect Shield until his death in December 2022.
The United States filed its complaint-in-intervention in December 2023 alleging that Insect Shield, a subcontractor to multiple defense contractors who manufacture Army uniforms, violated the False Claims Act by falsifying test results regarding the application of permethrin, an insect repellant, to Army uniforms. The United States alleged that between 2015 and 2021 Insect Shield and Lane failed to follow the permethrin testing requirements by inappropriately combining results from different rounds of testing, re-labeling test samples to hide the true origin of the samples, performing re-tests of uniforms in excess of what the contract permitted, and concealing failing test results.
“Government contractors and subcontractors must comply with contractual commitments and share truthful information with the government,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will aggressively pursue those who defraud the American taxpayers by failing to properly perform required testing on goods supplied to our soldiers.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), is fully committed to safeguarding the integrity of the DoD procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of DCIS Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “Manipulating and failing to perform contractually required testing is not only fraudulent, but compromises military readiness. DCIS will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and the Department of Justice to investigate and hold accountable those who submit false claims.”
“Our Soldiers rely on government contractors to provide equipment that they can depend on while serving their country,” said Special Agent in Charge Keith Kelly, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Fraud Field Office. “The result of this investigation shows that our Army CID and our partner law enforcement agencies are relentless in their pursuit of anyone who may attempt to defraud the U.S. Government by falsely reporting compliance with contractually obligated requirements for equipment used by our Soldiers
The civil settlement resolves a lawsuit brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the United States when a defendant has submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for government funds and receive a portion of any recovery. Ms. Downs will receive $315,000 as her share of the settlement. The qui tam case, which was filed in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina, is captioned U.S. ex rel. Downs v. Insect Shield LLC et al., No. 1:19-cv-1026 (M.D.N.C.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina with assistance from the DoD Office of Inspector General, Army Criminal Investigation Division, Defense Contract Management Agency, and Defense Contract Audit Agency.
The matter was handled by Fraud Section Attorneys Jonathan Hoerner, Jikky Thankachan, and Jeffrey McSorley and Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the Middle District of North Carolina.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Note: Read the Insect Shield Agreement here; and the Estate of Richard Lane Agreement here.
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Independence Man Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who distributed child pornography was sentenced on February 3, 3026, to more than 12 years in federal prison.
Curtis Lellig, age 42, of Independence, Iowa, received the sentence after an August 25, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of child pornography. At the plea hearing, Lellig admitted that, between December 2022 and January 2024, he knowingly distributed child pornography.
Lellig was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lellig was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $66,000 in restitution to 20 victims depicted in the child pornography he possessed. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Independence Police Department, and the Iowa State Patrol.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 25-2020.
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Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Oscar Armando Banegas Mendoza, a/k/a Oscar Armando Banegas-Bendoza, Oscar Armando Banegas Mendoza, Oscar Armando Banegas-Mendoza, Oscar Banegas-Bendoza, Oscar Banegas Mendoza, Oscar Armando Banegas, Oscar Armando, Oscar Banegas-Mendoza, Oscar Banegas, Oscar Mendoza, Oscar Armando Banegas Bendoza, originally complained as Oscar Armando Banegas Bendoza, age 41, a Honduran national unlawfully present in Sallisaw, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien, punishable by a term of imprisonment of not more than ten years, and a fine of not more than $250,000.00.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
The Indictment alleged that on December 16, 2025, Banegas Mendoza, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on November 27, 2010.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Banegas Mendoza will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.
Illegal Alien Charged with Assaulting Immigration OfficerRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Jose Emilio Ba-Ruiz was arrested and appeared in federal court today after he was charged with assaulting an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officer, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A complaint filed in U.S. District Court alleges that Jose Emilio Ba-Ruiz, 51, a citizen of Mexico, committed the assault on February 2, 2026, while ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Customs Border Protection (CBP) conducted surveillance on a residence in Alabaster, Alabama. After officers saw a vehicle leave the residence that was registered to a foreign national without lawful status in the United States, CBP initiated a traffic stop. A Deportation Officer with ICE/ERO assisted with the traffic stop and approached the vehicle’s front passenger window. The passenger identified himself as Ba-Ruiz and was asked to exit the vehicle. After he exited, the Officer removed a knife from his pants pocket and told Ba-Ruiz that he was under arrest. When the Officer attempted to place Ba-Ruiz in handcuffs, he resisted and began to struggle with the Officer. He then pushed the Officer’s hands away, causing the Officer to fall to the ground and hit her head. Ba-Ruiz fled the scene on foot into the woods and used a stranger’s phone to call someone to pick him up. A short time later, United States Marshals Service deputies observed a male get into a Honda Accord near where the traffic stop had occurred. Officers stopped the Honda and discovered Ba-Ruiz lying in the back seat of the vehicle. Ba-Ruiz was taken into ICE custody and transported to the ICE Birmingham Office.
The Deportation Officer was transferred to the hospital to receive treatment for injuries the Officer suffered during the struggle with Ba-Ruiz.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Assistant United States Attorney John G. Camp is prosecuting the case.
An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Independence Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal Prison for Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt Wall announced the sentencing of Michael D. Nelson, age 56 of Independence, Louisiana, in connection with an extensive federal, state, and local investigation aimed at a large-scale cocaine and heroin trafficking network based in East Baton Rouge and Ascension Parishes.
U.S. District Court Judge John deGravelles sentenced Nelson to 235 months in federal prison following his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine. The Court further sentenced Nelson to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. In imposing Nelson’s prison term, the Court found that from approximately July 2017 through February 2018, Nelson ran a drug trafficking business and, pending trial, obstructed justice, made false statements to law enforcement, and threatened a witness. In total, the Court found Nelson responsible for ten kilograms of cocaine and over 280 grams of methamphetamine.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Nelson was associated with Travis James, who led a group of co-conspirators, namely Troy James, Joshua Mansion, Kim Murphy, Yascia LaFrance, Belinda Carter, Cornelius Carter, and others in a venture to obtain kilograms of cocaine from various sources in Houston, Texas, and transport said cocaine to stash houses located in Baton Rouge and Prairieville. Some amounts of cocaine were broken down for distribution to others, including Nelson, while other amounts were converted by James into crack cocaine for sale to others.
In many instances, the amounts transported by this group into the Middle District involved five or more kilograms of cocaine per trip. During this investigation, authorities seized and forfeited over $500,000 in drug trafficking proceeds from James as well as approximately eight firearms, two kilo presses, and heroin and cocaine testing kits. The investigation also revealed that James was making plans to branch out into heroin trafficking using the money he had accumulated from the sale of crack and powder cocaine. He was planning to commence that enterprise by purchasing a kilogram of heroin.
Chief Judge Dick previously sentenced seven other individuals in connection with this scheme. Travis R. James, age 42, of Port Allen, Louisiana, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 280 grams or more of cocaine base, and one or more kilograms of heroin. The Court further sentenced James to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Troy James, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 115 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine, cocaine base, and heroin. The Court further sentenced James to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Joshua Mansion, age 38, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. The Court further sentenced Mansion to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Kim Murphy, age 61, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base. The Court further sentenced Murphy to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Yascia LaFrance, age 45, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 90 months in federal prison following her conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and 28 grams or more of cocaine base. The Court further sentenced LaFrance to serve four years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment.
Cornelius Carter, age 36, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to obtain, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute five or more kilograms of cocaine and one or more kilograms of heroin and conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. The Court further sentenced Carter to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
Belinda Carter, age 41, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was sentenced to 19 months in federal prison following her conviction for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The Court further sentenced Carter to serve two years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment.
This Operation 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 Baton Rouge comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge City Police Department, and the Louisiana State Police. Other agencies also assisted in apprehending the defendants, including the U.S. Marshal’s Service, and the Sheriffs’ Offices in Ascension, Iberville, and West Baton Rouge Parishes. These cases were prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert W. Piedrahita and Lyman E. Thornton III.
Houston Semitruck Driver Sentenced to Federal Prison for Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Houston man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 41 months in prison for conspiring to transport illegal aliens in his commercial semitruck, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Francisco Javier Diaz, 35, was arrested at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint near Eagle Pass on May 3, 2024. While Diaz waited in his semitruck in the inspection lane, a USBP canine conducted a free air sniff and alerted agents to the sleeper compartment of the vehicle. Further inspection revealed five people under the mattress in the compartment and an additional man hidden in a compartment on the side of the bed. All six passengers were determined to be illegal aliens, whom Diaz was transporting from Eagle Pass to Houston.
Diaz was indicted for one count of conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, to which he pleaded guilty on Aug. 19, 2024. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presided over the case.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations and the USBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nallely Duarte prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Homeland Security Task Force Arrests 2 and Seizes over 550 Kilos of Meth in San AntonioRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Two San Antonio men were arrested Tuesday on criminal charges related to their alleged conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Gerardo Pineda-Gallegos and Jose Lopez-Ruiz were identified as distributors of methamphetamine, participating in the transportation, packaging and distribution of narcotics. A criminal complaint alleges that Pineda-Gallegos and Lopez-Ruiz were at a wholesale produce distribution warehouse on Dec. 15, 2025, where they received large shipments of methamphetamine concealed within fresh produce. The complaint alleges Pineda-Gallegos and Lopez-Ruiz walked in and out of the warehouse multiple times before entering a cargo van and driving to an office space where they stored the methamphetamine that was concealed in the produce shipments. From there, the drugs were prepared for distribution.
On Feb. 3, federal agents from the DEA and FBI, along with the officers from San Antonio Police Department’s High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) unit, executed a court-authorized search warrant on the office space. During the search, agents located approximately 100 boxes containing fresh heads of lettuce. A criminal complaint alleges that the agents searched the lettuce and discovered 998 ball-shaped packages of methamphetamine, with a total weight of approximately 555 kilograms.
Pineda-Gallegos and Lopez-Ruiz were arrested and charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. If convicted, they face 10 years to life in prison and a fine of up to $10 million. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
As part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), the DEA and FBI are investigating the case with assistance from SAPD, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Nowinski is prosecuting the case.
This case is being investigated and prosecuted by the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A criminal complaint 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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Guilty Pleas Obtained in Federal Firearms CasesRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Five people have entered guilty pleas to firearms charges in the Northern District of West Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Ricardo Xavier Jones, 46, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jones was on parole when, during a probation home check, officers seized a shotgun and ammunition. The firearm was concealed in the defendant’s mattress. Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms because of prior grand larceny and drug convictions.
Gary Owen Jones, 54, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm. A West Virginia state probation officer seized a rifle from Jones’s home during a routine parole visit. Jones is prohibited from possessing firearms due a conviction for making terroristic threats in Berkeley County, as well as another firearms conviction.
Raymond Earl Bowers, III, 42, of Morgantown, West Virginia, pled guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm. Bowers’ former domestic partner advised the WVU Police Department that Bowers was a convicted felon with firearms and ammunition. Monongalia County Sheriff’s Deputies then secured a search warrant and searched Bowers’ van and home, which led to the seizure of three rifles, three pistols, a shotgun, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Bowers is prohibited because of prior domestic violence convictions.
Tyler Earl Mercer, 32, of Westover, West Virginia, pled guilty to the unlawful possession of a firearm. Officers responded to a call about suspicious activity in which people looking into vehicles with a flashlight in Monongalia County. After encountering Mercer, officers confirmed that he had an active warrant related to charges for grand larceny and an attempt to disarm a law enforcement officer. During his arrest, officers located a revolver in Mercer’s waistband. Mercer is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior counterfeiting conviction.
Caitlin Ashley Fox, 28, of Moorefield, West Virginia, pled guilty to making a false statement to a federal officer. Fox’s boyfriend was under investigation for firearms violations. Fox lied to federal agents on several occasions attempting to protect her boyfriend.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Kane, Andrew Cogar, Zelda Wesley, and Stephen Warner are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; West Virginia State Police; the West Virginia University Police Department; the Monongalia County Sheriff’s Office; and the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Parole Services.
These cases are a 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.
Gambino Crime Family Soldier Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Conspiracy and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, James Laforte, also known as “Jimmy,” an inducted member of the Gambino organized crime family, pleaded guilty before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo to racketeering conspiracy, Hobbs Act extortion and Hobbs Act extortion conspiracy, witness retaliation, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
LaForte is the last of 10 defendants charged in a 2023 indictment in connection with various offenses committed by members and associates of the Gambino crime family— including extortion, money laundering conspiracy and witness retaliation—to plead guilty or be convicted at trial. On October 17, 2025, seven members and associates of the Gambino crime family pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy in proceedings held before United States District Judge Frederic Block. Those defendants are Gambino crime family captain Joseph Lanni, also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino;” Gambino soldiers Diego “Danny” Tantillo and Angelo Gradilone, also known as “Fifi;” U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia member and Gambino associate Vito Rappa, also known as “Vi;” U.S.-based Sicilian Mafia associate and Gambino associate Francesco Vicari, also known as “Frank” and “Uncle Ciccio;” and Gambino associates Kyle Johnson, also known as “Twin,” and Vincent Minsquero, also known as “Vinny Slick.” In August 2025, Salvatore DiLorenzo pleaded guilty to theft from employee benefits plans. In December 2025, a federal jury convicted defendant Robert Brooke of one count of Hobbs Act extortion.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General of the United States Department of Labor (DOL-OIG), and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the guilty pleas and trial conviction.
“The prosecution of these members and associates of the Gambino organized crime family has dealt a significant blow to that violent criminal enterprise,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Their efforts to take over and infiltrate legitimate businesses by means of intimidation threatened hardworking New Yorkers and terrorized their victims. Our Office will continue to hold accountable those who seek to use violence and fear to enrich themselves.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the New York City Business Integrity Commission, the New York Waterfront Commission, and the Office’s law enforcement partners in Italy, including the Prosecutor of Palermo, the Polizia di Stato, the Servizio Centrale Operativo, and the Squadra Mobile of Palermo.
“These ten Gambino members and associates orchestrated a campaign of violent assaults and property destruction to collect debts and intimidate those employed by competing companies,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “Their collective actions terrorized New York residents and businesses to generate an illegal revenue stream. The FBI maintains its commitment to coordinating with our local and international law enforcement partners in the fight against organized crime.”
“These defendants used fraud, intimidation, and violence in an attempt to seize control of New York City’s demolition industry, including schemes targeting labor unions and their employee benefit plans,” stated DOL Inspector General D’Esposito. “DOL-OIG will continue working shoulder to shoulder with our law-enforcement partners to root out labor racketeering and eliminate the influence of organized crime from the labor industry. Accountability is non-negotiable.”
As set forth in court filings, members and associates of the Gambino crime family used violent extortion, fraud, theft and embezzlement schemes to infiltrate the carting and demolition industries to enrich themselves and the Gambino crime family, including by laundering criminal proceeds. For example, during a financial dispute between Tantillo and the owners of a demolition company (Demolition Company 1), Tantillo and Johnson coordinated a violent hammer assault on an employee of Demolition Company 1, which left the employee bleeding and seriously injured.
Extortions Related to the Carting and Demolition Industries
Tantillo, Rappa, Vicari and Johnson engaged in a violent extortion conspiracy relating to the demand and receipt of money from an individual (John Doe 1) who operated a carting business in the New York City area. The extortion scheme involved threatening John Doe 1 with a bat, setting fire to the steps to John Doe 1’s residence, attempting to damage John Doe 1’s carting trucks, and violently assaulting an associate of John Doe 1. After John Doe 1 ultimately made a payment of $4,000 to Vicari, Vicari and Rappa met and sent Tantillo a photo of Vicari raising a small champagne bottle, as in a toast.
As proven at Brooke’s trial, in the fall of 2019, Brooke engaged in a violent extortion scheme against the owners of a demolition company (John Does 2 through 4) over purported debts owed to Tantillo and a company that was co-operated by Tantillo and Brooke. On December 18, 2019, one of the victims was walking to work when he was ambushed and attacked by Brooke at 50th Street and Eighth Avenue in midtown Manhattan. The victim suffered a fractured cheek bone, black eye and contusions to his face. In the weeks after the beating, Tantillo reached out to the victims who are brothers and told them to pay Brooke and to drop the criminal charges against Brooke. Fearing for the safety of themselves and their employees, the owners of the demolition company paid $50,000 to Tantillo and $40,000 to the company co-operated by Tantillo and Brooke.
Extortion and Assault of a Borrower
In 2020 and 2021, LaForte extorted a person who owed money to an associate of LaForte (John Doe 5). After failing to pay LaForte’s associate on time, John Doe 5 was introduced to LaForte, who asked John Doe 5 to run an illegal poker game and a craps game for LaForte. When John Doe 5 asked LaForte after the craps game for John Doe 5’s share of the earnings from running the game, LaForte hit John Doe 5 in the face, knocking John Doe 5 backward and giving him a black eye. LaForte later contacted John Doe 5’s father to force John Doe 5 to pay what LaForte said was John Doe 5’s debt. In text messages exchanged in November 2020, shortly after John Doe 5’s loan, the person who had lent John Doe 5 the money wrote that “[t]his other punk [John Doe 5] is playing games,” and “Might ride up to his house Saturday with one of my guys from down here.” Another party to the conversation responded, “I took him up to c jimmy made it clear” and later added, “We’ll get it. He’s scared to death of jimmy.”
Witness Retaliation and Assault
On February 17, 2021, LaForte and Minsquero assaulted a person who they believed had previously provided information to law enforcement about members and associates of organized crime (John Doe 6), while Lanni sat nearby. That evening LaForte and Minsquero approached John Doe 6 inside a restaurant. LaForte called John Doe 6 a “rat” and hit John Doe 6 in the face with a bottle. LaForte and Minsquero also flipped John Doe 6’s table, sending drinks and shattered glass everywhere.
Frauds and Union-Related Crimes in the Carting and Demolition Industries
Various defendants also committed a series of crimes to steal and embezzle from unions and employee benefit plans and rigged bids in the demolition and carting industries. As part of one such scheme, DiLorenzo provided Rappa with a “no-show” job at DiLorenzo’s demolition company so that Rappa could receive paychecks and union health benefits, among other benefits. Similarly, Tantillo arranged for Gradilone to receive a “no-show” job at a construction company with which Tantillo was associated, which enabled Gradilone to receive paychecks and union health benefits to which he was not entitled. Tantillo and Johnson also conspired to secure a “no-show” job for Johnson, so that Johnson could similarly receive union health benefits.
* * * * *
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Anna L. Karamigios, Andrew M. Roddin, Elias Laris, and Brooke E. Theodora are in charge of the prosecution.
Defendant Who Pleaded Guilty Today:
JAMES LAFORTE (also known as “Jimmy”)
Age: 49
New York, New York
Defendants Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
JOSEPH LANNI (also known as “Joe Brooklyn” and “Mommino”)
Age: 54
Staten Island, New YorkDIEGO TANTILLO (also known as “Danny” and “Daniel”)
Age: 50
Freehold, New JerseyROBERT BROOKE
Age: 58
New York, New YorkSALVATORE DILORENZO
Age: 69
Oceanside, New YorkANGELO GRADILONE (also known as “Fifi”)
Age: 59
Staten Island, New YorkKYLE JOHNSON (also known as “Twin”)
Age: 48
Bronx, New YorkVINCENT MINSQUERO (also known as “Vinny Slick” )
Age: 39
Staten Island, New YorkVITO RAPPA (also known as “Vi”)
Age: 58
East Brunswick, New JerseyFRANCESCO VICARI (also known as “Frank” and “Uncle Ciccio”)
Age: 65
Elmont, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-443 (FB)
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 190 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Michael O. Beers, 39 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Beers was sentenced to 190 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in October 2024, officers found Beers unconscious behind the steering wheel of a running vehicle parked in a gas station parking lot. When officers went to check on Beers, they found a loaded handgun holstered on his hip. A search of his car revealed large amounts of heroin and fentanyl, a digital scale, and other drug items. Fentanyl is extremely dangerous and potentially lethal, and Beers intended to sell hundreds of thousands of lethal doses of fentanyl in the community. In addition to his armed drug trafficking, Beers has a significant criminal history with prior weapons and drug convictions, making his possession of the firearm unlawful.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas with assistance from the Fort Wayne Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.
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.
Fordyce Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Methamphetamine and CocaineRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Eric Matlock, who has a previous state conviction for conspiracy to deliver cocaine, will spend the next 120 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
On October 9, 2024, Matlock, 42, of Fordyce, was indicted by a federal grand jury in a two-count indictment for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. On August 8, 2025, Matlock pleaded guilty to the counts in the indictment. Judge Moody also sentenced Matlock to five years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In February of 2024, the Dallas County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division opened an investigation in Fordyce due to an influx of narcotic activity. During the investigation, Matlock was identified as a potential narcotics dealer. Using confidential sources and surveillance technology, law enforcement conducted controlled buys of narcotics from Matlock. During these controlled buys, deputies utilized aerial surveillance technology to monitor Matlock’s movements.
As a result of the investigation, a search warrant was executed at Matlock’s residence on June 30, 2024. During the search of the residence, officers located a buried footlocker near the carport. Located in the footlocker were multiple plastic bags containing large quantities of methamphetamine, cocaine, $3,841 in cash, and digital scales. The controlled substances were confirmed to be 1.6 pounds of methamphetamine and 1.2 pounds of cocaine.
In addition to Matlock’s previous state conviction for conspiracy to deliver cocaine, his criminal history also includes two convictions for possession of crack cocaine, a conviction for possession of firearms by certain persons, and a conviction for possession of paraphernalia to manufacture methamphetamine/cocaine, and maintaining a drug premises.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and FBI with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
The investigation was conducted by the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reese Lancaster.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
First defendant in drug trafficking organization dealing in the International District and homeless encampments sentenced to 30 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – The first of some 20 defendants charged with trafficking narcotics in Seattle’s homeless encampments and International District was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Theodore Nation, 36, has been in custody since January 2025. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tana Lin said, Nation had been dealing “to particularly vulnerable and marginalized members of the community.”
“This drug trafficking organization sold addictive substances to some of the most marginalized members of our community – those living in homeless encampments such as “The Jungle” under Interstate 5,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This defendant made his living feeding the addiction of others making it ever more difficult for them to get out of the danger of homeless encampments.”
“As a redistributor, Mr. Nation had a significant role in the Jungle Drug Trafficking Organization which sold dangerous drugs in the homeless encampments near the International District and I-5," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This organization and others like it fuel the fentanyl crisis in the United States with drugs that all too often prove fatal. FBI Seattle remains committed to working with our partners to combat drug trafficking and violent crime in Seattle and across the state of Washington.”
“In Seattle, our fight for a Fentanyl Free America is not abstract — it’s on the streets,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The fentanyl powder alone seized from this group contained more than 1.7 million potentially lethal doses. Mr. Nation trafficked fentanyl and other deadly drugs in and around our homeless encampments and preyed on the most vulnerable in our community. The DEA, alongside our federal and local partners, is committed to using every enforcement tool at our disposal to shut down fentanyl supply chains, protect public safety, and save lives in Seattle and across the nation.”
According to records filed in the case, the investigation began in November 2023, with the Seattle Police, FBI, and DEA focusing on a drug trafficking organization dealing fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the homeless encampments of Seattle and in drug trafficking areas of the International District at locations such as 12th and Jackson. In the first round of arrests and indictments in January 2025, some of the defendants were arrested with firearms. Using a court authorized wiretap, investigators gathered evidence of the drug trafficking and made arrests and seizures over the course of the investigation. Law enforcement heard intimations of violence on the calls and worked to intervene without tipping off the targets of the investigation.
During the January arrest operation, law enforcement seized 17 firearms and 23 kilos of suspected fentanyl powder.
A second round of indictments and arrests occurred in late May 2025. In this part of the investigation, in March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics was nearly $3 million.
In their sentencing memo asking for a 57-month sentence for Nation prosecutors noted the deadly toll of fentanyl. “According to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office, 167 people died of fentanyl-involved overdoses in King County in 2020. By 2023, the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses in King County rose to 1,086.2 Although the number of fentanyl-involved overdoses peaked in 2023 in King County, in 2024 there were still 788 fentanyl-involved overdoses and in 2025 there were still 696 fentanyl-involved overdoses.”
The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Investigators also worked with the King County Sheriff’s Office and the Tukwila Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.
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. 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 Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Fentanyl and Cocaine Distributor Sentenced for Drug Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced an Arundel County, Maryland, man to federal prison in connection with a drug distribution conspiracy involving fentanyl, cocaine, and other drugs.
Kelly Bowers, 36, received a seven-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office, Chief Amal E. Awad, Anne Arundel County Police Department (AACOPD), and Chief Edward Jackson, Annapolis Police Department (APD).
According to the guilty plea, in August 2022, FBI investigators identified Bowers as a member of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) known as Newtowne (collectively, “the Newtowne 20 DTO”) that supplied drugs to individuals in the Annapolis area.
During the period of the conspiracy, the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland authorized wiretaps on DTO members’ electronic devices. Law enforcement intercepted numerous conversations which allowed investigators to identify individuals, including Bowers, involved in drug trafficking with Newtowne 20 DTO members. Others charged include Leonard Simms, sentenced to 57 months on July 1, 2025; Amber Naylor, sentenced to time-served on June 3, 2025; Isiah Naylor, who pled guilty on May 23, 2025; Raheem Allsup, sentenced to 48 months on May 9, 2025; and Keith Williams, sentenced to 68 months on November 19, 2024.
Bowers served as one of the Newtowne 20 DTO’s main distributors. Law enforcement intercepted and recorded several calls between Bowers and his customers and conversations between him and his co-conspirators.
During the investigation, law enforcement conducted surveillance and observed Bowers engaging in a drug transaction. On November 27, 2023, AACOPD investigators saw Bowers driving in Annapolis. After AACOPD officers watched Bowers conduct a hand-to-hand transaction with a known user of controlled substances, they initiated a traffic stop. Officers stopped the buyer and recovered drugs from her which later tested positive for cocaine. Law enforcement also recovered cocaine from Bowers’ vehicle. Additionally, during the traffic stop, law enforcement found Bowers in possession of fentanyl.
The federal wiretap led to an eventual takedown on January 25, 2024. During the investigation, law enforcement identified multiple vehicles and locations in and around Annapolis used by the Newtowne 20 DTO as stash houses and residences for drug trafficking. On January 25, agents executed search warrants on eight locations and four vehicles and issued arrest warrants for several individuals. Law enforcement also recovered drugs of various types and quantities from three of the targeted locations and one firearm from the residence of a co-conspirator.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, AACOPD, and APD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and Jon Tsuei who prosecuted this federal case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Baltimore comprises agents and officers from various federal, state, and local agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Federal Correctional Officer Pleads Guilty to Receipt of a Bribe by a Public OfficialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Karen Torres (50, St. Cloud) has pleaded guilty to receiving a bribe as a public official. She faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. As part of her plea, Torres has agreed to forfeit $43,550, which represents the proceeds of her criminal offense. Her sentencing date has not yet been set. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, Torres was a public official employed by the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer. She worked at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex (FCC Coleman) in Sumter County. Between May 2022 and March 3, 2025, Torres introduced contraband (marijuana, cigarettes, and K2) into FCC Coleman in exchange for $43,550 in bribes from inmates.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice Office of Inspector General and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Harrington is handling the forfeiture.
February Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the February Federal Grand Jury 2025-A Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Andres Avila Pineda; Anthony Avila; Andres Avila, Jr.; Ranferi Manriquez. Firearms Trafficking Conspiracy; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of Firearms (superseding). Andres, 48, a Mexican national, Anthony, 22, Andres Jr., 24, and Ranferi, 31, of Houston, Texas, are charged with conspiring with others to transport firearms knowing that possession would constitute a felony. Andres is further charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Homeland Security Investigations are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Dowdell and Kenneth Elmore are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-460
Robin Christopher Black. Conspiracy; Benefits Fraud. Black, 63, of Tulsa, is charged with conspiring with others to obtain money from the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) by selling stolen benefits for cash. He is further charged with acquiring and possessing SNAP funds contrary to the Department of Agriculture regulations. The U.S. Department of Agriculture – Office of the Inspector General, the Oklahoma Department of Health Services – Office of the Inspector General, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Dowdell is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-035
Bryan Abisai Costeira-Hernandez. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Costeria-Hernandez, 38, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. He is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Further, Costeria-Hernandez is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in Sep. 2022 Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-036
Willis James Gray. Felon in Possession of Ammunition; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country; Carrying, Using, Brandishing, and Discharging a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Gray, 41, of Bartlesville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with possessing ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. He is additionally charged with assaulting the victim with a dangerous weapon and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Bartlesville Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-037
Crawford Don Harper, Jr. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. Harper, 38, of Indianapolis, Indiana, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Heign is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-038
Romiro Leonardo Hernandez. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Leonardo Hernandez, 33, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was unlawfully residing in the United States. Further, he is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after being removed in May 2017, January 2018, and August 2018. Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alicia Hockenbury is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-039
James Robert Hurley, aka James Gomes. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Hurley, also known as James Gomes, 25, of Rose, is an individual who is knowingly required to register as a sex offender. He is charged with failing to register as a sex offender from July to on or about November 2025. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-040
Jose Brian Jimenez Contreras. Possession of a False Immigration Document. Jimenez Contreras, 20, a Mexican national, is charged with knowingly possessing a fake Legal Permanent Resident card. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Briolara is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-044
Arturo Rodriguez Aguero. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Rodriguez Aguero, 49, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been previously removed in June 2017, February 2018, and August 2018. Homeland Security Investigations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 26-CR-045
John Edgar Williams, IV; Jeremy Mindez Ruff; Savannah D’naisha May Gage; Nevaeh Charise Cox; Trinity Rinique Goudeau; Shavari Shantell Melton; Vanessa Lashay Bell; Ashley Elaine Charles. Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking (Count 1); Transporting an Individual for Prostitution (Counts 2, 3, 7, 9, 10, and 13); Interstate Travel to Aid Racketeering (Count 4); Distribution of Child Pornography (Count 5); Sex Trafficking (Counts 6, 12, and 15); Sex Trafficking a Minor (Counts 8, 11, 14, and 17); Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition (Count 16); Commission of Felony Sex Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender (Counts 18 & 19); Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity (Count 20); Child Exploitation Enterprise (Count 21) (third superseding). Williams, 38, Gage, 25, Cox, 39, Goudeau, 24, Melton, 20, Bell, 20, Charles, 37, of Tulsa, and Ruff, 39, of Dallas, Texas, are charged with conspiring with each other to recruit, entice, and harbor a person by threats of force to engage in a commercial sex act for payment. Williams, Gage, Ruff, and Goudeau are charged separately for transporting people to engage in prostitution and other sexual activities. Williams, Ruff, Gage, Cox, Goudeau, Melton, and Charles are further charged with using interstate and foreign commerce to promote and manage a business enterprise involving prostitution. Ruff, Cox, Gage, Goudeau, and Melton are charged with recruiting and enticing minor children, between 14 and 18 years old, to engage in sexually explicit acts. Williams is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition, knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. Ruff is charged with committing a felony offense involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. Additionally, Williams, Gage, and Goudeau are charged with benefiting financially from recruiting, harboring, and providing transportation to an individual to engage in commercial sex acts. Cox is further charged with knowingly distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Gage transported a minor child across state lines to engage in sexual activity. Lastly, Gage is charged with engaging in a child exploitation enterprise by working with others, in three or more incidents, to sex traffic more than three victims. The Tulsa Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Muscogee Creek Nation Lighthorse Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kenneth Elmore, John Brasher, and John W. Dowdell are prosecuting the case. 25-CR-197
Fairfield County man pleads guilty to receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Lancaster man pleaded guilty in federal court today to receiving child pornography.
Carson A. Bigham, 24, was originally arrested on federal charges in May 2025. In a bill of information filed in January 2026, Bigham is charged with receipt of child pornography.
According to court documents, law enforcement received two separate Cybertips from the National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) related to a Columbus man who was subsequently charged with federal child pornography crimes in March 2025, including exploitation of a minor. One report was from Kik messenger regarding the distribution of 13 child pornography files. The second report was from Sniffies LLC, a map-based hookup application for gay, bisexual and bicurious men.
As part of their investigation, devices were seized from the Columbus man. Law enforcement’s forensic review of the devices revealed conversations between the Columbus man and Bigham. The conversations between the two men were sexual in nature and included discussions about engaging in sex with minors. Between August 2024 and May 2025, Bigham received child pornography, including files that depicted prepubescent minors engaged in sex acts with adults.
Law enforcement officers learned that Bigham was at the time employed as a Columbus firefighter and photographs of Bigham match those sent to the Columbus man during their conversations.
Receiving child pornography is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Franklin County Sheriff Dallas Baldwin; other members of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force; and officials from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Columbus Airport Group and Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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FBI Arrests Smyth County Doctor on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A 68-year-old doctor, who worked at Smyth County Community Hospital and allegedly had a sexual relationship with an underage female coworker that included exchanging explicit imagines with the victim, was arrested yesterday by the FBI.
Michael Kevin Patrick, of Sugar Grove, Va., was arrested yesterday and charged via federal criminal complaint with receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). He made his initial court appearance today in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.
According to court documents, Juvenile Victim 1 (JV1) began working at Smyth County Community Hospital in December 2023, when she was 16 years old. Shortly after starting her job, JV1 met Patrick in an elevator. JV1 told Patrick she was 17 years old, in high school, and interested in the medical field. The two began talking regularly at work.
In late 2024, JV1 and Patrick started eating lunch together and communicating regularly via text messages and phone calls. Eventually, Patrick and JV1 engaged in sexual conversations with one another and exchanged nude pictures of themselves via text message.
In addition, Patrick started having a physical relationship with JV1 at his home and at work. During that span of time, JV1 was 16 years old. Patrick told JV1 that he was “looking forward to” her birthday, that the relationship had to be “secret,” and that he “needed” her. After JV1 turned 17, and after Patrick believed JV1 had turned 18, Patrick had sexual intercourse with JV1.
Patrick and JV1 exchanged more than 19,000 text messages with one another. After Patrick’s activities were discovered, he deleted his text messages with JV1.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Marion Police Department.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci and Ian Kaufmann, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Pierce is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Eleven Individuals Indicted in a Marriage Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the unsealing of a three-count indictment charging 11 individuals for their alleged roles in federal conspiracies related to marriage fraud and bribery. The indictment alleges the following charges against each defendant:
Charge
Offense Dates
Name
Maximum Penalties
Marriage Fraud ConspiracyMarch 2024 – February 2025Anny Chen (54, New York)
Sha Xie (38, China)
Linlin Wang (38, Chine)
Jiawei Chen (29, China)
Yafeng Deng (23, New York)
Hailing Feng (27, New York)
Kiah Holly (29, Maryland)
Xionghu Fang (41, China)
Tao Fan (26, China)
Jaden Bullion (24, Florida)
Kin Man Cheok (32, China)
5 yearsMarriage FraudAugust 31, 2024Anny Chen
Linlin Wang
5 yearsBribery ConspiracyNovember 2024 – February 14, 2025Anny Chen
Hailing Feng
Kin Man Cheok
5 yearsAccording to the indictment, the above named individuals allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to recruit United States citizens, preferably members of the armed forces, to enter into sham marriages to Chinese nationals for the purpose of evading immigration laws and illicitly obtaining lawful permanent resident status for the Chinese nationals. The sham marriages took place around the country, including in Jacksonville, as well as in New York, Connecticut, and Nevada. To create the illusion of a real marriage, the conspirators took photographs of the couples to create evidence that could be presented to immigration authorities to suggest that the marriages were legitimate, and the couples were in loving, committed relationships. In reality, the conspirators had agreed to a payment plan whereby the United States citizen spouse would receive a cash payment up front for marrying the Chinese national, a second payment when legal immigration status was obtained, and a final payment after the divorce.
Anny Chen and Wang are charged additionally for a sham marriage that occurred in Jacksonville in August 2024.
In related cases, Raymond Zumba, Brinio Urena, Morgan Chambers, and Jacinth Bailey, former servicemembers in the United States Navy, have all pleaded guilty to charges related to the same scheme. Their sentencing hearings are pending.
The indictment also alleges that Anny Chen, Hailing Feng, and Kin Man Cheok conspired to bribe a public official. Specifically, in January 2025, a confidential source reported to law enforcement that Navy reservist Raymond Zumba (who has also already pleaded guilty to bribery of a public official) had offered to bribe the source and the source’s spouse who worked at Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville in the personnel office that issues Department of Defense identification cards. The source reported that Zumba asked whether the spouse would be willing to issue real, but unauthorized ID cards for an under-the-table payment. Acting at the direction of federal agents, the source proceeded to engage in a series of communications with Zumba during which they discussed Zumba’s plan to obtain unauthorized ID cards in exchange for cash. After driving from New York, Zumba arrived in Jacksonville on February 13, 2025, with Anny Chen, Feng, and Cheok.
Zumba brought these individuals to NAS Jacksonville where the source’s spouse let them into the personnel office after business hours and initiated the process for Anny Chen and Cheok to receive ID cards. The following day, Zumba met with the source, who gave him two cards in exchange for $3,500. Zumba was promptly arrested, and the cards were recovered.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David Mesrobian and Michael J. Coolican.
Duxbury Man Indicted for Distributing Fentanyl and Cocaine in Greater Plymouth Area and Conspiring to Launder the ProceedsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Duxbury man has been charged in a six-count indictment for allegedly distributing, and conspiring to distribute, fentanyl and cocaine in Duxbury, Kingston, Middleborough and Plymouth.
Justin Tatum, a/k/a “JD,” 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue, 500 grams or more of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine). Tatum was also indicted on two counts of distributing fentanyl (including fentanyl analogue) and on two counts of possessing narcotics with the intent to distribute. Tatum was arrested and charged by criminal complaint in July 2025. He is scheduled to be arraigned on Feb. 12, 2026 in federal court in Boston.
Tatum and a second individual, Trinity Norman, a/k/a “Trin,” 41, of Plymouth, were also indicted on one count of money laundering conspiracy. Norman was arrested on Feb. 2, 2026 and released on conditions following an initial appearance.
According to court records, in December 2024, several cooperating sources told investigators that Tatum sold fentanyl and cocaine in the greater Plymouth area. In response, a cooperating witness allegedly made controlled purchases of fentanyl and other drugs from Tatum. Between April 2025 and July 2025, Tatum was intercepted over court-authorized wiretaps allegedly discussing distribution of fentanyl and cocaine. On July 14, 2025, a search was executed at Tatum’s house and at a location in Middleborough where large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine were seized.
In 2009, Tatum was convicted in Plymouth Superior Court of trafficking cocaine and sentenced to 15 years in state prison.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (involving 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue) provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and a fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jared A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Kingston, Plymouth, Duxbury and Rochester Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel R. Feldman and Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Homicide in Northwest WashingtonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyree Irving, 29, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty for the shooting death of Davane Williams on January 15, 2019, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Irving pleaded guilty on February 2, 2026, to one count of second-degree murder while armed, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Judge Neal Kravitz scheduled sentencing for June 12, 2026.
On January 15, 2019, at 2:59 p.m., Irving walked from behind the Sibley Plaza parking lot, crossed M Street NW, and then walked toward the Tyler House, located in the 1200 block of North Capitol Street, NW. Mr. Williams and several other men were standing on the sidewalk outside the M Street entrance pathway to the Tyler House. Irving, who had a .40 caliber pistol concealed in his hoodie, approached the group and immediately started yelling at Mr. Williams. After yelling at Mr. Williams for less than 10 seconds, Irving pulled the .40 caliber pistol out of his hoodie and fired it five times at Mr. Williams, striking him with all five shots. Mr. Williams immediately fell to the ground, while the other bystanders ran away eastbound toward North Capitol Street. Irving put the pistol back into his hoodie and then ran away southbound across M Street, back through the parking lot of the Sibley Plaza.
Irving was eventually arrested on February 27, 2019, and has been held pending trial.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Hall and Wes Faulkner.
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Deering, Alaska, man sentenced to prison for sexual assault of teen seated next to him on flight from Anchorage to SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 29-year-old Deering, Alaska man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 18 months in prison for abusive sexual contact on board an aircraft, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Trayton C. Ballot was arrested on January 15, 2025, when the Alaska Airlines flight he was on arrived at Seattle-Tacoma International airport. Ballot was convicted by a jury on September 10, 2025, following a two-day trial. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge John H. Chun said, “This is a serious and scary crime with lasting consequences for the victim.”
“The Western District of Washington has received a significant number of reported sexual assaults on aircraft in the last several years,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This sentence should serve as a warning to others who think they can take advantage of a plane’s environment to abuse vulnerable victims. We will take these cases, and take them to trial if necessary, to get justice for victims.”
According to records filed in the case, the 17-year-old victim was flying with her mother and a friend on an overnight flight from Anchorage to Seattle. Ballot was seated in the middle seat in a row near the back of the plane. The victim was in the window seat. Ballot appeared to be asleep but then moved his hand onto the victim’s inner thigh and began rubbing her thigh. The victim, who was asleep, woke up to the touching and removed Ballot’s hand. Two more times Ballot moved his hand onto the 17-year-old’s inner thigh, and she removed his hand. After the third time, the victim lowered her tray table and wedged a stuffed animal under it to protect her lap. Despite those barriers, Ballot moved his hand under the armrest and attempted to place it over the victim’s thigh. The victim pressed down on the stuffed animal to stop the assault and Ballot took his hand away.
The victim typed into her phone that the man seated next to her had touched her and showed the message to her mother who was seated in the row behind her. At her mother’s instruction, the victim notified the flight attendants who moved her to a different seat.
Ballot was arrested when the plane arrived in Seattle.
Speaking in court today, the victim said she was “trapped in a small place where I could not defend myself…. It was predatory – attacking me while I was asleep.”
In asking for a two-year prison sentence prosecutors noted that the unique qualities of air travel require additional vigilance, and a deterrence message. “Sexual assaults on airplanes are a distressingly prevalent risk of modern airline travel…. In several ways, a plane is a uniquely vulnerable environment: passengers are often seated in close proximity to strangers, with little room and few options for removing themselves from unwanted situations; passengers regularly attempt to sleep on planes while sitting next to unknown persons; and outside of a passenger’s immediate neighbors, there is limited visibility and a low likelihood of witnesses, particularly when cabin lights are dimmed.”
Judge Chun ordered Ballot to complete 10 years of supervised release following prison.
“I commend the bravery displayed by this underage victim, and her mother, in speaking up for her safety by reporting this crime to the flight crew," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Sexual misconduct aboard aircraft is a federal crime, one the FBI investigates and takes seriously. We encourage victims and witnesses to report such crimes to the flight crew; Port of Seattle Police or your local airport police; and the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or tips.fbi.gov.”
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Port of Seattle Police.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn Forstein and Cindy Chang.
Dayton man pleads guilty to gun crime after shootout on University of Dayton campusRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – Dylan Hiner, 19, of Dayton, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to illegally receiving a firearm or ammunition while under indictment for another felony crime.
According to court documents, Hiner was attending a Halloween party on Nov. 1, 2025, at the University of Dayton. While at the party, Hiner participated in a shootout. The defendant fired multiple rounds of ammunition into the air.
The Dayton Police Department and University of Dayton Police Department arrived on scene and discovered multiple rounds of ammunition and observed home surveillance footage.
Hiner was arrested and charged federally on Nov. 10, 2025. At the time, he was under indictment in Montgomery County for allegedly carrying a concealed weapon and improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Illegally receiving a firearm or ammunition while under indictment for a felony crime is punishable by up to five years in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jorge Rosendo, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and University of Dayton Police Chief Steve Durian announced the guilty plea offered today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Caroline H. Gentry. Assistant United States Attorney Ryan A. Saunders is representing the United States in this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Dangerous Felon Convicted of Armed Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has found Deontai Williams, 33, of Indianapolis, guilty of trafficking in fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine, illegally possessing eight firearms while being a convicted felon, and possessing those firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
According to court documents and evidence introduced at trial, on January 17, 2025, Williams was found in possession of approximately 40 grams of methamphetamine, 30 grams of cocaine, and 80 grams of fentanyl pills and powder (which equates to approximately 800 doses of fentanyl), as well as the following firearms:
- Delton AR-style pistol
- American Tactical AR-style pistol
- 12-gauge shotgun
- 28mm pistol
- Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver
- Rexio 22Lr firearm
- Glock 9mm pistol
- Springfield 9mm pistol
Evidence demonstrated that despite having previously been convicted of multiple felonies, including battery resulting in bodily injury to a person under 14, unlawful residential entry, unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, and dealing in methamphetamine, Williams continued his armed drug trafficking. This evidence also included photographs of Williams brandishing multiple firearms. His prior felony convictions prohibited Williams from legally possessing firearms.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case. U.S. District Chief Judge James R. Sweeney II presided over the trial and will sentence Williams at a later date.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick Gibson and Samantha Spiro, who are prosecuting this case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist, Shané Penney.
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DC Man Indicted for Strangling His Romantic PartnerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrell West, 30, of Bowie, MD, was indicted by a D.C. Superior Court grand jury on three counts stemming from a November 2025 assault on a woman, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
West was indicted on February 2, 2026, on one count each of strangulation, threats to do bodily harm and simple assault.
According to the indictment, on November 26, 2025, West threatened to assault the victim, his romantic partner, and then punched her in the face and strangled her in the presence of their young child. The victim lost consciousness during the assault. She fled to a neighbor’s apartment and called 911.
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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D.C. Man Sentenced to 26 Years in Prison for Killing One and Seriously Injuring AnotherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Walter Jenkins, 37, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced in connection with the shooting homicide of David Williams that also injured Melvin Favors on November 14, 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On August 21, 2025, Jenkins pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree murder while armed and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon. At the January 29, 2026 sentencing, the Honorable Rainey Brandt ordered him to serve the prison term of 26 years and five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 4:45 p.m., on November 14, 2021, defendant Jenkins drove to the area where David Williams was known to sit in his parked vehicle, in front of the Frederick Douglass Community Center, at the intersection of Alabama Ave SE and Bruce Pl SE. Williams was in a relationship with Jenkins’ sister and there were reports of violence by Williams against members of Jenkins’ family, as well as reports of threats to Williams by Jenkins’ sister. After parking, Jenkins, wearing a mask and with a gun concealed in his backpack, confirmed Williams’ location and approached Williams’ vehicle. Captured on surveillance video, Jenkins briefly leaned down to the window of the car, which contained Williams, Favors, and a third individual who was uninjured, then quickly stood back up and began firing on the vehicle as he slowly walked around it.
Jenkins fired through the backpack so that it captured the cartridge casings fired from the weapon. Jenkins then fled the scene. David Williams was pronounced deceased at 6:16pm. Melvin Favors suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his legs and a broken femur, as well as a wound to his hand.
Law enforcement arrested Jenkins in February of 2022 and he has remained in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The Metropolitan Police Department’s Homicide Branch investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zach Horton and Miles Janssen prosecuted the case.
2022CF1000672
Convicted rapist found guilty of failing to register as a sex offenderRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A U.S. District Court Judge convicted James Dion Palmer, 56, yesterday on two counts of failing to register as a sex offender.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on May 2, 2001, Palmer was convicted in the Circuit Court for Henrico County of a rape he committed on Oct. 13, 2000, which required him to register for life under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA). SORNA requires offenders to provide information related to intended travel.
Without disclosing his travel plans or receiving permission to travel, Palmer flew from Norfolk to San Francisco on Feb. 28, 2021. On March 3, 2021, Palmer traveled from California to Washington, and on March 4, 2021, his ankle-worn GPS tracking device ran out of charge. After his departure and before his GPS monitor ran out of charge, Palmer communicated by telephone with his probation officer, who encouraged Palmer to register as a sex offender in San Francisco and informed him that he was in violation of his obligations as a sex offender.
On Oct. 31, 2021, Palmer submitted documents to the Virginia State Police indicating a change of location of residence and probationary oversight. Palmer had written his probation officer’s name on the document, but the probation officer had neither submitted nor approved the document.
On Nov. 16, 2021, Canadian Border Patrol notified the Virginia State Police that Palmer was found in Vancouver, Canada, and Canadian authorities determined that Palmer did not enter Canada through an official border control point. Palmer had neither notified his probation officer of his plans to travel to Canada nor received approval for such travel.
Palmer faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Anne Cournoyer 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. 2:22-cr-113.
Connecticut Man Admits $2.5 Million Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DOMINICK N. DONOFRIO, 73, last residing in Middlefield, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to wire fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Donofrio was the president and owner of Windstar Financial Services, Inc. (“Windstar”) based in Madison, Connecticut. In January 2013, Wisconsin-based Randall Robert Binversie Holdings (“Binversie”), which was interested in purchasing a renewable fuel business, hired Donofrio to provide business and financial consulting services. In early 2014, Donofrio informed Binversie of the opportunity to purchase Tioga Fuel, a home heating oil company in Philadelphia, and its properties (collectively, the “Tioga properties”), and convinced Binversie that the purchase price was $2,050,567. In fact, Donofrio had fraudulently marked up the purchase price by approximately $1,300,000. Donofrio subsequently completed the transaction.
In pleading guilty, Donofrio admitted that he defrauded Binversie of more than $2.5 million. The loss amount includes the difference between the actual purchase price and the inflated purchase price of the Tioga properties; more than $987,000 in fraudulent consulting, negotiation, and legal fees Binversie paid in 2013 and 2014; approximately $87,000 that Donofrio stole from Tioga Fuel’s account during the acquisition; and approximately $136,000 that Donofrio obtained from Binversie as interest payments on a fictitious $1.25 million “loan,” an amount that Donofrio represented to Binversie that Windstar had fronted during the acquisition.
On July 30, 2019, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned an indictment charging Donofrio with the offense. Donofrio was a fugitive until his arrest on July 24, 2024, in Mystic, Connecticut. After he failed to appear for a pretrial conference in Philadelphia on July 22, 2025, he was again arrested on December 3, 2025, and has been detained since that date. The case was transferred to the District of Connecticut for further prosecution.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for April 29, at which time Donofrio faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
This investigation has been conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Francis of the District of Connecticut and Anita Eve of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Columbia Man Admits to Gun OffenseRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court to possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction.
Gerrell Eugene Lawrence, 30, pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., admitting that he possessed a Glock 27, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun on Oct. 1, 2025, in Columbia, Mo. Due to a prior felony conviction, Lawrence is not permitted to possess a firearm.
Under federal statutes, Lawrence is subject to up to 15 years’ imprisonment for his possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction. This maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes, but Lawrence’s ultimate sentence will be determined by the court based on advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the Columbia Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Chippewa Falls Man Sentenced to 8 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Shaun Ciokiewicz, 39, Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, was sentenced February 2, 2026 by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 8 years in federal prison for possessing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine intended for distribution. Ciokiewicz pleaded guilty to this charge on October 27, 2025.
In November and December 2024, officers with the West Central Drug Task Force received information that Ciokiewicz was selling methamphetamine. He was stopped by police on his way to a suspected drug transaction and arrested on active warrants.
While searching Ciokiewicz upon his arrest, officers found a baggie with 5.5 grams of methamphetamine in his pocket. In the vehicle, officers found a bag with 55 smaller baggies containing 193.2 grams of methamphetamine.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson noted the amount of drugs discovered in the traffic stop was “just a sample” of Ciokiewicz’s overall distribution. In arriving at an 8-year sentence, Judge Peterson commented that Ciokiewicz wasn’t a “benign meth user,” instead Ciokiewicz’s behavior had escalated to “really serious behavior” that presented a danger to the community.
The charge against Ciokiewicz was the result of an investigation conducted by the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office, the West Central Drug Task Force, the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington prosecuted this case.
Federal prosecutions by the U.S. Department of Justice involving drugs and guns are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Chattanooga Man Charged with Assaulting a Corrections OfficerRead the Press Release
HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Huntsville has charged a man with assaulting a corrections officer, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Thomas Elliott, 31, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, with forcibly assaulting a corrections officer.
According to the indictment, in November 2025, Elliott assaulted a DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Corrections Officer. The assault occurred at the DeKalb County Detention Center.
The United States Marshals Service conducted the investigation, along with the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Davis A. Barlow is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the offense charged is 20 years imprisonment.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Casper businessman sent to prison for tax violationsRead the Press Release
The owner of a local drywall company was sentenced today for failing to pay taxes either personally or on behalf of his business, Drywall Perfections, Inc. (DPI), for tax years 2017–2022.
Esequiel “Tony” Terrazas Pacheco, 32, of Evansville, Wyoming, the owner of DPI, was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for willful failure to file an income tax return and willful failure to account for and pay over tax. U.S District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 3 in Casper. The court also ordered restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in the amount of $766,744.28.
According to court documents, the defendant operated DPI from his home since 2015 and has never filed corporate or personal tax returns. Additionally, although a tax preparer prepared quarterly employer tax returns (Forms 941) for ten quarters between late 2019 and early 2022, the Defendant willfully failed to file Forms 941 or pay over the required quarterly taxes. The investigation also revealed DPI failed to employ any meaningful bookkeeping or accounting practices and failed to maintain sufficient records. IRS-CI investigated the crime.
“Mr. Terrasas Pacheco had multiple opportunities to accurately report and file his income taxes,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith. "Over a period of six years he willfully and knowingly defrauded the U.S. government and placed additional tax burden on the shoulders of hardworking taxpayers. Thanks to the outstanding investigative work of IRS-CI and our prosecutors, justice has been served.
“Esequiel Terrazas Pacheco is spending the next 18 months in jail and will be paying back the federal government for much longer than that,” said Amanda Prestegard, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-CI Denver Field Office. “His actions were motivated by greed with a complete disregard for his employees. We appreciate our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in helping us hold employment tax cheats accountable for victimizing not only the IRS, but their own dedicated workforce.”
Case No. CR-25-00146
California Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Los Angeles, Ca., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his leadership role in a drug-trafficking conspiracy involving over 122 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Dejuan Tyrone Parker, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 25 years in federal prison without parole for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and 20 years in federal prison without parole for one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. These sentences will run concurrently. Parker will also have to pay a money judgment in the amount of $400,000, which represents proceeds he obtained directly and indirectly from his distribution of methamphetamine during the charged conspiracy. Parker pleaded guilty on Mar. 31, 2025.
According to court documents, in 2023, law enforcement received reliable information that Parker was bringing large quantities of methamphetamine from Los Angeles, Ca., to the Springfield, Mo., area for distribution. While investigating Parker’s drug-trafficking activities, law enforcement learned that Parker was recruiting women to transport the methamphetamine on commercial flights from California to Missouri.
The investigation culminated on May 9, 2024, when investigators, who were tracking Parker’s cell phone, observed him at the Los Angeles International Airport. Investigators subsequently learned that Parker and a co-defendant were scheduled to arrive in Springfield just after midnight on May 10, 2024. Parker and his co-defendant were detained upon their arrival at the Springfield-Branson National Airport, and investigators subsequently located 11 vacuum-sealed bags containing approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine inside her suitcase. The bags of methamphetamine were wrapped inside men’s clothing. At the time of his arrest, Parker was wearing over $111,000 of jewelry.
Parker is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case. Defendants Richard Allen Thomas, 43; Brian Edward Davidson, 45; Robert Dean Miller, Jr., 43; Cassidy Elden Conner, 36; DeShaunda Nicole Wells, 36; Dawn Marie Klapp, 47; and Victoria Marie Jenkins, 25, have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Kentucky Highway Patrol, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Taney County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office, and the Branson, Mo., Police Department.
Homeland Security Task Force
This operation 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 Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; and Homeland Security Investigations; with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Caddo County Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Caddo NationRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – LARISHA LARELL WABAUNASEE, 38, of Anadarko, has pleaded guilty to embezzlement and theft from the Caddo Nation, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, in September 2023, Wabaunasee was employed by the Caddo Nation and worked in part at the Caddo Nation Tag Office. From October 2023 through November 2024, Wabaunasee diverted customer payments into her personal bank accounts for her own use by creating and using an unsanctioned point-of-sale account. On November 4, 2025, a federal grand jury charged Wabaunasee with embezzlement and theft from an Indian tribal organization.
“The defendant betrayed the trust of the Caddo Nation and its citizens by diverting customer payments for her own personal gain,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Our office remains committed to working alongside our tribal and federal partners to ensure that those who steal from tribal organizations are held accountable.”
“The Caddo Nation remains focused on healing, accountability and moving forward together as a community,” said Bobby Gonzalez, Chairman of the Caddo Nation. “While this matter involved the actions of a single individual, it also reflects the strength of the systems we have in place to protect the Nation and our people. We appreciate the cooperation and professionalism shown throughout this process and remain committed to transparency, restoration, and the well-being for our community.”
On February 2, 2026, Wabaunasee pleaded guilty and admitted she embezzled and stole from the Caddo Nation Tag Office by diverting customer transactions to her personal accounts. At sentencing, Wabaunasee faces up to five years in federal prison, payment of restitution, and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Convicted Felon Charged with Armed Drug Trafficking and Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Scott D. Oranje, 52, of Mary Ester, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Oranje appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for March 2, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Oranje faces a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment up to 40 years’ imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl count, a minimum of 5 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment on the possession of a firearm in furtherance count, and up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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, human and drug trafficking.
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 available 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.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to possession of a machinegunRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Luis Mercado a/k/a Yvng Fabii, 24, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. to possession of a machinegun, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti, Louis M. Testani, Jeffrey E. Intravatola, and Katerina F. Powers, who are handling the case, stated that on February 9, 2024, police officers stopped Mercado, a local rapper with the stage name “Yvng Fabii,” as he was fleeing a fight that occurred at a Buffalo State University basketball game. While officers were attempting to stop him, Mercado raised his arms and stated, “I got the thing on me.” When officers asked what he was referring to, he responded, “I got the joint on me.” Officers recovered a loaded defaced pistol, equipped with a machinegun conversion device and extended magazine, from Mercado’s waistband.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Buffalo State University Police, under the direction of Chief Amy Pedlow.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Boston Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Bank Fraud and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has been sentenced for fraudulently depositing checks stolen from the mail, defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), a COVID-related relief program, and defrauding the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program.
Tyrone Brimage, 28, was sentenced on Jan. 23, 2026 by Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Brimage was also ordered to pay $67,022 in restitution. In January 2025, Brimage pleaded guilty to two counts of bank fraud and three counts of wire fraud.
In July 2020, Brimage submitted two fraudulent unemployment claims, claiming that his employment was impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. At the time of these applications, Brimage was incarcerated at the Norfolk County Jail for an unrelated criminal case. The Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance paid Brimage $43,155 as a result of this fraudulent claim before realizing that Brimage had submitted multiple fraudulent claims using different social security numbers.
In October 2020, Brimage attempted to deposit a payroll check that appeared to be issued by the City of Boston for $16,427 into his personal checking account. The clerk for the City of Boston confirmed that the check was fraudulent and that Brimage was never a city employee.
In May 2021, Brimage submitted a fraudulent PPP application for a barber shop that he never owned. In June 2021, he obtained a $20,832 loan for “payroll costs, rent interest, and utilities,” for this fake barber shop.
In July 2023, Brimage fraudulently deposited a $3,032 check stolen from the mail into a bank account that he controlled. The check issuer confirmed that the check was stolen from the mail. One day after the fraudulent deposit, Brimage withdrew cash obtained from the deposit.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge for the Boston Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; and Russell W. Cunningham Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General Mid-Atlantic Region made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston and Wellesley Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Baltimore Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Armed Carjacking & KidnappingRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Brendan A. Hurson sentenced a Baltimore man to more than two decades in federal prison in connection with armed carjacking and kidnapping charges.
Donte Davon Stanley, 35, received a 25-year prison sentence, followed by five years of supervised release, for his role in the violent carjacking.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler, Harford County Sheriff’s Office; and State’s Attorney Alison M. Healey, Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office.
In June 2024, after a three-week trial, a federal jury convicted Stanley and co-conspirator Dennis Allen Hairston, 35, of Catonsville, in connection with the carjackings. The jury found Stanley guilty of kidnapping and robbery conspiracies; kidnapping; and carjacking.
Evidence at trial established that Stanley, Hairston, and others planned and organized the kidnapping of an employee with the goal of robbing the check-cashing businesses where the victim worked. Additionally, the co-conspirators planned and organized the carjacking of the victim’s vehicle.
According to the evidence, from May 5-6, 2021, the co-conspirators followed the victim from the check-cashing business where she worked. The co-conspirators then posed as law enforcement officers and used a police-style light bar to pull the victim over. Stanley and Hairston, who were wearing police vests and badges, brandished firearms to remove the victim from her vehicle. They then handcuffed the victim’s hands behind her back, zip-tied her feet, blindfolded her by placing a mask and duct tape around her face, and forcibly placed her into the rear of a vehicle.
While Stanley drove, Hairston struck, sexually assaulted, and repeatedly burned the victim with a blowtorch to obtain information from her to access the check-cashing business where she worked with the intent to remove all the cash from the business.
As Judge Hurson imposed the sentence, he described the offense as “grotesque, depraved, reprehensible conduct.” Judge Hurson sentenced Hairston to 40 years in federal prison back in December 2025, in connection with this armed robbery and a second abduction that occurred May 15-16, 2021.
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 Hayes commended the FBI, BPD, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, and Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Spencer L. Todd who prosecuted this case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psnexile and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Avondale Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tucson, Ariz. – Ramon Renteria, 33, of Avondale, Arizona, was sentenced on Jan. 15, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Angela M. Martinez to 64 months in federal prison followed by four years of supervised release, with community restitution and a fine totaling $7,000. Renteria previously pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
On Dec. 2, 2020, law enforcement seized approximately 31.1 kilograms of methamphetamine in connection with Renteria’s role coordinating the transportation of drug loads from Tucson to Phoenix.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Oro Valley Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefani Hepford, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-01681
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-018_Renteria
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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.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Morris Anthony Campbell, who previously served a 46-month federal prison sentence for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was on supervised release, will spend the next 180 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down Tuesday, February 3, 2026, by United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr.
A federal grand jury indicted Campbell, 43, of North Little Rock, in a three-count Indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On October 1, 2025, Campbell pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Moody also sentenced Campbell to three years’ supervised release. Additionally, Judge Moody revoked Campbell’s supervised release from his 2020 federal conviction and ordered Campbell to serve two years in prison concurrent with the 180-month sentence for this conviction. There is no parole in the federal system.
An investigation revealed that on April 3, 2025, law enforcement officers observed Campbell driving a vehicle with fictitious tags and initiated a traffic stop. Upon making contact with the driver, Campbell, officers could smell the odor of marijuana and initiated a search of the vehicle and Campbell. During the search, officers located in Campbell’s pants a bag containing a scale, empty baggies, a smaller bag containing pills, and two separate bags containing marijuana. When officers searched Campbell’s vehicle, they located in the engine compartment an FN, Model 509, 9mm loaded firearm wrapped in a shirt and previously reported stolen. The magazine inserted in the stolen firearm contained 22 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Campbell admitted to the officers that he was aware of the firearm and the marijuana.
Campbell has at least three prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense and is therefore classified as an armed career criminal. His criminal history includes a February 27, 2020, federal drug conviction where he received a sentence of 46 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release and a 2009 federal conviction for distribution of cocaine base. At the time of his arrest in this case, Campbell was on supervised release for the 2020 federal conviction.
Campbell criminal history also includes a conviction for robbery, convictions for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver, convictions for possession of drug paraphernalia, first-degree terroristic threatening, second-degree terroristic threatening, and third-degree assault on a family or household member.
This case was investigated by the ATF with assistance from the North Little Rock Police Department.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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