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Tuesday 3 February 2026
Elk Run Heights Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing and Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man who possessed and distributed methamphetamine was sentenced January 29, 2026, to more than 17 years in federal prison.
Nicholas Armstrong, age 31, from Elk Run Heights, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2025, guilty plea to possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that law enforcement officers purchased methamphetamine from Armstrong four times. After the buys, officers searched Armstrong’s home. They located over 350 grams of methamphetamine, multiple scales, packaging material, and three guns. About two months later, officers attempted to arrest Armstrong, but he fled from them. Officers caught Armstrong and found over 80 grams of methamphetamine on him. At the time of this arrest, Armstrong was on parole for another drug-related conviction.
Armstrong was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Armstrong was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Armstrong is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Task Force, consisting of the Waterloo Police Department, Cedar Falls Police Department, Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Department, Evansdale Police Department, Waverly Police Department, Hudson Police Department, La Porte City Police Department, and the Bremer County Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-2002.
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District of New Mexico charges over 7,000 cases in one year of Southern Border enforcementRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – In coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico brought 7,099 criminal cases in 2025 related to illegal reentry, alien smuggling, immigration fraud, and false statements stemming from southern border enforcement, including 152 cases involving drug trafficking.
Separately, the office prosecuted 32 alien in possession of a firearm cases, advancing national security objectives by enforcing federal prohibitions on firearm possession by individuals without lawful status.
Beyond criminal enforcement, the office also managed a significant civil and constitutional workload in 2025, including 82 civil habeas corpus matters.
“These cases show how criminal organizations exploit people for profit, move violence across borders, and poison communities with drugs and weapons,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison. “In New Mexico, we are focused on identifying the leaders, dismantling the networks they rely on, and using federal prosecutions to disrupt these operations at every level.”
These cases reflect the District of New Mexico’s focus on dismantling criminal networks that exploit vulnerable individuals, fuel violence, and move drugs, weapons, and people across borders and into communities:
United States v. Diana Perez, et al. - On April 4, 2024, Otero County Sheriff’s Officers responded to a reported hostage situation and discovered multiple individuals, including children, being held against their will inside a stash house. The victims had been smuggled into the United States illegally, provided approximately one meal per day, and were threatened with violence if they attempted to leave. Organizers Diana Perez and Valerie Perez required additional payments from victims’ families before releasing them. Alan Amaya operated the stash house. Valerie Perez was sentenced to ten years in federal prison on May 29, 2025. Amaya has pleaded guilty.
United States v. Alejandro Villalobos-Torres - In October 2022, investigators learned that a victim had been smuggled into the United States and was being held for ransom, with demands for an additional $8,000. The victim was moved between stash houses in Texas and New Mexico before being rescued in Chaparral, New Mexico, on November 3, 2022. Alejandro Villalobos-Torres was identified as the leader of the smuggling operation and arrested on March 11, 2025. The case remains pending.
United States v. Jorge Alberto De La Cruz-Dominguez, et al. - This case involved a large-scale human smuggling operation spanning Santa Teresa, El Paso, and Albuquerque. Defendants transported an estimated 20 to 40 individuals per week, including unaccompanied minors. Smuggled individuals were routed through stash houses and transferred between drivers across state lines. Seven defendants were arrested in February 2025. All have pleaded guilty apart from one defendant who has noticed intent to plead guilty.
United States v. Nan Zhang, et al. -In Albuquerque, Nan Zhang and her husband, Sanjay Khurana, were charged this year with conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. The couple allegedly coordinated with alien smuggling organizations to use their rental properties as stash houses for illegal aliens. The couple is also accused of laundering money on behalf of the alien smuggling organizations through real estate sales.
In addition to the spotlighted smuggling cases above, the District of New Mexico has prosecuted other significant border related matters, including:
United States v. Henderson Yofre Mavo Finol, et al. - Eleven suspected members of the Venezuelan Tren de Aragua gang were indicted on racketeering charges related to kidnapping, torture, murder, drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and fraudulent documents.
United States v. Heriberto Salazar-Amaya - Federal authorities dismantled one of the largest fentanyl trafficking organizations in U.S. history, seizing approximately 400 kilograms of fentanyl, firearms, currency, and vehicles across multiple states.
United States v. Joel and Nancy Cano - A former magistrate judge and his wife were charged with evidence tampering related to suspected gang members and illegal firearms access.
These prosecutions are 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.
Delaware County man found guilty on all counts related to bulk narcotics hauled in vehicle to Polaris Fashion PlaceRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury has convicted Terrance Colvin, 39, of Columbus, Ohio, with six counts of drug and gun crimes related to 28 kilograms of drugs found stashed in hidden compartments of a vehicle being hauled from California to Polaris Fashion Place.
The verdict was announced today following a trial that began on Jan. 28 before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Colvin faces at least 15 years and up to life in prison.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in May 2024, local HSI agents were notified by HSI Albuquerque that the New Mexico State Police stopped a commercial car hauler. One of the vehicles was to be delivered to Polaris Fashion Place in Delaware County. That vehicle had two hidden compartments and inside, investigators discovered 21 kilograms of methamphetamine and seven kilograms of cocaine.
Federal and local law enforcement officials arranged for the controlled delivery of the vehicle to the Polaris mall parking lot.
Colvin took an Uber to Polaris Fashion Place to retrieve the vehicle upon delivery and drove the vehicle to his apartment in the 801 Polaris Apartments. Colvin parked the vehicle in a private parking garage next to a 2015 Cadillac Escalade and accessed the hidden compartments to transfer the narcotics, which law enforcement had primarily replaced with sham narcotics, into a duffel bag before being apprehended by law enforcement.
In a subsequent search of Colvin’s apartment, agents discovered and seized additional bulk amounts of narcotics, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine. They also seized three loaded firearms.
As a previously convicted felon, Colvin is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. His criminal history includes arrests and convictions for various narcotics and weapons-related charges, kidnapping, receiving stolen property, driving under the influence, obstructing justice and disorderly conduct.
Colvin was originally indicted in June 2024.
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; and officials with the Delaware County Drug Task Force announced today’s verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin W. Kelley and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
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Delafield Man Sentenced to 18 Months’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Pay Healthcare KickbacksRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on January 30, 2026, United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller sentenced Bruce Johnson (age 72) to 18 months’ incarceration for conspiracy to pay healthcare kickbacks, in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS).
Johnson and his co-defendant, Michael Comino, owned Kestrel Medical LLC, a company in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin, that supplied durable medical equipment (DME), including orthotic devices such as braces for ankles, knees, backs, and shoulders. Johnson signed certifications on behalf of Kestrel stating that he would abide by all Medicare laws and regulations, including the AKS. In 2018, Johnson began paying kickbacks to multiple companies purporting to provide marketing services to Kestrel. The payments to the companies were for signed prescriptions for DME that Kestrel submitted to Medicare.
In February 2020, Comino became a fifty percent owner of Kestrel, which continued to offer and pay kickbacks for signed doctors’ orders. As a result of the conspiracy, Medicare paid over $2 million to Kestrel. Prior to Kestrel’s bankruptcy proceeding, Johnson also made two transfers totaling $150,000 to one of Comino’s companies as a way to divest Kestrel of assets.
At sentencing, Judge Stadtmueller noted the serious nature of Johnson’s criminal conduct and the need to deter others who might commit similar offenses. Judge Stadtmueller also ordered Johnson to serve three years on supervised release after his prison term and to pay over $2 million in restitution to Medicare. Johnson’s co-defendant, Comino, pled guilty to the same charge last year and was sentenced to 22 months’ imprisonment, as well as supervised release and restitution.
U.S. Attorney Schimel stated, “Fraudsters like these are stealing directly from all of us out of utter greed. As our nation debates how to make health care affordable, a critical first step is to stop fraud. Federal investigators and prosecutors have made it a top priority to get those who commit public benefits fraud locked up.”
“Mr. Johnson and his co-conspirator devised a scheme to defraud the American people. This sentencing and restitution order sends a clear message that healthcare kickback schemes will not be tolerated,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Alan Karr. “The FBI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to combat and prevent healthcare fraud.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney John Scully prosecuted.
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For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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Chinese national extradited from Guatemala to face charges of narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and material support to terrorismRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Chinese national was extradited from Guatemala to face an indictment returned in the Eastern District of Virginia charging him with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, launder money derived from drug trafficking, and provide material support to the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization.
According to court documents, beginning in at least November 2023 and continuing until he was arrested in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on July 17, 2025, Wenshen Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly used a variety of clandestine methods, including mirror-transfers, encrypted communications applications, a serial-number verification system, and trade-based money laundering to launder narcotics proceeds on behalf of transnational criminal organizations as well as funds represented to be narcotics proceeds. Xu also allegedly conspired with individuals in the United States and elsewhere, including Colombia, to smuggle multi-kilogram loads of cocaine into the United States. On July 17, 2025, Xu and others allegedly agreed to arrange and facilitate the transportation of a multi-kilogram load of cocaine out of Cali, Colombia, on behalf of an individual who claimed to represent the CJNG.
Xu was arrested by Guatemalan authorities on July 17, 2025, at the request of the United States, and was extradited to the United States on Jan. 30. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit, DEA’s offices in Guatemala and Colombia, the Colombian National Police, and the Guatemalan National Police.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Guatemala and its prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for assisting with the extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State, and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Guatemala.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edgardo J. Rodriguez and Christopher M. Carter for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Caylee E. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-231.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Chinese National Extradited from Guatemala to Face Charges of Narcotics Trafficking, Money Laundering and Material Support to TerrorismRead the Press Release
Wenshen Xu, a Chinese national, was extradited from Guatemala to the United States yesterday to face an indictment returned in the Eastern District of Virginia charging him with conspiring to import cocaine into the United States, launder money derived from drug trafficking and provide material support to a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, specifically the Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG).
According to court documents, beginning in at least November 2023 and continuing until Xu was arrested in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on July 17, 2025, Xu and his co-conspirators allegedly used a variety of clandestine methods, including mirror transfers, encrypted communications applications, a serial-number verification system and trade-based money laundering to launder narcotics proceeds on behalf of transnational criminal organizations as well as funds represented to be narcotics proceeds. Xu also allegedly conspired with individuals in the United States and elsewhere, including Colombia, to smuggle multi-kilogram loads of cocaine into the United States. On or about July 17, 2025, Xu and others allegedly agreed to arrange and facilitate the transportation of a multi-kilogram load of cocaine out of Cali, Colombia, on behalf of an individual who claimed to represent the CJNG.
On Feb. 20, 2025, the CJNG was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organization under the Immigration and Nationality Act and as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224.
Xu was arrested by Guatemalan authorities on July 17, 2025 at the request of the United States, and was extradited to the United States on Jan. 30. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Cindy Marx of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division made the announcement.
The DEA’s Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit investigated the case, with assistance from DEA’s Office of Special Intelligence, Document and Media Exploitation Unit, DEA’s offices in Guatemala and Colombia, the Colombian National Police, and the Guatemalan National Police.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Guatemala and its prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for assisting with the extradition. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Guatemala.
Trial Attorney Caylee E. Campbell of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Edgardo J. Rodriguez and Christopher M. Carter for the Eastern District of Virginia are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Brooklyn Man Charged with Daytime Shooting Beside Manhattan School and PlaygroundRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), Michael Alfonso, and the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging MICHAEL ZAYAS in connection with the January 14, 2026, daytime shooting during which ZAYAS fired a gun 10 times in the vicinity of Kelly Playground in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan. ZAYAS was arrested and presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Gabriel W. Gorenstein.
“As alleged, Michael Zayas brazenly and unlawfully carried a firearm into a residential neighborhood—across the street from a playground where children were playing, and just down the street from a middle school—and fired it in the air 10 times,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Zayas’s alleged conduct sowed fear and panic among New York residents and visitors, including hundreds of children at the middle school, which was put into lockdown when the gunfire erupted. Our career prosecutors and dedicated partners will continue to act tobring to justice those who commit gun crimes and ensure that our playgrounds, schools, and streets are safe from threat. That’s what New Yorkers want, and we hear them.”
“This brazen, broad-daylight shooting—mere steps from a school and a playground and allegedly at the hands of a convicted felon—endangered innocent lives and disrupted the safety of our community,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “Zayas’ swift identification and arrest is a testament to the outstanding collaboration between HSI New York, the NYPD, and our federal law enforcement partners. HSI New York remains steadfast in our commitment to pursuing violent offenders and protecting the public from senseless acts.”
According to the allegations contained in the Complaint and statements made in public court proceedings:[1]
On or about January 14, 2026, at approximately 2:42 p.m., a masked shooter fired approximately 10 rounds near the Kelly Playground at the corner of 17th Street and 8th Avenue in Manhattan before fleeing the scene, causing at least one nearby school to be placed on lockdown. Law enforcement officers recovered 10 9-millimeter cartridges from the scene and later identified the shooter as ZAYAS, who had previously been convicted of a felony offense.
The images below show ZAYAS, minutes prior to the shooting (approximately 2:37 p.m.), entering the elevator on a particular floor on an apartment building located approximately two blocks away from the scene of the shooting, then masked and fleeing westbound on 17th Street toward 9th Avenue after the shooting.
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ZAYAS, 49, of Brooklyn, New York, is charged with one count of possession of ammunition after felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI and the NYPD.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations & Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared Hoffman and Benjamin Levander are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Brooklyn Banker Pleads Guilty to Laundering Proceeds of Medicare Fraud for Transnational Criminal OrganizationRead the Press Release
A New York man pleaded guilty today to participating in a scheme to launder more than $8 million in health care fraud proceeds through a U.S. bank on behalf of a transnational criminal organization (TCO). This marks the first time the Health Care Fraud Unit has charged and convicted a former bank employee for conspiring to launder health care fraud proceeds.
According to court documents, Renat Abramov, 36, of Brooklyn, a former relationship manager at a U.S. bank branch in Sheepshead Bay, used his position to aid a sophisticated international scheme uncovered by Operation Gold Rush. Abramov, a dual citizen of the United States and Azerbaijan, was a member of a TCO that allegedly submitted more than $10 billion in fraudulent Medicare claims by stealing the identities of over one million Americans, including elderly and disabled citizens in all 50 states.
As alleged in charging documents, the TCO exploited the U.S. financial system using a range of tactics to circumvent internal controls at multiple banks. Abramov helped execute the scheme by opening bank accounts for individuals – many not lawfully present in the United States – who posed as owners of fake medical equipment companies using fake corporate registration documents. The bank accounts were used to deposit fraudulently obtained insurance checks, which appeared legitimate because they came from Medicare and established insurance companies. Once deposited, members of the TCO transferred the money into offshore accounts and cryptocurrency.
Abramov pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.
Assistant Chiefs Kevin Lowell and Shankar Ramamurthy, along with Trial Attorneys Leonid Sandlar, Sara E. Porter, and Andres Q. Almendarez of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Bradford County Man Charged with Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Brad Daniel Swink, age 41, of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on a six-count indictment.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Swink produced child pornography on April 10, 2025, and distributed child pornography on January 27, 2023. The indictment also alleges that Swink possessed images of child sexual abuse between January 2023 and April of 2025, and that he specifically received images or videos on three separate times from July 2023 to April 2024.
The FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the most serious offense is up to thirty years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug ConvictionsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Jeremiah D. Jackson, age 22, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, to 60 months in federal prison following his convictions for distribution of fentanyl and possession and transfer of machine guns. The Court further sentenced Jackson to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment and ordered the firearms involved be forfeited.
According to admissions made during his plea, on January 30, 2024, Jackson met with an undercover agent in the parking lot of Spring Hill Suites located at 7980 Howell Boulevard, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and distributed fentanyl pills and machinegun conversion devices for both Glock-style pistols and AR-15 platform firearms to the undercover agent. In total, Jackson is responsible for at least 10,000 fentanyl pills weighing approximately one kilogram, 19 machine gun conversion devices, and three firearms.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and Baton Rouge Police Department, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
Armed Career Criminal Convicted at Trial for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A Savannah man has been found guilty at trial for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and for being an Armed Career Criminal following an incident that occurred on June 13, 2023.
Duane B. Smith a/k/a “Flex” of Savannah, was convicted following a two-day jury trial in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Georgia, said Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
As described at trial, on June 13, 2023, officers with the Savannah Police Department responded to the Goodwill Store at 220 Eisenhower Drive, Savannah, Georgia in response to a missing person report. Upon their arrival, the missing individual was located with Smith. Officers learned that Smith drove the missing person to the Goodwill Store in his vehicle. Based on witness interviews, officers obtained a search warrant, and located a Cobra, .380 caliber firearm hidden under the backseat of the vehicle. Smith was arrested later by the Savannah Police Department SWAT team. Smith was prohibited from possessing firearms because of three previous felony convictions in the Superior Court of Chatham County and one federal felony conviction.
The case was referred to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for prosecution. In addition to charging Smith with illegally possessing the firearm, prosecutors sought an enhanced penalty under the Armed Career Criminal Act. The Armed Career Criminal Act requires imposition of a mandatory minimum 15-year term of imprisonment for recidivists convicted of illegally possessing a firearm, who have three prior state or federal convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses.
The jury found Smtih illegally possessed the firearm and was, in fact, an Armed Career Criminal. Smith is now subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.
“With our law enforcement partners, we continue the work of removing firearms from the hands of those who can’t legally possess them – especially those convicted of prior felonies,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “This effort is a vital step in reducing gun violence in our communities.”
“Duane Smith posed a serious threat to the public,” said FBI Atlanta Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis. “The FBI will continue to work with our partners at all levels to protect the public from gun violence and repeat violent offenders.”
“I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their amazing work on this case,” said Lenny B. Gunther, Savannah Chief of Police. “Their efforts, along with those of our officers, have removed a dangerous individual from our community.”
This investigation took place under the umbrella of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that has been successful in bringing together all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer.
The case was investigated by the Savannah Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted for the United States by the Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant United States Attorney Makeia R. Jonese and Criminal Chief Patricia G. Rhodes.
Apopka Man Sentenced to More Than Five Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Keith Oelerich (62, Apopka) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed to five years and five months in federal prison for wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. As part of his sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $17,964,680, the proceeds of the wire fraud offense. Oelerich pleaded guilty on September 22, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, in December 2018, Oelerich, the owner of Empire Sheds and More, LLC, a portable storage shed company, entered into an agreement with a loan financing company. Under the agreement, Empire Sheds submitted to the loan financing company rent-to-own contracts between Empire Sheds and its customers for the rental and purchase of sheds. The loan financing company paid Empire Sheds the purchase price of the sheds, and Empire Sheds’ customers were required to pay the loan financing company regular monthly rental payments for the sheds under the terms of the rent-to-own agreements.
Between December 2018 and September 2023, Oelerich used the personal identifiable information of others to create 1,043 false and fraudulent rent-to-own agreements and submitted those false and fraudulent agreements to the loan financing company. As a result, the loan financing company paid Oelerich a total of $17,964,680, the purchase prices of the sheds referenced in the agreements. In fact, most of the sheds did not exist. Oelerich used this scheme to obtain loan proceeds to which he was not entitled and to enrich himself.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.
America’s first line of defense: The Southern District of Texas delivers record results in inaugural year of Operation Take Back AmericaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 13,964 cases have been filed in immigration and similar border security-related matters from Jan. 20 – Dec. 31, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Of those charged, 6,404 people faced illegal entry charges, while another 6,574 were alleged to have entered the country illegally after having been previously removed. Many of these defendants had prior felony convictions involving narcotics, violent crimes and immigration offenses. An additional 889 people were accused of engaging in human smuggling crimes, while the remaining 264 faced border security-related charges of assaulting officers, firearms offenses, smuggling, violent crimes, narcotics trafficking and other matters.
Some of those facing new criminal charges this past year are a result of “Operation Pick-Off,” an initiative created in the Southern District of Texas that targets criminal illegal aliens who are currently terms of probation following convictions for state crimes, such as drug offenses, human smuggling, fraud, burglary, assault and other violent crimes. The enforcement effort, originally announced Aug. 25, 2025, led to federal charges against 67 illegal aliens in the Rio Grande Valley area, 65 of whom had returned to the country after being previously removed, only to commit other crimes, according to the allegations. In a subsequent roundup in Laredo, law enforcement took another 28 into custody, including a convicted murderer.
“For those that want to come to this country without permission and then victimize American citizens once here, we are more than happy to accommodate them with a stay at a federal facility, followed by a one-way ticket home,” said Ganjei. “This initiative is a win for public safety, but, as I said at the announcement of this initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is not going to rest until we bring Pick-Off to all 43 counties of the Southern District of Texas. If you’re here illegally and have committed crimes in our communities, consider yourself warned. We are coming. This is what Operation Take Back America looks like.”
Other notable cases allege involve attacks on or impeding law enforcement in the course of their duties. Two of those charged are Mexican nationals Juan Carmen Padron Mendez and Juan Carlos Padron Barron, who allegedly strangled a Border Patrol agent while en route to a Houston-area detention facility. Court documents allege Mendez wrapped his arm around the agent’s neck as Barron grabbed the agent’s belongings and fled on foot before authorities apprehended both men. In another assault chase, the United States charged 33-year-old El Salvadorian national Walter Leonel Perez Rodriguez, who allegedly threw a 32-ounce stainless steel mug filled with hot coffee on an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer, striking him in the face. The officer allegedly fell to the ground, lost consciousness and was treated for second-degree burns to his neck and arms and a laceration to his upper lip that required 18 stiches. Additionally, Mexican national Javier Cornelio Cruz-Nava, 36, allegedly assaulted a federal officer in Houston. According to the complaint, during immigration enforcement operations Oct. 1, 2025, authorities conducted a traffic stop of Cruz-Nava, who subsequently fled on foot. A Texas Department of Public Safety agent caught up to Cruz-Nava, who then allegedly lunged and threw the officer into a wrought-iron fence, causing two deep head wounds to the officer, according to the charges.
“These officers place their lives on the line every day to protect our communities and country, and they deserve to be protected in return,” said Ganjei. “Anyone who attacks law enforcement is attacking the American system of justice, and those who choose violence over lawfulness will be met with swift charges. The Southern District of Texas has a zero-tolerance policy towards anyone who does so. The message is clear - comply with officer directives and keep your hands to yourself.”
Many others have been charged with human smuggling, such as Texas resident Vicente Garcia Jr. and Jose Alexis Baeza-Combaluzier whose alleged crimes resulted in the deaths of two persons – one of whom was a 14-year-old child. The charges allege Garcia was to transfer one illegal alien to Baeza-Combaluzier who had four other illegal aliens in his vehicle. He departed the area with the passengers but eventually came to a stop due to a flooded road, according to the complaint. When authorities attempted to make an approach, he allegedly accelerated and drove through a flooded area and eventually drove into a canal. Law enforcement immediately began rescue operations, but two persons drowned, including the minor, according to the charges.
Other complaints filed in human smuggling matters detail instances of dangerous and life-threatening conditions of confinement, such as the one against Greibein Alexis Pinot-Duarte, a Honduran national who allegedly smuggled more than four dozen illegal aliens in a refrigerated tractor-trailer near Freer. According to the complaint, a further inspection of the 55-degree trailer led to the discovery of 51 illegal aliens concealed in a cramped compartment beneath boxes of produce. In a similar case in Laredo, Kenneth Gamboa allegedly drove a box truck hiding 40 illegal aliens to a Border Patrol checkpoint in Jim Hogg County. The investigation revealed a false wall in the storage area of the vehicle that had created a hidden compartment, according to the complaint. The charges allege the vehicle had multiple boards screwed shut to prevent the individuals from being able to get out on their own. Also charged is Brandon Lajohn Hargrove, Houston, and Jose Luis Castellanos-Hercules, an illegal alien from Honduras. They allegedly transported 55 illegal aliens in a hidden compartment in a produce trailer near San Ygnacio. According to the complaint, multiple heavy pallets blocked the access door and prevented the aliens from being able to leave on their own. Once authorities discovered them, the aliens had to crawl through a small door to get out from behind the false wall. Several of the illegal aliens in the cases are also facing charges of illegal entry or reentry.
Also among the notable cases brought as part of Operation Take Back America are charges against 16 foreign nationals illegally residing in Houston for drug trafficking and weapons allegations following an operation targeting Venezuelan nationals linked to the “Anti-Tren” criminal organization. Similar to the criminal activities members of Tren de Aragua have committed, Anti-Tren affiliates allegedly engaged in attempted murder, other acts of violence and threats of such. Some members have been charged with conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and various weapons crimes, with one allegedly being an alien in possession of ammunition.
“The Southern District’s twin priorities are securing our border and the eradication of violent crime. This case implicates both,” said Ganjei. “Operation Take Back America means going on the offensive against transnational criminal organizations to ensure that they cannot take root in our community and endanger public safety. SDTX is going to be unapologetic in carrying out that mission.”
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Alexandria sex offender sentenced to 22 years in prison for repeat child sexual abuse material offensesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria man was sentenced today to 22 years in prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) while on supervised release for a similar offense.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in April 2024, a Kik messaging platform user was reported to be distributing CSAM. Further investigation revealed that the user was Antonio Rudy Gonzalez, 41. Gonzalez requested and distributed images of children, including toddlers, engaged in sexually explicit conduct, to multiple other Kik users. In his messages, Gonzalez indicated that he was “only into kids.” In 2013, Gonzalez had previously been convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of distribution of child pornography. His Kik username at that time was nearly identical to the one used in 2024, and he advertised himself as being interested in “little girls, rape, incest, teens.”
In September 2025, Gonzalez was convicted at trial on two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography for his 2024 conduct.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Strobbe for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Nadia Prinz of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are prosecuting the case.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-213.
Aberdeen Woman Pleads Guilty to Child Sexual Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – An Aberdeen, Maryland, woman pled guilty in federal court today, to child sexual exploitation charges.
Ashley Graybeal, 27, is charged with sex trafficking a child, sexually exploiting a child, and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; Alison M. Healey, Harford County State's Attorney; and Sheriff Jeff Gahler, Harford County Sheriff’s Office.
According to the plea agreement, beginning in January 2025, Graybeal began using her Kik account to contact other Kik users. Graybeal offered other Kik users sexually explicit images of two minor victims, or to perform sex acts with the two children via livestream, in exchange for money. Graybeal then sent sexually explicit images of the two children to other Kik users and received payment for those images through an online banking app. The images were reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through their Cybertipline, in February 2025, and law enforcement acted quickly to intervene and recover the two children.
This case is 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 Attorney’s 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 justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
Graybeal faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child as well as up to lifetime supervised release and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI, Harford County State's Attorney’s Office, and Harford County Sheriff’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Reema Sood who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Monday 2 February 2026
Yankton Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl Resulting in the Death of a Young WomanRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that on January 26, 2026, Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a man from Yankton, South Dakota, convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death.
Evan Nelson, 20, was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in August 2024. After pleading guilty, he was sentenced to 22 years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $8,860.66 in restitution to the victim’s family.
On December 22, 2023, Nelson sold several fentanyl pills to the victim, a 15-year-old female from Vermillion. She took one of the pills and suffered a fatal overdose from fentanyl toxicity. The next morning, her mother found her deceased in her bedroom in the family home. Text messages on the victim’s phone showed she arranged to purchase the pills from Nelson at a gas station near Gayville. Investigators later learned Nelson had purchased the pills from co-defendant Udda Kobaba several days earlier in Sioux Falls. Kobaba was previously sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for his role in the case.
“I grieve for the lost and unfinished life of the fifteen-year-old victim in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Ron Parsons. “Illicit fentanyl and other synthetic opioids trafficked from Mexico and China first hit the streets of Sioux Falls in 2018. Although progress has been made, they remain one of the leading causes of misery and death in our state, especially among young people. But let me say this clearly: I have hope. The United States is deploying every tool and using every pressure point it has to achieve the goal of the total elimination of drug cartels. This prison sentence and the convictions and ongoing investigations of others involved in the trafficking chain are part of that national effort. If you are a drug dealer, get out while you can. Because when it comes to determination, effort, and the deployment of federal resources, I can promise you that we have only just begun.”
“As parents, we want to protect our children from the harmful things in this world,” DEA Omaha Field Division Special Agent in Charge Dustin Gillespie said. “And yet, today a family is mourning the loss of a 15-year-old girl, while the young man who sold her fentanyl now faces 22 years in federal prison. Let this story sink in and let it be the catalyst that moves you to talk with your own family about the dangers of fentanyl and other drugs. The DEA will continue working with our federal, state and local partners to remove this threat, but we need your help to raise awareness to this potentially lethal substance.”This case was investigated by the Vermillion Police Department, the Yankton Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Nelson was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Windermere Attorney Sentenced to over Four Years for Wire and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Amaris Delapena (50, Windermere) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron to four years and six months in federal prison for committing wire fraud and bank fraud. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $194,060.09, the proceeds Delapena obtained from the fraud scheme. Delapena was found guilty by a federal jury on June 20, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Delapena embezzled funds from an Orlando law firm while employed there as a paralegal. Delapena re-routed checks addressed to and from the law firm’s clients and vendors into accounts that she controlled and transferred client payments from the law firm’s account to accounts that she controlled. Between the time Delapena committed the offenses and her trial, she earned a law degree and became a licensed attorney in Florida.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.
Wilmington Man Lures Child into Sex Trafficking and Kiddie Porn, Gets over 13 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Jesse Lonzo Teal, 73, to 13.5 years in federal prison for luring a minor into sex trafficking and producing child sexual abuse material. Teal pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Teal used the internet to recruit women—including a minor girl—to perform commercial sex at his Wilmington residence. Teal targeted vulnerable victims, struggling with addiction and at least one with low intellectual functioning. He used drugs and alcohol to make them pliable, and then he bullied and belittled them. Teal recorded hundreds of images and videos of the women in sexually explicit poses and engaged in sexual activity, sometimes without their knowledge or consent. Teal offered to sell the minor girl’s body for commercial sex, paid her to engage in sex with him and others, and took child sexual abuse material images of her.
Teal was charged as part of the investigation into Cape Fear Escorts, which served as a front for prostitution and human trafficking for more than a decade. Last year, a federal judge sentenced Christopher Todd Evans, its owner, to 25 years in federal prison and ordered him to pay $200,630.18 in restitution.
“This will not stand. We will not tolerate disgusting creeps who take advantage of our young girls and vulnerable women. This dirty old man can think about his terrible choices in a federal prison until his mid 80s.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The FBI and New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:25-CR-47-M-RJ.
Webster Man Charged with Unlawfully Selling FirearmsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Webster man has been charged by criminal complaint for unlicensed dealing in firearms.
Anthony Pietrowski, 24, a.ka. AJ, was charged with one count of dealing in firearms without a license. Pietrowski made an initial appearance in federal court in Worcester on Jan. 30, 2026.
According to the charging documents, in the summer of 2025, an investigation began into Pietrowski. It is alleged that Pietrowski sold numerous firearms, including a machinegun conversion device, on four occasions in Webster, Mass. to an undercover agent.
The charge of unlicensed dealing in firearms provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by United States Postal Inspection Service, Warwick (RI) Police Department, Webster Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Worcester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Stendig of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting 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.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Warwick Man Sentenced for Trafficking Two Kilos of CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Warwick man has been sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for trafficking two kilos of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Manuel Jose Miranda, 37, was sentenced to federal prison on January 22, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose, to 60 months of incarceration and four years of supervised release. Miranda pleaded guilty in July 2025 to a charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
“This case reflects the ongoing trafficking of dangerous, illegal narcotics into our communities and the harm that it causes,” said United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda. “Large- scale trafficking such as this fuel’s addiction, violence, and loss throughout Rhode Island and across the nation. Our office will continue working closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these networks and hold those responsible accountable.”
According to court documents, in September 2024, U.S. Postal Inspectors intercepted a package addressed to Miranda’s residence that contained two kilograms of cocaine. The package was resealed and delivered to the residence by an undercover Postal Inspector and remained under law enforcement surveillance. After Miranda retrieved the package from the outside of the residence and placed it in his backpack, law enforcement attempted to stop him as he fled on his motorcycle. He was ordered to stop and get off the motorcycle and the parcel containing the two kilos of cocaine was located inside his backpack.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigation, and the Warwick Police Department.
Violent Domestic Abuser Sentenced to Federal Prison for Pandemic Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A man who laundered $20,000 in fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) moneys was sentenced January 30, 2026, to 33 months in federal prison. Don Edward Williams, Jr., age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 28, 2025, guilty plea to one count of engaging in a monetary transaction with proceeds of a specified unlawful activity.
In a plea agreement, Williams admitted he obtained $20,833 by means of a fraudulent PPP loan in May 2021. Williams’ PPP loan application falsely represented that he had earned over $100,000 in gross income during 2019 from a construction business.
A lender participating in the PPP deposited $20,833 into an account that Williams controlled at a credit union in Cedar Rapids. By 9:00 a.m. that morning, Williams had withdrawn $20,000 of the PPP money in cash. Over the next three days, Williams made an additional $390 in cash withdrawals and spent the remaining government money at a crab shack and a smoke shop.
In March 2022, Williams submitted a PPP loan forgiveness application to the Small Business Administration (“SBA”), which oversaw and guaranteed the PPP. Williams’ forgiveness application falsely stated that Williams had spent the PPP money on payroll expenses, and the SBA forgave the loan.
When federal agents interviewed Williams about his PPP loan in January 2025, Williams repeatedly denied any knowledge of the PPP loan or withdrawing money from a credit union. Eventually, Williams confessed to withdrawing the PPP money from his account.
Williams has an extensive and violent criminal history. Williams has 18 prior adult convictions, including 11 committed while on probation or parole. Williams has four prior domestic abuse assault convictions, including a 2024 incident in which he slapped his girlfriend in the face, pushed her to the ground, grabbed her by her wig, drug her across the floor causing a rug burn, choked her, and punched her head. Williams fled the scene when law enforcement arrived. When officers ultimately found Williams, he refused their orders to stop, and Williams injured an officer during an ensuing physical struggle. Williams’ other convictions in state court include illegal firearms possession, interference with official acts, attempted eluding, false identification, theft, drugs, and burglary.
While on release in his federal case, Williams participated in a fraudulent scheme to defraud an Iowa county treasurer’s office. Williams agreed to register and title a car in his own name even though the car belonged to a felon who was barred from driving. After the felon was cited for driving while barred, Williams agreed to re-register and re-title the car in the name of a third individual so that the barred felon could continue to drive it. Later, the felon was arrested for allegedly driving while under the influence. Williams’ federal release bond was revoked after the scheme was discovered.
Williams was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Williams was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $20,833 in restitution to the SBA. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Williams is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy L. Vavricek and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-32.
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Two Year Prison Sentence for Woman Who Laundered over $20M DollarsRead the Press Release
A New York woman was sentenced today to two years in prison for her involvement in a Chinese money laundering scheme.
According to court documents, Rui Fang Yu, 40, of New York City, laundered over $20 million in proceeds from drug trafficking. Yu accepted large amounts of cash from co-conspirators involved in the laundering of drug proceeds, including from the sale of heroin and cocaine by a drug trafficking organization in the United States linked to a Mexican cartel. Yu used her position as an accountant at an airline ticket consolidator in Flushing, Queens, to launder these proceeds through her employer’s bank accounts. This complex scheme used trade-based money laundering to conceal drug proceeds through business transactions ostensibly made to purchase airline tickets. Ultimately, Yu and the co-conspirators facilitated the laundering of these funds to accounts controlled by co-conspirators in the United States and China.
In August 2025, Yu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit concealment money laundering.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Emily Cohen and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Wang and Robert Pollack for the Eastern District of New York prosecuted the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section's (MNF) mission is to take the profit out of crime, eliminate drug cartels, and protect the U.S. financial system. MNF pursues criminal prosecutions and criminal and civil asset recovery actions involving: financial facilitators who conceal profits for criminals; financial institutions and their officers and employees who violate money laundering, Bank Secrecy Act, and sanctions laws; international money launderers who support transnational organized crime; and the top command and control of international drug trafficking organizations.
Two Individuals Sentenced to 70 and 80 Years in Conspiracy to Sexually Exploit a ChildRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Two individuals have been sentenced for their roles in a conspiracy to sexually exploit a child, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
On Thursday, United States District Judge Anna M. Manasco, sentenced Wisam Sharieff, 44, of Euless, Texas, to 960 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Sharieff was also ordered to pay a $135,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act (AVAA). In June 2025, Sharieff pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to receive and distribute child pornography, and sexual exploitation of children.
In October 2025, Sharieff’s co-defendant Blake Miller Barakat, also known as “Hamna,” 50, of Shelby County, Alabama, was sentenced to 840 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. Barakat was also ordered to pay a $30,000.00 AVAA special assessment. In June 2025, Barakat pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
Using the title of Imam, Sharieff was an online instructor who specialized in Quran recitation and professed to have taught over 25,000 students worldwide. Barakat was one of Sharieff’s online students. According to court documents, Sharieff told Barakat that a person could improve their recitation and become closer to Allah through achieving sexual pleasure. In October 2024, Sharieff and Barakat repeatedly watched and shared adult pornography videos with each other online and then influenced a seven-year-old child to watch these videos. Both defendants further coerced this child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography.
“The defendants’ crimes are among the most appalling of societal and criminal offenses,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “This District will relentlessly pursue criminals that target children. I commend the dedicated collaboration of our law enforcement partners in Alabama and Texas in bringing these defendants to justice.”
“The exploitation of children is an egregious crime that demands immediate and decisive law enforcement action,” stated David R. Fitzgibbons, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Birmingham Division. “The FBI stands ready to exert maximum effort, with urgency and in lockstep with our partners, to protect children and hold these predators accountable.”
The FBI Birmingham’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force investigated the case along with the FBI Dallas-Fort Worth Violent Crimes Task Force, Shelby County Sheriff’s Office (AL), and Euless Police Department (TX). Assistant United States Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
The Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 (AVAA) created new penalties and made several changes to existing child pornography laws. In the passage of this legislation, Congress intended for victims of child pornography to be compensated for the harms resulting from every perpetrator who contributes to their anguish. The amounts received as AVAA special assessments are deposited in the Child Pornography Victims Reserve to pay defined monetary assistance to victims.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Trayvon Kisling Sentenced to 120 Months for Drug and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on February 2, 2026, Trayvon Kisling, 21 years old, formerly of Staten Island, NY, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 120 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release. Trayvon Kisling previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court records, between February 2023 and March 2023, Trayvon Kisling conspired with others to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl in Vermont. During the conspiracy, Kisling possessed large quantities of drugs. Some of those drugs were seized on February 25, 2023, when police in Winooski searched an apartment where Kisling had been staying and recovered 134.43 grams of individually packaged fentanyl; 74 grams of bulk fentanyl; 179.4 grams of crack cocaine; and 398.3 grams of powder cocaine. On March 15, 2023, police encountered Kisling during a motor vehicle stop in Brandon and recovered more drugs from his car, specifically, approximately 450 bags of fentanyl and 40.8 grams of cocaine base. During the conspiracy, Kisling possessed firearms to protect his drugs and drug proceeds. Two of those firearms were recovered from his car during the March 2023 vehicle stop.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the investigating agencies in this case: the FBI, the Vermont State Police, the Rutland City Police Department, the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Winooski Vermont Police Department, Winooski Fire Department and the St. Michaels Fire Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Wendy L. Fuller. Kisling was represented by Richard C. Bothfeld, Esq.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to Five Years for Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and Making a False Claim to the IRSRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Clarence Christofer Ward, a/k/a Khaled Yaqud Mansur-El, has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to five years in federal prison for 1 count of wire fraud, 10 counts of money laundering, and 1 count of making a false claim to the IRS. As part of the sentence, the court ordered Ward to forfeit $4,197,981.28 in proceeds derived from his wire fraud offense. The court also ordered the forfeiture of Ward’s interest in four residential properties in Chattanooga, Tennessee, which were purchased with approximately $1,584,300 in fraud proceeds and were involved in money laundering. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
A federal grand jury indicted Ward on April 30, 2024. He subsequently was found guilty of all charges after a two-day jury trial in September 2025.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in November 2020, Ward electronically filed a tax return on behalf of a trust in his name in which he falsely claimed on the return that his trust had paid over $7 million in taxes to the IRS in 2019. Ward claimed on the tax return that he needed a $4.1 million refund from the IRS. Despite Ward’s claim, IRS records show Ward’s trust has never paid any federal taxes. Before the IRS realized that Ward’s claim was untrue, however, the agency issued a $4.1 million refund. Ward immediately spent the money, purchasing four residential properties and a luxury automobile. He also invested some of the money in brokerage accounts.
“Ward may have been able to fool the IRS into releasing a tax refund through his bogus tax claims,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “However, tax fraud carries significant criminal penalties, and Ward was justifiably sentenced to prison for his crimes.
This case was investigated by the IRS - Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Harrington.
St. Francois County Man Admits Producing Child Sexual Abuse Material Involving Two VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Francois County, Missouri on Monday admitted producing child sexual abuse material involving two underage girls.
Richard James Miller, 41, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to two counts of production of child pornography. On more than five occasions, Miller recorded his sexual abuse of the two juveniles. One victim told investigators that Miller began engaging in sex acts with her when she was 15. The other said she began spending time in his apartment when she was 8 or 9 years old.
Homeland Security Investigations learned of Miller in 2024, when the court-approved search of a New Jersey man’s home uncovered Kik messenger chats with Miller that included images constituting child sexual abuse material. Investigators then spoke with Miller, who admitted engaging in sex acts with young girls at his home in the past, including the older victim. He also admitted exchanging sexually explicit photos with that victim.
Miller is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4. The production of child pornography charge carries a mandatory minimum prison term of 15 years, with a maximum of 30 years.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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 via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
St. Cloud Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Attempting to Smuggle Firearms on Flight to EcuadorRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Jack James Molina (39, St. Cloud) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge John Antoon II to four years and nine months in federal prison for attempted smuggling of goods from the United States. The court also ordered Molina to forfeit the 11 firearms that he attempted to smuggle. Molina pleaded guilty on October 16, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on May 9, 2025, Molina attempted to bring 11 broken‑down Glock semi-automatic pistols and 20 firearm magazines onto a flight from Orlando to Ecuador. The firearm parts and magazines were concealed inside a towel in one checked bag and inside a shirt in another checked bag.
“Weapons smuggling poses a serious threat to public safety both here and abroad,” said Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville and Orlando Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Hemker. “Illegally exported firearms often end up fueling violence, increases crime rates, and destabilizes other countries, including Ecuador. We are committed to aggressively investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to illegally export firearms from the United States. We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to disrupt these dangerous schemes and hold offenders accountable.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Michele Harrington.
Southern Utah Man Admits to Wire Fraud in an $89M Investment Scheme with over 200 VictimsRead the Press Release
ST. GEORGE, Utah – Today, a Washington County, Utah man admitted to his role in a fraudulent investment scheme that resulted in over 200 victims investing over $89 million, with an outstanding loss of over $77 million.
Matthew Shane Perkins, 47, of Washington County, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
According to court documents and admissions made at Perkins’s change of plea hearing, between August 2023 and November 2025, Perkins fraudulently claimed he was a successful day trader with a track record of success. He operated Forged Oak LLC and established a business arrangement with the principal of RentDue Capital LLC. RentDue Capital recruited investors to three separate funds through social media, the company’s website, and meetings with investors. When RentDue Capital received investors’ money, the principal sent the funds to Perkins to day trade.
Perkins made repeated false representations regarding the funds’ performance and balance. This included providing records to RentDue Capital that falsified daily trading performance and altering brokerage statements to inflate the funds’ balance. In early November 2025, for example, Perkins provided RentDue Capital with an altered brokerage statement representing that over $133 million were in the funds. At that time, however, the funds had less than $13 million.
Unbeknownst to investors, Perkins lost tens of millions of dollars in day trading. He also misappropriated millions of dollars from investors for personal expenses, for a down payment on a home, and to purchase a cabin, luxury vehicles, and an airplane, among other things.
In the plea agreement, Perkins agreed to restitution of $77,683,091.96. He also agreed to forfeit money and assets traceable to fraud, including over $13 million, a cabin, an airplane, and multiple vehicles.
Perkins is scheduled to be sentenced July 8, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge in courtroom 2B of the courthouse located at 206 West Tabernacle Street, St. George, Utah 84470.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, St. George Resident Agency and IRS Criminal Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen P. Dent, Joseph M. Hood, and Travis K. Elder of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
South Boston Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Machine Guns and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A South Boston, Va., man was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison for brandishing a machine gun and possessing distribution quantities of cocaine.
Following a two-day jury trial in May 2025, Richard Elijah Jacobs, 27, was found guilty of possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, possessing a machine gun in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
“The Western District will seek firm and swift accountability against those who illegally possess machine guns and other firearms while trafficking narcotics in the Western District of Virginia,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I commend the work of our partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, South Boston Police Department, and Halifax Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their outstanding assistance with this case.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear and unequivocal message: those that repeatedly violate federal firearms laws and terrorize our communities will be held accountable. Mr. Jacobs is a previously convicted felon had no right to possess firearms of any kind, much less a machine gun conversion device,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “We are grateful to our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their diligent efforts on bringing this case to justice. We will continue to relentlessly pursue violent offenders and remove illegal firearms from our streets to keep families safe.”
According to evidence presented at trial and sentencing, on February 3, 2024, South Boston Police officers responded to a 911 call reporting that two men in a Jaguar brandished firearms at people in downtown South Boston causing the people to flee. Officers quickly found Jacobs beside the reported Jaguar, parked in a nearby shopping plaza. His chambered and loaded firearms were in the car: a .45-caliber Glock pistol with a 40-round drum magazine beneath the driver’s floormat and a RF-15 pistol behind the driver’s seat, both equipped with machine gun conversion devices allowing fully automatic fire. Inside the Jaguar’s trunk, officers also found thousands of dollars’ worth of cocaine powder, cocaine base, and marijuana, as well as paraphernalia for packaging and distributing the drugs.
Alexander James Hiett, Jacobs’s passenger on February 3, 2024, previously pled guilty to related gun charges and was sentenced to 33 months in prison.
The South Boston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The United States also extends its thanks to the Halifax County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office for their assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Drew Inman and Kelly McGann prosecuted the case for the United States.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 200 years in Prison for New Crime Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Monday sentenced a convicted sex offender to 200 years in prison for a new crime against children.
Judge Autrey also ordered Jason Levi Meyrand, 31, of Jefferson County, Missouri, to pay $6,000 in restitution to his victims.
Meyrand pleaded guilty in August to four counts of production of child pornography. He admitted sexually abusing two children in 2022 and sharing images of that abuse in a group devoted to child sexual abuse material on the social media application Kik. A detective with the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force spotted a posting by Meyrand in the Kik group in January 2023, sparking the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang pointed out in court that Meyrand’s criminal conduct happened about six months after he finished his state sentence for the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl. In 2014, Meyrand was convicted in Bates County, Missouri of child molestation and endangering the welfare of a child.
The FBI, the North Carolina Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Lang prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
SDTX recovers nearly $150 million for victims and the American taxpayer in 2025Read the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of $148,149,674.47 has been collected in combined criminal, civil and asset forfeiture actions in calendar year 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Across all criminal matters, the Southern District of Texas collected $21,572,847.34 in restitution for crime victims and recovered an additional $85,932,764.13 through civil enforcement actions for the American taxpayer. Working with partner agencies and divisions, the Southern District also collected $40,644,063 through asset forfeiture. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
“The Southern District of Texas’ mission is not only to protect the physical safety of our fellow citizens, but also to safeguard the taxpayer from fraud and abuse. Over the past year, my office has pursued an aggressive enforcement strategy to recover debts owed to crime victims and the American people. Those efforts have proven successful. The funds we recovered represent the delivery of justice and concrete results for taxpayers,” said Ganjei. “By imposing considerable financial penalties on offenders, my office will continue to make crime more costly and less profitable. Our case results send a loud and unequivocal message to would-be offenders: crime doesn’t pay.”
One matter that has led to some of the significant collections includes the case against Emylee Thai. She allegedly owned and operated a lab which submitted claims to Medicare for genetic testing that were medically unnecessary, induced by kickbacks and included false statements as to dates of service and diagnosis codes, all designed to improperly inflate reimbursements. She fled the country, which paused the criminal prosecution. However, the Southern District of Texas filed a civil forfeiture action seeking approximately $5 million in real property tied to the scheme. The court entered a default judgment, and the properties were successfully forfeited. The case is being prosecuted in partnership with the Criminal Division’s Texas Health Care Fraud Strike Force.
The district has ongoing proceedings and is also seeking forfeiture in other significant matters to include a Medicare fraud scheme involving $90 million in fraudulent billing. A podiatrist and self-proclaimed CEO of a local medical clinic, David Jenson and Nestor Rafael Romero Magallanes, both of Spring, allegedly conspired to fraudulently bill Medicare for skin substitute products for patients who did not have qualifying wounds – or any wounds at all – and falsified medical records to support these fraudulent claims. SDTX has seized approximately $83 million in alleged fraud proceeds, with nearly $70 million of it in cryptocurrency, and is seeking forfeiture of those monies as part of the prosecution and parallel civil forfeiture matter.
A case out of South Texas charging two family members with illicit oil importation, money laundering and material support to a Mexican cartel designated as a foreign terrorist organization, has also led to significant forfeiture seizures and restraints. Maxwell Sterling Jensen, Draper, Utah, and James Lael Jensen, Sandy, Utah, allegedly funneled U.S. currency to the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion and facilitated illicit crude oil shipments into the United States. The pending criminal case seeks the imposition of an estimated $300 million money judgment as well as the forfeiture of funds, vehicles, oil barges and real properties.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the federal government and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. Restitution is paid to the victim; criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which then distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and assistance programs.
The Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
Remembering FBI Special Agents Alfin and Schwartzenberger on the Fifth Anniversary of their Line-of-Duty DeathsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida stood shoulder to shoulder with our law enforcement family at the Federal Bureau of Investigation Miami Field Office to honor the lives and service of Special Agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger, who tragically lost their lives in the line of duty five years ago while protecting our community.
The ceremony was held beside a flourishing memorial tree and bench bearing a commemorative plaque first presented in prior years. An invocation was offered by FBI Chaplain Rabbi Claudio Kogan, followed by heartfelt remembrances from Special Agent in Charge Brett Skiles, who shared personal stories of Dan and Laura at the Academy, in the field, and at home.
Federal Bureau of Investigation Director Kash Patel attended the ceremony and delivered remarks of compassion for the families and the FBI community. Director Patel spoke of his personal commitment to remember Dan and Laura each day, honoring their dedication to the FBI mission, their resolve to protect the public, and their enduring example that justice will overcome evil. He also announced his approval of a permanent memorial so their sacrifice will be remembered every day.
On February 2, 2021, Special Agents Alfin and Schwartzenberger were executing a court-ordered federal search warrant in Sunrise as part of a violent crimes against children investigation when they were ambushed. Three other agents were wounded in the attack. Their courage exemplified the highest traditions of federal service and the core values of the FBI.
“Five years later, the loss of Dan Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger is still felt across our law enforcement family,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They ran toward danger to protect the most vulnerable, and they paid the ultimate price in service to others. Today we honor their courage, stand with their families and colleagues, and recommit ourselves to the mission they lived every day, protecting our community and upholding the rule of law.”
We are grateful to stand with our FBI family on this solemn day of remembrance. We honor the memory of Special Agents Daniel Alfin and Laura Schwartzenberger, and we will never forget their sacrifice.
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Recognition of National Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – Last month the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Mississippi observed National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and joined the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) in reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting victims and survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month presents an opportunity for DHS and DOJ, through Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) to intensify operational efforts, raise public awareness, and strengthen partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure traffickers are brought to justice.
“This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.”
“Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us,” the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.”
“During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers.”
“Law enforcement must remain vigilant in combating human trafficking,” says Scott F. Leary, U.S. Attorney. “If we relax, for even a moment, our most vulnerable fall victim to the most abhorrent of crimes. Human exploitation can never be viewed as just another crime. It is unconscionable. We work for the citizens of the Northern District of Mississippi. I want them to know that, historically, we have had great success prosecuting human traffickers and that we will continue to root out and push for the harshest punishment for these perpetrators. Human trafficking will remain a top priority for this office.”
Resources are available for trafficking victims and includes response by local, state, and Federal law enforcement. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, assistance is available 24/7 immediately from local law enforcement and through the National Human Trafficking Hotline. A confidential report can be made by visiting https://humantraffickinghotline.org/, calling 1-888-373-7888, or sending a text to BeFree (233733).
Though this a crime occurring globally, trafficking is present at the local level. The United States Attorney’s Office urges citizens in the Northern District of Mississippi to report suspected trafficking.
In Mississippi, you can make a report to the statewide human trafficking coordinator by emailing [email protected] or calling 601-987-1671. Any report involving a victim under 18 being trafficked must be reported to the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services online at https://reportabuse.mdcps.ms.gov/ or by calling 1-800-222-8000.
In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Section 6 of this order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly establish HSTFs in every state nationwide. The HSTF objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States.
In January 2026, DHS and DOJ are surging resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking, including:
- Identifying ongoing investigations and prioritizing featured operations across 45 federal locations and 10 state locations with an emphasis on border states.
- Coordinating with FBI Human Trafficking Squads and multi-agency Human Trafficking Task Forces to conduct victim recovery.
- Partnering with AMTRAK and FAMS to increase law enforcement resources and distribute posters with QR codes for reporting human trafficking in all station bathrooms and trains.
- Running advertisements related to $250 million recovery from Backpage to distribute to victims and additional victim restitution efforts by DOL-OIG.
- Organizing Human Trafficking seminars and outreach events with DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking at high schools and colleges to highlight the role of HSTFs in addressing human trafficking.
On August 25, 2025, HSTF officially launched its effort to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures including:
- 1,041 Sinaloa members,
- 856 Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”) members,
- 641 MS-13 members,
- 456 Tren de Aragua members,
- 1,067 weapons
- More than $3,250,000 in currency
- Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics
Rapid City Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Obstructing Justice by Retaliating Against WitnessRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Rapid City, woman convicted of Obstructing Justice by Retaliation Against a Witness. The sentencing took place on January 30, 2026.
Vanessa Highpipe, 31, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Highpipe was indicted for Obstructing Justice by Retaliation Against a Witness by a federal grand jury in May 2025. She pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025.
Highpipe assaulted the victim in April 2025 with a closed fist causing minor injuries after encountering the victim in Rapid City. Highpipe’s victim previously testified in a federal jury trial where Highpipe’s romantic partner was convicted of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death in March 2025. Following the assault, Highpipe made statements to others admitting that she assaulted the victim because of the trial testimony.
This case was investigated by the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET). UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Highpipe was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Previously Removed Undocumented Mexican National Indicted for $1M Ponzi Scheme that Defrauded Approximately 30 Investors in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed and an undocumented Mexican national living in Utah was taken into custody after he allegedly collected approximately $1 million from approximately 30 investors in a securities fraud scheme, when he was not licensed to sell securities.
Christian Montiel-Caleit, 45, of Mexico, was living in West Valley City, Utah, when authorities took him into custody on January 29, 2026, following a federal grand jury indictment a day prior.
According to the allegations in court documents, beginning about 2021 and continuing to about December 2024, Montiel-Caleit, fraudulently obtained money by deceiving investors into thinking he was licensed to sell securities and successful at making large returns. For example, to secure investments, Montiel-Caleit would lie to investors by promising 100% returns in 12 months, when in fact he did not generate returns as represented; payments made to investors were derived from other investors instead of actual returns, and on a routine basis for years, investors did not timely receive their principal and investment returns as promised.
According to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Montiel-Caleit is in the United States illegally and was previously removed on March 2, 2006.
Montiel-Caleit is charged with securities fraud, wire fraud, money laundering and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. His initial appearance on the indictment was January 30, 2026. A 10-day jury trial is scheduled for April 7, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. in courtroom 7.3 before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the Utah Division of Securities, FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Jacob Strain of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Permanent Resident of the United States Sentenced to Prison After Defrauding the Government through the Diversity Visa Lottery SystemRead the Press Release
A man who came to the United States in 2013 and claimed asylum was sentenced Friday for his involvement in a conspiracy to defraud the government.
Joseph Longanga Okoko, age 69, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, received the prison term on January 30, 2026, after a guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States.
In June 2013, Okoko entered the United States on a visa and later applied for asylum. He then petitioned for several of his children, who were living in Congo, to join him in the United States. In his application, Okoko listed one of his children as unmarried. In a plea agreement, Okoko admitted that in May 2019 his child married Bienvenu Saido Binyangi prior to coming to the United States. Okoko never updated his petition to show that his child was married. Additionally, when filing out an application to adjust his status, Okoko falsely stated that he had never been charged with, committed, or convicted of a crime. However, on December 5, 2019, Okoko was convicted of disorderly conduct, fighting, or violent behavior, in Black Hawk County, Iowa.
Okoko also admitted to assisting individuals in the Congo to illegally enter the United States. Okoko provided false information in immigration paperwork, and assisted diversity visa lottery winners in entering fake marriages so they could enter the United States illegally. Okoko also paid for people to enter the United States but then required repayment at a hundred to three hundred percent of his cost.
Okoko was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Okoko was sentenced to 3 months’ imprisonment and fined $10,000. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Okoko was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on a date yet to be set. Medard Lotahe Elonge, Joseph Onolenga Okamba, and Bienvenu Saido Binyangi, who were charged in the same indictment and have also pled guilty to crimes in the indictment, have yet to be sentenced.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew J. Cole and Nicole L. Nagin and was investigated by the Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service, the United States Postal Inspection, United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Waterloo Police Department, the Sioux City Police Department, and the Iowa Department of Transportation.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2052.
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One leader of violent home invasion robbery crew pleads guilty to racketeering conspiracy involving robbery, kidnapping, and murderRead the Press Release
Seattle – One of the leaders of an armed robbery crew that carried out a series of home invasion robberies in 2022, today pleaded guilty to racketeering and conspiracy to commit RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act), announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Christopher Johnson, 24, faces up to life in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Lauren King on May 6, 2026. Under the terms of the plea agreement, both the prosecution and defense will recommend a 25-year prison term.
According to the plea agreement, Johnson admits he was involved in a pattern of violent crimes allegedly committed by codefendant Kevin Thissel, 29, and their co-conspirators. The plea agreement describes how in the summer of 2022, the men targeted certain families for robberies. To create a climate of fear, the robbery crew burst into homes in the middle of the night, dressed in black, claiming to be police, and with guns drawn. They wore masks and used zip-ties to restrain the victims – including children as young as nine. They would steal any valuables they could ransack from these homes. Tragically, they shot and killed one young mother as her 7-year-old child lay next to her in bed.
Each member of the robbery crew had a certain job: identifying potential victims based on social media posts about their wealth or collections; surveilling the target homes; serving as a driver; kicking in the door; corralling the family; holding the victims at gunpoint; and ransacking the homes for valuables. Some of those participating in this violent robbery scheme were juveniles.
The crimes admitted in the Johnson plea agreement include:
- May 24, 2022, the armed robbery of a family in Mount Vernon, Washington.
- May 24, 2022, the kidnapping of a young boy in connection with the Mount Vernon robbery.
- May 24, 2022, attempted robbery on Mercer Island – one robber fired a gun but did not hit one of three victims inside the house.
- May 27, 2022, burglary of an unoccupied Kent, Washington residence.
- June 19, 2022, the attempted burglary of an occupied residence in Kent. One of the residents fired at the robbery crew causing them to flee
- July 14, 2022, the armed robbery of a couple in Burien, Washington.
- July 28, 2022, the armed robbery of a woman in Kent, Washington.
- July 28,2022, the abduction of the victim in the Kent robbery to force her to obtain cash from ATMs.
- August 12, 2022, the robbery of two Kent residents who were locked in a closet while their home was ransacked.
- August 19, 2022, the Everett armed robbery of a couple and their child.
- August 19, 2022, the murder of one of the Everett robbery victims.
Some of the criminal acts described in the plea agreement have not been formally charged. They can be considered by the judge in determining the sentence and for purposes of restitution.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Johnson will plead guilty to second degree murder in Snohomish County Superior Court for the August 19, 2022, fatal shooting of Irah Marcello Sok. Both sides will also recommend a 25-year sentence to run concurrent with the federal sentence. Johnson is asking that the judge recommend he serve his sentence in the Washington State Prison system. However, Judge King can decide whether or not to make that recommendation.
The case is being investigated by the FBI with significant assistance from the Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, the Mount Vernon Police Department, the Kent Police Department, and the King County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Todd Greenberg and Brian Wynne are prosecuting the case. Former Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michael Lang worked closely with the Snohomish County Prosecutors Office on investigating and charging this case.
Ohio Couple Sentenced for Arson in Profit Scheme to Fraudulently Collect Millions in Insurance PayoutsRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A husband and wife from Willoughby Hills, Ohio, have been sentenced for devising a scheme to collect more than $2 million dollars in insurance money by conspiring to set insured houses on fire.
Lonnie White, 48, was sentenced to 53 months (4 years, 4 months) in prison by Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Lioi after pleading guilty in August to the following charges as outlined in the indictment:
- Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud
- Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering Offenses
- Conspiracy to use Fire in Commission of a Felony
He was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2,375,861 in restitution. Chief Judge Lioi imposed the sentence Jan. 23.
White’s spouse, Lisa Ogletree, 48, was sentenced to five years of probation and 810 days of location-monitored home confinement after she pleaded guilty last August to Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud. Chief Judge Lioi imposed the sentence Jan. 28.
“It’s traumatic for people to see a house in their neighborhood go up in flames, and these defendants shamelessly utilized devastating fires just to line their pockets with money,” said United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio. “Additionally, insurance companies paid out millions in claims—in good faith—only to learn that they were deceived by these fraudsters. We commend the outstanding efforts of the ATF agents on the case and their regional partners who spent countless hours connecting the dots which eventually led to justice being served.”
According to the indictment, White and Ogletree, either personally or through others, bought houses on the east side of Cleveland, transferred the properties to nominal owners with fake renters, insured the property for hundreds of thousands of dollars, arranged to set the house on fire, and submitted fraudulent insurance claims on the destroyed property. White arranged to intentionally set these houses ablaze to make them appear as if the fires were accidental.
After receiving the insurance payments for the fire damage, nominal owners distributed the funds to White and Ogletree, who then transferred the money to other bank accounts for their own benefit and to further their scheme. According to court filings, the scheme involved at least six fires and more than $2.3 million in fraudulent claims from 2013 to 2019.
The investigation leading to the indictment was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Cleveland Field Office.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam J. Joines and Brian M. McDonough for the Northern District of Ohio.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio would like to acknowledge and thank the Cleveland Fire Investigation Unit; the Cuyahoga County Fusion Center; the Ohio State Fire Marshal; Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Office of the Inspector General for their assistance with this case.
ATF is the federal agency with jurisdiction for investigating fires and crimes of arson. Anyone who has information about an incidence of arson should contact ATF at 1-888-ATF-TIPS (888-283- 8477). Individuals may also email [email protected], or contact ATF through its website at www.atf.gov/contact/atf-tips.
New Haven Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Gun and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DIEGO EZEQUIEL GARRO, 24, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 90 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for firearm and drug trafficking offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 18, 2023, West Haven Police arrested Garro after he was found sleeping in a parked vehicle that had a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine containing 34 rounds of ammunition on the passenger seat. During the arrest, Garro attempted to flee from officers in his vehicle and dragged one officer several feet. After Garro was taken into custody, officers retrieved the firearm, and a search of the car also revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, and marijuana; drug packaging materials and scales; and approximately $1,300 in cash.
Subsequent investigation revealed that, in December 2022 and January 2023, at Garro’s direction, an individual had purchased the seized handgun, and at least four other semi-automatic handguns, and provided them to Garro in exchange for narcotics.
Garro has been detained since October 3, 2024. On August 29, 2025, he pleaded guilty to four counts of firearm trafficking and two counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, controlled substances.
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the West Haven Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Pierpont, Jr.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Aaron Dequawn Hardy, also known as “Detroit J” and “John,” 30, of Pontiac, Michigan, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for attempted possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 10, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a controlled delivery of a package to its mailing address in Huntington. Officers found the package had contained 2.2 kilograms of methamphetamine and removed the methamphetamine before the controlled delivery. Officers arrested Hardy when he showed up at the mailing address to retrieve the package.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-49.
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Mexican National Without Legal Immigration Status Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Sex Offense Against a MinorRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Luis Velez was sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 12 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor. Velez has no legal status in the United States and will be deported after serving his term of imprisonment. Velez pleaded guilty in July 2024.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentence.
“The defendant preyed on children, manipulating and threatening them into creating sexually explicit images for his own sexual gratification,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office is committed to holding accountable such sexual predators and I urge parents and caregivers to discuss with their children the dangers of communicating online with strangers and anyone else who may exploit them.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Boston Police Department for their work on the case.
“Luis Velez repeatedly forced multiple minors to create and send sexually explicit images by threatening to harm their families. Velez preyed upon his victims’ fear to satisfy his perverted desires. The FBI will continue to defend our city’s children from sexual predators, especially those residing unlawfully in this country,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle.
As set forth in court filings, in 2022, Velez—a 26-year-old man at the time of the charged conduct without legal immigration status in the United States—posed as a 14-year-old boy and began communicating with an 11-year-old girl (Jane Doe 1) through Instagram. At Velez’s insistence, Jane Doe 1 electronically sent sexually explicit images of herself to Velez, and then Velez threatened to hurt Jane Doe 1’s family if she did not send additional sexually explicit images. Velez communicated with various other minors on Instagram, at times posing as a girl and at other times as a boy in order to obtain—as he had done with Jane Doe 1—sexually explicit images from these minors.
This prosecution is 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 United States Attorneys’ Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca M. Schuman and Stephen H. Petraeus are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
LUIS VELEZ
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-235 (PKC)
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison TimeRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Eli Martinez-Martinez, age 39, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Martinez-Martinez was sentenced to time served, based upon his detention since his arrest on September 5, 2025.
According to documents in the case, Martinez-Martinez was previously removed from the United States in 2011 and 2022.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin F. Wolff.
Lowell Man Convicted of Directing the Robbery of a Mail Carrier Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Lowell Man Convicted of Directing the Robbery of a Mail Carrier Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison
CONCORD – A Lowell resident was sentenced today in federal court for aiding and abetting the robbery of a mail carrier in order to steal mail in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Tyler Savinon, 19, was sentenced by U.S. District Chief Judge Samantha D. Elliott to 18 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In April of 2025, Savinon pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the robbery of a mail carrier.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, Savinon directed two co-conspirators to rob the mail carrier to obtain a proprietary key that would unlock blue mail collection boxes in the Nashua area. Investigators determined that Savinon had used the stolen key to access at least two collection boxes in Nashua—one on Dunstable Road and one on Spring Street.
“Mail carriers perform an essential public service, and they deserve to do their jobs without fear of violence or intimidation,” said U.S. Attorney Creegan. “Today’s sentence holds the defendant accountable for knowingly aiding a crime that put a federal employee and the public at risk.”
“Combating mail theft and violent crimes targeting postal employees is of the highest priority for the U.S. Postal Inspection Service,” said Acting Inspector-in-Charge Nicholas J. Bucciarelli of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “As the law enforcement arm of the Postal Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service leads the Postal Service’s efforts to protect all postal employees, including letter carriers, and ensure the secure delivery of mail to the American public. Today’s sentencing highlights our dedication to keeping our employees safe.”
The United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Nashua Police Department and the Lowell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Z. Krasinski is prosecuting the case.
Lennox Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in the Sioux Falls AreaRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lennox, South Dakota woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 26, 2026.
Ashley Mortimer, 39, was sentenced to 92 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Mortimer was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024. She pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025.
For several months in early 2024, Mortimer operated as a sub-distributor for a California-based drug trafficking organization operating in the Sioux Falls area. Mortimer purchased large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl from the organization, which she then re-sold. At sentencing, Mortimer was attributed to distributing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the DEA, the. U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Mortimer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Last of Eight Defendants Sentenced in $7.7 Million Pandemic Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT– Timothy Boyle, the last of eight defendants in a $7.7 million pandemic fraud scheme targeting the Small Business Administration and numerous state unemployment programs, was sentenced today, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Michigan Division, Megan Howell, Special Agent in Charge United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, Great Lakes Region, and Acting Special Agent-in Charge, Michelle Blank, Small Business Administration-Office of Inspector General.
The eight defendants in this case all pleaded guilty to various wire fraud and identity theft offenses before Judge Judith E. Levy. The ringleader of the fraud scheme, DeAngelo Jackson-Portwood, 42, of Detroit, was sentenced to 61 months imprisonment. Anton Greenwood, 39, also of Detroit, and Adartha Tillman, 42, of Roseville, were sentenced to 42 and 40 months of incarceration, respectively. Maurice Brown-Portwood, 35, of Clinton Township received a 22 month sentence, and Taurean Davis, 44, of Detroit a sentence of 12 months imprisonment. Defendant Christopher Lindsay, 38, of Detroit received a sentence of three years of probation, as did Tyrone Boyle, 58, and his twin brother Timothy Boyle, both of Los Angeles, California.
The eight defendants will pay a total of $7,703,549 in restitution to the SBA and various state workforce agencies.
According to court records, between early 2020 and approximately May 2021, DeAngelo Jackson-Portwood orchestrated a scheme to defraud state workforce agencies by illegally obtaining millions of dollars in pandemic unemployment assistance funds. Jackson-Portwood, aided by his seven-codefendants, obtained the names, social security numbers, and other personal identifying information of numerous unsuspecting individuals. Without those individuals’ knowledge or consent, Jackson-Portwood and his co-conspirators used their names to file over 1,000 claims for pandemic unemployment assistance across 17 states and territory of Guam. The co-conspirators obtained over $5.6 million on these bogus unemployment claims, with most of the losses being borne by the Michigan and California workforce agencies.
DeAngelo Jackson-Portwood’s scheme also targeted pandemic loan assistance programs managed by the SBA. The co-conspirators filed over 575 fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans in the names of various businesses. The loan applications contained all manner of false statements. In some instances, the businesses did not exist. In others, the supposed proprietors of the businesses were in fact identity theft victims. Jackson-Portwood and his co-conspirators obtained approximately $2.1 million from their fraudulent applications targeting these pandemic loan assistance programs.
United States Attorney Gorgon stated, “Today’s sentence concludes one of the largest pandemic fraud cases in our state. Jackson-Portwood fleeced the American taxpayer through a brazen fraud scheme. And we thank our partners at the FBI, Department of Labor, and Small Business Administration for uncovering this crime.”
“The sentencing of the final defendant in this multimillion-dollar pandemic fraud scheme brings long-overdue justice to more than 900 victims whose lives were disrupted by greed and deception,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Among those victims was a nurse working 12-plus hour shifts on the front lines during COVID-19, who then had to fight to clear her name after her identity was stolen. These defendants did not just steal money; they stole peace of mind from hardworking Americans during a national crisis. This outcome was made possible through the relentless work of members from the FBI Detroit Area Corruption Task Force, alongside our federal partners at the U.S. Department of Labor – OIG and the Small Business Administration – OIG. Our office will continue to pursue those who exploit national emergencies for personal gain and ensure they are held fully responsible under the law.”
“The defendants stole from unemployment insurance programs that exist to help American workers during a once-in-a-generation global pandemic,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor. “That kind of fraud directly harms workers and taxpayers alike. Our team will relentlessly protect the integrity of these critical benefit programs and pursue accountability for anyone who tries to game the system for personal gain. I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan and our law-enforcement partners for their strong collaboration and commitment to justice.”
“This sentencing serves as a reminder that fraud is not a victimless crime, and it has no place in SBA lending programs,” said SBA-OIG Acting Special Agent-in Charge, Michelle Blank. “SBA-OIG will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate and pursue those who use stolen personal information to obtain disaster and relief funds.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John K. Neal and Alyse Wu.
Justice Department Sues to Revoke Naturalization of California Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
On Jan. 30, the Department of Justice filed a civil complaint to revoke the citizenship of Erwin Galindo, who committed several unlawful sexual acts with minors prior to naturalizing and, later, withheld his illegal acts throughout his naturalization process.
Galindo sexually abused an 11-year-old child, and he sexually abused and raped a 14-year-old child. After naturalizing, Galindo was convicted in California of two counts of lewd or lascivious acts upon a child and was sentenced to eight years and eight months in prison. His acts and his concealment of these material facts warrant revocation of Galindo’s 2015 naturalization under 8 U.S.C. § 1451.
“This Department of Justice will continue to strip citizenship from those who commit heinous crimes and conceal them during the naturalization process,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “American citizenship is a great and sacred privilege that must be earned honestly.”
“A monster who commits horrific acts of sexual abuse against children should not ever have become a U.S. citizen,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This Administration will not hesitate to take his citizenship back.”
This case is being civilly prosecuted by the Justice Department’s Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit, with assistance from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Convicted RapistRead the Press Release
Today, the United States filed a denaturalization action in the Eastern District of New York against Gurmeet Singh, a native of India, who, according to the Department of Justice’s complaint, concealed and misrepresented in his naturalization application that he had previously kidnapped and sexual assaulted a female passenger of his taxicab. After his passenger fell asleep in the backseat, he drove her to a side street and the passenger awoke to find Singh on top of her with a knife to her throat, telling her to stop resisting if she wanted to live. Singh then bound and gagged her, blindfolded her, removed her clothes, and raped her.
Singh concealed these acts throughout his naturalization proceedings and naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Oct. 19, 2011. After naturalizing, Singh was convicted in New York of Rape in the First Degree and Kidnapping in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
“This Department of Justice will continue to strip citizenship from those who commit heinous crimes and conceal them during the naturalization process,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “American citizenship is a great and sacred privilege that must be earned honestly.”
“This individual’s vile acts prove that he should not have been granted U.S. citizenship,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Singh entered our country through family-based immigration laws, then committed horrible crimes before lying about them to become a U.S. citizen. We will now correct this injustice.”
“The defendant in this case secured U.S. citizenship through deceit, and on the heels of committing the heinous crimes of rape and kidnapping,” said U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr for the Eastern District of New York. “This case, brought to strip the defendant of citizenship that he did not earn and to which he was not entitled, demonstrates our Office’s commitment to protecting the American people and defending the sanctity of U.S. citizenship.”
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and his certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The litigation is being handled by Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla and Assistant U.S. Attorney Layaliza Soloveichik for the Eastern District of New York and reviewed by John Inkeles, Chief, Office of Immigration Litigation, Affirmative Litigation Unit.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department Seeks to Denaturalize Convicted RapistRead the Press Release
BROOKLYN, NY — Today, the United States filed a denaturalization action in the Eastern District of New York against Gurmeet Singh, a native of India, who, according to the Department of Justice’s Complaint, concealed and misrepresented in his naturalization application that he had previously kidnapped and sexual assaulted a female passenger of his taxicab. After his passenger fell asleep in the backseat, he drove her to a side street and the passenger awoke to find Singh on top of her with a knife to her throat, telling her to stop resisting if she wanted to live. Singh then bound and gagged her, blindfolded her, removed her clothes, and raped her.
Singh concealed these acts throughout his naturalization proceedings and naturalized as a U.S. citizen on Oct. 19, 2011. After naturalizing, Singh was convicted in May 2014 in New York of Rape in the First Degree and Kidnapping in the Second Degree as a Sexually Motivated Felony and sentenced to 20 years in prison.
United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi; Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; and Brett A. Shumate, Assistant Attorney General, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division announced the filing of the civil complaint.
“This Department of Justice will continue to strip citizenship from those who commit heinous crimes and conceal them during the naturalization process,” stated Attorney General Bondi. “American citizenship is a great and sacred privilege that must be earned honestly.
“The defendant in this case secured U.S. citizenship through deceit, and on the heels of committing the heinous crimes of rape and kidnapping,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “This case, brought to strip the defendant of citizenship that he did not earn and to which he was not entitled, demonstrates our Office’s commitment to protecting the American people and defending the sanctity of U.S. citizenship.”
“This individual’s vile acts prove that he should not have been granted U.S. citizenship,” stated Assistant Attorney General Shumate. “Singh entered our country through family-based immigration laws, then committed horrible crimes before lying about them to become a U.S. citizen. We will now correct this injustice.”
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and his certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
This case was investigated by the Civil Division’s Office of Immigration Litigation and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York. The litigation is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Layaliza Soloveichik of the Eastern District of New York with Trial Attorney Christopher Lyerla and reviewed by John Inkeles, Chief of the Affirmative Litigation Unit of the Office of Immigration Litigation.
The claims made in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Jury Convicts Gun-Toting Drug DealerRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Grifton man for conspiracy to sell and selling cocaine and crack and possessing guns as a convicted felon and while selling crack.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Kevin Tyrone Eure, AKA “Boo Dro”, 37, was a drug dealer in the Craven County area. Law enforcement confirmed this by covertly purchasing of cocaine and crack from him. They followed up by executing a search warrant at his home in Grifton. Investigators found crack and packaging materials: digital scales and vacuum sealed bags, that he used to package his drugs for sale. Investigators also located a bullet proof vest, over 37 pounds of ammunition, and 12 guns of various sizes throughout his home. He hid the guns in random spots around his home, including in the slot of a toaster and Draco hidden inside a dryer. When interviewed, Eure admitted to selling cocaine and crack for the past eight years throughout eastern North Carolina.
“Selling crack and cocaine is illegal. Stashing a bunch of guns in your house while slinging drugs makes the crime that much worse.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “It’s really easy to avoid this type of trouble: stop selling drugs, don’t have guns if you are a felon. I hope he learns his lesson and doesn’t commit any more crimes when he eventually gets out of prison. He will have a long time to reconsider these bad choices.”
Eure faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to approximately 40 years confinement when sentenced in May.
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. ATF, the North Carolina SBI, the Craven County Sherrif’s Office, and the New Bern Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alison Lester and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Kellhofer prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No.Click or tap here to enter text..
Illinois Man Pleads Guilty for Role in International Fraudulent Market Survey ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Illinois Man Pleads Guilty for Role in International Fraudulent Market Survey Conspiracy
CONCORD – An Illinois man pleaded guilty today for participating in an international scheme to sell fabricated market survey data, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Frank Hayden, 58, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2026.
According to the public record, Op4G and Slice were market research companies based in New Hampshire and Illinois, respectively. Clients would hire the companies to conduct market research surveys. As part of their business model, Op4G and Slice maintained “panels” consisting of individuals potentially eligible to take surveys. Hayden initially worked for Op4G before moving over to Slice.
In 2014, Hayden and several conspirators decided to increase company revenues by generating fabricated survey data. To execute the scheme, the conspirators recruited “ants,” who pretended to be legitimate survey takers but instead were paid a nominal fee for completing surveys that produced false market research data. Some of the conspirators even served as “ants” and fraudulently took large quantities of surveys themselves, receiving significant payments.
To evade detection, the conspirators exchanged instructions with each other and the “ants.” These instructions included directions on how to answer survey screener questions, provided parameters on how long “ants” should remain on surveys, and encouraged the use of virtual private network (VPN) services to conceal real IP addresses.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.