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9 March 2026
Felon Found with Gun Fitted with Glock Switch in Hartford Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DASHAWN DWYER, 31, of Hartford, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 11, 2024, Hartford Police officers attempted to stop Dwyer, who had absconded from state parole and was being sought, as he drove a vehicle on Albany Avenue. Dwyer accelerated, drove recklessly down side streets, and eventually jumped from the moving vehicle and fled on foot. The vehicle came to rest against a fence on Main Street. Dwyer was apprehended a short distance away, and a search of his vehicle revealed a 9mm Glock pistol with a loaded extended magazine, and which was equipped with a machinegun conversion device (“switch”); distribution quantities of cocaine and crack; and $10,257 in cash.
Dwyer’s criminal history includes state felony convictions for robbery, assault, and narcotics offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for June 3, at which time Dwyer faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years. Dwyer has been detained since his arrest.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reed Durham and Sean P. Mahard.
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.
Federal Drug & Gun Charges for Pensacola FelonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Travis W. Carroll, 26, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Carroll appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Bolitho for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for April 6, 2026, at 8:30 am in Pensacola before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Carroll faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine count; up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon count; and a minimum mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Eglin Air Force Base Resident Indicted for Neglect of a ChildRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Devon Mae Witryk, 28, of Pensacola, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging her with one count of neglect of a child. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today.
Witryk appeared for her arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for April 6, 2026, at 8:30 am in Pensacola before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Witryk faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by Eglin Security Forces Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
District Man Pleads Guilty in Kidnapping of Two Victims at GunpointRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kaevon Sutton, 24, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty March 6 in U.S. District Court to federal kidnapping for leading an armed assault on two victims in Northeast Washington, forcing them at gunpoint into their own vehicles, and driving them across state lines into Maryland, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Sutton pleaded guilty before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly to one count of kidnapping which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. Judge Kelly scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2026.
According to court documents, about 1:44 a.m. on May 20, 2023, Sutton arrived with other individuals in a black sedan on the 4900 block of Quarles Street NE. Armed with a firearm, Sutton and his co-conspirators ordered two victims to the ground and assaulted them. Sutton visibly held his firearm as he searched the victims and struck them.
Sutton then forced one victim into the victim’s Nissan Murano at gunpoint while co-conspirators forced the second victim into a GMC Yukon. Sutton coordinated the operation, guarding one victim with his weapon while co-conspirators controlled the other. Sutton and his co-conspirators then drove the victims’ own vehicles — in a convoy together with their black sedan — across state lines into Bladensburg, Maryland.
In Maryland, Sutton and his co-conspirators forced both victims out of the vehicles, ordered them to remove their clothes, and directed them to walk into the nearby woods. The defendant and his co-conspirators then drove away in the victims’ vehicles, leaving the victims stranded in Maryland.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caelainn Carney and Joshua Satter of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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DC Solar Attorney Sentenced to over 11 Years in Prison for His Involvement in the DC Solar Billion Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
Ari J. Lauer, 61, of Lafayette, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 11 years and five months years in prison for his role in the biggest criminal fraud scheme in the history of the Eastern District of California, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
From approximately 2009 to January 2019, Lauer, an attorney licensed to practice law in California, was outside counsel to DC Solar and provided legal and business advice concerning DC Solar’s operations. Lauer’s role gave the scheme legitimacy and diminished any suspicion the investors might have had.
On Oct. 14, 2025, one week before trial, Lauer pleaded guilty to all counts with no written plea agreement. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud, 12 counts of bank fraud, and 10 counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution.
“Without the participation of Lauer, the DC Solar fraud scheme would never have been operational. Lauer used his skill as a corporate lawyer to execute a sophisticated tax scheme to that enabled the largest criminal fraud in the history of the Eastern District of California,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “As the only attorney involved, he should have been the first person to recognize the fraud and stop it. Instead, he was the last person to accept responsibility, only doing so on the eve of trial. Today’s sentence demonstrates that sophisticated fraud will be met with serious consequences.”
“Ari Lauer intentionally used his position as an attorney to provide the illusion of legitimacy to DC Solar’s fraudulent scheme. He hid uncomfortable truths behind claims of confidentiality while profiting from the arrangement and mistakenly assumed that law enforcement would not catch on,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to fraudsters and their co-conspirators. The FBI and our law enforcement partners will unravel lies, seize ill-gotten gains, and dismantle Ponzi schemes like this one to deliver justice to the victims.”
“Mr. Lauer’s sentence reflects the extensive harm caused by DC Solar’s long‑running fraud scheme, which deceived investors, disrupted the clean‑energy market, and left real victims in its wake,” said Linda Nguyen, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office. “White‑collar crime is not victimless. IRS‑CI used its unmatched financial‑investigative expertise and worked closely with federal law enforcement partners to follow the money, uncover the truth, and help secure justice for those harmed.”
“Mr. Lauer and his co-defendants abused the system and victimized investors to enrich themselves,” noted FDIC OIG Special Agent in Charge Ryan Korner. “We are proud to have worked alongside our law enforcement partners to hold the defendants accountable and bring justice to victims. FDIC OIG will continue to work tirelessly to help victims, keep the system uncorrupted, and ultimately protect our Nation’s Financial System.”
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2018, DC Solar manufactured mobile solar generators that were mounted on trailers. The company touted the versatility and environmental sustainability of the generators and claimed that they were used to provide emergency power to cellphone towers and lighting at sporting and other events. A significant incentive for investors was generous federal tax credits due to the solar nature of the generators. Martinez residents Jeff Carpoff, 55, his wife Paulette Carpoff, 52, and their co-conspirators solicited investors to invest in the generators in large multimillion-dollar transactions using a variety of fraudulent techniques.
A key part of the fraud was that investors would never actually take possession of the generators. Instead, DC Solar typically leased those generators back from the investors and claimed to sublease them to third parties to generate revenue. In reality there was very little actual third-party rental demand for the generators, yet when Lauer and the other co-conspirators learned this, they continued to represent to investors that the rental market for the generators was robust.
In June 2012, Lauer, Jeff Carpoff, and others met to discuss the failure to generate third-party lease revenue sufficient to meet their financial obligations to the investors. The conspirators agreed to conceal that lack of third-party lease revenue from current and prospective investors, by, among other things, making periodic transfers of investor money from one account to another and misrepresent that the flow of funds was third-party lease revenue. Lauer and other members of the conspiracy created a circular payment system they referred to as “re-rent.” In 2014, they created a “re-rent agreement,” backdating the document to 2011, and used it to explain the large sums of money being transferred from one account to another. In fact, the real source of money was new investor money, which was being used to pay obligations to existing investors. Lauer and other members of the conspiracy prepared sublease agreements with “concealed addendums” that materially altered the terms of the contracts. They used the sublease agreements to defraud investors.
Between March 2011 and Dec. 18, 2018, investors invested approximately $759.4 million, and several financial institutions and other investors transferred $152.7 million to DC Solar as part of related transactions for the purchase and lease of generators. In total, DC Solar closed transactions with investors that contributed more than $912 million to purchase generators. Those transactions were purported to involve approximately 17,000 generators, at approximately $2.5 billion in value.
During the conspiracy, approximately 94% to 95% of the lease revenue on the books was actually intercompany transfers disguised as new investor money. In truth, third-party end-user demand for generators never exceeded 5% of the revenue that was claimed.
On Dec. 19, 2025, the California State bar put Lauer on “involuntary inactive status” due to his conviction in this case.
The FBI, IRS-CI, and the FDIC OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Audrey B. Hemesath and Nicholas M. Fogg prosecuted the case.
The status of the other seven defendants is as follows:
- Jeff Carpoff was sentenced on Nov. 9, 2021, to 30 years in prison and ordered to pay $790.6 million in restitution.
- Paulette Carpoff was sentenced on June 28, 2022, to 11 years and three months in prison.
- Joseph W. Bayliss, 50, of Martinez, was sentenced on Nov. 16, 2021, to three years in prison and ordered to pay $481.3 million in restitution.
- DC Solar CFO Robert A. Karmann, 59, of Clayton, was sentenced on April 12, 2022, to six years in prison and ordered to pay $624 million.
- Alan Hansen, 54, was sentenced on May 31, 2022, to eight years in prison.
- Ryan Guidry, 49, of Pleasant Hill, was sentenced on Jan. 31, 2023, to six years and six months in prison and ordered to pay $619,415,950 in restitution.
- Ronald J. Roach, 57, of Walnut Creek, pleaded guilty to criminal offenses related to the fraud scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on April 13, 2026. Roach faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
D.C. Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Stabbing and Killing a Man Defending a Woman and Her BabyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephen Herring, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced Friday in the killing of Marcus Thurman in August 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Herring pleaded guilty on November 7, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder while armed. On March 6, 2026, the Honorable Judge Danya Dayson sentenced Herring to the prison term to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at approximately 5:10 am, on August 22, 2023, Metropolitan Police Department received a call for a stabbing in front of 140 M Street, NE. Upon their arrival, they found the victim, Marcus Thurman, unconscious and unresponsive, suffering from an apparent stab wound to the upper chest. Responding police and medical personnel conducted life saving measures as well as CPR on the scene. The victim was transported to Washington Hospital Center where on September 4, 2023, he died from his injuries.
On the day of the incident the defendant was involved in an altercation with a female victim that led to the defendant physically assaulting the victim. Upon seeing this, Thurman tried to intervene and protect the female victim. The female victim was also with her infant son who was in a baby stroller nearby. The defendant—obviously unhappy and enraged by Marcus’ attempt to protect the young woman—left the area and returned to the scene shortly thereafter armed with a knife. Surveillance video captured the defendant stabbing the victim and multiple eyewitnesses on the scene identified Stephen Herring as a suspect. Herring fled the scene shortly after the attack.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke, who prosecuted the case.
2023 CF1 005866
Christian County Man Sentenced to 130 Months in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Christian County man was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Brian C. Wimes to 130 months in federal prison without parole, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
Lucas Paul Robertson, 42, was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including robbery in the first degree, unlawful use of a weapon, burglary in the second degree, resisting or interfering with a felony arrest, distribution of a controlled substance, domestic assault, burglary in the first degree, robbery in the first degree, armed criminal action, unlawful possession of a firearm, and burglary in the first degree. In October 2024, Robertson had an active felony warrant for unlawful possession of a firearm and domestic assault, and a second active felony warrant for trafficking drugs in the first degree. A tip allowed the United States Marshal Service’s Midwest Violent Fugitive Taskforce to locate and apprehend Robertson as he made a visit to a U.S. Post Office on Oct. 29, 2024. During a search of Robertson’s vehicle, which he drove to the post office, law enforcement located a loaded Taurus International, model G2, 9mm semi-automatic pistol, methamphetamine, alprazolam, marijuana, and drug paraphernalia.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Christian County, Missouri, Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshal Service, and the Midwest Violent Fugitive Task Force.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Chiropractor Sentenced to 43 Months in Prison for $14.9 Million Health Care Fraud and Kickback Scheme Related to Durable Medical Equipment and Cancer Genetic TestingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Georgia chiropractor was sentenced to 43 months in prison for her role in a $14.9 million health care fraud and illegal kickback conspiracy, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
“This defendant built a business model around fraud—using kickbacks, sham arrangements, and medically unnecessary equipment to siphon millions from Medicare. Health care programs exist to serve patients, not to bankroll schemes like this one. Today’s sentence holds her accountable and underscores that those who abuse our federal health care system for profit will face serious consequences.”
- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
Teflyon Cameron, 59, of Powder Springs, Georgia, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz on March 2, 2026, in Newark federal court to an Information charging her with conspiracy to commit health care fraud and conspiracy to violate the Federal Anti-Kickback statute.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
For several years, Cameron conspired to defraud health insurers, including Medicare, by causing the submission of claims for medically unnecessary Durable Medical Equipment (DME) and Cancer Genetic Tests (CGx). In total, Cameron and her conspirators caused a loss to Medicare of more than $14.9 million, and Cameron pocketed more than $1.3 million in fraud proceeds.
Cameron and her conspirators owned, operated, and had a financial interest in DME companies through which they obtained doctors’ orders for durable medical equipment, namely orthotic braces, for Medicare beneficiaries without regard to medical necessity. Cameron and her conspirators obtained DME orders using marketing call centers and telemedicine companies, caused the submission of false and fraudulent claims to Medicare, and paid illegal kickbacks.
Cameron and her conspirators also owned, operated, and had a financial interest in a CGx company through which she agreed to provide a clinical laboratory with leads of beneficiaries who were qualified to receive federal health care benefits for cancer genetic tests. Cameron submitted invoices to the clinical laboratory seeking payment on a per-lead basis, but entered into a sham agreement to disguise kickback and bribe payments.
Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited the following law enforcement organizations with the investigation leading to the sentencing: the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz; and U.S. Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christopher M. Silvestro.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit.
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Defense counsel:
Melissa L. Jampol, Esq.
Chinese Telecommunications Company Fined $50 Million for Conspiring to Steal Technology from Motorola SolutionsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal judge in Chicago has fined a Chinese telecommunications company $50 million for criminally conspiring to steal proprietary technology from Illinois-based Motorola Solutions, Inc.
Beginning in 2006, China-based HYTERA COMMUNICATIONS CORP. LTD. recruited and hired Motorola employees and directed them to take proprietary and trade secret information from Motorola without authorization. The stolen information related to Motorola’s digital mobile radio technology, which Motorola had developed through years of research and design. The engineers used the stolen information, including source code, to develop products for Hytera—at a fraction of the cost that it took Motorola to develop the exclusive technology—and competed with Motorola in the digital radio market through 2020.
Hytera pleaded guilty last year in the Northern District of Illinois to a federal charge of conspiracy to steal trade secrets. In addition to the $50 million fine, U.S. District Judge John J. Tharp, Jr. on Thursday sentenced Hytera to a five-year term of probation, which includes conditions for maintaining an effective compliance program and annual reporting of the program to the government. Judge Tharp found that Hytera caused Motorola to lose $214 million in profits, but restitution was offset in full by payments previously made by Hytera as a result of a civil judgment.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas P. Peabody and Wesley A. Morrissette of the Northern District of Illinois.
Seven Hytera employees were indicted in 2021 in federal court in Chicago for their alleged roles in the thefts from Motorola. One of them—GEE SIONG KOK—pleaded guilty in 2022 to a federal charge of conspiracy to steal trade secrets. As part of a plea agreement, Kok agreed to cooperate with the government in its investigation. Kok is awaiting sentencing. Warrants have been issued for the arrests of the six other defendants.
Child Predator Flagged by Kik for Sharing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A child predator living in Tulsa was sentenced today for Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Terence C. Kern sentenced Walter Zachary Treat, 31, to 135 months imprisonment, followed by ten years of supervised release. Upon his release, Treat will be required to register as a sex offender and is prohibited from looking at sexually explicit materials, such as pornography. Judge Kern further ordered Treat to pay $3,000 in restitution.
In 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from Kik that a user was sharing videos that showed children being sexually abused. Tulsa County deputies began investigating the tip and discovered that Treat was the user. A search warrant was executed at his home, and several electronic devices were seized. While speaking with investigators, Treat admitted to receiving and sharing images and videos of children being sexually abused.
When investigators reviewed Treat’s devices, they found 18 videos and more than 60 images, including prepubescent children being sexually abused. Additionally, investigators saw that Treat was chatting with someone on Facebook about luring children into bathrooms so he could sexually assault them. The images and videos found on his devices were sent to the National Child Victim Identification System, managed by the NCMEC, for identification. Twenty-three individuals were identified and allowed to submit victim impact statements to the court.
Treat was detained in November 2025 and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, local, and tribal resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Bristol Man Sentenced to More Than 11 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics from New Britain Car DealershipRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that WILFREDO ORTIZ, also known as “Will” and “P,” 45, of Bristol, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 135 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for trafficking narcotics from a car dealership in New Britain.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2024, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and New Britain Police Department investigated a drug trafficking organization, headed by Ortiz, that was operating out of Supreme Automotive, a car dealership located on Main Street in New Britain. The investigation included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical and electronic surveillance, and several controlled purchases of narcotics, primarily cocaine, from Ortiz and other members of the conspiracy. Three controlled purchases from Ortiz involved more than a kilogram of cocaine. Intercepted communications also revealed Oritz’s connection to firearms.
Ortiz and other members of this drug trafficking organization were arrested on November 14, 2024. In association with the arrests, investigators conducted court authorized searches of Supreme Automotive and residences and other locations connected to the drug trafficking organization and seized more than five kilograms of cocaine, more than 200 grams of fentanyl, approximately 30 grams of heroin, a kilogram press, seven firearms, ammunition, approximately $75,000 in cash, and 26 vehicles.
Ortiz has been detained since his arrest. On November 10, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
In 1999, Ortiz was sentenced in New Britain Superior Court to 27 years of imprisonment for murder and robbery offenses stemming from a convenience store robbery in August 1998 during which a codefendant shot and killed one employee and wounded another employee.
This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, the Connecticut Department of Correction, the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Police, and the New Britain, Hartford, West Hartford, Waterbury, Naugatuck, East Hartford, Brookfield, Milford, Norwich, Orange, North Haven, Meriden, Berlin, and Manchester Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth, Reed Durham, and David Nelson.
Berkshire County Man Sentenced to Prison for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Adams, Mass. man has been sentenced for sexual exploitation of children and producing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Brian Warner, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 28 years in prison, to be followed by seven years of supervised release. An amount of restitution will be determined at a hearing scheduled for June 11, 2026. In November 2025, Warner pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children. He has remained in federal custody since his May 2024 arrest.
Over a six-year period, Warner repeatedly abused a child for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Searches of Warner’s devices showed that he possessed hundreds of images of CSAM, including imagery of a child known to him.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Attorney Pleads Guilty to Tax Offenses, Agrees to Pay $2.8 Million in RestitutionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that MICHAEL SIMES, 50, of Newtown, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to offenses related to his failure to file tax returns, and acknowledged that he failed to pay more than $3.1 million in taxes, penalties, and interest owed.
According to court documents and statements made in court, for the 2013 tax year and the 2016 through 2022 tax years, Simes, an attorney, failed to file U.S. Individual Income Tax Returns, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS of $1,876,307 on gross income of more than $5.6 million. For the 2016 through 2020 tax years, Simes requested filing extensions until October of each year, but still failed to file and pay the taxes he owed.
In addition, Simes filed tax returns for the 2012, 2014, and 2015 tax years, but he paid only a fraction of taxes reported as due, thereby incurring substantial penalties and interest.
Simes has agreed to pay restitution of the presently outstanding balance of $2,871,676.
Simes pleaded guilty to three counts of failure to file a tax return. Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for June 8, at which time Simes faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three years. Simes is released on a $40,000 bond pending sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Armed Career Criminal Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Shabazz Naeem Caradine, a multi-convicted felon, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D. P. Marshall, Jr.
A federal grand jury indicted Caradine, 35, of North Little Rock, in a two-count Indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machinegun. On October 16, 2025, Caradine pleaded guilty to the two counts in the Indictment. In addition to the 15-year sentence, Caradine also received a 10-year sentence for possession of a machinegun, with the two sentences to be served concurrently. Judge Marshall also sentenced Caradine to three years’ supervised release for each count. There is no parole in the federal system.
An investigation revealed that on August 16, 2024, officers with the North Little Rock Police Department observed Caradine riding a bicycle at night without a red light on the back in the middle of Highway 161 in North Little Rock. Officers conducted a stop to advise Caradine of the dangers of operating a bicycle in the roadway without proper equipment. While talking with Caradine, officers observed Caradine sweating profusely, crouching down, and becoming agitated. As officers attempted to pat down Caradine, he fled on foot and while fleeing, officers observed him drop a Glock 19 9mm firearm. The firearm had a machinegun conversion device attached to the rear of the firearm, allowing it to operate as a fully automatic weapon. Caradine was apprehended by officers and during an interview, Caradine admitted that he purchased the firearm and knew that it had a Glock machinegun conversion device attached and how it functioned.
Caradine has at least three prior convictions for a violent felony offense and is therefore classified as an armed career criminal. His criminal history includes convictions for residential burglary, theft of property, aggravated assault, first-degree terroristic threatening, aggravated assault on a family or household member, third-degree domestic battery, and fleeing.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the North Little Rock Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Reese Lancaster.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Arlington Man Pleads Guilty to Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Arlington man pleaded guilty on March 6, 2026 in federal court in Boston to a drug conspiracy. The defendant conspired with a codefendant, who is a Vice Lord gang member on parole from a state prison sentence during these offenses.
Jonathan Perry, a/k/a “Peazy,” 26, of Arlington, Mass., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for June 2, 2026.
Perry is a relative and coconspirator of Keith Harlow in the distribution of controlled substances. A review of Perry’s cellphone seized during his arrest on state charges on May 29, 2025 revealed that Perry and allegedly Harlow worked together to distribute controlled substances and sell firearms throughout Massachusetts. It is further alleged that, in text message communications with Harlow, they discussed robberies and using firearms to shoot at various individuals. At the time of the alleged offenses Perry and Harlow were prohibited from possessing firearms due to numerous prior felony convictions, including Perry’s youthful offender conviction of manslaughter. At the time of all the messages, Harlow was also still on parole following his multiple concurrent state prison sentences and Perry was on probation for a domestic violence offense.
According to the charging documents, Harlow is a member of a Vice Lords chapter known as the Four Corner Hustlers. Known by his street name “Lord Savage,” Harlow has been convicted of multiple prior armed robberies and, at the time of the alleged offenses, was on parole from multiple six to 10-year concurrent state prison sentences.
It is alleged that during a search of Harlow’s residence on May 29, 2025, multiple firearm receivers, suspected firearm suppressors, machinegun conversion devices, 3D printers and firearm manufacturing supplies were recovered. Approximately 100 grams of suspected cocaine was allegedly found in the residence as well.
The charge of conspiring to distribute controlled substances provides for a maximum penalty of up to 20 years, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; David E. Sullivan, Northwestern District Attorney; and Athol Police Chief Craig Lundgren made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the United States Marshals Service; the Franklin County House of Correction; and Massachusetts Department of Correction. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
6 March 2026
Wilmington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – A Wilmington man with prior felony convictions pleaded guilty on March 3, 2026, to illegally possessing a loaded firearm. Chief U.S. District Judge Colm. F. Connolly accepted the plea.
According to court records, Mustafa Darien Wescott, 24, was approached by Wilmington Police Department officers while walking in Wilmington’s Brandywine Village neighborhood on September 29, 2024. After officers instructed him to stop, Wescott fled on foot. During a brief pursuit, Wescott pulled a loaded Ruger EC9S 9mm semi-automatic handgun from his pants pocket and threw it away before surrendering to the police. At the time of the incident, Wescott was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of multiple prior felony convictions.
Wescott pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is scheduled for July 9, 2026.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Wilmington Police Department are investigating the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-116.
Violent Wake County Felon Gets 15 Years in Federal Prison for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Christopher Antonio Gilmore, 34, to 15 years in prison for committing an armed bank robbery.
According to court records and evidence presented at sentencing, Gilmore entered a First Citizen’s Bank in Raleigh wearing sunglasses and a mask and armed with a loaded gun. Gilmore fired a bullet when he entered the bank. The bullet struck a cabinet just outside of the bank manager’s office. The manager sat in the office but, by the grace of God, the cabinet stopped the bullet before it hit her. Gilmore pointed the gun at two bank tellers and ordered them to fill his backpack with money. The tellers put over $20,000 in the backpack along with a GPS tracker. Gilmore then forced the tellers to lay down behind the teller counter, yelling, “Everybody get in the back! Heads down or I’ll start shooting again!” He then waved the gun at the manager ordering her to leave her office and join the tellers on the floor. Gilmore did not know there was another employee hid in the breakroom. That employee called 911.
Gilmore fled, but Officers with Raleigh Police Department (RPD) found Gilmore within minutes of the robbery at a nearby tire shop. When they arrested Gilmore, the officers found the gun used during the robbery, which he had stolen, the backpack filled with cash, and a high-capacity magazine for the gun.
Gilmore is a convicted felon whose criminal history spans a decade, including convictions for the following, 2015 attempted identity theft; 2019 breaking and entering and larceny; and 2023 assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury, discharging a weapon into an occupied property, and possession of a firearm by a felon.
“This repeat thug should finally learn his lesson.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Thank God he didn’t kill any of these citizens, though he recklessly tried. We will continue to prosecute and remove vicious threats like this to allow our good citizens to live without fear.”
"The violent nature of Mr. Gilmore's actions are reprehensible. To barge into a bank where people are conducting business or accessing their own hard-earned money and endanger their lives is ruthless, reckless, and justifies a long federal prison sentence, said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Aubart and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Dixon, and Jaren Kelly prosecuted the case. Agencies involved in the investigation include the FBI’s Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force and Raleigh Police Department.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00121-FL.
Venezuelan Nationals Charged with "Jackpotting" Scheme to Steal Cash from Bank ATMsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal Grand Jury has charged ENDER ENRIQUE MUNOZ PEREZ, 30, and ANGEL RAPHAEL MEDINA-TAGUARIPANO, 24, both Venezuelan nationals, with conspiracy to commit bank theft and bank theft, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to court records, between January 19 and January 20, 2026, Perez, Medina-Taguaripano, and other coconspirators traveled to multiple Arvest Bank ATM locations in Chickasha, Moore, and Norman, Oklahoma. Court records allege that once at the banks, the coconspirators “jackpotted” the machines by gaining access to the ATMs’ computer systems and installing malware. It is alleged that the malware gave the defendants control of the ATMs, allowing them to command the machines to dispense cash. Through the jackpotting scheme, the defendants allegedly stole approximately $235,500 from the various ATMs.
On March 3, 2026, a federal Grand Jury returned a three-count indictment against Perez and Medina-Taguaripano, charging them with conspiracy to commit bank theft and two counts of bank theft. If found guilty, the defendants face up to five years in federal prison for conspiracy and up to ten years in federal prison for bank theft, and fines of up to $250,000 for each count.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that the defendants are innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle London is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
United States Files Civil Forfeiture Complaints Against $15M in Funds Allegedly Linked to Iranian Oil Shipping NetworkRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice filed two civil forfeiture complaints today in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against more than $15.3 million allegedly used to fund an illicit Iranian oil distribution network. According to the complaints, the funds are subject to forfeiture because they afford a person a source of influence over the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the IRGC Quds Force (IRGC-QF), and are intended to promote ongoing violations of U.S. sanctions imposed under the International Economic Emergency Powers Act (IEEPA). The IRGC and the IRGC-QF are designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs).
The complaints allege that Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani (Shamkhani) has operated a network consisting of companies and individuals (the Shamkhani Network) engaged in selling and shipping Iranian oil and other commodities in violation of U.S. sanctions and obfuscating the source of the oil and role of Iranian persons and entities in the transactions. According to the complaints, the funds in question were being used to operate multiple distribution companies in the Shamkhani Network.
According to the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) of the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which sanctioned Shamkhani on July 30, 2025, Shamkhani is “the son of Ali Shamkhani, a top political advisor to the Supreme Leader of Iran.” Ali Shamkhani is the former head of Iran’s National Defense Council, according to the complaints.
In sanctioning Shamkhani, OFAC stated that the Shamkhani Network “comprises a vast fleet of vessels, ship management firms, and front companies — some posing as legitimate financial services firms — that launder billions in profits from global sales of Iranian and Russian crude oil and other petroleum products, most often to buyers in China.” OFAC further stated that “[t]he network employs significant measures to disguise its operations and obfuscate its ties to the Shamkhani family, Iran, and Russia.”
“Under President Trump's leadership, we have ZERO tolerance for foreign actors using the U.S. financial system to prop up our nation's enemies,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This defendant was allegedly supporting the IRGC with millions of dollars in violation of U.S. sanctions — he will now pay a heavy price.”
“Today’s civil forfeiture complaints illustrate the Criminal Division’s steadfast mission to prevent Iranian-backed shadow companies from using the U.S. financial system to support terrorist organizations, in violation of U.S. sanctions against Iran,” said Assistant Attorney General Tysen A. Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Shamkhani and the Shamkhani Network allegedly attempted to clandestinely use U.S. financial institutions to enrich themselves by evading sanctions on Iran and benefit Iran’s terrorist networks. The Department of Justice will use all of the tools at our disposal to prevent the U.S. banking system from being used in any manner to support Iran and its terrorist operations.”
“Shamkhani runs a vast network of shell companies used to evade U.S. sanctions and launder funds for the Iranian regime and its terrorist proxies,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Today’s forfeiture actions reflect the National Security Division’s commitment to dismantling the illicit financial networks that have helped to enable Iran to oppress its own people at home and sow instability abroad, including through funding terrorism worldwide.”
“We will continue to aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against the Iranian regime that has sowed instability and violence in the Middle East,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Working with our partners, we will dismantle the Iranian regime’s ability to fund its illicit activities by seizing and forfeiting any funds that the regime launders through the U.S. financial system.”
“Mohammad Hossein Shamkhani and his network allegedly violated U.S. sanctions by running an illegal scheme to sell millions of dollars’ worth of Iranian oil, and today’s forfeiture complaints seek to seize funds that would otherwise enrich Shamkhani and benefit international terrorist organizations,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “The FBI will not sit back and watch as criminal actors threaten the integrity of our financial systems and jeopardize U.S. national and economic security. With our partners at home and abroad, we will continue following the money and hold accountable all who attempt to undermine international sanctions and fund terrorists.”
“By working alongside our law enforcement partners, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is fulfilling its mission to investigate and dismantle illicit financial networks that attempt to circumvent U.S. sanctions and support foreign terrorist organizations,” said Special Agent in Charge Eric Weindorf of the HSI Washington, D.C. Field Office. “The Shamkhani Network’s efforts to launder millions of dollars through front companies underscore the importance of our work to protect the integrity of the financial system and prevent funds from reaching dangerous criminals. I commend our HSI Washington, D.C. special agents for their hard work and dedication to this effort.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) remains steadfast in pursuing those who exploit the financial system to support terrorist organizations,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the IRS-CI Washington, D.C. Field Office. “We will follow the money, wherever it leads, to protect national security. Today’s filing demonstrates IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners commitment to protecting the integrity of the U.S. financial system.”
According to the complaint filed in case 26-cv-802, $12,973,529 of the seized funds were intended for use by Wellbred Capital Pte, Ltd. (Wellbred) and its subsidiary Wellbred Trading DMCC (Wellbred Trading), two companies that were acquired and operated by Shamkhani and his associates to maintain a “brand” that was not publicly perceived to be affiliated with Shamkhani or Iran. As alleged in the complaint, despite this public-facing image, Wellbred and Wellbred Trading were actually operated by Shamkhani and his close associates, not the nominal leadership of those companies, for the benefit of the Shamkhani Network and Iran. Shamkhani maintained organizational charts and diagrams showing Wellbred’s place in the Shamkhani Network:
Complaint No. 1:26-cv-00802, paragraph 63 Complaint No. 1:26-cv-00802, paragraph 67According to complaint 1:26-cv-00807, $2,400,000 of the seized funds were intended for use by Sea Lead Shipping Pte, Ltd. (Sea Lead) and its affiliate entity, Sea Lead Shipping Agency India PV (Sea Lead India). As alleged in the complaint, Sea Lead and Sea Lead India were intended to provide shipping services to the Shamkhani Network. The complaint alleges that, as with Wellbred, Shamkhani maintained organizational charts showing Sea Lead’s place in the Shamkhani Network:
Complaint No. 1:26-cv-00807, paragraph 66The FBI Minneapolis Field Office; HSI Washington D.C. Field Office; and IRS-CI Global Illicit Finance Team (GIFT) are investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Peter M. Nothstein and Trial Attorneys Mark H. Goldberg, Katlin K. O’Brien and Jonathan C. Lowry of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics, and Forfeiture Section (MNF); Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Barry for the District of Columbia; and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Controls Section (CES) are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
United States Attorney David Waterman Announces Southern District of Iowa Senior Leadership TeamRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – U.S. Attorney David Waterman has announced appointment of the senior leadership team for the Southern District of Iowa:
Andrew Kahl, First Assistant U.S. Attorney. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kahl to continue his service as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, a role he has held since 2022. Kahl joined the Department of Justice 35 years ago and has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 1997. He has previously served as Criminal Chief, Appellate Chief, Senior Litigation Counsel, and as the district’s Professional Responsibility Officer. Kahl is a member of the Iowa State Bar Association, where he serves on the Federal Practice Committee. Kahl is a graduate of New York University School of Law.
Andrea Glasgow, Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Glasgow to serve as the Criminal Chief. Glasgow also continues in her role as the supervisor and Branch Chief of the Davenport Office, a role in which she has served since 2024. Glasgow has 12 years of prosecution experience in both federal and state courts. Glasgow has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2018. Glasgow has successfully led investigations and prosecutions into a broad range of federal offenses including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and child exploitation. She has a recognized specialty in prosecuting overdose cases, including meaningfully contributing to the Southern District of Iowa’s rank as second in the nation in overdose-related drug-trafficking prosecutions. Glasgow is a graduate of Marquette University Law School.
Amy Jennings, Deputy Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Jennings to continue her service as Deputy Criminal Chief, a role she has held since 2023. Jennings has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2011. She has led successful investigations and prosecutions into a wide variety of federal crimes, including drug trafficking, firearms offenses, child exploitation, and sex trafficking. Jennings is a leading expert in federal prosecutions of sex trafficking, and significant contributor to the Southern District of Iowa’s rank within the top five districts nationally for human-trafficking enforcement. Jennings is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.
Adam Kerndt, Deputy Criminal Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kerndt as Deputy Criminal Chief. Kerndt has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2012. Kerndt has led successful investigations and prosecutions into an extensive range of federal crimes, including child exploitation, financial fraud, drug trafficking, and firearms offenses. Kerndt also has substantial experience in threat, terrorism, and national security matters, serving as the district’s National Security and Anti-Terrorism Advisory Council coordinator since 2021. Kerndt is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.
Jason Griess, Branch Chief of Council Bluffs Office. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Griess to continue his service as Branch Chief of the Council Bluffs Office, a role in which he has served since 2023. Griess has served in the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2000. Prior to serving as Branch Chief of the Council Bluffs Office, Griess served as Deputy Criminal Chief and Criminal Chief. Griess is a graduate of the University of Nebraska College of Law.
Kyle Hanson, Appellate Chief. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Hanson to serve as the Appellate Chief. Hanson joined DOJ in 2023, following his more than 15-year career with the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Hanson has handled more than 600 appeals in the Iowa Court of Appeals, Iowa Supreme Court, Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals, and United States Supreme Court. Hanson is a graduate of Drake University Law School.
Richard Westphal, Senior Litigation Counsel. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Westphal to serve as Senior Litigation Counsel. Westphal joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 1997 and has previously served as Branch Chief of the Davenport Office, Criminal Chief, and U.S. Attorney. Westphal has extensive litigation experience and will serve as a district-wide resource and mentor on litigation matters, including pre- and post-conviction motions, contested hearings, and trials. Westphal is a graduate of the University of Iowa College of Law.
Deb Harvey, Administrative Officer. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Harvey to continue her service as Administrative Officer, a role in which she has served since 2012 when she joined DOJ after a thirty-year career with the Army, both in uniform and as an Army contractor. She has extensive experience in the logistics management field and served as a resource manager for several Department of Defense components. Harvey previously served on the EARS audit team and routinely mentors other Administrative Officers. Harvey is a graduate of the University of Maryland with a degree in psychology.
Madison Lancaster, Supervisory Paralegal. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Lancaster to continue her service as Supervisory Paralegal, a role in which she has served since 2024. Lancaster has 17 years of federal service, including seven years at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, following her service with the U.S. Probation Office and the U.S. District Court. Lancaster holds her master’s in criminal justice from Simpson College.
- Charlotte Kovacs, Victim Witness Coordinator Supervisor. U.S. Attorney Waterman appointed Kovacs to continue her service as Victim Witness Coordinator Supervisor, a role she has held since 2019. Kovacs is also a Victim Advocate for the Department of Justice Sexual Misconduct Response Unit. Kovacs has 26 years of victim-centered service in a wide variety of cases, with a specialty in providing victim services in human trafficking and death cases. Kovacs excels at establishing rapport with victims, building trust, and connecting them to resources to aid in a successful prosecution and minimize re-victimization by the system. She is driven by a deep passion for empowering victims while ensuring their voices are heard in the criminal justice system. Kovacs is a graduate of Buena Vista University with a degree in sociology and criminal justice with an emphasis in psychology and human services.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 126 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 126 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On February 27, Ulises Gallardo, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, when the defendant applied for entry into the U.S. in his vehicle at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, Customs and Border Protection officers inspected the vehicle and discovered a human foot sticking out of the gas tank. The officers removed the rear passenger seats and carpet and found an access panel in the metal flooring of the vehicle, secured by what appeared to be weld marks. An officer began to pry open the access panel and found a woman lying in a puddle of gasoline in a non-factory gas tank compartment. She seemed to be in distress, unable to exit the compartment. She was disoriented and had what appeared to be chemical burns on her legs and feet. The woman, a citizen of Mexico without legal documents to enter the U.S., was treated at a hospital. She later told officers she was in the gas tank for about 90 minutes, covered in sweat and soaked in gasoline and unable to breathe. She said she felt very dizzy from the gas fumes and felt like she was burning alive but couldn’t get out because she was trapped inside the gas tank.
- On February 27, Jose Angel Vidal Ayala, a Mexican citizen, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Border Patrol agents intercepted Vidal north of the Otay Mesa Port of Entry in a group of undocumented immigrants. He was previously deported to Mexico through Calexico.
- On March 3, Benny Jesus Niz Ledezma, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered seven packages containing 19 pounds of cocaine concealed in a non-factory compartment behind the radio of the vehicle when he applied for entry into the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending March 6, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 47 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 5 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 22 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 49 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for second degree murder, aggravated assault, drug trafficking, vehicle theft, immigration documents fraud, possession of a firearm by an alien, and prior immigration offenses.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Trumbull Man Admits Defrauding Amazon of More Than $3.5 MillionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that AMEER NASIR, 25, of Trumbull, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to an offense related to his defrauding Amazon.com, Inc. (“Amazon”) of more than $3.5 million.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Amazon Logistics, an Amazon subsidiary, contracts with various interstate trucking businesses to transport both empty trailers and trailers containing heavy loads of freight between cities and between warehouses and fulfillment centers operated by Amazon. Nasir registered 23 trucking businesses with Amazon Logistics. One of the accounts was created in the name of Nasir’s business, Pak Express Transport, LLC, and others were created under false names or by fraudulently using the names and identifying information of other trucking or transportation companies without the knowledge of the operators of those companies. Between approximately December 2019 and February 2021, Nasir used these accounts to sign up for more than 1,000 transportation assignments with Amazon Logistics, manipulated information in Amazon Logistics’ transportation management system to misrepresent that he had completed trailer movements when he had not, and submitted fraudulent invoices to Amazon Logistics that were subsequently paid. Through this scheme, Nasir defrauded Amazon of more than $3.5 million.
Nasir was arrested on May 8, 2025.
Nasir pleaded guilty to wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He has also agreed to pay restitution of $3,547,090.93.
Nasir is released on a $300,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for May 29.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from Amazon. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.
Three Sentenced for Roles in Covid-19 Unemployment Scheme That Stole $669,124 from Virginia TaxpayersRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Three co-conspirators who stole more than $650,000 from Virginia taxpayers by using the personally identifying information (PII) of inmates at Duffield Regional Jail, and others who were ineligible to receive pandemic unemployment benefits, to file false unemployment benefits claims, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.
Jonathan Ricketts, 45, of Duffield, Va., was sentenced today to 84 months in federal prison. He previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. He was also ordered to pay $669,124 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts.
Christopher Woliver, 37, of Big Stone Gap, Va., was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison. He previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. He was also ordered to pay $29,076 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts and Jonathan Ricketts.
Megan Caudill, 39, of Swords Creek, Va., was sentenced today to 30 days in prison and three years of supervised release, with 12 months being on home confinement. She previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and one count of making false statements in connection with emergency benefits. In addition, she was ordered to pay $166,204 in restitution jointly and severally with Farren Ricketts and Jonathan Ricketts.
“I applaud our partners at the IRS, Department of Labor, and the Russell County Sheriff’s Office for their outstanding work on this case. Fraudsters who line their pockets at the expense of taxpayers will face accountability for their crimes,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA) was enacted, expanding eligibility for unemployment benefits to individuals who were not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or had exhausted their unemployment insurance benefits. To receive PUA, claimants had to certify they were unemployed or had their hours reduced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic and file weekly claims. Unfortunately, Virginia paid $1.1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021 in relation to this program.
These conspirators charged in the Western District of Virginia played a central role in contributing to this massive fraud, stealing a total of $669,124 in pandemic unemployment benefits to which they were not entitled.
Specifically, Jonathan Ricketts and his wife Farren Ricketts owned Ricketts Advisory LLC, a company that employed, at times, seven individuals for the sole purpose of filing fraudulent unemployment benefits claims during the Covid pandemic.
While he was incarcerated at Duffield Regional Jail, Jonathan Ricketts collected and sent Duffield inmates’ PII, as well as their signatures, by mail, to Farren Ricketts. She then used that PII to file fraudulent unemployment claims. In total, Ricketts Advisory was responsible for the filing of at least 101 false claims.
Caudill was an employee of Ricketts Advisory. In addition to the $21,368 in direct, fraudulent unemployment benefits she received, Caudill also assisted in eleven other individuals filing for, and receiving, fraudulent unemployment benefits, resulting in $166,204 in unwarranted payments.
Woliver, also an employee of Ricketts Advisory, received approximately $3,270 in pandemic unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled. In addition, recruited others to file their claims through the business, and, as a result, an additional $25,806 fraudulent claims were received by others.
Agencies that assisted with this investigation included The Department of Labor - Office of the Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Russell County Sheriff’s Office, and the Norton Police Department in Wise County.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office, and Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor (DOL OIG) made the announcement.
Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone prosecuted the case.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending.
Three Individuals Sentenced for Attempted Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, the third and last defendant was sentenced for the attempted armed robbery of an employee of JC Jewelers Inc., a company doing business as Oro Centro, a commercial entity that operated pawn shops and jewelry stores in Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, on July 13, 2015, at approximately 6:50 p.m., the victim, an employee for Oro Centro Pawn Shops, was transporting gold from the pawnshops in the company van which was to be delivered for transport in interstate commerce to the continental United States. While driving on Highway 22 near the exit for Luis Muñoz Rivera in Santurce, Puerto Rico, close to the Minillas Tunnel, a white car crashed into the victim’s van. The van’s occupants began shooting at the victim. The victim was struck multiple times by gunshots fired by the assailants. The victim shot back injuring another assailant. The assailants fled without completing the robbery.
The assailants were:
- Josué Pilarte-Suárez: arrested on July 17, 2015, plead guilty on June 20, 2017, and was sentenced on May 19, 2025. He served approximately nine years in prison.
- Luis Resto-Cruz: arrested on October 19, 2018, plead guilty on December 1, 2025, and was sentenced on February 27, 2026. He served approximately eight and a half years in prison.
- Rafael Hernández-Maldonado: arrested on December 14, 2021, plead guilty on December 15, 2025, and was sentenced on March 6, 2026, to serve seven and 1/2 years (78 months) in prison.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeanette M. Collazo-Ortiz, Chief of the Violent Crimes and National Security Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Alum prosecuted the case.
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Texas Man to Federal Prison for Receipt of Child Pornography While in IowaRead the Press Release
Fred Grell, 64, from Angleton, Texas, was sentenced on March 5, 2026, to 8 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty on October 17, 2025, to receipt of child pornography, in federal court in Sioux City.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between about March 1, 2022, and September 19, 2023, Grell received and possessed child pornography. On June 24, 2023, law enforcement received a report of a missing runaway foster child. In July 2023, Grell dropped a minor victim off at the Ida County Sheriff’s Office and left the scene without contacting deputies. During further investigation of Grell regarding this incident, a search of Grell’s phone records revealed two videos and six pictures of child pornography of the minor victim. The minor victim told officers Grell sexually assaulted her, that they had intercourse multiple times in Grell’s semi-truck and home before and after the minor victim’s sixteenth birthday. The victim also told law enforcement that Grell would routinely call her and told her to “keep things off texts” to avoid detection and thwart later investigations.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Grell to 96 months’ imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Grell was also ordered to pay $10,00 in fines and assessments to support victims of child pornography offenses. Grell remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and Ida County Sheriff’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4027. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Tea, South Dakota Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Tea, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on March 2, 2026.
Sean Blanchfill, 48, was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Blanchfill was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 25, 2025.
Blanchfill was part of an organization that obtained methamphetamine in Arizona and then distributed it in and around Sioux Falls. Blanchfill’s role in the group was to distribute methamphetamine and investigators determined he was responsible for personally selling over eight pounds of it. The total amount of methamphetamine trafficked by the organization was over 100 pounds.
“Our law enforcement partners are working around the clock in Sioux Falls and communities across South Dakota to stamp out methamphetamine and other illegal drugs and put the dealers of these toxic substances behind bars,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “With their hard work, and our southern border as secure as it has ever been, progress is becoming evident, as the crime numbers just released by the Sioux Falls Police Department have shown. State, local, tribal, and federal law enforcement are united in this mission. And this substantial federal prison sentence is one more link in the chain.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Blanchfill was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Tampa Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl That Resulted in an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Brandon Lewis Graham (44, Tampa) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Virginia M. Hernandez Covington to 20 years in federal prison for distribution of a substance that contained cocaine and fentanyl that was used and resulted in death. Graham pleaded guilty on March 31, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on March 30, 2022, a man and a woman bought a substance from Graham at a location in Riverview. They went to the woman’s home and used the substance, which they believed to be cocaine. The next morning, the man found the woman in her bed. She was unresponsive and appeared to be deceased. Deputies from the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) responded to a 911 call and found the deceased victim. Investigators also found a clear plastic baggie under the victim’s bra. The baggie contained a substance that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner’s Department conducted an autopsy and determined that the cause of the victim’s death was intoxication by the combined effects of fentanyl, cocaine, and ethanol.
Based on witness interviews, surveillance videos, and evidence from the victim’s cellphone, HCSO detectives determined that Graham, known to the victim as “Homie Boog,” sold the cocaine and fentanyl mixture to the victim. When Graham was arrested on August 3, 2022, he was found in possession of two plastic bags that contained fentanyl and three bags that contained methamphetamine. Graham admitted to selling narcotics to the victim at a gas station in Riverview and told detectives that he had narcotics in his apartment. A search of Graham’s apartment resulted in the recovery of two plastic bags containing fentanyl and cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, the Hillsborough County Medical Examiner Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Michael Sinacore.
Tampa Man Indicted for Attempted Production, Receipt, and Transfer of Obscene Material to A MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Tavaris Marvidis Johnson (43, Tampa) has been charged by indictment with attempted production and receipt of child sex abuse material and transfer of obscene material to a minor. If convicted on all counts, Johnson faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, between August 2 and August 9, 2025, Johnson attempted to use, persuade, and induce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. During the same time period, Johnson knowingly attempted to receive a visual depiction involving the sexual abuse of a minor. Between August 8 and August 9, 2025, Johnson knowingly transferred obscene material to an individual who he knew was under the age of 16 years.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.justice.gov/psc.
Sioux Falls Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing the Fentanyl that Killed Another WomanRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, woman convicted of Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death. The sentencing took place on March 2, 2026.
Anastasia Muggins, 33, was sentenced to 20 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.
Muggins was indicted for Distribution of a Controlled Substance Resulting in Death by a federal grand jury in May 2025. She pleaded guilty on December 11, 2025.
On December 15, 2024, Sheila Eastman, who was born in Flandreau and was an enrolled member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe, was found deceased in her Sioux Falls residence. The coroner concluded Eastman died from fentanyl toxicity. Sioux Fall Police Detectives investigated the case and determined Muggins had distributed approximately 0.1 grams of fentanyl powder to Ms. Eastman. She ingested it and died.
“On December 15, 2025, the one-year anniversary of the death of Sheila Eastman from fentanyl poisoning, this Administration issued an Executive Order officially designating fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “As this case tragically shows, illicit fentanyl is much closer to a chemical weapon than a simple narcotic. Just two milligrams, an almost undetectable trace amount equivalent to 10 to 15 grains of table salt, is a lethal dose. Hundreds of thousands of Americans like Sheila have been killed by the fentanyl smuggled into this country from China and the Mexican drug cartels. We are committed to doing everything we can to put an end to the death and misery these chemical weapons continue to cause.”
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Muggins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Shreveport Man Indicted by Federal Grand Jury for Stalking and Threatening Speaker of the House of Representatives and Threatening President of the United StatesRead the Press Release
SHREVEPORT– On March 3, 2026, a federal grand jury in Shreveport returned a three-count indictment charging Justin Chadwick Butler, a 31-year-old Shreveport resident, with cyberstalking and threatening the Speaker of the House of Representatives and threatening the President of the United States. Butler faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison and three years of supervised release for each count.
“Threats against public officials and our Nation’s leaders are threats to our democracy and our American way of life, and we will not tolerate them,” said United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “For those who would use the mask of internet anonymity to threaten others, the message here is clear: our many state and federal law enforcement partners will track you down, and you will face justice.”
According to court documents, Butler used social media accounts to make a slew of menacing posts directed toward the Speaker while often tagging the Speaker’s social media account directly. These postings included stating, for example, that the Speaker “couldnt [sic] lie so smoothly with bullet holes in his face,” that the Speaker “is a traitor. Death to traitors,” and that Butler “really hope[s] I see lots of dead ICE agents and Traitor Mike with a patriotic bullet through his lying face soon” while also writing that he “think[s] holes in traitors faces is the next step.” Butler further wrote of the Speaker and the President that “[a] real patriot would kill some of these traitors” and that he and others would “drop those two traitors.”
The United States Capitol Police, the United States Secret Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, the United States Marshals Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Gaskins with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller for the Western District of Louisiana made the announcement.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana at www.justice.gov/usao-wdla.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Western District of Louisiana at www.lawd.uscourts.gov or at https://www.lawd.uscourts.gov/cmecf-pacer, under Case Number 26-CR-00088.
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Second Spokane Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Running a Commercial Pill Press Operation in the Hillyard AreaRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano announced that United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice has sentenced Nicholas Adams, 37, of Spokane, Washington to a 20 year term of incarceration, to be followed by 10 years of court supervision upon his release stemming from his role in running a commercial pill press operation out of his residence in the Hillyard neighborhood of Spokane.
According to court documents and information discussed during the sentencing hearing, Adams and his co-defendant Timothy Maddox obtained a commercial pill press via the mail from China and set up a ‘pill press operation’ in the basement of Adams’ residence, mixing powder fentanyl and cutting agents to make their own fentanyl pills for bulk distribution into the community.
Search warrants were executed at multiple locations in November 2023 and yield a massive amount of fentanyl powder, cutting agents, pill press parts, and multiple firearms along with an operational commercial pill press (below). Given the extremely hazardous conditions and contamination of nearly every flat surface created by operating a pill lab, the Department of Ecology assisted in the execution of the search warrant at Adams’ residence.
According to calculations by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the amount of fentanyl powder Maddox and Adams had on hand to produce pills was easily enough to make over 2,000,000 fentanyl pills containing a lethal dose. Put another way, the amount of fentanyl powder they had on hand to make these illicit pills could kill the entire population of Spokane County almost 4 times over.
In addition to their fentanyl pill production, Maddox and Adams possessed large quantities of methamphetamine, along with heroin, cocaine, MDMA, and marijuana. They each also armed with multiple loaded firearms in their respective residences, which included loaded (and chambered) handguns, loaded modified shotguns, and AK-type rifles. In Maddox’s residence, he also had a loaded (with a round chambered) firearm with a “Glock switch” making it a fully automatic machine gun, with a loaded large drum magazine as well as three sets of body armor.
Notably, Adams engaged in this conduct after being repeatedly involved in the criminal justice system. Since 2012, he has repeatedly perpetrated acts of violence against others and then disregarded court orders attempting to keep his victims safe from him. His history also shows a dedication to his controlled substance abuse despite multiple court interventions. In fact, when he was arrested for this offense, he was initially released from custody to attend inpatient drug treatment. However, he continued to use drugs and was returned to custody.
“Stopping the production and flow of fentanyl into our communities is one of the most challenging crises we face as law enforcement. This is a matter of importance as it will protect public health. This investigation and prosecution provide a tremendous example of the collaborative approach we take to fighting this serious and ever-increasing threat to our communities,” said First Assistant Serrano. “The volume of fentanyl that this investigation took of the street is truly staggering. I cannot overstate the impact our team made here, by identifying a repeat criminal who was manufacturing vast quantities of this deadly drug while heavily armed. Removing him for decades will protect this community in ways seen and unseen. We want the public to know that these threats exist and that our team is working tirelessly to combat them wherever and whenever they appear.”
“This 20-year sentence advances DEA’s unwavering commitment to a Fentanyl Free America,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “By possessing massive amounts of fentanyl powder and operating a commercial pill press capable of producing more than two million potentially lethal fentanyl pills, the defendant was directly placing lives in Spokane County at risk. Fentanyl Free America is our nationwide effort to disrupt the fentanyl supply chain, reduce its availability, and save American lives through relentless enforcement, education, increased public awareness, and strong strategic partnerships. Together, we will continue working to Make America Fentanyl Free.”
“HSI Seattle and its partners have removed a major public safety threat by securing decades long sentences for both defendants in one of Eastern Washington’s largest fentanyl pill manufacturing cases,” said HSI Seattle Acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “With both Adams and his co-conspirator Maddox now behind bars, HSI has safeguarded the community and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting the American people. By shutting down their makeshift lab in a residential community, HSI helped eliminate an operation capable of producing over two million deadly pills—saving countless lives and protecting families from harm.”
“I am very pleased with news of the successful investigation, prosecution, and conviction of the people in this case.” Said Sheriff Nowels. “Those convicted clearly presented a danger to our entire region as they made the decision to flood our community with Fentanyl and other lethal drugs. This case highlights the importance of unwavering relationships and cooperation between local law enforcement and all our federal partners to bring justice and safety to Spokane and surrounding communities.”
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Regional Anti-Violence Enforcement & Narcotics (RAVEN) Task Force, and the Spokane Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin Baunsgard.
2:23-CR-00143-TOR-2Romanian National to be Sentenced for Participation in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Romanian national who participated in a large-scale fraud scheme, which used fake business websites to steal more than $1.8 million from consumers across the country, will be sentenced on March 11, 2026, at 10:00 AM in Las Cruces for the crime of conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
In his plea agreement, Claudiu Pesteleu, 44, a Romanian national illegally present in the United States, admitted that from May 2023 through June 2024, he participated in a nationwide fraud scheme that used fake websites impersonating legitimate businesses to trick victims into wiring money for various consumer products, such as cars and equipment. Victims believed they were making legitimate purchases, but the funds were instead directed to the bank accounts of shell companies that were created with fake passports other fraudulent identity documents.
Pesteleu, whose role in this scheme was to help conceal the fraudulently obtained money, obtained fake identity documents and used those to organize sham businesses. He then opened bank accounts for these shell companies using these fake identity documents. These shell companies and aliases included Zammer Equipment LLC (Matthias Zammer), Super Exotic Deals LLC (Samuel Der Saar), Premier E. Liquidators LLC (Fred Laport), Adler Pre Owned LLC (Boris Adler), Bittman Motors LLC (Fritz Bittman), Nikkos Cargo LLC (Nikos Adonis) and Becker Automotive LLC (Karl Becker). Pesteleu also used the alias Thomas Muller. Consumers were directed to wire funds to accounts associated with these entities, believing they were purchasing legitimate goods.
In total, approximately $1.8 million in fraudulently obtained funds was wired by victims to bank accounts that Pesteleu controlled. Pesteleu then conducted numerous financial transactions with the money to conceal the source of the funds and to hinder law enforcement from identifying the scheme and seizing the proceeds.
If you believe you were a victim of Pesteleu, please contact the Homeland Security Investigations tipline at 866-347-2423.
If you would like to attend the sentencing, please contact Victim Specialist Jacquie Gutierrez at (575) 522-2304 before the date of the hearing for more information.
The Homeland Security Investigations Deming investigated this case with assistance from the Gainesville, Florida Police Department. Las Cruces Criminal Chief Richard Williams and Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner are prosecuting the case.
Richmond felon returning to prison for methamphetamineRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chesterfield man was sentenced yesterday to seven years and eight months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on July 19, 2024, Chesterfield County Police (CCPD) officers observed Hunter Brandon Orlowski, 34, who had multiple pending arrest warrants, leave a residence with a tan backpack on his shoulder. Officers blocked the driveway before Orlowski could get on a motorcycle and flee. The backpack contained a loaded pistol, 67 rounds of ammunition, 72 needles, a digital scale, a knife, 11 suboxone packets, 9.59 grams of cocaine and fentanyl, oxycodone, 2.08 grams of marijuana, four morphine tablets, 45 amphetamine tablets, 107 Xanax tablets, and 118.49 grams of methamphetamine.
Orlowski was convicted in 2013 of possession of a controlled substance, in 2014 of distributing a controlled substance and of possessing ammunition as a convicted felon, in 2017 of possession of a controlled substance, in 2020 of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a controlled substance, in 2024 of receipt of stolen goods and eluding police, and in 2025 of conspiracy by a prisoner to possess marijuana or a schedule III controlled substance.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and CCPD investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen H. Theisen prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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. 3:24-cr-177.
Richland County Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Arthur Ryans, Jr., 42, of Columbia, has been sentenced to 10 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed the Richland County Sheriff’s Department arrested Ryans at a local motel for his involvement in a shooting incident.
During the arrest, Springdale Police officers acquired a search warrant for the motel room where Ryans was staying at the time of his arrest. During a search of the room, officers located a loaded 9mm pistol in a gym bad. Officers also located multiple plastic baggies containing a purple powder, plastic baggies containing a crystal substance, a digital scale, and multiple plastic baggies consistent with narcotics packaging material. Through ballistics testing, investigators confirmed that the firearm was used in the prior shooting.
Ryans was prohibited from possessing a firearm based upon a prior conviction for assault with intent to kill.
United States District Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Ryans to 120 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Richland County Sheriff’s Department, and Springdale Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.
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Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Receipt, Distribution, and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A 35-year-old repeat sex offender has been sentenced to prison for downloading and uploading images and videos of the sexual abuse of children to a social media platform.
Daniel Nutt, of Brewster, Ohio, has been sentenced to 122 months in prison by U.S. District Chief Judge Sara Lioi, after pleading guilty in December 2025 to Receipt and Distribution of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct and Possession of Child Pornography or Child Sexual Abuse Materials (CSAM). He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay a $6,000 assessment toward the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act, which was established in 2018 to provide monetary assistance for victims of child sexual abuse. Judge Lioi imposed the sentence on March 3. After imprisonment, Nutt will be required to register as a sex offender and undergo behavioral and psychological treatment.
Court documents show that in August 2024, federal agents began to investigate CSAM uploads to, and downloads from, a social media platform. The investigation led them to identify Nutt, and they learned that he was downloading CSAM while he was on the job at a car dealership. In December 2024, agents executed a search warrant and seized his cellphone and discovered more than 230 CSAM images, including images of a prepubescent minor under the age of 12. Investigators also learned that Nutt had been previously convicted of Illegal Use of a Minor in a Nudity Oriented Material and sentenced to seven years imprisonment with the Ohio Department of Corrections.
This investigation leading to the indictment was led by the FBI Canton Resident Agency.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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 justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Raleigh County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Alfred Leslie Pittman, 37, of Harper Heights, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
A federal jury found Pittman guilty on May 5, 2025, following a one-day trial. Evidence at trial proved that on April 26, 2023, Pittman was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by Beckley Police Department officers in Beckley. During the traffic stop, officers found that Pittman possessed a Taurus G2C 9mm pistol with a chambered round and an extended magazine containing 32 rounds in the vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Pittman knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony conviction for robbery in the first degree in Raleigh County Circuit Court on June 2, 2015.
Pittman’s criminal history also includes prior convictions for conspiracy to commit first-degree robbery, domestic battery, and unlawful assault.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Joshua Hanks prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-169.
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Providence Man Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns Related to Multi-Million-Dollar Catalytic Converter Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Providence to filing false tax returns after failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars in income that he received from selling stolen catalytic converters to a Rhode Island scrap yard, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Daniel Rivera, 36, pleaded guilty to two counts of filing false tax returns. Rivera is scheduled to be sentenced on June 17, 2026. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to information presented to the court, Rivera received approximately $59,890 from stolen catalytic converter sales in 2021 and $224,750 in 2022 but failed to report those amounts on his federal income tax returns. As a result, Rivera’s false filings caused tax losses of approximately $13,426 for the tax year 2021 and $55,930 for the tax year 2022.
Charging documents reflect that from at least January 2021 until November 2022, Rivera and others canvased neighborhoods and parking lots in Rhode Island and Massachusetts in search of unoccupied vehicles from which they could steal catalytic converters. Many of the stolen catalytic converters were sold to a Providence company (identified in court documents as Company 1) that recycles catalytic converters. Depending on the model and type of precious metal component, the average scrap price for catalytic converters ranged from $300 to $1,500.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney’s Paul F. Daly, Jr and Julie M. White.
The matter was investigated by the FBI, Cranston Police Department, Providence Police Department, IRS-Criminal Investigations, United States Marshal Service, National Insurance Crime Bureau, Newport Police Department, Fitchburg State University Police, Watertown Police Department, Canton Police Department, Attleboro Police Department, Fall River Police Department, and Department of Veterans Affairs- Office of Inspector General-Criminal Investigations Division.
Previously Deported Mexican Drug Trafficker Sentenced in D.C. for Role in International Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Alfredo Rodriguez-Gonzalez, 27, a previously deported Mexican national, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 235 months in federal prison for his role in a multinational drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed wholesale quantities of fentanyl-laced pills across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Rodriguez-Gonzalez, aka “Alacran,” of Rosarito, Mexico, pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to a criminal information charging him with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl after a prior conviction for a serious drug felony.
In addition to the 235-month prison term, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Rodriguez-Gonzalez to serve 10 years of supervised release.
“Rodriguez-Gonzalez, a previously deported Mexican national, poisoned our communities with large quantities of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. The impetus for the investigation was the overdose death of Diamond Lynch, a young mother in D.C.,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro.
“Law enforcement followed the evidence and uncovered a vast network of fentanyl traffickers that led to seizing more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms." U.S. Attorney Pirro continued. "Now this illegal alien can take the next 19 years to enjoy his new view of the America he worked so hard to infiltrate and undermine, from an American prison.”
Rodriguez-Gonzalez was one of 24 co-defendants arrested during 2023 in the District, Virginia, Maryland, San Diego, and Los Angeles and charged in the conspiracy.
According to court documents, during the conspiracy Rodriguez-Gonzalez was a Mexico-based supplier to Los Angeles-area drug distributers of large quantities of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. He utilized social media platforms, most commonly Instagram, to facilitate the importation of thousands of counterfeit “M-30” pills per shipment.
Rodriguez-Gonzalez previously had been deported to Mexico from the United States following a conviction in Utah for distributing methamphetamine. On Oct. 4, 2019, he was sentenced to 36 months in prison. On June 13, 2021, he was released and deported to Mexico.
From December 2021, Rodriguez-Gonzalez was a member of the conspiracy that eventually distributed an estimated 36 kilograms of illegal fentanyl in the U.S. He remained a member of the conspiracy until April 3, 2024, when he was arrested after illegally re-entering the United States.
The illegal fentanyl-laced oxycodone pills that Rodriguez-Gonzalez sold to multiple LA-based traffickers were resold to redistributors in Washington, D.C., area and elsewhere. Communications evidence, as well as physical seizures, indicate that he facilitated the transfer of hundreds of thousands of counterfeit pills.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration Washington Division, Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division and the USPIS Washington Division in partnership with MPD and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives) with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris Y. McCranie of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) Section.
DEFENDANT
AGE
LOCATION
CHARGES/SENTENCE
Hector David Valdez,
aka “Curl”
28
Santa Fe Springs, California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl;
conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Craig Eastman
22
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Feb. 6, 2025, to 165 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of fentanyl.
Charles Jeffrey Taylor
22
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Aug. 19, 2025, to 98 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raymond Nava, Jr.
21
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced Sept. 17, 2024, to 14 years for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Ulises Aldaz
29
Bell Gardens,
California
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 95 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Max Alexander Carias Torres
28
Bell Gardens,
California
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Teron Deandre McNeil, aka “Wild Boy”
36
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Dec. 19, 2025 to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marvin Anthony Bussie,
aka “Money Marr”
23
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced June 28, 2024, to 120 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Marcus Orlando Brown
30
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Oct. 3, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Columbian Thomas, aka "Cruddy Murda”
28
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced Oct. 22, 2024, to 160 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Wayne Rodell Carr-Maiden
36
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced May 5, 2024, to 45 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Andre Malik Edmond,
aka “Draco”
24
Temple Hills, Maryland
Sentenced July 22, 2024, to 130 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Treyveon James Johnson,
aka “Treyski”
21
Alexandria, Virginia
Sentenced Sept. 5, 2024, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Karon Olufemi Blalock,
aka “Fat Bags”
31
Alexandria, Virginia
Pleaded guilty Oct. 16, 2025, to Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Ronte Ricardo Greene,
aka “Cardiddy”
30
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced July 18, 2025, to 108 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Melvin Edward Allen, Jr., aka “21”
40
Washington, D.C.
Sentenced June 20, 2025, to 75 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Darius Quincy Hodges,
aka “Brick”
35
Glen Allen, Virginia
Conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Lamin Sesay,
aka “Rock Star”
29
Alexandria, Virginia
Sentenced May 30, 2025, to 110 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Paul Alejandro Felix
27
Glendale,
California
Sentenced Nov. 12, 2024, to 164 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Omar Arana,
aka “Frogs”
28
Cudahy,
California
Sentenced May 2, 2025, to 93 months, for conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Edgar Balderas, Jr., aka “Nano”
27
San Diego,
California
Sentenced May 8, 2025, to 148 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Raul Pacheco Ramirez
31
Long Beach,
California
Sentenced Nov. 26, 2024, to 95 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Giovani Alejandro Briones
32
Victorville, California
Sentenced Feb. 20, 2025, to 90 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl.
Alfredo Rodriguez-Gonzalez
27
Rosarito, Mexico
Sentenced March 6, 2026, to 235 months for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl
23cr73
Evidence photo.##
Previously Convicted Man Is Handed 8 Years in Prison for March 2025 Shooting Near D.C. Fire StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Davone Smith, 40, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced to eight years in prison on charges stemming from a shooting in Southeast in March 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Smith pleaded guilty on December 12, 2025, to one count each of aggravated assault, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. On March 3rd, Superior Court Judge Carmen McLean sentenced the defendant to serve eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Smith was previously convicted and served a lengthy prison sentence for firearm and robbery charges stemming from an armed robbery in September 2009. He was released from prison in November 2024, appropriately four months prior to this offense, and was on supervised release at the time he committed this offense.
According to the government’s evidence, on March 11, 2025, a gunshot victim walked into D.C. Fire Emergency and Medical Services Engine 33 located at 101 Atlantic Street, SE. The victim was transported to a local area hospital for treatment, for injuries to his right shoulder. The victim was uncooperative and would not provide the exact location where he was shot. The victim’s wife arrived at the scene a short time later and stated that she was in their apartment when she heard people yelling for her, letting her know that her husband had been shot. She then transported the victim to the firehouse.
Officers were able to review surveillance cameras as they canvased the area and located the crime scene which showed a blood trail along the sidewalk of 20 Mississippi Avenue SE. Smith was identified through CCTV footage at the offense location which captured his face following the shooting. Smith was arrested on April 13, 2025, and he has remained in custody since.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll thanked those who worked on the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. Finally, they acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Cook, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 004115
Palestine National Indicted for Being Illegal Alien in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MOHAMED H.M. ZEIDAN, a/k/a “Sebastian Marcello, a/k/a “Sebastian York,” age 33, a native of Palestine, was indicted on March 5, 2026, for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(5)(A).
According to the indictment, on or about August 3, 2023, ZEIDAN, an alien illegally present in the United States, was found in possession of a MC9 semi-automatic pistol and a RF-15 semi-automatic rifle.
ZEIDAN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The United States Attorney’s Office reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The U.S. Attorney’s Office praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, Homeland Security Investigations and the Kenner Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Pensacola Man Faces Federal Gun and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Terry Terrell Crenshaw, 39, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, marijuana, and methamphetamine; one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; one count of use of a communication facility; and one count of maintaining drug-involved premises. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Crenshaw appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Zachary C. Bolitho for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for April 6, 2026, at 8:30 am in Pensacola before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Crenshaw faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute count; 15 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count; up to four years’ imprisonment on the use of a communication facility count; and up to 20 years’ imprisonment on the maintaining drug-involved premises count.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey M. Tharp.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Non-Citizen Charged with Fraudulently Voting in Numerous ElectionsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Mexican national was arrested and appeared in federal court this week after he was charged with violating Alabama law by voting in multiple elections as a non-citizen, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
A complaint filed in U.S. District Court alleges that Homero Ramos, 51, is a lawful permanent resident who lives in Marion County but has never obtained U.S. citizenship. Nevertheless, Ramos registered to vote and voted – even though he knew that only U.S. citizens are permitted to do so under Alabama law. According to records maintained by the Alabama Secretary of State and the Probate Court of Marion County, Ramos voted in the 2022 and 2024 general elections.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with assistance from the Alabama Secretary of State’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the offense charged is 5 years in prison.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
New Federal Prosecutor Targets Social Security, Other Government FraudsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – The addition of a specially-funded prosecutor has resulted in the indictment of 14 people in the Eastern District of Missouri accused of defrauding the government out of $1 million via disability fraud, pandemic fraud and the theft of Social Security and other benefits.
Those charged include a home health aide accused of stealing a client’s Social Security retirement and Veterans Administration benefits, the owner of a pest control business who has been accused of fraudulently receiving disability benefits and others who stole benefits being paid to people who died.
“This new position is allowing us to expand our prosecutions of Social Security and other frauds and will mean that we can recover hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer money in the short term alone,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “These programs are designed to aid those who desperately need the money, and fraud and abuse will not be tolerated.”
“SSA OIG special agents work closely with prosecutors and our federal law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of Social Security fraud and hold offenders accountable,” said Michelle L. Anderson, SSA OIG, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant. “These cases demonstrate the value of dedicated resources focused on identifying fraud schemes and ensuring that those responsible face justice.”
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jolene Taaffe’s position is being funded by the Social Security Administration (SSA) and is one of nearly two dozen new positions across the country, bringing the total to 47 in 43 offices. More hires are expected. On April 15, 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed a Presidential Memorandum entitled Preventing Illegal Aliens from Obtaining Social Security Act Benefits. That memorandum authorized the expansion of a longstanding partnership with the Justice Department in which attorneys are detailed to U.S. Attorney Offices throughout the country. SAUSAs typically receive investigative referrals from SSA Office of Inspector General special agents and work with the agents to develop the referrals into prosecutable cases.
The memorandum has expanded SSA’s full-time fraud prosecution program to at least 50 U.S. Attorney Offices. It also requires SSA to “prioritize assigning new detailees to the 10 U.S. Attorney Offices whose jurisdictions encompass the largest known populations of illegal aliens, as determined by the Secretary of Homeland Security.”
The memorandum also established a new fraud-prosecutor program between the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) “with regard to programs administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.” HHS provides direct funding for these positions, enabling dedicated prosecution of beneficiary fraud within CMS programs.
March 5 was National “Slam the Scam” Day, meant to raise awareness of fraudsters who pretend to represent the SSA or other government agencies, and part of the Federal Trade Commission’s National Consumer Protection Week. More information on protecting yourself from imposter fraud is available at ssa.gov/scam/. Information on how to avoid, report and recover from scams is available at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov/.
Please help investigators, and other scam victims, by reporting Social Security-related scams to oig.ssa.gov or 1-800-269-0271. Report other scams to the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Charges set forth in indictments are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases were investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services.
Nebraska Woman to Federal Prison for Iowa Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Wenona Oropeza, 48, from Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced March 5, 2026, to over ten years in federal prison. Oropeza pled guilty on October 22, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that a number of times over one year in 2024-2025, Oropeza would have other persons drive her from Omaha, Nebraska to Sioux Falls, South Dakota with several ounces of methamphetamine to distribute in Sioux Falls where she could double and triple her profits selling the methamphetamine. On March 2, 2025, a vehicle Oropeza was a passenger in was stopped for traffic violations near Sioux City. Law enforcement seized over 50 grams of pure methamphetamine that Oropeza admitted she planned to sell in Sioux Falls.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced Oropeza to 130 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Oropeza is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4019. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jackie A. Johnson, age 40, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on March 5, 2026, to 180 months’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, between March 19, 2024, and April 17, 2024, Johnson sold over 200 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Stroudsburg area to an undercover State Police Trooper. At the time, Johnson was on federal supervised release for a prior heroin trafficking conviction which resulted in a five-year prison term. Johnson is still pending a supervised release violation hearing based on the above methamphetamine sales which could result in an additional term of imprisonment.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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Miami Developer Charged with $85 Million Fraud Scheme Used to Fund Luxury Yacht and LifestyleRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal indictment unsealed today charges a Miami real estate developer with orchestrating an $85 million fraud scheme, failing to pay millions in taxes, and lying to financial institutions to obtain funds to purchase a luxury yacht.
According to court documents, Rishi Kapoor, 41, formerly of Miami, was the chief executive officer of Location Ventures, a Miami-based real estate development company that purported to develop projects in Coral Gables, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach, and Fort Lauderdale.
“The indictment alleges an $85 million fraud scheme in which investor funds intended for real estate development were diverted for luxury purchases, including a 68-foot yacht,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “It further alleges that the defendant withheld payroll taxes from employees but failed to turn that money over to the government, effectively stealing from his own employees. These are serious allegations that will now be addressed in federal court. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.”
As alleged, although Kapoor raised approximately $85 million from investors, most of the promised real estate projects were never built. Despite being entitled to a capped salary of $400,000 plus certain fees, Kapoor diverted substantially more funds for personal use, including the purchase of a 68-foot yacht and a residence in Cocoplum.
The indictment alleges that Kapoor misrepresented to investors the amount of his personal financial contribution to Location Ventures, claiming he had invested $13 million alongside his business partner and family when, in reality, he contributed roughly half that amount. Kapoor also allegedly deceived escrow agents to secure the release of pre-construction condominium deposits and then misappropriated those funds for personal expenses unrelated to the developments. As a result, condominium projects in Coconut Grove and Miami Beach were never built.
In addition, Kapoor is charged with withholding payroll taxes from Location Ventures employees but failing to remit those taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Instead, Kapoor allegedly diverted more than $2 million from company accounts for his personal benefit.
The indictment further alleges that Kapoor failed to pay his own personal taxes from 2019 through 2023, despite earning more than $2.8 million in income in 2022 and 2023 alone.
Kapoor is also charged with falsifying bank statements to inflate his account balances, failing to disclose a significant mortgage on his Cocoplum residence, and misrepresenting that his tax returns had been filed with the IRS—all to obtain more than $9 million in financing. One bank extended a $5 million line of credit to Location Ventures, while another loaned Kapoor $4.2 million to finance the yacht purchase.
The indictment charges Kapoor with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit offenses against and to defraud the U.S., failure to pay payroll taxes, tax evasion, failure to file tax returns, and bank fraud. The indictment also includes forfeiture allegations, including a Rolex Daytona watch and 2.5 carat platinum ring.
If convicted, Kapoor faces up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud; up to 10 years for money laundering; up to five years for each count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the U.S., failure to pay payroll taxes, tax evasion, and failure to file tax returns; and up to 30 years for each count of bank fraud.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission also filed a civil action against Kapoor (Case No. 23-cv-24903).
U.S. Attorney Reding Quinoñes, Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Quinoñes commended the investigative efforts of IRS-CI and FBI Miami.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elizabeth Young and Daya Nathan are prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.sdfl.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.sdfl.uscourts.gov, under Case No. 26-cr-20073.
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Mexican National Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Carmelo Nolasco-Carbajal (42, Mexico) was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara to three years and one month in federal prison for illegal reentry by an aggravated felon. Nolasco-Carbajal pleaded guilty on December 19, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Nolasco-Carbajal is a citizen and national of Mexico. In February 2025, Nolasco-Carbajal was found by immigration authorities after an arrest for possession of cocaine in Hillsborough County, for which he was later convicted. Prior to being found, Nolasco-Carbajal had been removed from the United States on three prior occasions and had not received permission to reenter the United States. Nolasco-Carbajal had previously been convicted of multiple felony offenses, including aggravated battery with serious bodily injury, aggravated assault, and illegal reentry.
This case was investigated by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Mexican Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Leading a $6.85M Healthcare Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Legal Permanent Resident cardholder from Mexico was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 168 months in prison for healthcare fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, in 2008, Orlando Omar Garcia-Moya, 54, of Piedras Negras, founded an ambulance company known as Fleet Ambulance Service Inc., which operated in and around Brackettville. As part of a fraud conspiracy involving Garcia-Moya and two of his employees, Oscar Gutierrez and Melody Ann Villarreal, the three conspirators fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid for services and received reimbursement they were not authorized or entitled to receive.
Garcia-Moya, Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal fraudulently created run sheets for patients that were not transported, transported patients in personal vehicles or in vehicles not approved for appropriate medical transfers, and used “ghost employees” in the run sheets.
From 2008 to 2012, Fleet Ambulance billed Medicare, Medicaid, and Managed Care Organizations (MCOs) more than $12.3 million. Medicare and Medicaid paid a total of $4,741,601.73. From Jan. 1, 2013, to April 2016, Fleet Ambulance billed Medicare, Medicaid and MCOs more than $5.6 million. Medicare and Medicaid paid a total of $2,142,491.12. The total amount paid out by Medicare and Medicaid as a result of the fraud was $6,856,186.85.
Garcia-Moya, Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal were named in a 13-count indictment on Aug. 21, 2019. On March 2, 2022, Garcia-Moya opted for a bench trial and was found guilty on all 13 counts of the indictment. Gutierrez Jr. and Villarreal each pled guilty and were sentenced on March 1, 2023, to 60 months and 48 months in federal prison, respectively. During the sentencing hearing Thursday, Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses also ordered Garcia-Moya to pay $6,856,186.85 in restitution.
U.S. Health and Human Services and the Office of Inspector General - Medicaid Fraud Control investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Chung prosecuted the case.
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Memphis Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Water Piks Stolen from Interstate ShipmentRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has pled guilty to one count of being in possession of goods stolen from interstate shipment. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea today.
Gregory Luss, 44, pled guilty on March 3, 2026 before United States District Judge Thomas L. Parker. According to information presented in court, a semi-tractor trailer filled with Water Piks that were intended for shipment to Amazon was stolen from its Bledsoe Cove location in Memphis on October 20, 2023. Luss posted the Water Pik product to sell on an eBay account registered to him on the same day.
Luss is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3, 2026 and faces up to 10 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Cargo theft from shipping containers and facilities disrupts and harms crucial interstate commerce here in Memphis, which is known as ‘America’s Distribution Center’. Instead of a luxury Water Pik, Mr. Luss will now have a standard prison-issued toothbrush in the Bureau of Prisons.”
“Thefts of interstate shipments disrupt the delivery of needed goods and drive-up costs for businesses and consumers alike,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “This guilty plea is an example of the FBI's unwavering resolve and make it clear that anyone who threatens the nation’s supply chain will be tracked down and held accountable.”
The case was investigated by the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation Cargo Theft Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum and Lauren Delery are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.