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27 February 2026
Waterbury Man Charged with Cocaine and Firearms Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, and Waterbury Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo today announced that JAN PAUL BAERGA-MARIANI, 31, of Waterbury, has been charged by indictment with narcotics and firearms trafficking offenses.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, between October 2025 and January 2026, undercover ATF agents purchased a total of approximately one kilogram of cocaine and six firearms from Baerga-Mariani. Baerga-Mariani was arrested on February 10, 2025. On that date, a court-authorized search of his residence on Wood Street in Waterbury revealed a 9mm handgun that had been reported stolen in North Carolina in December 2025, a loaded firearm magazine, additional rounds of 9mm ammunition, a small quantity of cocaine, several vacuum-sealed bags of marijuana, and other items.
On February 17, 2026, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Baerga-Mariani with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, an offense that carries a minimum mandatory term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 40 years, and one count of conspiracy to traffic firearms, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years.
Baerga-Mariani has been detained since his arrest. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department with assistance from the Connecticut State Police, Bloomfield Police Department, Windsor Police Department, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Freismuth and Shan Patel.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
United States Seeks Forfeiture of Oil Tanker and 1.8M Barrels of Crude Oil That Supported Iran and VenezuelaRead the Press Release
A complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the Motor Tanker Skipper – a crude oil tanker seized by the United States on the high seas in December 2025 – and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil cargo supplied by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela. As alleged, the Skipper and its cargo are forfeitable as property affording a person a source of influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
“Under President Trump's leadership, the era of secretly bankrolling regimes that pose clear threats to the United States is over,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will deploy every legal authority at our disposal to completely dismantle and permanently shutter any operation that defies our laws and fuels chaos across the globe.”
“This forfeiture complaint for the M/T Skipper and its oil cargo demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. sanctions and thwarting hostile regimes who exploit the global oil trade,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI, working alongside our interagency partners, will continue aggressively identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the financial networks used by our foreign adversaries to fund terrorist organizations and destabilize international security. We remain steadfast in safeguarding both the integrity of the international financial system and the security of the American people.”
“Because of the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, a ghost tanker that for years secretly moved illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela around the globe has been taken off the seas,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s actions are an important step in making America and the world safer by disrupting the flow of millions of dollars to foreign terrorist organizations. The Criminal Division will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end to terrorist financing.”
“For too long, a shadow fleet of stateless and falsely registered vessels has operated with impunity while shuttling illicit oil around the world, generating billions in revenue for adversary regimes and foreign terrorist organizations,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This forfeiture complaint reflects the National Security Division’s commitment to shutting down those networks and enforcing U.S. sanctions.”
“We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and relentlessly pursue ghost fleet vessels whose illicit oil shipments have served as revenue sources for the IRGC and its terrorist proxies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “With the continued seizures and forfeitures of tankers and related profits, we are sending a clear message that there will be no safe harbor for sanctions evasion – and that we will deny Iran the ability to fund terrorism through its shadowy maritime networks.”
“Homeland Security Investigations played a critical role in the investigation that led to today’s forfeiture complaint against the Motor Tanker Skipper and its illicit cargo. By leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and unwavering commitment to protecting the homeland, HSI helped disrupt a complex sanctions-evasion and illicit finance network supporting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” said HSI acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “I am proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our special agents and law enforcement partners, whose collaborative efforts were instrumental in advancing this case. HSI remains committed to safeguarding national security and upholding the rule of law by targeting criminal organizations that threaten global stability.”
The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum products for the benefit of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. During this time, the Skipper moved crude oil from Iran and Venezuela and, through ship-to-ship transfers, delivered it to various locations around the world, including to other rogue regimes. The Skipper disguised its illicit activities by spoofing its locations, flying false flags and employing other tactics to obfuscate its routes and conceal its sanctions evasion. For example, as alleged in the complaint, in 2024, the Skipper delivered approximately three million barrels of crude oil from Iran to Syria. The Skipper continued to transport illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela into 2025, including loading oil from Iran at least twice in 2025. For its facilitation of illicit oil shipments, on Nov. 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Skipper (then named the Adisa).
The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product, which was loaded onto the Skipper from Venezuela before it was seized, is part of the Skipper’s scheme to perpetuate its operations in support of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. As alleged, revenue from the sale of petroleum products supports the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses. The ghost fleet, including the Skipper, plays an essential role in generating revenue for these regimes by moving Iranian and other illicit oil around the world.
Most recently, in November 2025, the Skipper loaded approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan-origin crude oil at the José Terminal in Venezuela. According to bills of lading, approximately 1.1 million barrels of the Skipper’s oil cargo were to be delivered to Cubametales, the Cuban state-run oil import and export company that was designated by OFAC in July 2019.
On Dec. 10, 2025, U.S. law enforcement seized the Skipper on the high seas pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant. At that time, the Skipper was claiming a false Guyanese flag, rendering it stateless. The Skipper and its cargo were thereafter transported to the waters off the coast of Texas.
FBI Minneapolis Field Office and HSI Washington D.C. Field Office are investigating the case. Substantial assistance was provided by HSI New York Field Office.
Trial Attorney Josh Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dilorenzo and Rajbir Datta of the District of Columbia and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
United States Seeks Forfeiture of Oil Tanker and 1.8M Barrels of Crude Oil That Supported Iran and VenezuelaRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A complaint has been filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia seeking to forfeit the Motor Tanker Skipper – a crude oil tanker seized by the United States on the high seas in December 2025 – and approximately 1.8 million barrels of crude oil cargo supplied by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PdVSA), the state-owned oil company of Venezuela. As alleged, the Skipper and its cargo are forfeitable as property affording a person a source of influence over the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), including the IRGC-Qods Force (IRGC-QF), a designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTO).
“Under President Trump's leadership, the era of secretly bankrolling regimes that pose clear threats to the United States is over,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will deploy every legal authority at our disposal to completely dismantle and permanently shutter any operation that defies our laws and fuels chaos across the globe.”
“This forfeiture complaint for the M/T Skipper and its oil cargo demonstrates the FBI’s unwavering commitment to enforcing U.S. sanctions and thwarting hostile regimes who exploit the global oil trade,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The FBI, working alongside our interagency partners, will continue aggressively identifying, disrupting, and dismantling the financial networks used by our foreign adversaries to fund terrorist organizations and destabilize international security. We remain steadfast in safeguarding both the integrity of the international financial system and the security of the American people.”
“We will aggressively enforce U.S. sanctions against Iran and relentlessly pursue ghost fleet vessels whose illicit oil shipments have served as revenue sources for the IRGC and its terrorist proxies,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro for the District of Columbia. “With the continued seizures and forfeitures of tankers and related profits, we are sending a clear message that there will be no safe harbor for sanctions evasion – and that we will deny Iran the ability to fund terrorism through its shadowy maritime networks.”
“Because of the coordinated efforts of our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, a ghost tanker that for years secretly moved illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela around the globe has been taken off the seas,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s actions are an important step in making America and the world safer by disrupting the flow of millions of dollars to foreign terrorist organizations. The Criminal Division will continue to use every tool at our disposal to end to terrorist financing.”
“For too long, a shadow fleet of stateless and falsely registered vessels has operated with impunity while shuttling illicit oil around the world, generating billions in revenue for adversary regimes and foreign terrorist organizations,” said John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Attorney General for National Security. “This forfeiture complaint reflects the National Security Division’s commitment to shutting down those networks and enforcing U.S. sanctions.”
“Homeland Security Investigations played a critical role in the investigation that led to today’s forfeiture complaint against the Motor Tanker Skipper and its illicit cargo. By leveraging our expertise, partnerships, and unwavering commitment to protecting the homeland, HSI helped disrupt a complex sanctions-evasion and illicit finance network supporting designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations,” said HSI acting Executive Associate Director John Condon. “I am proud of the dedication and professionalism demonstrated by our special agents and law enforcement partners, whose collaborative efforts were instrumental in advancing this case. HSI remains committed to safeguarding national security and upholding the rule of law by targeting criminal organizations that threaten global stability.”
The forfeiture complaint alleges a scheme, between at least 2021 and the present, to facilitate the shipment and sale of petroleum products for the benefit of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. During this time, the Skipper moved crude oil from Iran and Venezuela and, through ship-to-ship transfers, delivered it to various locations around the world, including to other rogue regimes. The Skipper disguised its illicit activities by spoofing its locations, flying false flags and employing other tactics to obfuscate its routes and conceal its sanctions evasion. For example, as alleged in the complaint, in 2024, the Skipper delivered approximately three million barrels of crude oil from Iran to Syria. The Skipper continued to transport illicit oil from Iran and Venezuela into 2025, including loading oil from Iran at least twice in 2025. For its facilitation of illicit oil shipments, on Nov. 3, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned the Skipper (then named the Adisa).
The civil forfeiture complaint further alleges that the petroleum product, which was loaded onto the Skipper from Venezuela before it was seized, is part of the Skipper’s scheme to perpetuate its operations in support of the IRGC, including the IRGC-QF. As alleged, revenue from the sale of petroleum products supports the IRGC’s full range of malign activities, including the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of delivery, support for terrorism and both domestic and international human rights abuses. The ghost fleet, including the Skipper, plays an essential role in generating revenue for these regimes by moving Iranian and other illicit oil around the world.
Most recently, in November 2025, the Skipper loaded approximately 1.8 million barrels of Venezuelan-origin crude oil at the José Terminal in Venezuela. According to bills of lading, approximately 1.1 million barrels of the Skipper’s oil cargo were to be delivered to Cubametales, the Cuban state-run oil import and export company that was designated by OFAC in July 2019.
On Dec. 10, 2025, U.S. law enforcement seized the Skipper on the high seas pursuant to a judicially authorized seizure warrant. At that time, the Skipper was claiming a false Guyanese flag, rendering it stateless. The Skipper and its cargo were thereafter transported to the waters off the coast of Texas.
FBI Minneapolis Field Office and HSI Washington D.C. Field Office are investigating the case. Substantial assistance was provided by HSI New York Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Dilorenzo and Rajbir Datta of the District of Columbia, Trial Attorney Josh Sohn of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, and Acting Deputy Chief Sean Heiden of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are litigating the case.
A civil forfeiture complaint is merely an allegation. The burden to prove forfeitability in a civil forfeiture proceeding is upon the government.
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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 February 27, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 72 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 10 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 61 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 80 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 fleeing the scene of an accident-causing death or serious impairment, alien in possession of a firearm, and prior immigration offenses.
Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border security. During this time period, Jose Cuyuch De Pazwas encountered by United States Border Patrol agents near 505 McNutt Road in Sunland Park, New Mexico, after illegally entering the United States on foot. When agents attempted to detain him, De Paz fled into a residential area, climbed fences, and was pursued through backyards by a uniformed agent who followed his footprints. During the apprehension, the fence gave way and both men fell forward, at which point De Paz kicked the agent multiple times in the chest as the agent tried to gain control. A second agent arrived to assist, and the agents subdued, handcuffed, and arrested De Paz. De Paz is charged with illegal reentry and assault on a federal officer, though he later claimed he did not strike or kick the agent.
So far, in Fiscal Year 2026, 18 El Paso Sector Border Patrol Agents have been assaulted, following 88 assaults in Fiscal Year 2025. U.S. Border Patrol is collaborating closely with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's Office to ensure that those who assault federal officers are brought to justice. This interagency cooperation is crucial in protecting the men and women who serve on the frontlines of our nation's border security efforts and in deterring future attacks on law enforcement personnel.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
Two Foreign Nationals Indicted After More Than 76 Kilograms of Hashish Seized at Miami International AirportRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury returned indictments on Wednesday charging two foreign nationals after U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers seized more than 76 kilograms of hashish during outbound inspections at Miami International Airport (MIA).
According to court documents, on Feb. 11, Joseph Mark Delacruz, 24, of the United Kingdom, and Sezer Ali Ilhan, 20, of Germany, each attempted to board separate flights from Miami to São Paulo, Brazil, with suitcases containing large quantities of vacuum-sealed hashish.
CBP officers conducting outbound inspections at MIA examined checked luggage associated with both defendants. Officers discovered approximately 38.32 kilograms of hashish concealed inside two suitcases checked under Delacruz’s name.
That same day, a CBP K-9 alerted to two additional suitcases checked under Ilhan’s name for a separate flight to Brazil. A subsequent search revealed approximately 37.77 kilograms of hashish.
Both defendants were intercepted at their departure gates before boarding.
Delacruz and Ilhan are each charged with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and attempting to export a controlled substance. If convicted, they face up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami, made the announcement.
HSI Miami is investigating the cases.
The cases are being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Vanessa Terrades from the Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section.
BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats.
An indictment is merely an allegation and 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.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case numbers 26-cr-20060 (Delacruz), 26-cr-20059 (Ilhan).
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Two Alleged Tongan Crip Gang Members Face Firearm Charges Following Salt Lake City Shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day SaintsRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – An indictment was unsealed today charging two alleged Tongan Crip Gang Members (TCG), one of whom is a convicted felon, with firearm crimes following the January shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) in Salt Lake City.
SLC Police Dept.Ryan Daniel Toutai, aka “Lost One,” 32, of Salt Lake City, and Fineeva Pomona Maka, aka “Finloc,” 26, of Millcreek, Utah, were indicted by a federal grand jury on February 25, 2026.
According to the allegations in court documents, both Toutai and Maka had previously been pictured with one of the firearms that was used at the shooting on January 7, 2026. As alleged, on January 7, 2026, the Salt Lake City Police Department received numerous reports of “shots fired” at an LDS church in Salt Lake City. Upon officers’ arrival, they encountered multiple victims with gunshot wounds. As law enforcement secured and processed the scene, they recovered .40 caliber casings, 9mm caliber casings, and a Ruger 9mm semi-automatic pistol with serial number 322-90515. Toutai was on scene when officers arrived and was detained after he failed to comply with officers’ requests to move away from first responders rendering aid to a victim. Pursuant to a search warrant, Toutai’s phone was seized and contained photo and video evidence that he had previously possessed the Ruger 9mm, with the same serial number, recovered from the scene. Toutai was identified as the creator of the images and videos based on a distinctive tattoo on his left hand.
SLC Police Dept.According to court documents, Toutai’s phone also contained documentation of events hours before the shooting. Toutai took several photos and videos of himself and his co-defendant Maka. Screenshots from videos depict Maka holding a small black pistol that is consistent with the Ruger LC9. As a multi-convicted felon, Maka is restricted from owning or possessing a firearm and ammunition. Prior to the shooting, Maka, who was on parole for a prior conviction, was ordered to wear a GPS Ankle monitor. Evidence from the GPS ankle monitor combined with physical evidence collected from the scene, strongly corroborates Maka’s possession of the Ruger firearm on January 7, 2026. Additionally, photo and video evidence show Toutai and Maka claiming TCG membership and interacting with other TCG members.
Toutai is charged with unlawful disposition of a firearm. Maka is charged with felon in possession of a firearm. Their initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for March 3, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Salt Lake City Police Department.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
toutai_maka_indictment.pdf fineeva_maka._motion_for_detention.pdf ryan_toutai.motion_for_detention.pdfTwice-Convicted Felon Sentenced to 21 Months for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antonio Cook, 27, a twice-convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 36 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a firearm while on supervised release, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Cook pleaded guilty Sept. 24, 2025, before Judge Amit P. Mehta to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. Judge Mehta ordered Cook to serve 21 months for the felon in possession count and additional 15 months for being in violation of his supervised release. Judge Mehta also ordered Cook to serve three additional years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on May 12, 2025, about 6:30 p.m., a police officer was on patrol on the 600 block of H Street, NW, when they spotted a man fitting the description of a suspect in a robbery committed at the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. After radioing for backup, the officer followed the man to a Five Guys restaurant on the 800 block of H Street, NW. The man entered a restroom.
Officers knocked on the door of the restroom, announced that they were police, and ordered him to come out. Cook emerged. Police detained him and recovered a loaded Kahr Arms semiautomatic pistol inside the restroom trash can.
Cook previously was convicted of conspiracy to commit a crime of violence while armed and robbery in D.C. Superior Court. He also has a prior conviction for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Bloss and James B. Nelson.
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Or at https://www.justice.gov/usao-dcThree Charged with Trafficking Methamphetamine on behalf of Mexico-Based TraffickerRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Three defendants have been indicted for their roles in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the Kansas City metropolitan area. One defendant is also charged with his role in a conspiracy to commit international money laundering.
Geovanni L. Cano, 39, Pete Carrillo, 36, and Bayron Franco-Lopez, 39, were charged in a twelve-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 25, 2026. This superseding indictment replaces a previous indictment filed on Dec. 9, 2025.
According to Court documents, between Feb. and Aug. 2025, Cano, Carrillo, and Franco-Lopez distributed approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine to law enforcement through controlled buys conducted in Kansas City, Mo. The methamphetamine was distributed on behalf of a Mexico-based broker. Cano also wired money obtained from drug sales to the broker in Mexico to further promote the drug trafficking organization. On Aug. 28, 2025, investigators arrested Cano while he was in possession of approximately 3.7 kilograms of methamphetamine. A federal search warrant was executed at Cano’s residence in Kansas City, Ks. Investigators located approximately 18.6 kilograms of methamphetamine in the residence.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh Ragner. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Kansas City, Kansas Police Department; and IRS-Criminal Investigations.
Homeland Security Task Force
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Texas Woman Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Theft of Government Money and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Kristin Cara Kunstler (43, Amarillo, TX) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kyle C. Dudek to five years and one month in federal prison for theft of government money and aggravated identity theft. Kunstler pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $2,797,083, the proceeds of the theft of government money. United States Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on January 2, 2025, Kunstler knowingly stole money belonging to the United States Treasury by depositing a U.S. Treasury check belonging to the victim. Kunstler identified herself using the victim’s name and opened a bank account in the name of the victim at a bank branch located in Naples, FL. Kunstler used the victim’s name, date of birth, and driver license number to open the account without the victim’s knowledge or consent, then deposited a U.S. Treasury check in the amount of $2,797,083 made payable to the victim. Kunstler was the sole signer on the bank account.
By February 19, 2025, Kunstler had withdrawn at least $1.5 million from the bank account. She used the money for her own use and the use of another.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA). It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava. Assistant United States Attorney James A. Muench is handling the forfeiture.
Third Man Pleads Guilty to Committing COVID Related Unemployment Fraud from PrisonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Nachez, Mississippi man pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud today.
According to court documents and information presented to the Court, Kev’Veonta Short, 32, conspired with other inmates at the South Mississippi Correctional Institute to submit false unemployment insurance claims during the Covid 19 pandemic. Short provided his personal details to another inmate so that inmate could submit fraudulent unemployment claims on his behalf. Such fraudulent applications were being submitted on behalf of multiple other inmates.
Two of Short’s coconspirators, Adrian Wilson and Aaron Sanders, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on June 23, 2026. Sanders is scheduled to be sentenced on Jun 11, 2026. Short is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026. The maximum statutory term of imprisonment for Wilson, Sanders, and Short is 20 years.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Mississippi Office of the Public Auditor are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Buckner is prosecuting the case.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Decades in Federal Prison for Drug & Gun Charges Related to Second-Degree MurderRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Triston Chacoey Aric Johnson, a/k/a “C.J.,” 21, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to multiple federal gun and drug offenses, and at sentencing was found responsible for a second-degree murder committed in Tallahassee on July 17, 2024. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This felon was a plague on our community, flooding our streets with drugs and deadly violence, and today’s sentence ensures his reign of terror is over. This was precisely the case that President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi had in mind when they launched Operation Take Back America to devote the full might of the Department of Justice toward removing the perpetrators of violent crime from our communities. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute cases like this until the citizens of the Northern District of Florida get the safe, drug-free streets that they deserve.”
“This was a senseless tragedy that should have never happened,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Harrell. “Thanks to Tallahassee Police Department, FAMU Police Department and federal prosecutors, the suspect won’t be able to threaten public safety again for a long time.”
Court documents reflect that Johnson was responsible for crimes stemming from incidents on two separate dates. On October 1, 2023, Johnson fled on foot from a Florida A&M University (FAMU) police officer, during which surveillance video showed Johnson hide a purple bag near a parked car. A FAMU employee reported finding a firearm and a purple bag the following morning, and the bag was found to contain a second firearm, marijuana packaged for sale, mushrooms, a digital scale with marijuana residue, and credit and debit cards belonging to Johnson.
On July 17, 2024, Johnson got into a verbal argument with another individual who was returning home in the early morning hours. The altercation escalated to physical violence when Johnson shot the other individual, fatally striking him in the heart. Following the homicide, the Tallahassee Police Department executed a search warrant at Johnson’s apartment, finding loose oxycodone pills, approximately 1.4 pounds of marijuana, over 25 empty one-pound vacuum seal bags with marijuana residue, various types of ammunition, and a short-barreled rifle that had been previously stolen from a Leon County Sheriff’s Office vehicle.
Johnson received a sentence of 30 years in prison, which will be followed by 10 years of supervised release. Johnson was also ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later hearing.
The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Florida A&M University Department of Campus Safety and Security. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
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.
St. Thomas Jury Finds BVI Man Guilty of Possession of a Counterfeit Permanent Resident CardRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI –United States Attorney Adam F. Sleeper announced today that on February 25, 2026, a federal jury convicted Nigel Cooper, 52, of the British Virgin Islands, for possession of a counterfeit alien registration card, also known as a “permanent resident card.” District Court Judge Mark A. Kearney presided over the trial.
During trial, a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer testified that on October 30, 2025, Cooper presented himself for inspection at the Cruz Bay, St. John, CBP office. Cooper presented a valid BVI passport for entry into the United States. However, upon further inspection, CBP officers found a permanent resident card in his wallet. Evidence presented at trial further revealed that the card, which bore Cooper’s name and photograph, had an identifying number registered to a female Chinese national. Records checks revealed no record of Cooper having applied for a permanent resident card in the United States, and none was issued to him. An expert witness in forensic document analysis testified that the card was counterfeit. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, during an interview of the defendant, CBP officers learned that the defendant purchased the permanent resident card from a Missouri store during the summer of 2025.
The conviction carries up to a ten-year sentence of imprisonment. The District Court will schedule a sentencing hearing to determine the defendant’s sentence. This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant United States Attorney Denise N. George of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of the Virgin Islands is prosecuting the case.
Spree of Burglaries Yields D.C. Man Seven Year Prison TermRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Holley, 59, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today for charges stemming from three burglaries, which all took place within one week in June 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Holley pleaded guilty on December 3, 2025, to one count of burglary in the first degree in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, Superior Court Judge Deborah Israel sentenced the defendant to serve seven years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 18, 2025, Holley entered the first victim’s home while the victim was upstairs by breaking a window and stole the victim’s bike. The victim saw the defendant exiting the house with the bike and began to follow. Holley made threats to the victim, who returned to the residence and called the police. The victim provided footage from his security camera which captured the defendant’s face.
On June 25, 2025, Holley was stopped by officers at the Shaw Metro Station. Also on that date, police received a report that Holley attempted to break into a second home with a crow bar, but ran away when he saw that someone was home. In another residence, several roommates reported multiple items, including electronic devices, were missing from their home. When Holley was stopped at the Shaw Metro Station he was found in possession of the stolen electronic items.
Holley was arrested on June 25, 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 Elizabeth Ginsburg, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 007187
Sheppard Air Force Base Airman Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Traveling to Colorado to Kidnap and Sexually Abuse a ChildRead the Press Release
A Sheppard Air Force Base Airman who traveled to Colorado to kidnap and sexually abuse a child was sentenced to life in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Travis Robert Larson, 24, of Denton, Texas, was indicted in August 2025. He pled guilty in November 2025 to one count of enticement of a minor and one count of sexual abuse of a minor, and was sentenced on February 27, 2026, by Chief United States District Judge Reed O’Connor.
According to court documents, on May 4, 2025, a father notified the Colorado Springs, Colorado Police Department that his 14-year-old daughter was missing. The father told authorities that he had located the child’s phone and found messages indicating that Larson had been communicating with the child and had discussed driving to Colorado to pick up the child and bring her back to Texas.
Law enforcement officers located surveillance footage of Larson picking up the child, identified in court documents as “Minor Victim 1,” and tracked his vehicle traveling from Texas to Colorado Springs and back during the late evening hours of May 3 to May 4, 2025.
Court records reflect that Larson was an active member of the United States Air Force and was stationed at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas. On the evening of May 5, 2025, the USAF Security Forces Squadron recovered the child near Larson’s dorm room on SAFB. The child disclosed that Larson began communicating with her online when she was just 10 or 11 years old, and that she would send Larson sexually explicit images of herself at Larson’s request. The child disclosed that her online relationship with Larson lasted several years until Larson eventually discussed coming to visit her in person.
According to court documents, the child disclosed that Larson had traveled twice to Colorado Springs to meet her for sex, including picking her up from her home in late April 2025 and driving to a nearby park, where he sexually abused her. Later, on May 3, 2025, Larson again traveled from Texas to Colorado to have sex with the child. Text messages between Larson and the child indicate that Larson promised to bring the child alcohol and described his desire to have sex with the child and to resort to violence, if necessary.
Court documents further reflect that around 3:30 a.m. on May 4, 2025, Larson picked up the child from her Colorado Springs residence and drove to a nearby park, where he had sex with the child. Instead of driving the child back to her residence, Larson then drove the child, against her will, back to Texas. On the morning of May 4, 2025, Larson and the child were captured on surveillance footage at the Buc-ee’s gas station in Amarillo, Texas. Later that day, Larson hid the child in the trunk of his vehicle in order to sneak her onto SAFB and conceal her in his dormitory room. Larson sexually abused the child multiple times inside his dormitory before she was recovered by law enforcement. A search of Larson’s phone revealed notes with the child’s name, date of birth, and social media accounts, indicating that Larson was aware the child was just 14 years old.
The Colorado Springs Police Department, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Wichita Falls Resident Agency investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allyson Monte and Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Schenectady Man Sentenced for Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Nekie Ricks, age 33, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute crack-cocaine and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) announced the sentence.
In pleading guilty, Ricks admitted that in late August 2022 he was riding his bicycle in the late evening hours in the City of Schenectady when he was stopped by Schenectady Police Department officers for traffic violations and resisting arrest. At the time, Ricks had multiple plastic bags with about 31 grams of cocaine base and cash in his pant pockets and carried a cross-body Adidas bag with a loaded 9mm handgun and a high-voltage taser to protect his drugs and drug proceeds. The defendant was prohibited from possessing firearms because he had previously been convicted of two prior felony offenses.
In addition to the 120-month sentence of imprisonment in this case, U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino sentenced Ricks to four years of supervised release, which will begin after he completes his term of imprisonment.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated, “Ricks was riding around on a bicycle in Schenectady peddling drugs and carrying a dangerous loaded gun, which threatens public safety and makes Schenectady a more dangerous place. Thanks to ATF and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, Ricks will now be behind bars rather than handlebars and our community will be much safer.”
Special Agent in Charge DiGirolamo said, “This defendant, a convicted felon, chose to distribute and possess crack cocaine and a loaded gun within Schenectady. This significant sentence reflects the seriousness of those crimes. Through the strong partnership of ATF, the Schenectady Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York, a repeat offender is now off the streets.”
ATF investigated this Project Safe Neighborhoods case with the Schenectady Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Johnny Bobby Truong, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 19 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
On Aug. 13, 2025, Truong pleaded guilty to the charge.
According to court documents, between Jan. 26, 2023, and May 10, 2024, Truong conspired with others to distribute massive amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin in the Sacramento region. Truong was a significant supplier of drugs to the Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization, and he operated a stash house for the group, which included members of a violent Sacramento criminal street gang.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Sacramento Police Department, the Yuba County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hitt is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Richland County man sentenced to 28 years for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district judge sentenced an Olney man to 28 years in federal prison after he admitted to producing child pornography of a 13-year-old minor.
Joseph Jared St. Pierre, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Upon release from prison, he will serve 15 years of supervised release.
“Repeated sexual acts against minors is reprehensible, and the Justice Department will relentlessly pursue offenders who prey on and exploit children,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers responded to a report of sexual assault in July 2024 when the mother of a 13-year-old minor discovered a video on the minor’s cell phone of the minor engaging in sexual acts with St. Pierre.
“Thanks to the dedication of HSI agents, this predator has been removed from the community and is unable to victimize any more minors while allowing the survivor to begin the healing process,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge, Matthew Scarpino.
St. Pierre admitted to engaging in sexually explicit conduct with the minor on three separate occasions in Olney.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Richland County Sheriff’s Office contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sanders prosecuted the case.
Richland County Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Yashawnus Leekean Patterson, 45, of Columbia, has been sentenced to eight years in federal prison after being convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Patterson was convicted by a federal jury following a trial in June 2025.
Evidence presented at trial included testimony and body worn camera footage showing two Columbia Police Department officers responding to a hotel in downtown Columbia to assist in removing Patterson, who was no longer staying at that hotel. After being asked to place Patterson on trespass notice, officers learned he was wanted on a bench warrant from the Cayce Police Department and arrested him. When officers searched him, they located a loaded 9mm pistol in the front of his waistband, a 30-round extended magazine in his backpack, and a total of 74 rounds of 9mm ammunition on his person and his other belongings. Patterson acknowledged to officers that he knew he was not legally allowed to possess a firearm.
Patterson has an extensive record of felony convictions dating back to 1998, including convictions for criminal sexual conduct with a minor in the second degree, strong-arm robbery, assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis sentenced Patterson to 96 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
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 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the City of Columbia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case.
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Repeat Offender Sentenced for Distributing Meth Twice on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – A Southwest Georgia man, who was on federal supervised release for a prior drug felony when he was caught distributing methamphetamine twice in the region, was sentenced to serve 15 years in prison for his crimes this week.
Frederick Dewayne Donald, 37, of Cairo, Georgia, was sentenced to serve a total of 180 months in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Abrams Gardner on Feb. 26. Donald pleaded guilty to two counts of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in Case No. 1:25-CR-11-001 on Nov. 13, 2025. In addition, Donald’s sentence includes revocation of his supervised release in Case No. 7:18-CR-41-001, for which he was convicted for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the Middle District of Georgia on Nov. 12, 2020, and was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Recidivist offenders who make the choice to break the law must be prevented from further endangering our community and be held accountable for their crimes,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “I commend our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for their role in bringing this individual to justice.”
“Methamphetamine destroys lives, families and neighborhoods,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “This individual not only returned to drug trafficking after a prior conviction but did so while under court supervision. That pattern of behavior demonstrates why enforcement and accountability are critical to protecting our communities.”
“We are committed to relentlessly targeting those who traffic dangerous drugs,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Repeat offenders who continue to push deadly substances into our communities will be held accountable, and the drugs they traffic will be removed from our streets. Together with our federal, state and local partners, we will remain tireless in our efforts to safeguard Georgia’s communities.”
“This case demonstrates how a routine traffic violation can lead to a federal prosecution, highlighting our commitment to working alongside local, state and federal partners to ensure offenders are held accountable for their actions,” said Colonel William W. Hitchens, III, Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Safety.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, a Georgia State Patrol trooper pulled Donald over for making an improper U-turn on Dec. 18, 2023. The trooper observed that Donald’s hands were shaking and smelled marijuana coming from the car. At the time, Donald was on federal supervised release since June 21, 2023, for a prior conviction in the Middle District of Georgia for distributing methamphetamine. A search of the car was conducted, and law enforcement found 151 grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, oxycodone and amphetamine pills located in the center console, along with a digital scale. Donald resisted arrest, but the trooper was ultimately able to safely take him into custody. He was later released on state bond.
On Nov. 11, 2024, a Grady County Sheriff’s Office deputy pulled Donald over for a traffic stop. The deputy saw multiple bags in the driver’s door; Donald was arrested for driving without a license. Law enforcement found 448 grams of methamphetamine, three digital scales and several empty bags commonly used to package drugs in Donald’s car.
The DEA, the GBI, the GSP and the Grady County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Prior felon pleads guilty to gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Derrel Lemorn Moore, Jr. a/k/a Derrel Austin, 47, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna M. Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that in January 1996, Austin was convicted of multiple felony charges in Erie County Court, including kidnapping, burglary and robbery. Part of his sentence included lifetime parole. On February 17, 2022, New York State Parole officers and the Niagara Falls Police officers searched Austin’s 7th Street residence, seizing approximately 17 grams of cocaine, 44 grams of fentanyl, 40 suboxone packages, and a pistol.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, under the direction of Commissioner Daniel F. Martuscello III, the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 20, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Prior felon pleads guilty to cyberstalkingRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Daniel Richter, 47, of Middle Island, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to cyberstalking. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that, between December 24, 2023, and March 27, 2024, Richter sent hundreds of threatening and sexual emails via the internet to Victim 1’s personal email address. He threatened not only Victim 1, but members of her family as well. For instance, over a two-day period in February 2024, Richter sent over 50 email messages to Victim 1’s personal email address, including one email mentioning Victim 1’s son by name. He also sent multiple emails and/or Google voicemails to Victim 1 on an almost daily basis, which became more threatening as time progressed. Richter threatened to visit Victim 1 in person and threatened to kill her. In March 2024, Richter traveled from California to the Western District of New York, where he was arrested at a local hotel. Law enforcement found photos of Victim 1, handwritten notes of Victim 1’s phone number, as well as a black knit ski mask, and several bottles of women’s hair dye in Richter’s hotel room.
In September 2020, Richter was convicted of interstate communication of threat to injure in the Western District of New York and was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026, before Judge Sinatra.
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Prior felon arrested on gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Tehran Muhammad, 40, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute, and distribute, crack cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy C. Lynch, who is handling the case, stated that in February 2025, the DEA and Buffalo Police began investigating the fatal overdose of an individual at Sisters of Charity Hospital. According to the complaint, on February 13, 2025, a victim was discovered unresponsive inside of a bathroom stall at the hospital. Burned tinfoil with suspected fentanyl was found near the victim, who was admitted to the hospital. The following day, February 14, 2025, the victim was pronounced dead due to non-traumatic anoxic brain injury caused by drug intoxication and overdose.
Investigators reviewed the victim’s medical records, cellular telephone, and surveillance footage from the hospital near the time of the overdose. They discovered that beginning on February 12, 2025, the victim began communicating with a “Cuzo Dope,” who was later identified a Muhammad. According to text messages, the victim reached out to Muhammad to purchase drugs on February 12 and February 13, 2025. Cell phone data and surveillance video also indicate that both the victim and Muhammad were in the area of the hospital near the time of the overdose. Subsequent investigation also included two controlled purchases from Mohammad.
On February 27, 2026, search warrants were executed at Muhammad’s Seminole Parkway residence, during which investigators seized a rifle, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia. In 2005, Muhammad was convicted of Attempted Burglary 1st and Rape 1st and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Muhammad made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing on March 4, 2026 before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Craig Macy.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Previously Convicted Felon from Fort Myers Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Jose Manuel Caraballo-Torres (39, Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The sentencing is set for May 22, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on September 27, 2025, Caraballo-Torres was a passenger in a vehicle stopped for speeding by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office. Based on an odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle and the lack of a medical marijuana card, the deputy removed the passengers, one by one, and conducted a pat down for the deputy’s safety. During the pat down of Caraballo-Torres, the deputy located a loaded Ruger LCP .380 caliber pistol on Caraballo-Torres’s person. This firearm had been reported stolen out of Orlando. As a previously convicted felon, Caraballo-Torres is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
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).
Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking and Brandishing a Firearm During Crime of ViolenceRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Nasir Warlow, 21, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania entered a plea of guilty before United States District Court Judge Joel H. Slomsky on one count of carjacking and one count of using and carrying firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On March 20, 2025, a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania indicted Nasir Warlow in connection with a September 3, 2024, carjacking in Southwest Philadelphia. He is charged with carjacking and a related firearms offense stemming from the forcible theft of a 2017 Nissan Sentra.
At approximately 5:08 a.m., the victim parked his silver 2017 Nissan Sentra on the 6700 block of Woodland Avenue when Nasir Warlow and two accomplices, all wearing masks and dressed in black, approached the vehicle. Warlow approached the driver’s side, pointed a firearm at the victim, and ordered him out of the car, while the two accomplices approached from the passenger side. Warlow and the two accomplices then entered the vehicle and fled northbound on 68th Street.
Police located the stolen Nissan near Cobbs Creek Parkway and Baltimore Avenue and initiated a pursuit. The chase ended when Warlow crashed into the front porch of a residence on the 300 block of Horton Street, causing significant damage to both the home and the vehicle.
After pleading guilty, Warlow is set to be sentenced on June 8th, 2026, before the Honorable Joel H. Slomsky.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sandra Urban.
Pasadena Commercial Real Estate Broker Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Years-Long Pattern of Obstructing the IRSRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A San Gabriel Valley man and commercial real estate broker was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for engaging in a years-long pattern of obstructing the IRS from collecting taxes he owed, leading that agency to collect $770 in tax liabilities when he earned approximately $1 million from his employment during that time.
Gabriel David Guerrero, 60, of Pasadena, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson, who also ordered him to pay $509,492 in restitution.
Guerrero pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of corruptly obstructing or impeding, or endeavoring to obstruct or impede, the due administration of the Internal Revenue Code.
Guerrero is a commercial real estate broker who for years did not file timely federal individual income tax returns, specifically for the years 1998, 1999, and 2001 through 2005. He later owed tax liabilities for the years 2012 and 2013.
After the IRS assessed taxes against Guerrero and attempted to collect them him via the sending of dozens of notices, Guerrero took steps to conceal his income and assets from the IRS. For example, he made extensive use of cash and cashier’s checks; submitted a false form to the IRS that significantly understated his income; and used a nominee bank account to deposit income.
Despite the IRS’s issuance of dozens of levies to bank accounts and brokers with whom Guerrero worked throughout the collection action from October 2013 to November 2017, the IRS obtained only $770 towards Guerrero’s tax liabilities for 1998, 1999, 2001 through 2005, 2012, and 2013 despite Guerrero earning approximately $1 million in income from his work as a commercial real estate broker over that same time frame.
“[Guerrero’s] conduct betrays a long-running and calculated effort to obstruct the Treasury, aggravated because [Guerrero] did not need to commit these violations, given he was well-compensated as a commercial real estate agent and maintained a commensurate lifestyle, including a home valued at $4,000,000 and monthly car lease payments of $1,200 and $1,100,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorney Robert A. Kemins of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section prosecuted this case.
Oyster Bay Resident Sentenced to 108 Months in Prison for $30 Million Investment Fraud Scheme and Selling Foreign Nationals Access to Prominent U.S. PoliticiansRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal court in Central Islip, Sherry Xue Li was sentenced by United States District Judge Gary R. Brown to 108 months in prison for money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to defraud the United States by obstructing the Federal Election Commission’s (FEC) administration of campaign finance laws. Li orchestrated a nearly decade-long scheme to defraud investors out of more than $30 million through a fictitious development project. As part of the scheme, Li and her co-defendant Lianbo Wang falsely promised those investors that their investments would guarantee them lawful permanent resident status in the United States. Li and Wang also sold foreign investors access to U.S. politicians at fundraisers by collecting foreign-sourced funds from them and unlawfully contributing those funds to U.S. political campaigns and committees. As part of the sentence, Li was ordered to forfeit $31.5 million, as well as property at three locations, and to make restitution to her victims in the same amount. In 2024, Wang pleaded guilty to engaging in unlawful monetary transactions and conspiracy to defraud the United States, and was sentenced to 60 months’ imprisonment. Li pleaded guilty in July 2025.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York); and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI New York) announced the sentence.
“Li orchestrated an elaborate fraud to steal tens of millions of dollars from more than 150 victims around the world,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “She peddled false promises and outright lies to her many investors and stuffed her pockets while they suffered devastating losses. Meanwhile, she sought to obstruct the operation of free and fair elections in our country and sold access to the democratic process to the highest bidder. Today she faces justice for her cynical schemes. Our Office will stop at nothing to hold fraudsters to account and to keep America’s elections free from unlawful foreign influence.”
“By defrauding over 150 victims out of $30 million and facilitating illegal contributions to U.S. political campaigns, Sherry Li put personal profit above the law and public trust. Li’s sentencing today underscores HSI New York’s and federal law enforcement’s shared commitment to hold accountable those who orchestrate international schemes designed to undermine our immigration and financial systems. No matter how elaborate or deceptive the tactics used by fraudsters, we remain steadfast in protecting individuals and organizations from those who seek to abuse the safeguards established by our laws,” stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Alfonso.
“Li turned the American dream into a fraud driven nightmare—stripping investors of their savings while spending their money on luxury trips. Not one EB 5 or stock investor saw the promised return. With today’s sentencing and more than $30 million forfeiture order, Li will now answer for the damage she caused,” stated IRS-CI New York Special Agent in Charge Chavis.
The Scheme to Defraud Investors
Li and Wang defrauded investors in a fictitious development project in Sullivan County, New York called the Thompson Education Center (the TEC Project) out of more than $30 million. Many of the victims were foreign nationals located in the People’s Republic of China who were persuaded to invest in the project by the defendants’ false assurances that their $500,000 investments would guarantee them lawful permanent residence in the United States through the EB-5 investment visa program administered by the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). The defendants falsely represented the progress they were making on the project and its support from government officials. The defendants distributed promotional materials that contained photographs of Li with prominent U.S. politicians to falsely convey government support for the project.
Li and Wang siphoned off the money they fraudulently obtained from investors by transferring the funds through bank accounts held in the names of various companies that Li had created. Once the funds were in those accounts, Li and Wang used the funds to pay for personal expenses including clothing, jewelry, housing, vacation travel, upscale dining, and political contributions to prominent politicians. The portion of the invested capital Li and Wang actually spent on the TEC Project was used merely to create and perpetuate the fiction that the TEC Project was a viable development project that was actually under construction. For example, Li and Wang hired contractors, engineers, and other professionals to create architectural drawings and plans and perform minor work on or around the development site, which Li and Wang showed to potential investors to mislead them into believing the TEC Project had a realistic probability of completion and of delivering the returns on investment that the co-conspirators promised their investors.
Ultimately, more than 150 investors invested at least $31.5 million in the TEC Project, including approximately $16.5 million from EB-5 investors who were promised green cards in return for their investments, and approximately $15 million from stock investors who were promised that an initial public offering (IPO) would take place. No EB-5 investor in the TEC Project ever received a temporary or permanent green card and the TEC Project did not have an IPO or list on any stock exchange.
Selling Access to U.S. Politicians
In furtherance of their scheme, Li and Wang also acted as “straw donors” for foreign nationals to unlawfully contribute to campaigns supporting U.S. politicians and political committees. Li and Wang promised foreign nationals access to U.S. political events and politicians in exchange for a fee. Li and Wang used the money they received from foreign nationals to fund political contributions and falsely identified themselves and other U.S. citizens as the contributors of the funds, in violation of the Federal Election Campaign Act (FECA) and FEC regulations. In some cases, Li and Wang used TEC Project investors’ investment funds to make the political contributions which they used to gain access to the political events, where Li and Wang took photographs with elected officials. Li and Wang would then use the photographs as a marketing tool in soliciting investments from foreign nationals in the TEC Project.
For example, Li and Wang charged 12 foreign nationals $93,000 per person for admission to a June 28, 2017 fundraising event with the then-President of the United States. Li and Wang used the funds that they collected from the foreign nationals to unlawfully make $600,000 in political contributions in their own names—$270,500 from Li and $329,500 from Wang—to the joint fundraising committee hosting the fundraiser. At the time they made these contributions, they were the largest contributors to the joint fundraising committee, which was unaware of their fraudulent conduct. Li, Wang, and their foreign national guests attended the fundraiser and took photographs with the then-President of the United States. Li and Wang later used a photograph of Li and the President taken at the fundraiser to solicit investments in the TEC Project.
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The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime and Public Integrity Sections. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Reich and Meredith A. Arfa are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Magdalena St. Surin and Rebecca Roth. Assistant United States Attorney Claire S. Kedeshian of the Office’s Asset Forfeiture Section is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:
SHERRY XUE LI
Age: 54
Oyster Bay, New YorkThe Defendant Who Previously Pleaded Guilty:
LIANBO WANG
Age: 49
Oyster Bay, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-484 (GRB)
Operation Take Back America efforts result in another 476 individuals charged in Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 473 cases have been filed in immigration and related matters from Feb. 20-26 in continuing enforcement actions to protect the southern border, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The cases include charges against 23 people allegedly involved in human smuggling. The Southern District filed a total of 202 criminal complaints for illegal entry, while another 244 people face charges of felony reentry after prior removal. Most of those individuals have prior felonies such as narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. The remaining cases charged this week relate to other immigration crimes.
Among the new cases are three men from different countries, all who are charged with felony reentry after removal. El Salvadorian Joel Antonio Alvarez-Reyes and Mexican national Arturo Corona-Santiago both have convictions for burglary, according to their charges, and had previously been removed from the United States. Law enforcement allegedly found these men in the McAllen area without legal authorization to be in the country. Also charged is Ariel Lazaro Hernandez-Misiara, Honduras, who has a conviction for cocaine trafficking, according to his complaint. Authorities allegedly found him near Roma despite having been removed Jan. 2. If convicted, each illegal alien faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, a federal jury in Corpus Christi found 63-year-old Penitas resident Ludivina Vasquez-Salinas guilty of transporting an illegal alien further into the United States. On May 7, 2025, authorities encountered her driving a white SUV and observed movement beneath a blanket on the rear floorboard of her car. Vasquez-Salinas initially claimed only she and her daughter were in the vehicle but later admitted she knew an illegal alien was present and that she was transporting them past the checkpoint. The jury deliberated for only 25 minutes before finding her guilty as charged.
In Houston, two illegal alien felons were ordered to federal prison for unlawfully reentering into the country. Raymundo Pecina-Lopez and Samuel Moreno-Soto received 39 months and 18 months, respectively. Both Mexican nationals have previous convictions for assault of a family member and narcotics offenses.
Honduran nationals Elmer Adalid Alonzo-Zelaya and Cristian Jose Ayestas-Argueta were also ordered to prison for illegal reentry after removal. Both men have prior convictions for illegal reentry but were recently discovered unlawfully in the United States again. Alonzo-Zelaya has convictions for aggravated assault and obstruction of an officer and driving without a valid license, while Ayestas-Argueta has convictions for assault of a family member and trespassing. Also sentenced in Houston was Mexican national Edgar Jaramillo-Escobar. He had been previously convicted of illegal reentry into the United States and assault causing bodily injury.
Two other sentencings occurred in Corpus Christi. Mexican nationals Serafin Garcia-Rodriguez and Hugo Balderas Juarez both have previous convictions for illegally entering and reentering the United States and drug charges. Juarez also has a prior conviction of driving under the influence. Both have now been ordered to federal prison for the new illegal reentry charges.
In Houston, Veronica Michelle Torres has pleaded guilty to illegal reentry after being discovered illegally present in the country. According to records, she has various felony convictions such as credit card abuse and unlawful carrying of a weapon and now faces up to 10 years in prison following her plea of illegal reentry.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Online predator pleads guilty to hacking social media accounts and extorting hundreds of teens and young adultsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Jamarcus Mosley pled guilty this week to charges of computer fraud, extortion, and cyberstalking after tricking hundreds of young victims into giving him control to their social media accounts, accessing their private images and videos, and threatening to release those items if they did not comply with his demands, including sending him sexually explicit material.
“Mosley is the dangerous online stranger who every parent fears,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “By exploiting the trust of teens and young adults, Mosley hacked into their accounts to steal intimate and sexually suggestive images and extort them over a three-year period. This cruel, calculated scheme is the latest reminder that everyone must exercise great care with whom they interact online.”
“This case highlights the serious and devastating impact cyber exploitation can have on victims, especially young people,” said Kennesaw Police Chief Bill Westenberger. “Mosley deliberately manipulated and extorted individuals during what should have been one of the safest and most secure times of their lives. It is deeply disturbing that someone would believe they could carry out such calculated and predatory acts without consequence.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Between at least April 2022 and May 2025, Mosley devised a scheme to hijack Snapchat, Instagram, and other social media accounts belonging to hundreds of young victims, including accounts belonging to minors. Mosely used different methods to take over the victims’ accounts, including pretending to be friends with the victims. After gaining control over their accounts, he threatened to release victims’ nude images and videos, including sexually explicit images and videos, as well as lock victims out of their accounts if they did not provide him with complete access to their social media accounts, send him sexually explicit videos, or send him money.
For example, in April 2022, Mosley used Instagram to contact a 20-year-old woman residing in Kennesaw, Georgia (Victim-1), by using an account that purportedly belonged to a high school friend (Victim-2). Pretending to be Victim-2, Mosley asked Victim-1 for assistance in recovering their “his” Snapchat account, and Victim-1 provided a “recovery passcode” for her Snapchat account in response. Mosley used that information to take over the account and access Victim-1’s private nude images and videos. Mosley also sent a message to Victim-1 containing two nude images and a sexually explicit video of her and threatened that “I got 65 videos and [a] picture of you about to get posted.”
Mosley sometimes taunted victims about hacking their accounts. In December 2022, Mosley toyed with an 18-year-old Florida woman (Victim-3) asking “Should I post these?”, referring to nude images of her that he had stolen after hacking her Snapchat account. After Victim-3 failed to heed Mosley’s demands to send him more nude photos, he posted the stolen nude images of Victim-3 publicly.
In another instance, Mosely tricked a 17-year-old Illinois victim (Victim-4) into sharing her “My Eyes Only” passcode, which allowed Mosley to take full control of her Snapchat account. Mosley then demanded that Victim-4 create a new Snapchat account to chat with him, or he would post everything in Victim-4’s “My Eyes Only” folder. Although Victim-4 created the new account, Mosley was angry that she would not use it and continued to threaten her. Mosley continued to threaten Victim-4 and used her real Snapchat account to communicate with Victim-3’s 13-year-old sister, telling her he knew where she lived by sending an image of a Snapchat map with her location.
Sentencing for Jamarcus Mosley, 22, of Mobile, Alabama, is scheduled for May 27, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. before U.S. District Judge Michael L. Brown.
This case is being investigated by the Kennesaw Police Department with valuable assistance from the United States Secret Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla is prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Northumberland County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Scott Eric Snyder, age 54, of Northumberland County, PA, was sentenced to 30 years of imprisonment followed by ten years of supervised release by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann on a charge of production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Snyder produced child sexual abuse material in July of 2012 and July of 2013 after entering the minor victim’s home at night. The victim and two members of the family addressed the Court at the sentencing hearing.
In imposing the maximum sentence, Chief Judge Brann referred to the case as “one of the most heinous crimes” he has encountered during his thirteen years on the bench.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan V. Martin 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 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.
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North Fort Myers Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing Arsenal of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Frederick Charles Kutchinsky (54, North Fort Myers) has pleaded guilty to possessing multiple firearms and ammunition as a convicted felon. He faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. The sentencing is set for May 29, 2026. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on January 24, 2025, deputies with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Warrants Unit (FWU) responded to Kutchinsky’s home in North Fort Myers to serve an active felony arrest warrant from Georgia. While in the process of getting Kutchinsky to come outside, FWU deputies observed multiple firearms in plain view through the residence windows, one of which was a .50 caliber rifle. Kutchinsky exited the home and was taken into custody.
FWU deputies obtained and executed a search warrant and located more than 50 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition inside the residence as well as a work bench with firearms parts and tools for modifying firearms.
As a previously convicted felon, Kutchinsky is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
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).
New York man arrested on federal sexual exploitation chargesRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A New York man was arrested last night on federal sexual exploitation charges filed in the Southern District of Ohio after investigation into a missing Colerain teenager revealed he was previously involved with the minor.
Kyle D. Lawrence, 43, of Buffalo, New York, was arrested at his residence. He appeared in federal court in New York today.
According to charging documents, on Feb. 16, Colerain Township police began investigating the circumstances surrounding a missing teenager. Officers reviewed video surveillance from the minor’s home and discovered that in January, the teenager entered a black Jeep Grand Cherokee with New York license plates. License plate readers and receipts confirm that Lawrence allegedly rented the vehicle and that he and the minor stayed at a Cincinnati hotel together on Jan. 31.
It was discovered that Lawrence was the subject of a report to the FBI in May 2024. Lawrence was confronted by a citizen vigilante group while in Canada for allegedly traveling to Canada to have sexual contact with a purported 15-year-old girl. Agents in Buffalo had previously been in contact with Lawrence in response to the report.
Further investigation by the FBI revealed two cyber tip reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding Lawrence’s Snapchat account and child exploitation activity.
On Feb. 26, FBI agents in Buffalo executed a federal search warrant at Lawrence’s residence and seized several electronic devices, which contained child sexual abuse material.
An affidavit details that Lawrence told agents he communicated with the minor from Colerain on Snapchat and traveled to the Cincinnati area twice in January to meet up. He used the location services on Snapchat to locate the minor when he picked her up.
Law enforcement’s investigation into the whereabouts of the missing teenager remains ongoing.
Lawrence is charged with transportation with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity (a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison), travel with the intent to engage in illicit conduct (up to 30 years in prison) and transportation of child pornography (five to 20 years in prison).
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the charges.
This is a joint investigation being conducted by the FBI divisions in Cincinnati and Buffalo, Colerain Township Police Department, New York State Police and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI). Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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New Rochelle Man Sentenced Following Trial Convictions for Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Aly Kaba, age 30, of New Rochelle, New York, was sentenced today to 54 months in prison for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain COVID-19 pandemic-related unemployment insurance benefits using stolen identities.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS); Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, United States Department of Labor (USDOL-OIG), made the announcement.
The trial evidence showed that in late 2020, Kaba conspired with his former roommate, Tony Brobbey, and fraudulently obtained unemployment insurance benefits from the New York State Department of Labor worth more than $150,000. To make the fraudulent unemployment insurance claims, Kaba used multiple stolen identities, including victims named J.F and J.M. and two men who died more than a decade before the pandemic. Kaba’s fraudulent claims sought more than $600,000 in benefits. The evidence also showed that Kaba used fraud proceeds on overseas travel and a Rolex watch.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also ordered a 3-year term of supervised release to follow Kaba’s release from prison, as well as restitution to the States of New York, New Jersey, and Rhode Island in a total amount of $182,227, and forfeiture of a money judgment.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sarcone stated: “Kaba thought his fraud would get him some new gear and luxury vacations, but in the end, all he got was a trip to federal prison and a jumpsuit. Today’s sentence demonstrates, once again, that my office and our partners will bring to justice anyone who fraudulently exploits a crisis to steal from taxpayers. Thank you to our federal law enforcement partners for all their great work throughout this investigation.”
“The deliberate use of someone else’s identity for financial gain creates considerable impacts. We will thoroughly investigate cases when individuals falsely obtain benefits they are not entitled to,” said Acting Inspector in Charge Nicholas Bucciarelli of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division. “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service works alongside our federal law enforcement partners to conduct investigations like these, to preserve the integrity of the programs that are designed to provide financial assistance to those in need.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Keegan said: "Aly Kaba exploited the COVID-19 pandemic by orchestrating a scheme to steal identities and fraudulently obtain over $150,000 in unemployment insurance benefits, causing significant financial harm to victims in multiple states for his own selfish gain. HSI Albany is dedicated to uncovering and dismantling complex fraud schemes, leveraging our expertise and resources to protect public funds and hold perpetrators accountable. HSI remains committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to safeguard the wellbeing of our communities and ensure justice for those impacted by these crimes."
“This defendant took advantage of a national emergency to line his own pockets — using deception and stolen identities to siphon off unemployment benefits meant for people truly in need. That’s not just fraud, it’s theft from the American taxpayer,” said Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General. “At the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, we are relentless in protecting the integrity of our unemployment insurance programs. We will continue working hand-in-hand with our law enforcement partners to track down fraudsters, bring charges, and ensure accountability. If you try to exploit these benefits for personal gain, we will find you.”
Brobbey previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced to 3 years of probation with 24 consecutive weekends in jail and restitution to victims in January 2026.
This case was investigated by USPIS, HSI, and USDOL-OIG, with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office and the New York State Department of Labor’s Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping and Joshua R. Rosenthal prosecuted the case.
New River Couple Convicted of $12 Million AHCCCS Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Thvoughn Lynden Curry, 34, and Alexis Daneen Curry, 34, both of New River, Arizona, were recently convicted in federal court based on their scheme to defraud the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid Agency, of over $12 million. Following a four-day bench trial before Senior U.S. District Judge G. Murray Snow, both defendants were convicted of one count of Conspiracy to Commit Health Care Fraud, three counts of Health Care Fraud, and eight counts of Transactional Money Laundering. Their sentencings are scheduled for May 4, 2026.
“Individuals, like the Currys, who exploit and undermine government healthcare programs for personal gain will be identified, investigated and held accountable in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The men and women of IRS Criminal Investigation follow the money with precision and persistence, tracking every dollar stolen through fraud, corruption and other illicit means. I appreciate their work along with the AHCCCS Office of Inspector General and the Mesa Police Department, who were critical to bringing these two fraudsters to justice.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, the Currys defrauded AHCCCS through “1 Family Clinic, LLC,” their purported outpatient behavioral health clinic in Mesa, Arizona. They first defrauded AHCCCS by submitting a fraudulent application to enroll as an AHCCCS provider. In so doing, they falsely stated that Alexis Curry was the 100% owner and only managing employee of 1 Family Clinic. They falsely omitted that Thvoughn Curry, who had an active, outstanding warrant for felony fraud charges at the time, was also an owner and managing employee of 1 Family Clinic.
Once approved by AHCCCS based on the fraudulent application, the Currys engaged in fraudulent billing practices. Between approximately Feb. 1, 2021, and March 31, 2023, the Currys routinely billed AHCCCS in a uniform, nearly identical pattern for services that were not actually provided. Throughout the course of the scheme, 1 Family billed an average of more than 12 hours of service per member per day—despite being open just eight hours per day on weekdays, five hours on Saturdays, and closed on Sundays. As a result of their fraudulent billings, AHCCCS paid 1 Family Clinic more than $12 million—funds that were intended to be used for legitimate healthcare services for low-income individuals.
The evidence at trial showed that the Currys spent much of the money they received from AHCCCS on themselves. They purchased properties and luxury vehicles, including a 2019 Lamborghini Urus for more than $300,000.
“Medicaid provides an essential service to some of the most vulnerable members of our community,” said IRS-CI Phoenix Field Office Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarom Gregory. “For these fraudsters to exploit this system and steal millions of U.S. taxpayer dollars is unconscionable. This guilty verdict marks a significant step toward justice for those victimized by the Currys and serves as a reminder that IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are experts at following the money. We remain steadfast in our commitment to uncovering fraud and ensuring fraudsters are held fully accountable for their crimes.”
“AHCCCS remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting the safety of our members and safeguarding the integrity of our programs, which rely on federal and taxpayer resources,” said Roberta Harrison, Interim Director of AHCCCS. “The AHCCCS Office of Inspector General continues to vigorously investigate fraud, waste, and abuse and will carry out its responsibilities in full compliance with federal, state, and agency regulations.”
“This case is a great example of how agencies work in cooperation with the common goal of holding offenders accountable for their crimes,” said Mesa Police Chief Dan Butler. “We are thankful for the relationships we have built with our partner agencies. It is rewarding to see the impressive results of everyone coming together to see justice served.”
Both defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison per count of conviction, a fine, and restitution owed to AHCCCS.
IRS-Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation with substantial assistance from the Mesa Police Department and AHCCCS-Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Corbet and Lindsay Short, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1293-PHX-GMS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-040_Curry
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Middle Eastern Man Indicted for Fraudulent Use of Immigration Documents and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A Middle Eastern man illegally residing in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other documents, and aggravated identify theft, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The six-count Indictment named Mahmoud Almasry, aka Mohammad Jiham, 44, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Almasry assumed the identity of another person to fraudulently gain entry into the United States in 2016 and continued to use that person’s name for the next decade. Further, Almasry used various forms of identification of the other person, who was already deceased at the time Almasry assumed his identity in order to enter the United States.The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Nicole Vasquez Schmitt is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Citizenship and Immigration Services conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Miami Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Fraud Committed Against at Least 450 VictimsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced today to 55 months in prison and three years of supervised release for possessing approximately 450 fraudulent, stolen or counterfeit access devices, which included others’ credit card numbers, social security numbers, and means to gain access to bank accounts.
Mckenzie Levar Monestine, 33, of Miami, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of possessing 15 or more unauthorized access devices and one count of aggravated identity theft. Monestine pleaded guilty to these charges based on conduct stemming from a 2020 FBI investigation.
“This defendant built a fraud operation on stolen identities, at least 450 of them,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He stockpiled Social Security numbers, bank credentials, and credit card information in spreadsheets and on electronic devices, treating other people’s identities like inventory. Identity theft is not a victimless crime. It drains savings, damages credit, and disrupts lives. If you traffic in stolen identities in South Florida, you will face federal prosecution and real prison time.”
According to court documents, on or about June 22, 2020, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Monestine’s home. That search uncovered a trove of fraud evidence inside Monestine’s padlocked room, including mechanisms to access the banking information of other people, such as personally identifying information (PII), social security numbers, account passwords, driver’s license numbers, phone numbers, bank account numbers, credit card numbers, debit card numbers, and dates of birth belonging to other persons. Because much of the fraudulent activity was committed online and using social media and email, the evidence of how Monestine committed the fraud was found on numerous electronic devices, such as cellphones and a Macbook laptop. Monestine kept information consisting of the PII in various forms and locations on his devices including in a spreadsheet containing approximately 450 access devices and in notes maintained on his MacBook Pro. Monestine exchanged numerous text messages on his phone that contained PII as well, including logins for banking information, pin numbers for credit and debit cards, and data used to access other people’s bank accounts.
In addition, the search uncovered physical evidence of fraud, including over $11,000 in U.S. currency; a large number of credit, debit, and gift cards, in the names of other people; fake identification cards; Western Union money orders; a credit card re-encoder that the information encoded in a credit card’s chip or magnetic strip and mail in other people’s names.
The estimated loss to victims in this case is between $250,000 and $550,000.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field Office and USSS Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Maultasch for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Jinah Chang and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Miami. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute offenders and prevent violence.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 25-cr-20282.
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Mexican National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Miguel Ortiz-Camacho, age 40, a citizen of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Ortiz-Camacho illegally reentered the United States and was found in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on February 11, 2026, after being charged with the above felony. Ortiz-Camacho was removed from the United States through Laredo, Texas, on February 26, 2021, and reentered without having obtained permission to do so.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Mesa Residents Sentenced to Prison for Fraud Targeting AHCCCSRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Eric Riley, 39, and Britney Gooch, 38, both of Mesa, were recently sentenced by U.S. District Judge Krissa M. Lanham for defrauding the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS), Arizona’s Medicaid agency.
Riley was sentenced on Feb. 6, 2026, to 24 months of imprisonment. Gooch was sentenced on Feb. 20, 2026, to 12 months and one day of imprisonment. Riley and Gooch were also ordered to pay $3.3 million in restitution to AHCCCS. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to Healthcare Fraud.
Riley and Gooch defrauded AHCCCS through their company, New Horizons Behavioral Health, a behavioral health clinic in Mesa. Through New Horizons, they exploited AHCCCS’s American Indian Health Program (AIHP) between 2020 and 2022 by falsely billing for services that were not provided to AIHP patients. As a result of the fraudulent billing submissions, Riley and Gooch obtained approximately $3.3 million in illegitimate proceeds from AHCCCS.
“This case is about protecting American taxpayers, restoring the public’s trust, and safeguarding critical health care resources for the communities that truly need them,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “Working with our FBI and AHCCCS-OIG partners, we not only secured convictions in this case, but also maximized the recovery of stolen money through the $3.3 million restitution order.”
FBI Phoenix conducted the investigation with substantial assistance from the AHCCCS Office of Inspector General. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-01794
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-041_Riley, Gooch
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Massachusetts Man Indicted and Arrested for Fraudulently Using Government SealsRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – Mario Cesar Dos Santos, Jr. (50, Massachusetts) has been charged by indictment and arrested for the fraudulent use of government seals. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Dos Santos is the president of an organization called Chaplain Emergency Management Agency Inc. (CEMA), which he falsely claimed was a government agency endorsed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). In doing so, Dos Santos fraudulently used the seals of FEMA, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Neither Dos Santos nor CEMA have authorization to use the seals of DHS, FEMA, or FBI, nor are they otherwise affiliated with DHS, FEMA, FBI, or any other department or agency of the federal government.
As outlined in the court documents, Dos Santos has organized multiple CEMA chaplaincy training courses throughout the country. At these trainings, Dos Santos provided participants with identification cards, law enforcement badges, and course completion certificates containing the seals of various departments and agencies of the United States. As shown in the redacted images below, the identification cards contain one of CEMA’s logos, which consists of the DHS seal, modified to state, “U.S. Department of Homeland Chaplain.” The back of the identification cards contain the DHS/FEMA seal with no alterations. The certificates contain the FBI seal and a slightly different version of the CEMA logo—an older version of the FEMA seal, modified to state, “U.S. Department of Homeland Chaplain.”
Dos Santos also offered various CEMA merchandise for sale, including polo shirts, bumper stickers, jackets, badges, and badge holders—all bearing either the DHS or FEMA seal. During an undercover operation conducted at a training held on September 27, 2025, a confidential informant purchased merchandise items, pictured below:
CEMA’s website and social media accounts all display the CEMA logo (an altered version of the DHS seal) and falsely identify CEMA as a government organization or federal agency.
Dos Santos is a Brazilian national who came to the United States in 2016. He has overstayed his visa and is undergoing deportation proceedings. In connection with his immigration case, Dos Santos submitted multiple fraudulent documents, including a “Certificate of Ordination” and a diploma from the “University of Berkley” in Michigan, which does not exist.
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 Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with material support from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service’s Fraud Detection and National Security Directorate, and the Federal Air Marshal Service. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.
Indictment Criminal ComplaintMaryland U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Take Back America Prosecutions Including Sentence for Man Who Resisted ArrestRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland’s recent prosecutions in connection with the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, including sentencing for an illegal alien who resisted arrest.
Hayes announced the prosecutions with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ajmel A. Quereshi sentenced Cristian Rivas-Bonilla, 27, an El Salvadorian citizen, to time served for an incident stemming from a final order of removal from an immigration judge. Rivas-Bonilla received the sentence after he pled guilty to resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers. In November 2025, when law enforcement traveled to Camp Springs, Maryland, to find Rivas-Bonilla, he tried to evade HSI agents, taking them on a high-speed car chase.
An El Salvadorian citizen recently pled guilty to an illegal re-entry charge in federal court. Willians Elenilson Beltran-Quintanilla, 39, is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after removal. According to court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement found Beltran-Quintanilla in Prince George’s County, Maryland, after he was previously removed from the U.S.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland also announced an indictment against a 45-year-old El Salvadorian national charged with illegally re-entering the United States after he was convicted of burglary, grand larceny, and abduction charges connected to three home invasions in Fairfax County, Virgina, and was previously removed from the country. According to the indictment, on January 19, 2026, ICE law enforcement officers arrested Kevin Mendez Vasquez, aka “Kevin Estix Lara Henriquez,” while conducting a vehicle investigation in Elkridge, Maryland.
Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced it filed a criminal complaint against an El Salvadorian national in connection with illegal re-entry charges. In December 2025, law enforcement received a tip that Juan Carlos Rivas-Montano, 45, was working in Hyattsville, Maryland. After a positive confirmation, law enforcement took Rivas-Montano into custody. Authorities deported Rivas-Montano on two previous occasions.
In addition, a federal grand jury indicted Samuel Rios-Rodriguez, 33, a citizen and national of Honduras, who is charged with illegal re-entry into the U.S. According to the indictment, Rios-Rodriguez was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2017. Law enforcement found Rios-Rodrigeuz in the District of Maryland again after he was arrested in December 2022.
A federal grand jury also indicted a citizen and national of Honduras on an illegal re-entry after aggravated felony conviction and removal charge. Carlos Amador Lopez, 29, is charged with illegally re-entering the U.S. after he was convicted for committing an aggravated felony and being removed. According to the indictment, law enforcement encountered Lopez in the District of Maryland again in December 2025.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO and HSI for its work in these investigations. Ms. Hayes also thanked the Assistant U.S. Attorneys who prosecuted these federal cases.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Found Guilty of Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 25, 2026, after a three-day jury trial, Luis Ángel Domenech‑Acabá was found guilty of two counts of child exploitation: production and possession of child pornography. United States District Court Judge Aida Delgado Colón presided over the trial.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Yariel Ramos, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, announced that, according to the evidence presented at trial and reviewed by the jury, Domenech‑Acabá sexually exploited a female minor from in or about September 2017 to in or about September 2018. The evidence showed that he used a cellular phone and internet messaging services to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce the minor to engage in sexual activity for the purpose of producing visual depictions of such conduct.
“Protecting children from sexual exploitation is one of our highest priorities,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “This verdict sends a clear message that those who exploit minors and trade in child sexual abuse material will be held fully accountable and face significant consequences for their crimes.”
“This verdict brings hope for all the victims that suffered unbelievable pain caused by this individual who was a trusted adult close to the family. Now that our law enforcement efforts brought him to justice, the victims can now focus on their healing process. HSI will continue collaborating with our local partners to identify and process those who prey on our children,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos.
During trial, the government presented testimony and digital evidence establishing that, using cellphones and other devices, Domenech‑Acabá produced images and videos depicting a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. He also possessed images and videos of the minor and of other minors in sexually explicit conduct, which he kept in a secured folder on his cellphone.
For production of child pornography, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison; for possession of child pornography, he faces up to 20 years. Sentencing is scheduled for May 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. The defendant was ordered detained in the custody of the Bureau of Prisons pending sentencing.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daynelle Álvarez‑Lora and Emelina Agrait Barreto of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking, and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking a Minor in Chicago SuburbRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man on sex trafficking charges for causing a minor to engage in commercial sex in a Chicago suburb.
KENNARD CAMERON recruited and enticed a 15-year-old girl to engage in commercial sex acts in a motel in Lansing, Ill., in 2023. Cameron had photographed the girl wearing lingerie and in the nude and then posted the photos online in commercial sex advertisements. After Cameron arranged for encounters with individuals who responded to the ads, he and a co-conspirator required the girl to turn over the proceeds to them.
Cameron, 40, of Chicago, was convicted on Wednesday of one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor. The jury returned its verdicts after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago.
Cameron faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years in federal prison and a maximum of life. U.S. District Judge John Robert Blakey set sentencing for Sept. 16, 2026.
The conviction 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. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Chang and Caitlin Walgamuth.
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Man Arrested for Plotting with Others to Murder or Kidnap Two Victims Abroad and Related Terrorism OffensesRead the Press Release
Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Roman Rozhavsky, Assistant Director of the FBI’s Counterintelligence & Espionage Division, and James C. Barnacle, Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced today that DENIS ALIMOV, a/k/a “Denis Nazarovich Alimov,” a/k/a “Denis N Alimov,” a/k/a “Denis Nevsky,” a/k/a “Dionis Nevsky,” a/k/a “Denis Klimenkov,” a/k/a “Denis Nazarovich Klimenkov,” was arrested on February 24, 2026 in Bogotá, Colombia, based on an Interpol Red Notice related to charges filed in Superseding Indictment S2 25 Cr. 122 (JPC) in the Southern District of New York. The Superseding Indictment charges ALIMOV with participating in an alleged plot to murder or kidnap two well-known dissidents abroad, as well as related terrorism offenses. U.S. authorities plan to seek the extradition of ALIMOV from Colombia. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan.
“As alleged, Denis Alimov and his co-conspirators tried to murder or kidnap two well-known dissidents, with Alimov offering a co-conspirator $1.5 million for each victim,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “This chilling attempt shows not only the lengths malign actors will go to silence critics, but also, the resolve, expertise, and ability of American law enforcement and our partners abroad to disrupt those plots and bring those responsible to justice.”
“Alimov has been arrested for his alleged involvement in a plot to locate, kidnap, and murder political dissidents who dared to speak out against their authoritarian regime,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence & Espionage Division. “Transnational repression poses a serious and growing threat to individual rights and freedoms, and the FBI is committed to investigating all plots involving U.S.-based criminal actors or victims. Today’s announcement makes clear that combating this threat is among our highest priorities, and we will work with our partners at home and abroad to find and hold accountable those who use threats and violence to silence dissent.”
“Denis Alimov allegedly plotted with others to kidnap or murder two foreign dissidents and offered a co-conspirator a bounty for his help carrying out that plot,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle. “The FBI will continue to prevent hired guns from prowling the globe to carry out the nefarious agenda of others, no matter where they are.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment unsealed today and Indictment 25 Cr. 122 (JPC):[1]
An investigation by the FBI revealed that from at least in or about October 2024 through in or about March 2025, ALIMOV orchestrated a plot, with others, to kidnap or murder two well-known dissidents residing abroad (collectively, the “Targets”) from a republic in a particular foreign country. The Targets have previously been the subject of multiple reprisal and assassination attempts. In furtherance of the plot, in or about October 2024, ALIMOV met with an alleged co-conspirator, Darko Durovic,[2] at a restaurant near the headquarters of a particular foreign country’s internal security and counterintelligence service. During that meeting, ALIMOV paid Durovic approximately $60,000 to finance the plot. ALIMOV also agreed to pay Durovic approximately $1.5 million in exchange for murdering or kidnapping each of the Targets.
Following their meeting in or about October 2024, ALIMOV repeatedly communicated with Durovic regarding the planning and status of the plot, including providing Durovic with IP address and phone number information for one of the Targets. Durovic, among other things, researched Glock handguns while planning travel to a European country to find one of the Targets; traveled to a second European country to locate another of the Targets; and recruited another co-conspirator to participate in the plot, who discussed with Durovic the need to “finance a hunting team” to find the Targets.
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ALIMOV, 42, is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit murder and kidnapping in a foreign country, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of provision and attempted provision of material support to terrorists, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison; one count of conspiracy to finance terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of financing of terrorism, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The potential maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding efforts of the FBI New York Counterintelligence Office, the FBI Counterintelligence and Espionage Division, and the FBI International Operations Division. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, the Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, our partners at the United States Embassy to Colombia, and our law enforcement partners in Colombia, for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas S. Bradley and Kaylan E. Lasky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the Counterterrorism Section.
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[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
[2] Durovic was subsequently arrested in or about March 2025, and his case is pending before Judge Cronan.
Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Committing COVID Relief Fraud While in PrisonRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Louisiana man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to conspiring with another individual to fraudulently obtain unemployment insurance benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic while he was in prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Travis Thorn, 45, of Monroe, Louisiana, conspired with another individual to fraudulently apply for unemployment benefits with the Mississippi Department of Employment Security. As an inmate in the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), Thorn was not entitled to receive unemployment insurance benefits. Some of the funds were applied to Thorn’s commissary account.
The unemployment insurance benefits were federally subsidized through the CARES Act in response to the pandemic.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment against Thorn on March 19, 2025. Thorn pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2026. The maximum statutory term of imprisonment is 20 years. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger, Mississippi State Auditor Shad White, and Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Southeast Region made the announcement.
The U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General and the Mississippi Office of the State Auditor investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s National Unemployment Insurance Fraud Task Force (NUIFTF). In response to the unprecedented scope of Unemployment Insurance (UI) fraud, the Department of Justice established the NUIFTF. The NUIFTF is a prosecutor-led multi-agency task force with representatives from FBI, DOL-OIG, IRS-CI, HSI, DHS-OIG, USPIS, USSS, SSA-OIG, FDIC-OIG, and other agencies. Members of the NUIFTF are working with state workforce agencies, financial institutions, and other law enforcement partners across the country to fight UI fraud, and consumers should be vigilant in light of these threats and take the appropriate steps to safeguard themselves.
The CARES Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who are suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act is the authorization that expands states’ ability to provide unemployment insurance for many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
Anyone with information about attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866‑720‑5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Local man charged with assault of court security officerRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment against a 34-year-old man for assaulting, opposing, resisting, impeding, and interfering with a federal officer, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Xavier Edmond is currently in custody and expected to appear for his arraignment in the near future.
On Feb. 4, Edmond allegedly attempted to bypass security screening at the Bob Casey Federal Courthouse in Houston.
A court security officer quickly approached Edmond and attempted to escort him from the lobby area, but Edmond swung his fists, pushed the officer, and threatened to kill him, according to the allegations. The charges further allege Edmond spit on the officer before additional security intervened and arrested him.
If convicted, Edmond faces up to eight years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Department of Homeland Security – Federal Protective Service conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Martin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Less Than 200 New Immigration Cases Added in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 175 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Feb. 20 to Feb. 26, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for sex crimes, violent crimes, drug trafficking, DWIs, gang affiliations, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Mexican nationals Heriberto Vasquez-Salinas and Felix Ermundo Jose-Jose aka Jose Felix-Edmundo were both charged with illegal re-entry in San Antonio after being arrested on Feb. 18. Texas Department of Public Safety advised Cotulla Border Patrol agents of a possible stolen vehicle that had failed to yield on Interstate 35 northbound. The vehicle was soon found empty on a private ranch east of Dilley. A criminal complaint alleges that, after an extensive joint search using a DPS helicopter, USBP agents apprehended Vasquez-Salinas and Jose-Jose.
Salvadoran national and documented Tango Blast gang member Franklin Ulises Rodriguez-Rivas was charged with illegal re-entry. According to a criminal complaint, the San Antonio Police Department conducted an aggravated kidnapping investigation and executed a search warrant on Feb. 19. Rodriguez-Rivas allegedly jumped out of a window as officers were approaching the residence, and he was subsequently arrested. He was previously convicted of illegal re-entry and removed from the U.S. in March 2022.
Honduran national Juaquin Vardalez-Zepeda was arrested for assault causing bodily injury to a family member and booked in the Bexar County Adult Detention Center. He was transferred into ICE custody and charged with illegal re-entry.
On Thursday, Honduran national Carlos Navil Rodriguez-Banegas was transferred into ICE custody from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center, where he had been booked on a DWI charge. Rodriguez-Banegas was previously removed from the U.S. to Honduras in December 2022.
David Adony Lemus-Villeda,also a Honduran national, was transferred into ICE custody from the Bexar County Adult Detention Center on Wednesday. He had been arrested for discharge of a firearm within a municipality. Lemus-Villeda was previously removed from the U.S. to Honduras in January 2021.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers arrested Mexican national Olegario Martinez-Ramirez after an alleged foot pursuit near the north side of the Chamizal National Park in El Paso. A criminal complaint alleges Martinez-Ramirez paid a smuggler $2,500 and was going to pay an additional $8,000 once he arrived at his destination in Los Angeles, California. Martinez-Ramirez was just deported for the third time on Feb. 3, from Calexico, California. He’s been convicted four times for driving under the influence.
Mexican national Roberto Salazar-Alcantar was transferred into ICE custody on Feb. 20 from the El Paso County Detention Facility, where he had completed a sentence for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Immigration records indicated that Salazar-Alcantar was issued an Expedited Removal Order in New Mexico on May 25, 2010, and was subsequently removed to Mexico on June 1, 2010. He returned to the U.S. following is deportation and was convicted in October 2023 of illegal re-entry, a charge he faces once again.
Guatemalan national Cirilo Ramirez-Sebastian was arrested approximately two miles west of the Fort Hancock Port of Entry, having been deported to Guatemala on Jan. 7 through Phoenix, Arizona. Ramirez-Sebastian was convicted of assault in April 2025, and has two DUIs since October 2020, along with another conviction for false reporting.
A Mexican national has been federally charged with illegal re-entry after he was found in the Travis County Jail last year. Ramon Franco-Martinez was convicted of sexual assault in 2025 and booked into the Travis County. Upon identifying him as an illegal alien, ICE lodged a detainer. In 2013, Franco Martinez was removed from the U.S., following a DWI conviction.
U.S. Border Patrol agents arrested Mexican national Nabor Florentino-Franco near Kinney on Feb. 21. Florentino-Franco has been deported twice, the most recent being on Nov. 22, 2025. His criminal record consists of four misdemeanors resulting in convictions, including unlawful restraint and assault causing bodily injury to a family member. Two days before his November removal, Florentino-Franco was convicted of the felony offense of being an alien in possession of a firearm.
Cuban national Daynel Torres-Perez was arrested for illegal re-entry near Maverick, having been deported in June 2025. The twice convicted felon has prior convictions for third-degree grand theft, unarmed burglary of an occupied structure, and driving with a suspended license.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lebanon Man Sentenced to 96 Months’ Imprisonment for Possession of a Machine Gun and Conspiracy to Manufacture and Sell Firearms without a License and Possess Machine GunsRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Luis Rosa-Hernandez, formerly of Lebanon, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for possession of machine guns and conspiracy to manufacture firearms without a license and possess machine guns.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, between June and November of 2022, Rosa-Hernandez sold 31 machine gun conversion devices and two stolen handguns with reason to believe the recipient would possess or use them unlawfully. Machine Gun Conversion Devices are firearm parts designed and intended to convert a firearm into a machine gun.
Rosa-Hernandez, originally from the Dominican Republic, is subject to deportation pending the completion of his sentence.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Pennsylvania State Police investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Scott F. Ford prosecuted the case.
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Leader of Nationwide Theft Ring Who Purchased Stolen Catalytic Converters from Sacramento for $38 Million Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Navin Khanna, 42, Holmdel, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to transport stolen property interstate, conspiracy to commit promotional money laundering, and interstate transportation of stolen property, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between October 2019 and March 2024, Navin Khanna and his family members and co-conspirators operated DG Auto and purchased stolen catalytic converters from California and across the nation for more than $600 million. Ten other New Jersey residents and three California residents were charged in this nationwide investigation that dismantled a catalytic converter theft ring.
Catalytic converter theft has become prevalent across the nation because of their value, relative ease of stealing, and their lack of identifying markings. Thieves steal catalytic converters from vehicles on the street for the precious metals they contain, which may be more valuable per ounce than gold, and then sell them to buyers. The black-market price for certain catalytic converters from California, like the Toyota Prius, can be more than $1,200 each.
Navin Khanna purchased more than $38 million of catalytic converters stolen from the Sacramento region from Tou Vang and his family, who operated Vang Auto. Tou Vang would ship Navin Khanna pallets of catalytic converters weighing more than 1,000 pounds and containing a single type of high-value catalytic converter, such as the Toyota Prius. Navin Khanna received so many stolen Toyota Prius catalytic converters that their parts code – GD3‑EA6 – was put on the vanity license plate of one of Navin Khanna’s McLaren’s. Tou Vang was sentenced to 12 years in prison for his role in transporting thousands of stolen catalytic converters across state lines, laundering money, and other related crimes.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the IRS Criminal Investigation with assistance from the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, Sacramento Police Department, Davis Police Department, Auburn Police Department, Livermore Police Department, and San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica M.A. Alegría and Trial Attorney César S. Rivera-Giraud of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
Navin Khanna will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins at a later date.
Lafayette Woman Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Her Role in a Multi-State Vehicle Theft, Obliterating Vehicle Identification Numbers, and Identity Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Adrienne Marie King, age 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, to 48 months in federal prison following her convictions for conspiracy to transport a stolen motor vehicle; altering, removing and obliterating a vehicle identification number; and possession of fifteen or more unauthorized access devices. The Court further sentenced King to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to pay $127,000 in restitution.
In imposing King’s prison term, and according to admissions as part of her plea, the Court found that, between October 2021 and March 2022, King, Dennis Lloyd Sizemore, Robert Brazell, and Chrisopher Don Byerley carried out a coordinated and complex operation extending across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Texas, in which the group stole and then used or sold the stolen and altered vehicles, including tractors, excavators, forklifts, and a pickup truck, with a total value of over $250,000.
The conspiracy involved tampering with Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs) to disguise the identity of stolen property; using a chop shop, fraudulent documentation, and false business fronts such as “Hevyquip L.L.C.” to sell stolen equipment; and possessing without authorization over 900 identities and access devices to further conceal the criminal activities.
In February 2022, an investigation of a shoplifting incident in the Juban Crossing Shopping Center led Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives to uncover from a stolen pickup truck being operated by Byerley and King an unregistered firearm silencer; an FN Model 509 9mm pistol and ammunition; documentation detailing parts orders for silencers all in Byerley’s handwriting; multiple text messages and photographs pointing to intent to traffic firearms and circumvent federal regulations; and numerous documents, records, emails, text messages, and photos that led law enforcement to uncover the conspiracy and far-reaching criminal enterprise.
Byerley was recently sentenced to 115 months in federal prison following his convictions in this conspiracy and for firearm violations. Sizemore and Brazwell await sentencing.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Saint Martin Parish Sheriff’s Office, Saint Landry Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office, Iberia Sheriff’s Department, and Lafayette Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lyman E. Thornton III and M. Patricia Jones.
Knox County Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Corbin, Ky., man, Jerry Dunn, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier to 60 years in prison, following his previous conviction of five counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
According to testimony at trial, in September 2022, Dunn engaged in the production of child pornography. Specifically, a search of Dunn’s phone revealed photos of Dunn sexually abusing a minor victim.
Under federal law, Dunn must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Division; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police jointly announced the conviction.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Kansas City Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for possession of child pornography, also referred to as Child Sexual Abuse Material or CSAM.
Andrew Charles Doyal, 52, was sentenced yesterday by Chief United States District Judge Brian C. Wimes to 180 months in federal prison without parole. Following his release, he will be placed on supervised release for life.
On Oct. 27, 2025, Doyal pleaded guilty to possessing CSAM. According to court documents, Doyal possessed thousands of CSAM files on multiple electronic devices, including files that depicted children as young as infants and toddlers. At the time, Doyal was required to register as a sex offender due to a prior conviction.
Doyal will be required to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison and will be subject to federal and state sex offender registration requirements, which may apply throughout his life.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo. Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Project Safe Childhood
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."