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27 February 2026
Justice Department and U.S. Patent and Trademark Office File Statement of Interest Reaffirming the Importance of Incentives to InnovateRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) filed a statement of interest in Collision Communications Inc. v. Samsung Electronics Co., et al. in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas. The statement reaffirms the importance of preserving incentives to innovate, which are key to growth and dynamic competition in the U.S. economy and fundamental to the U.S. patent system.
“Innovation is core to dynamic competition, and vigorous competition is central to the success of the American economy. Policies that preserve incentives to innovate are therefore vital to safeguarding competition,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Dina Kallay of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “We are pleased to partner with our USPTO colleagues to address these critical issues and support innovators, both big and small.”
“The USPTO again joined the Justice Department in filing a statement of interest because a thorough evaluation as to whether a patent owner is entitled to injunctive relief is foundational to the exclusionary right a patent confers,” said John A. Squires, Under Secretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Director of the United States Patent and Trademark Office. “Injunctions prevent ongoing and irreparable harm to innovators and the innovation economy, and ensure that legal remedies can stop unlawfully copied inventions from continuing to harm innovators.”
Today’s statement of interest explains that unduly limiting patentees’ ability to seek injunctive relief to block patent infringement undermines the incentive to innovate. A patentee’s right to exclude is grounded in the U.S. Constitution. Non-practicing patentees should not be categorically denied the opportunity for injunctive relief and, under certain circumstances, such patentees can demonstrate irreparable harm and the inadequacy of monetary damages to compensate for the harm of continuing infringement. The statement was filed in support of neither party and does not take a position on the merits or the ultimate outcome of the questions at issue in the case.
The Antitrust Division routinely files statements of interest and amicus briefs in federal court. These statements are available on the Division’s website.
Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice a 13-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Jerry Alexander Cobb (38, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to using his cellphone and the internet to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Cobb faces a minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison and a potential lifetime term of supervised release. His sentencing hearing has been set for May 27, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, between July 18 and August 1, 2025, an FBI agent (UC) in Jacksonville was conducting an undercover operation on an online social media application (app) to identify adults who were seeking to make contact with and engage in sexual activity with children. During this operation, UC and app user “Jerry,” later identified as Cobb, exchanged several private online text messages on the app. After UC advised “Jerry” that “she” was only 13 years old, “Jerry” texted, “[w]e can be friends” and repeatedly asked for the location of the “child’s” residence, whether the “child” could “sneak out at night,” and if “she” was a “virgin.”
On July 30, 2025, “Jerry” texted the “child” that they should meet and texted, “[y]ou want to just get a hotel room?” “Jerry” suggested that they engage in sexual activity in the hotel room and promised that he would bring and use a condom. On July 31, 2025, Cobb texted the “child,” “[y]es I’m serious that we can [have] sex.” The next day, Cobb and the “child” made plans to meet for sexual activity later that day in Jacksonville.
That evening, Cobb traveled to the location where he intended to meet the purported 13-year-old “child” for sex. Upon arrival, Cobb was arrested by FBI agents.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This is another case brought 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 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, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Jackson man was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Diquan Barnes, 32, was stopped by a Jackson Police Department officer after running a red light. A firearm was subsequently located in his vehicle. Barnes is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of previous felony convictions, including armed robbery, armed carjacking, and attempted armed robbery.
Barnes was indicted by a federal grand jury on March 5, 2024. He pled guilty to the federal charge on July 1, 2025.
U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Allen prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline), 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).
Individual Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 26, 2026, U.S. District Court Judge Aida Delgado-Colón sentenced Ángel Ramdyel Edwards to 72 months (six years) in prison followed by five years of supervised release for using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, on June 23, 2025, a female victim was on Route 829 in Bayamón, PR, when she noticed a vehicle following her. The female victim saw the vehicle speed past her and simultaneously cut her off in the middle of the lane. Defendant Ángel Ramdyel Edwards exited the passenger side of the vehicle, pointed a gun at the victim’s head, ordered her out of her vehicle and took off with her vehicle.
The victim stopped a car traveling on the road and asked the driver for help, informing the driver she had just been carjacked. The victim called 911, reported that she had just been carjacked and told the operator that she had witnessed her own vehicle drive past. Puerto Rico police officers responded and attempted to conduct a vehicle stop. The defendant fled at a high rate of speed and crashed while attempting to evade officers. Shortly thereafter police arrested the defendant.
The defendant was indicted on July 2, 2025. On November 20, 2025, Edwards plead guilty to one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Juan made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was in charge of the investigation with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Luis Rivera-Méndez from the Puerto Rico Department of Justice prosecuted the case.
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Indictment Returned Against D.C. Jail Inmate Who Stabbed Corrections Officer in August 2025Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ovid Gabriel, 21, was indicted this week on charges related to the stabbing of a D.C. Jail corrections officer on August 3, 2025, and threats against a separate corrections officer on August 11, 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Gabriel was indicted on one count each of assault with intent to kill while armed, assault on a police officer while armed, unlawful introduction of contraband into a penal institution, aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and felony threats.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 3, 2025, Gabriel, an inmate at the D.C. Jail, was standing in the doorway of his cell as corrections officers were performing lockdown. When an officer approached the defendant and ordered him to go into his cell, he refused and attacked the officer. Gabriel took out an improvised knife and stabbed the officer nine times. The victim spent approximately three weeks in the hospital and underwent life-saving surgery.
On August 11, 2025, approximately one week after the stabbing, officers discovered a drawing on a cell wall depicting Gabriel holding a knife over a corrections officer, who was identified by name in the drawing:
Gabriel signed the threat and acknowledged that he drew it.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nickolas Reck.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
2025 CF1 010250
Independence Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Christmas Morning Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for committing two armed robberies and illegally possessing a firearm after fleeing from police officers in a pick-up truck.
Duke A. Yates, 37, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 240 months in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 25, 2024, Yates pleaded guilty to two counts of robbery and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Yates robbed a Quik Trip and a Walgreen’s, both in Independence, at gunpoint within 10 minutes of each other at about 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 25, 2023. Yates stole a total of between $500 and $700 in cash and a dozen packs of cigarettes from the stores.
A police officer spotted Yates driving a white Ford F350 pickup truck with a missing headlight, matching the description of the vehicle used in the robberies, traveling eastbound on U.S. 40 Highway near Blue Ridge Cutoff. Yates fled at the presence of the officer, with the lights now blacked out on the vehicle. The officer turned on his lights and sirens and initiated a pursuit that reached speeds over 100 miles per hour.
During the pursuit, the truck failed to stop for posted stop signs and drove over medians. The truck slid onto 23rd Street facing eastbound in the westbound lanes, causing another motorist to drive onto the shoulder to avoid a collision. Yates drove into oncoming traffic and veered at a marked police vehicle that was attempting to deploy stop sticks.
Yates failed to negotiate a turn at 24911 E. Truman Road and went off-road, colliding with a power pole and breaking it at the base. Yates fled on foot and resisted arrest while being taken into custody.
Officers searched the stolen truck and found a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun on the driver’s side floorboard.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Gibson. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Illegal alien ordered to federal prison for sixth unlawful reentryRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 61-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for illegally reentering the country again, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Angel Arquimedez Coto-Martinez pleaded guilty Dec. 5, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Ewing Werlein Jr. has now ordered him to serve 38 months in federal prison. In imposing the sentence, the court noted his repeated removals and criminal history. Not a U.S. citizen, he is again expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
Coto-Martinez has multiple previous convictions for illegal reentry. Authorities first removed him in July 2005 and again in December 2010, July 2016, and twice more in 2022. He returned illegally after each removal.
Most recently, he was ordered removed Feb. 27, 2022, but law enforcement found him again in the Houston area Oct. 25, 2025, with no authorization to be in the United States.
Coto-Martinez has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Huntington Man Sentenced to 168 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – On February 27, 2026, Lucas Kern, 46 years old, of Huntington, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Kern was sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in January 2024, law enforcement received information regarding an individual using an email account to access child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement later learned that this account was registered to Lucas Kern’s home in Huntington, Indiana. When confronted in August 2025 with an image that had been uploaded or saved to his email address, Kern admitted to receiving the image. A subsequent search of Kern’s cell phone revealed a large number of images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from Huntington County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dawn Ransom.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Honduran National Sentenced to 24 Months in Federal Prison for Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – Elvis Reniery Callejas Flores (43, Honduras) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kyle C. Dudek to two years in federal prison for aggravated identity theft. Callejas Flores pleaded guilty on September 4, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was contacted by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) about Callejas Flores, a Honduran national living in Florida. INTERPOL provided a copy of latent fingerprints from Callejas Flores and information that he was using the assumed identities of two different United States citizens.
On February 24, 2025, HSI agents encountered Callejas Flores at a construction site in Cape Coral. Callejas Flores provided agents with a Florida driver license as identification using the name of a victim. Further, Callejas Flores falsely claimed that he had been born in New York.
On April 10, 2025, HSI agents executed a search warrant at Callejas Flores’s home. During the search, agents located items that identified the true name of Callejas Flores. They also located the New York birth certificate in the name of the victim that Callejas Flores had used without lawful authority. A latent fingerprint comparison of the prints provided by INTERPOL and fingerprints taken by law enforcement on two prior encounters with Callejas Flores, when he used two different names, confirmed that the fingerprints belonged to the same individual.
“Safeguarding personal information in today’s modern world is becoming increasingly difficult, yet paramount to prevent fraud and the victimization of unwitting citizens,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “The cooperation and diligent investigation by INTERPOL and Homeland Security Investigations in this case proved successful in revealing the true identity of a bad actor and bringing him to justice.”
“Identity theft is a serious crime that undermines the integrity of our nation’s identification systems and victimizes innocent citizens,” said Homeland Security Investigations Ft. Myers Resident Agent in Charge John Yancey. “HSI, alongside our partners, remains committed to protecting the public by investigating and prosecuting those who use stolen identities to conceal their true identity and evade the law. This conviction demonstrates our dedication to holding offenders accountable and safeguarding the security of our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yolande G. Viacava.
Harrisburg Man Charged with Carjacking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Terric M. Seay, age 24, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on charges of carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury and firearms possession.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Seay carjacked the victim, using a firearm to inflict serious bodily injury. The indictment also charges Seay with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), York City Police Department, and Lower Allen Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera 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 up to life in prison, plus a fine and a term of supervised release. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Gastroenterology Practice Agrees to Pay $4.75M to Settle Allegations of Kickbacks and Unnecessary Medical Testing ServicesRead the Press Release
Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates located in Atlanta, Georgia, has agreed to pay $4.75 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by receiving kickbacks in exchange for referrals of gastrointestinal pathology services and by performing certain gastrointestinal pathology services that were not medically reasonable or necessary.
The United States alleged that beginning in approximately May 2017, Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates contracted with Advanced Pathology Solutions (APS), a pathology laboratory located in Little Rock, Arkansas, to construct and operate a limited-capacity pathology laboratory in Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates’ office. Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates received various benefits from APS in connection with the setup and ongoing operations of the in-house lab, in which histology technicians prepared and stained specimen sample slides and Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates billed Medicare and other insurers for the technical component of those services. In exchange, Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates agreed to exclusively refer patients to APS, which interpreted the slides and billed for the professional component of the services. The United States alleges that the benefits provided by APS to Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates were unlawful remuneration in exchange for patient referrals.
“Healthcare fraud has negative impacts for taxpayers and patients alike,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This settlement reflects the Department’s commitment to protecting taxpayer money and ensuring that healthcare services paid for by for by federal healthcare programs are reasonable, necessary, and free from the influence of kickbacks.”
“As recent headlines across the country have made us all too aware, fraud against the American taxpayer through healthcare fraud is rampant,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan D. Ross for the Eastern District of Arkansas. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to identify and eliminate fraud of every kind wherever we find it and also to seek the recovery of tax dollars that were wrongfully paid.”
“Federal health care programs rely on truthful billing and accurate medical documentation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Dallas Regional Office. “This False Claims Act settlement underscores our commitment to safeguarding taxpayer dollars and maintaining public trust by holding providers accountable when they fail to meet those obligations. Providers who induce referrals by paying illegal kickbacks place an unfair burden on these programs, and we remain steadfast in working with our law enforcement partners to identify and address such conduct.”
Additionally, the United States alleges that Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates performed and billed for medically unnecessary special stains using a blanket or reflex ordering process in which special stains were ordered on an automatic basis, without a pathologist first reviewing a routine stain and determining whether additional special stains were needed for the particular patient, and without justification in the medical record for performing additional special stains. Atlanta Gastroenterology Associates and APS terminated their relationship in approximately May 2020.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas, with assistance from the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The matter was investigated by Trial Attorneys Evan Ballan and Jessica Bergin and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jamie Dempsey for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Guilty Verdict for Honduran Alien Attempting to Have Sex with MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Israel Ramos Portillo, a/k/a “Juan Carlos,” 39, a citizen of Honduras who resided in Coffee Springs, Alabama, was found guilty by a federal jury yesterday of attempting to entice a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. The verdicts were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case exemplified the persistent threats our children face online from predators like this defendant seeking to sexually exploit and victimize them. Fortunately, our state and federal law enforcement partners are keenly focused on identifying and catching those predators wherever they lurk online, and my office stands ready to aggressively prosecute these crimes to keep our kids safe.”
Trial testimony and evidence demonstrated that on April 12, 2025, state and federal law enforcement agencies conducted an online undercover operation aimed at identifying adults using the internet to sexually exploit children. During the operation, the defendant began interacting with law enforcement’s undercover profile on a dating website, through which the detective was posing as a 14-year-old minor child.
Through numerous text messages over a two-week period, the defendant engaged in sexually explicit conversations and expressed interest in having sex with the child, ultimately arranging to travel from his home in Alabama to Tallahassee to meet the girl and take her to a hotel to have sex. When the defendant arrived at the proposed meeting location, law enforcement arrested him and seized his cell phone as evidence. After searching the defendant’s cell phone, law enforcement confirmed that he was the person communicating with the undercover detective and that he traveled across state lines with intent to engage in sexual conduct with the fictitious 14-year-old girl.
Portillo faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum of life imprisonment, followed by a term of supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sex offender. Further, because he is an alien who is not lawfully present in this country, Portillo will be held for deportation proceedings at the conclusion of serving his federal sentence.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2026, at 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
This case is also part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Gainesville Felon Indicted for Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kenneth Ellis Wetherington, 59, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charge.
Wetherington appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for March 25, 2026, at 8:30 am before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
Wetherington faces up to 15 years’ imprisonment if convicted.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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.
Four Foreign Nationals Sentenced in February for Illegally Reentering the United States After DeportationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that four foreign nationals convicted separately of illegally reentering the United States after prior deportations were sentenced this month.
Fernando Hernandez-Mercano, 33, a Mexican national, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Murphy to 18 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States for the third time.
Hernandez-Mercano’s prior removals were both in April of 2012, after encounters with the U.S. Border Patrol in Arizona.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) became aware that the defendant was again in the U.S. illegally, and, between May 2022 and August 2024, had been arrested in Pennsylvania four times for driving under the influence.
Immigration officers took him into custody in May of last year and he was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in June, pleading guilty in September.
Jose Osmon-Flores, aka Wilson Omar Santos-Paz, 32, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez to 15 months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
The defendant had previously been removed from the U.S. in April 2012, after he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol near Laredo, Texas.
In January 2023, ICE learned that Osmon-Flores had been arrested by the Philadelphia Police Department for the sexual abuse of his then-three-year-old daughter.
Pursuant to a guilty plea, the defendant was convicted in July 2025 in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas of indecent assault on a person less than 13 years of age and unlawful contact with a minor – sexual offenses. He was sentenced to a term of 11½ to 23 months of confinement but received credit for time served and was immediately released.
Days later, on July 11, 2025, ICE, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) conducted a joint operation, surveilling a Philadelphia address where Osmon-Flores was believed to reside. After confirming the defendant’s identity, they arrested him without incident on a criminal complaint and warrant.
Osmon-Flores was charged by indictment with illegal reentry in August and pleaded guilty in October.
Leonel Hernandez-Martinez, 41, a Guatemalan national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Kai N. Scott to eight months in prison for illegal reentry. Upon completing his prison sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Hernandez-Martinez had previously been removed from the U.S. four times: in January 2011, after an encounter with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in the Washington, D.C., area; October 2016, after the U.S. Border Patrol encountered him in Arizona; January 2019, after an illegal reentry conviction in the Middle District of Pennsylvania; and in April 2021, following an illegal reentry conviction in the District of New Mexico. The defendant’s criminal history also reflects convictions in the commonwealth of Virginia, for identity theft (2008), forgery, trespass, and driving while intoxicated (2010).
Last summer, ICE learned that Hernandez-Martinez was in Lancaster County Prison. He was taken into federal custody in August, charged by indictment with illegal reentry in September, and pleaded guilty in October.
Ivan Josue Ruiz Hernandez, aka Josue Ivan, 26, a Honduran national, was sentenced by United States District Judge Timothy J. Savage to time served, approximately two and a half months, for illegal reentry. Having completed his sentence, he will be removed from the United States again.
Ruiz Hernandez had previously been removed from the U.S. in January 2014. After he was encountered by the U.S. Border Patrol in April 2018, he was charged with illegal reentry in the District of New Mexico, pleaded guilty, and was sentenced to 38 days’ confinement, after which he was again deported to Honduras.
ICE became aware that the defendant had entered the U.S. illegally once again and took him into custody on a criminal complaint in December of last year. He was charged by information with illegal reentry and pleaded guilty in January, waiving prosecution by indictment.
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.
The cases were investigated by ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, HSI, and the ATF and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Alisa Shver, Sara Solow, Mark Sendek, and Josh Davison.
Founders/Owners of Hertel & Brown Physical and Aquatic Therapy Each Sentenced to Six Years in Prison and Fined $250,000 for Wire and Healthcare Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - Two residents of Erie County, Pennsylvania, each have been sentenced in federal court to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $250,000 fine on their convictions of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and healthcare fraud, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentences on Aaron Hertel, 47, of North East, Pennsylvania, and Michael Brown, 49, of Erie, Pennsylvania. Both defendants pleaded guilty to one count in March of 2025.
According to information presented to the Court, Hertel and Brown led, managed, and supervised a conspiracy involving numerous employees at Hertel & Brown Physical and Aquatic Therapy that involved the use of unlicensed technicians to treat patients and then billed health insurance providers as if licensed physical therapists and physical therapist assistants had provided the treatment. Additionally, the conspirators consistently billed more treatment time each day than the five locations of Hertel & Brown clinics were open, resulting in massive fraudulent overbilling. Conspirators also tampered with the patient schedule to make it appear that patients had received one-on-one treatment as required by Medicare, which the patients had not received, with the clinics instead treating multiple patients at the same time and billing the patients as if they had received individualized treatment.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Baxter noted the significant negative impact on Hertel & Brown’s employees caused by the defendants’ actions and the enormous theft of taxpayer money that resulted from the conspiracy led by the defendants. Restitution from the company and the two former owners will be determined during an April hearing.
“Our office is committed to combating health care fraud and ensuring that health care professionals follow the law and act with integrity,” said United States Attorney Rivetti. “Today’s sentences make clear that those who defraud our health care system face serious consequences and will be punished for their crimes.”
“Federal healthcare programs are not an open checkbook,” said FBI Pittsburgh Acting Special Agent in Charge Amie Loos. “When dishonest providers knowingly skew paperwork to line their pockets, it gives them an unfair advantage over honest agencies playing by the book. Complex fraud cases leave a trail – one the FBI and our partners will follow with every tool and resource at our disposal to bring those responsible to justice.”
“Today’s sentences send a clear message: anyone who exploits a position of trust to fuel personal greed will be found and held accountable,” said Maureen Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Deliberately inflating services to boost profits is a serious violation of public trust and undermines the integrity of Medicare, Medicaid, and other federally funded health care programs. HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners to pursue justice against those who defraud the American people.”
“Ensuring high-quality healthcare for veterans is a top priority and these sentences reaffirm our commitment to safeguarding VA programs and services,” said Special Agent in Charge Nate Landkammer with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “We are grateful for the efforts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in bringing this case to justice.”
“Today’s sentencings demonstrate that DCIS, the criminal investigative arm of the Department of Defense’s Office of Inspector General, will hold all those that conspire to defraud TRICARE, the healthcare system for military members and their families, accountable,” said Christopher M. Silvestro, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Northeast Field Office. “Defendants Hertel and Brown led a company that valued greed over care. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners, the Department of Justice, and the Defense Health Agency to protect the integrity of the TRICARE system.”
Hertel and Brown were among 20 individuals, along with the physical therapy business itself, indicted in November of 2021, with the company and 17 of the defendants pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and healthcare fraud and one additional defendant being convicted of healthcare fraud following an April 2025 jury trial.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christian A. Trabold, Paul S. Sellers, and Molly W. Anglin prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Department of Health and Human Services–Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Veterans Affairs–Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Section, and United States Office of Personnel Management–Office of Inspector General for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of the defendants.
Former United States Postal Worker Pleads Guilty to Attempted Bank FraudRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman pleaded guilty to attempted bank fraud yesterday for altering and depositing stolen checks into her bank account. At the time of the fraud, she was employed by the United States Postal Service.
Shawneasha L. Watson, 30, participated in a scheme to defraud a credit union by allowing the use of her account to deposit stolen checks. She provided both her debit card and her PIN to another individual to facilitate the deposit. In June 2023, the individual deposited checks that had been altered to show her name in the payee line and were endorsed with a signature bearing her name. The credit union flagged the deposits as fraudulent and froze the account before any withdrawals or transfers could be made. The victims all stated they had placed these checks into United States Postal Service blue collection boxes for mailing. The checks were originally intended to pay various bills including one intended for medical expenses and another for a monthly mortgage payment.
Investigators also discovered that Watson obtained a Pandemic Paycheck Protection loan under false pretenses in 2021 in the amount of $20,832.50. The loan application stated she was the sole proprietor of a men’s clothing business, and she needed the money to cover her payroll expenses. She later admitted that was false and she spent the money on herself. That loan was ultimately forgiven by the Small Business Administration.
Under federal statutes, Watson is subject to a sentence of up to 30 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda K. Hanson. It was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General
Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that OTILIO GREEN, 44, of Hamden, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to a child exploitation offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between January and March 2025, Synchronoss, a cloud storage provider for Verizon Wireless, submitted eight CyberTipline reports documenting 43 images and five videos of suspected child pornography uploaded to an account associated with Green. A subsequent court-authorized search of Green’s cloud storage account revealed additional images and videos of suspected child sex abuse material. The investigation further revealed that, for at least two years prior to his arrest on April 4, 2025, Green used the Telegram app, which he accessed through a hidden folder on his cellphone, and other online platforms to communicate with others to receive numerous sexually explicit images and videos depicting children.
At the time of the offense, Green was employed as an officer with the Yale University Police Department.
Green pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, an offense that carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Green, who is released on a $200,000 bond, is scheduled to be sentenced on May 26.
This investigation is being conducted by HSI New England, the Connecticut State Police, and the Connecticut Center for Digital Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nancy V. Gifford.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan thanked the State’s Attorney’s Office for the Judicial District of New Haven for its assistance in the prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Former New York National Sales Director Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New York based sales director for the Northeast region of a mobile medical diagnostics company was sentenced in federal court in Boston for conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
David Fuhrmann, 60, of Point Jefferson Station, N.Y. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to three years in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $27,225,434.44 in restitution, to forfeit $1,102,725.96 and to pay a $30,000 fine. In April 2025, Fuhrmann pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute.
From June 2013 through at least September 2020, Fuhrmann conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Fuhrmann and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. The co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.
The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Maui Police Officer Sentenced to 65 Months for Unjustified TasingRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Carlos Frate, 41, a former Maui Police Department officer, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release for using unreasonable force against an arrestee. Frate previously pled guilty in August 2025 to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
Frate admitted that on January 6, 2024, Frate repeatedly tased an arrestee, even though the arrestee was not resisting or posing any threat. Frate admitted that he knew that his force was unjustified, but he nonetheless continued to tase the arrestee despite the arrestee’s pleas for him to stop.
“Today’s sentence should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson. “Our law enforcement officers play an invaluable role in our community, serving at the frontline in preventing and investigating crime, protecting our citizens, and keeping Hawaii safe. We entrust them with enormous power and expect them to wield that power responsibly and constitutionally. While the vast majority of law enforcement officers conduct their duties with honor, integrity, and restraint, we are committed to bring to justice those who on the rare occasion violate the public trust by abusing their power or using excessive force.”
“The defendant’s acts were abusive and unbecoming of the oath he swore to protect the public,” said Harmeet K. Dhillon, Assistant Attorney General of the Civil Rights Division. “Law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of power will be held accountable by this Administration.”
“Trust between our citizens and the men and women of law enforcement who serve them is foundational to the safety and success of any community,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “By using excessive force and abusing the power entrusted in him, the defendant didn’t just break the law—he betrayed the community’s trust and made the job more difficult for the vast majority of law enforcement putting in good work every day. The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively investigate any officers who violate the public trust and their duty to serve.”
FBI investigated the case based on a referral from the Maui Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese and Trial Attorney Julia White of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Former Maui Police Officer Sentenced to 65 Months for Unjustified TasingRead the Press Release
Carlos Frate, 41, a former Maui Police Department officer, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for using unreasonable force against an arrestee. Frate previously pled guilty in August 2025 to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
Frate admitted that on Jan. 6, 2024, Frate repeatedly tased an arrestee, even though the arrestee was not resisting or posing any threat. Frate admitted that he knew that his force was unjustified, but he nonetheless continued to tase the arrestee despite the arrestee’s pleas for him to stop.
“The defendant’s acts were abusive and unbecoming of the oath he swore to protect the public,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Law enforcement officers who abuse their positions of power will be held accountable by this Administration.”
“Today’s sentence should serve as a reminder that no one is above the law,” said U.S. Attorney Ken Sorenson for the District of Hawaii. “Our law enforcement officers play an invaluable role in our community, serving at the frontline in preventing and investigating crime, protecting our citizens, and keeping Hawaii safe. We entrust them with enormous power and expect them to wield that power responsibly and constitutionally. While the vast majority of law enforcement officers conduct their duties with honor, integrity, and restraint, we are committed to bring to justice those who on the rare occasion violate the public trust by abusing their power or using excessive force.”
“Trust between our citizens and the men and women of law enforcement who serve them is foundational to the safety and success of any community,” said Special Agent in Charge David Porter of the FBI Honolulu Field Office. “By using excessive force and abusing the power entrusted in him, the defendant didn’t just break the law — he betrayed the community’s trust and made the job more difficult for the vast majority of law enforcement putting in good work every day. The FBI and our partners will continue to aggressively investigate any officers who violate the public trust and their duty to serve.”
FBI investigated the case based on a referral from the Maui Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael F. Albanese for the District of Hawaii and Trial Attorney Julia White of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Former Loan Officer Sentenced to over One Year in Prison for Million-Dollar Heloc SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former loan officer was sentenced in federal court in Springfield, Mass. for defrauding his employer, MassMutual Federal Credit Union, out of almost $1 million.
Brian Socha, 45, of Brookfield, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Socha was also ordered to pay $902,541.15 in restitution for bank fraud. Socha admitted to defrauding MassMutual Federal Credit Union out of almost $1 million while he worked there as a loan officer.
Socha hacked into co-workers’ computers on over 20 occasions to covertly raise the credit limit and lower the interest rate to below market levels on the home equity line of credit (HELOC) on the home he owned with his wife. Over a period of six years, Socha increased the HELOC credit limit from $135,500 to $995,000 and adjusted the HELOC interest rate from 7.25% to 1.99%. Socha spent the stolen funds on his personal enjoyment and lifestyle.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Merck of the Springfield Office is prosecuted the case.
Former Employee of South Lake Tahoe Construction Company Sentenced to over 12 Years in Prison for Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
Kami Elois Power, 55, of Gardnerville, Nevada, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Dena M. Coggins to 12 years and five months in prison for fraud and identity theft in a scheme to defraud a South Lake Tahoe construction company out of more than $1.4 million, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
In November 2025, following a six-day trial, a federal jury found Power guilty of 11 counts of wire fraud, three counts of bank fraud, and three counts of aggravated identity theft. As part of her sentence, Power is required to pay restitution to the victim of more than $1.4 million and forfeit two houses and the horse that she bought with the stolen money.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between November 2019 and May 2023, Power worked as an office manager and controller at a family-owned construction company in South Lake Tahoe. During her employment, Power embezzled more than $1.4 million from the company. She disguised more than $700,000 of these fraudulent transfers as payments made to vendors that the company worked with—under fake profiles she created in the names of real companies, as well as fake companies that reflected her own initials, such as “KEP Inc. Sale” and “KPI.” She disguised additional fraudulent transfers as payments for payroll or reimbursements. Power also used the company’s credit card to make unauthorized personal purchases, paid down the balance of her own personal credit cards, and used the signature of the owner of the company to write several fraudulent checks. Power used the money she stole to purchase two houses, several new cars and ATVs, and a horse. She also spent the money on field-level seats at football games and a $29,000 Hawaii vacation.
This was Power’s fifth time embezzling from an employer; prior embezzlements resulted in two criminal convictions, a civil lawsuit, and a probation violation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the El Dorado County District Attorney’s Office, and the South Lake Tahoe Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliot Wong and Dhruv Sharma prosecuted the case.
Former CEO of Non-Profit Nursing Home Pleads Guilty to Misapplication of PropertyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former CEO of the non-profit Edgar P. Benjamin Health Center (“EPBHC”) pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to charges arising from his improper use of EPBHC funds.
Tony Francis, 59, of Needham, pleaded guilty to two counts of intentional misapplication of money from a program receiving federal funds. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for May 20, 2026.
Francis was Administrator, President, and Chief Executive Officer of EPBHC, a non-profit entity that operated Benjamin Healthcare, a skilled nursing and rehabilitation facility located in the Roxbury neighborhood of Boston. In and around 2023 and 2024, EPBHC faced significant financial deficiencies that included a shortage of cash and inability to make payroll. In April 2024 the Massachusetts Superior Court ordered the appointment of a receiver to operate EPBHC.
According to court documents, Francis abused his position of trust with EPBHC by intentionally misapplying funds belonging to EPBHC. Specifically, in 2020, Francis used close to $160,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loan funds, that had been provided to EPBHC by the U.S. Small Business Administration, as a deposit for a personal real estate investment. In addition, in 2023 and 2024, Francis arranged for EPBHC to make payments of principal, interest and late fees on a $100,000 personal loan without having approval of the EPBHC Board of Directors to do so. Finally, at various times between 2022 and 2024, Francis drew on an EPBHC line of credit to transfer funds to his own personal checking account so that he would have sufficient funds account to pay his mortgage and personal credit card bills. In total, Francis misappropriated more than $190,000 from EPBHC, although Francis later returned most of these funds.
The charge of intentional misapplication of money from a program receiving federal funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount involved. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Abely, Chief of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case along with Massachusetts Assistant Attorney General Kevin Lownds, who was sworn in as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney.
Florida Man Sentenced for Aggravated Identity Theft and Fraud Committed Against at Least 450 VictimsRead the Press Release
A Florida 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.
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 Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; and Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of FBI Miami Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Miami Field office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Jinah Chang and Jennifer E. Burns of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lindsey Maultasch for the Southern District of Florida 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.
Fentanyl dealer going to prison for 144 monthsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Wayne McDaniels, 42, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute 10 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that in November 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at McDaniels’ Maria Street apartment. Law enforcement seized over 400 individually packed bags of fentanyl, significant quantities of bulk fentanyl and cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and two loaded firearms. The search warrant was part of a larger investigation into a group of drug dealers that had been selling fentanyl and crack cocaine from various drug houses for years. McDaniels was a leader in the group. One of these drug houses included a Jay Street residence, where McDaniels’ six-month-old nephew died from a fentanyl overdose on August 1, 2022.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, the Ontario County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of David Cirencione, and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (GRANET).
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Federal Jury finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – After a swift federal trial, a jury found Eric Robinson, 38, of Memphis, guilty of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon and made a special finding that Robinson’s extensive criminal history qualified him as an Armed Career Criminal (ACC). United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, of the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, on May 5, 2024, officers with the Memphis Police Department located Robinson at the bus station located on North Main Street. Upon his arrest, officers recovered a loaded .380 caliber Lorcin firearm from his person.
During the trial, the jury heard evidence of Robinson's lengthy criminal history in Shelby County, which includes prior convictions for Aggravated Rape, Especially Aggravated Kidnapping, and multiple counts of Aggravated Robbery and Aggravated Burglary. The jury found Robinson guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm and made a finding that he had committed at least three violent felonies on different occasions, triggering the enhanced sentencing penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 4, 2026 before United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker. As a result of the verdict, Robinson faces a mandatory statutory minimum sentence of 15 years in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent and imminent danger to the community. This defendant’s extensive history of violence ranged from aggravated burglary to aggravated rape, and justice demands aggressive prosecution for the worst of the worst offenders. This verdict ensures that a career criminal is incapacitated and removed from our neighborhoods for a long time."
The case was investigated by the Memphis Police Department as part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative.
Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Delery and Special Assistant United States Attorney Yosef Hochheiser prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Federal Inmate Charged with Possessing A WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Dorian Myles, age 37, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 24, 2026, by a federal grand jury on the charge of possession of a weapon.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on or about January 30, 2026, Myles possessed an inmate manufactured weapon, specifically a sharpened four-inch piece of plexiglass, commonly referred to as a “shank.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Federal Inmate Charged with Possessing WeaponsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Lesundre Zacharie, age 25, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 24, 2026, by a federal grand jury on the charge of possession of weapons.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on or about January 30, 2026, Zacharie possessed two inmate manufactured weapons, specifically a six-inch piece of plexiglass sharpened to a point with a cloth handle, and a four-inch razor blade attached to a plastic pen, commonly referred to as “shanks.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Federal Charges Filed in a 30-Year-Old Cold Case Involving the Kidnapping and Murder of 7-Year-Old Morgan VioliRead the Press Release
BOWLING GREEN, KY – A federal criminal complaint and arrest warrant were filed in U.S. District Court on February 26, 2026, charging Robert Scott Froberg, 61, with the 1996 abduction and death of 7-year-old Morgan Violi.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, FBI Special Supervisory Agent William Kurtz, Chief Michael Delaney of the Bowling Green Police Department and Commonwealth’s Attorney for the 8th Judicial Circuit Kori Beck Bumgarner made the announcement at a press conference held on February 27, 2026, at the Bowling Green Police Department.
According to the complaint, Morgan Violi was abducted July 24, 1996, while playing with her sisters and friends at the Colony Apartments in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Witnesses saw a white man grab Morgan, put her in a maroon Chevrolet van and drive away. Two days later, the van suspected to be involved in the abduction was found south of Nashville, Tennessee, and searched for evidence. Morgan’s body was found on October 20, 1996 — three months after her abduction — in the woods in White House, Tennessee. For years, Morgan’s kidnapping and murder went unsolved.
The complaint alleges that with recent advancements in forensic testing of DNA evidence, a hair found in the abandoned van was tested by the FBI laboratory and returned an association with Robert Scott Froberg, who was then serving a lengthy sentence in the Alabama Department of Corrections. With that lead, investigators determined that Froberg had escaped from jail in April 1996, traveled to Pennsylvania where he was arrested, and then escaped again. Froberg then traveled to Dayton, Ohio, and stole a maroon Chevrolet van approximately a half a mile from his parent’s house. Froberg traveled south, exiting I-65 in Bowling Green, Kentucky, where he spotted Morgan playing in her apartment complex, snatched her and drove south.
According to the complaint, Froberg was recently interviewed by law enforcement and confessed to driving Morgan into Tennessee and strangling her, causing her death.
U.S. Attorney Bumgarner stated, “Morgan Violi’s family never gave up on her, and neither did the Bowling Green community or its law enforcement community. For years, this community has feared that Morgan’s abductor lived silently among us and that one of our kids could be next. Investigators in the FBI and the Bowling Green Police Department have worked tirelessly to bring justice for Morgan. They applied new technology, reexamined old evidence, and never stopped searching for the truth. Yesterday, we filed a criminal complaint charging Robert Scott Froberg with her kidnapping, resulting in her death.”
If convicted, the defendant faces only two potential sentences: life in prison or the death penalty. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by the FBI and Bowling Green Police Department.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner and First Assistant United States Attorney Brian Butler are prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Criminal Complaint
Former New York City Real Estate Developer Pleads Guilty to Defrauding InvestorsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that JOSHUA SCHUSTER pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Valerie E. Caproni to securities fraud for his role in a scheme to defraud investors in large real estate development projects located in New York City. SCHUSTER is scheduled to be sentenced on July 9, 2026.
“Joshua Schuster promised to use investor funds to develop real estate projects throughout our City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Schuster instead constructed a fraud, stealing more than $13 million from his investors in order to fund his lifestyle and pay off earlier investors in a Ponzi-like fashion. Fraud in the Real Estate market costs all New Yorkers, including through higher rents and home prices. This Office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect investors in this market—and all markets—from fraudsters who line their own pockets at the expense of New Yorkers.”
According to the Indictment, plea agreement, and statements made in Court:
Over a five year period, JOSHUA SCHUSTER engaged in a scheme to defraud investors who had entrusted him with millions of dollars to finance real estate development projects in New York City. SCHUSTER induced investors to contribute capital to his projects by promising them equity in high-end real estate developments, and by representing that investor funds would be used exclusively for the acquisition and development of specific New York-based projects. Instead, SCHUSTER misappropriated in excess of $13 million dollars in investor money to fund his lifestyle, including over $1 million in personal credit card payments and hundreds of thousands of dollars in gambling losses; to repay earlier investors in a Ponzi-like fashion; and to cover unrelated business obligations and payroll.
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SCHUSTER, 42, of Boca Raton, Florida, pled guilty to one count of securities fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which has filed a separate civil action against SCHUSTER, for its assistance and cooperation in the investigation.
This prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel G. Nessim is in charge of the prosecution.
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FCI Schuylkill Inmate Indicted for Possession of A WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Damonta King, age 19, a federal inmate incarcerated at FCI Schuylkill, Minersville, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 24, 2026, by a federal grand jury on the charge of possession of a weapon.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that in January of 2026, a corrections officer conducting an inmate pat down discovered inmate King to be in possession of a prison-made weapon on his person, commonly referred to as a “shank.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and the Special Investigative Services of the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is up to 5 years’ 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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District of Arizona Charges 156 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Feb. 21 through Feb. 27, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 156 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 106 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 40 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed nine cases against 10 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), 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).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Jose Leonel Medina-Angulo. Medina-Angulo was charged by complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens, Feb. 23, 2026. A Border Patrol agent observed four individuals walking in remote terrain and dense brush approximately 14 miles south of Exit 87 on I-8. As the Border Patrol agent approached the group, which included Medina-Angulo, they fled and attempted to conceal themselves in bushes but were ultimately apprehended. The agent noticed the individuals were wearing camouflage clothing and carpet booties over their shoes and carrying camouflage backpacks. Later that day, Border Patrol received a report of two additional individuals believed to be a part of the same group apprehended earlier walking northbound through the desert. A Border Patrol agent located the individuals and apprehended them. Some of the individuals in the group positively identified Medina-Angulo as the foot guide. Immigration checks confirmed that all six of the individuals, including Medina-Angulo, are not U.S. citizens and are all unlawfully present in the United States. 26-01142MJ, Phoenix.
United States v. Jario Isaias Ventura-Jocol. Ventura-Jocol was charged by complaint with Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit, Feb. 25, 2026. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agents were identifying vehicles involved in human smuggling when they were notified that a vehicle registered from Phoenix was traveling westbound from the checkpoint without a valid driver's license associated with the vehicle's registration. HSI notified the Tohono O'odham Police Department (TOPD). TOPD observed the vehicle as it was traveling toward an area that is common for drivers to pick up illegal aliens. It then traveled back several minutes later. TOPD then observed the vehicle fail to stop at two stop signs. TOPD attempted to conduct a traffic stop, but the driver, later identified as Jario Isaias Ventura-Jocol, failed to yield. The vehicle began traveling more than 100 mph. HSI joined in the pursuit. At one point, Ventura-Jocol lost control of the vehicle and spun around in the road but was able to regain control and continued fleeing. Ventura-Jocol eventually pulled off to the side of the road, and two subjects fled from the vehicle into the desert. Agents apprehended Ventura-Jocol, the two subjects, and an additional subject hiding in the backseat. The subjects were determined to be citizens of Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, illegally present in the United States. 26-02936MJ, Tucson.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-039_February 27 Immigration Enforcement
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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.
Dayton man faces federal child pornography crimes involving victim under 5 years oldRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – United States Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II and Montgomery County Prosecutor Mat Heck, Jr. announced today that Christopher Houck, 20, of Dayton, has been charged federally with child pornography crimes involving a child under the age of 5.
Allegations in the charging documents state that Houck created sexually explicit videos involving the victim.
Initial forensic review of Houck’s cell phones revealed that Houck also allegedly traded child pornography with other individuals online on platforms like Snapchat. He possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography of other victims.
Earlier this month, Houck allegedly messaged online with another adult male, discussing their sexual fantasies involving children and the possibility of meeting up to find children with whom to engage in sexually explicit conduct together.
This case originated with reports to the Montgomery County Regional Dispatch Center. Houck was originally arrested on local charges of gross sexual imposition, voyeurism, pandering obscenity and child endangering, and he has been incarcerated in the Montgomery County Jail since Feb. 15.
Houck is now charged federally with producing child pornography (punishable by 15 to 30 years in prison), distributing child pornography (five to 20 years in prison) and possessing child pornography depicting a prepubescent minor (up to 20 years).
“We will work together across all levels of government to hold accountable offenders who perpetrate crimes against children,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “My office is grateful for the collaboration between the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the FBI that led to these charges.”
“The allegations in this case are deeply troubling and involve the exploitation of a vulnerable child,” said Sheriff Rob Streck. “Protecting children is our top priority, and we will continue to work closely with federal and local partners to investigate these crimes, hold offenders accountable, and ensure victims receive the support they need.”
This case is being prosecuted in collaboration with the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and FBI are investigating. Assistant United States Attorney Christina Mahy 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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Convicted Sexual Predator Charged with Illegal Reentry into the United States After Prior DeportationRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Miguel Solis-Morales (42, Mexico) has been charged by indictment with illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien. If convicted, Solis-Morales faces up to 20 years in federal prison and subsequent deportation and removal from the United States. Solis-Morales made his initial appearance in federal court in Jacksonville on February 26, 2026, and ordered detained pending a detention hearing on March 4 ,2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Solis-Morales was convicted of sexual battery on September 10, 2009, in Jacksonville. He was then ordered to be designated as a sexual predator under Florida law. On May 21, 2025, he was removed from the United States by immigration authorities. On February 16, 2026, Solis-Morales was found to be voluntarily back in the United States and was arrested. Records checks confirmed that he had not applied to U.S. immigration authorities for permission to lawfully reenter the United States after his removal.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Florida Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the United States Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime and human trafficking.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to 10 Years for the Interstate Transportation of Stolen Avionics EquipmentRead the Press Release
Tampa. Florida – Mario Mercier Hernandez (61, New Port Richey) has been sentenced by United States District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle to the statutory maximum of 10 years in federal prison for the interstate transportation of stolen property. Mercier pleaded guilty on July 25, 2025. United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, beginning around 2019, Mercier embarked on a string of thefts of avionics equipment from more than forty airports across the United States, including airports in Florida, Tennessee, New Jersey, Maryland, and South Carolina. Mercier, using his knowledge and skill as an FAA-certified pilot, entered each airport, broke into airplanes, and stole valuable electronics equipment from the planes. In total, Mercier stole more than $1.1 million worth of avionics electronics from his victims. Mercier’s thefts continued until May 23, 2024, when he was arrested while stealing equipment from aircraft at the Caldwell Executive Airport in Caldwell, Idaho.
Mercier owned and operated JWG International and JWG Aviation in the Middle District of Florida. These companies purported to provide aid to impoverished children in Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Ukraine. Mercier used these companies to sell the stolen avionics equipment on various websites to unsuspecting purchasers around the United States.
Previously, in 1993, Mercier was convicted in the Eastern District of Texas for a series of avionics burglaries across Texas, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Vermont. In 2007, Mercier was also convicted of transportation of stolen property in the Middle District of Florida, relating to a similar scheme to steal and resell avionics equipment.
“This investigation spanned multiple states and involved numerous agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “Clearly, it demonstrates the ability and resolve of our law enforcement partners to extend their reach and bring criminals to justice.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear and unequivocal message that those who engage in extensive, far-reaching schemes to steal, transport, and resell avionics equipment will face serious consequences,” said Greg Thompson, Special Agent-in-Charge, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Mid-Atlantic Region. “Together with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we will relentlessly pursue those who seek to exploit our transportation systems and ensure they are brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation, with valuable assistance from the U.S. Department of Transportation - Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry & Security (BIS), St. Mary's Sheriff's Office (Lexington Park, Maryland), Canyon County Sheriff's Office and Caldwell Police Department (Caldwell, Idaho), Wilkes County Sheriff's Office (Wilkesboro, North Carolina), McClain County Sheriff's Office (Purcell, Oklahoma), Concord Police Department (Concord, North Carolina), Baxter County Sheriff’s Office (Mountain Home, Arkansas), Moore County Sheriff's Office (Carthage, North Carolina), Hillsborough Township Police Department (Hillsborough, New Jersey), Charleston County Aviation Authority Police Department (Mount Pleasant, South Carolina), Statesville Police Department (Statesville, North Carolina), Dorchester County Sheriff's Office (Summerville, South Carolina), Asheboro Police Department (Asheboro, North Carolina), Oconee County Sheriff's Office (Walhalla, South Carolina), Nashau Police Department (Nashau, New Hampshire), Citrus County Sherriff's Office (Inverness, Florida), Greenwood County Sheriff's Office (Greenwood, South Carolina), Lane County Sheriff's Office (Eugene, Oregon), Ontario County Sheriff's Office (Canandaigua, New York), Stow Police Department (Stow, Massachusetts), Burke County Sheriff's Office (Morganton, North Carolina), Iredell County Sheriff's Office (Mooresville, North Carolina), Charles County Sheriff's Office (Waldorf, Maryland), Thomasville Police Department (Thomasville, Georgia), Clarksville Police Department (Clarksville, Tennessee), Macon County Sheriff's Office (Franklin, North Carolina), Lincoln County Sheriff's Office (Lincolnton, North Carolina), McMinn County Sheriff's Office (Athens, Tennessee), Robertson County Sheriff's Office (Springfield, Tennessee), Lumberton Police Department (Lumberton, New Jersey), Bedminster Police Department (Bedminster, New Jersey), Spanish Fork Police Department (Spanish Fork, Utah), and Vancouver Police Department (Vancouver, Washington). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lindsey Schmidt.
Connecticut Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening to Torture and Kill FBI Agent and FamilyRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Scott Robert Tardy, 32, of Seymour, Connecticut, has been sentenced to 80 months in federal prison for cyberstalking, providing false statements to the FBI, and obstruction of justice in a scheme that targeted a South Carolina FBI agent and his family.
“The work of a law enforcement agent is difficult enough without the undue burden of threats against their safety and the safety of their family,” said U.S. Attorney Bryan Stirling for the District of South Carolina. “We’ll continue to support our law enforcement partners who protect South Carolina every day.”
“Cyberstalking has serious consequences, as this defendant has now learned,” said Kevin Moore, special agent in charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “His deliberate actions were intended to instill fear and resulted in lasting trauma for the victims. The FBI will always investigate, pursue, and bring to justice, individuals who exploit digital platforms to engage in criminal conduct.”
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Tardy operated an account with the username “connecticut12345” on the Kik social media platform in which he joined an anti-law enforcement chat group.
In those messages, Tardy repeatedly identified the victims’ association with the FBI as a reason to target them. He also shared photographs of the agent’s spouse and the city and state where they live. Tardy discussed violence against the agent and the agent’s family, including throwing a Molotov cocktail in their bedroom while they were sleeping. He asked for the conversation to be moved to the Telegram platform, where he operated the username “slimybanana,” because he believed that application was more secure.On the second platform, Tardy discussed what a cartel would do to the victims, he discussed having one of the victims “ruined,” “destroyed,” and “tortured for days.” He discussed having the violence recorded on video. He said burning the house was “good enough” if the victim was inside. Tardy then shared the location of the victims’ home by sharing a map with a pin drop on the victims’ street and asked another user how long it would take them to get there.
When the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Tardy’s apartment on Feb. 16, he falsely denied ever using Kik or Telegram, and he denied responsibility for the solicitations and messages. He gave further false statements in an interview with investigators, and he caused the phone that he used to be reset, clearing its content, and exchanging it for a new phone.
Despite his efforts to evade detection, data related to the Kik and Telegram accounts showed that Tardy controlled the accounts. Investigators were also able to recover the map of the victims’ home with the pin drop on it from an account associated with Tardy. During the scheme, Tardy worked as a corrections officer at a detention facility in Connecticut.
Further evidence revealed that Tardy had engaged in other predatory online activity, to include messages discussing his desires to drug and rape women in his community and sharing images of friends’ children while discussing child sexual abuse.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. sentenced Tardy to 80 months imprisonment, representing a variance above the advisory sentencing range provided by the U.S. Sentencing Commission Guidelines. The Court imposed the higher sentence because of the severity of the impact on the victims. Tardy’s prison term will be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The Court also ordered Tardy to pay more than $5,000 in restitution for financial costs to the victims associated with his criminal conduct.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Elliott B. Daniels prosecuted the case.
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Chicago man sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug crimes in Guernsey CountyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Chicago man was sentenced in federal court here today to 240 months in prison for having bulk amounts of narcotics at a Guernsey County hotel.
A federal jury convicted Kenneth D. Triplett, 38, of three narcotics offenses following a trial in May 2025. The crimes include possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and heroin, cocaine, and cocaine base.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in April 2024, the Guernsey County Sheriff’s Office received a tip that Triplett was in the county to distribute drugs. Triplett had traveled to Guernsey County with distributable amounts of drugs after being in the Columbus area.
Within 12 hours of receiving the tip, law enforcement observed Triplett’s vehicle at a Quality Inn in Cambridge, Ohio, and arrested the defendant nearby. Triplett had an active full extradition warrant for his arrest from Minnesota.
After arresting Triplett, officers searched his hotel room and discovered hidden throughout the room: cocaine and more than 230 grams cocaine base, an open vacuum sealed bag of fentanyl mixed with heroin, and a digital scale.
Triplett’s criminal history includes multiple drug convictions in multiple jurisdictions, often rural communities. Sentencing documents also note that Triplett’s drug trafficking is tied to at least one nonlethal drug overdose.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Guernsey County Sheriff Jeffrey D. Paden announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Tyler J. Aagard and Kevin W. Kelley are representing the United States in this case.
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Cedar County Attorney Pleads Guilty to Defrauding ClientsRead the Press Release
Springfield, Mo. – A Cedar County, Mo., attorney pleaded guilty to wire fraud yesterday for defrauding his vulnerable clients and using funds meant for their well-being for his own personal benefit.
Peter A. Lee, 50, of Stockton, Mo., devised a scheme to defraud his clients of funds for his own personal gain and then concealed his scheme by making false representations to his clients and financial institutions. Lee also used his clients’ funds to repay victims of his prior thefts. The clients he defrauded included decedent estates and a special needs trust. From January 2019 through February 2025, Lee obtained $296,140 in client funds through his fraud scheme.
As a part of Lee’s plea agreement, he agreed to voluntarily surrender his license to practice law.
Under federal statutes, Lee is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Cazenovia Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Dean Dellas, age 41, of Cazenovia, New York, pled guilty on February 26, 2026, to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Dellas admitted that beginning no later than June 2021 through November 2023, he acted as a financial advisor for the investment accounts of clients in the Syracuse area. Dellas fraudulently induced those clients to sign paperwork that authorized Dellas to take advisor fees from their accounts well in excess of what they actually agreed to. For other accounts, Dellas fraudulently induced the clients to sign paperwork granting him trading and withdrawal authority over their accounts. This account-opening paperwork misrepresented Dellas’s relationship to the clients and falsely stated that Dellas received no compensation for providing investment advice. The account-opening documents that Dellas induced the clients to sign also falsely stated that the client wanted to engage in high-risk forms of investment, according to the indictment. Dellas further admitted that to conceal the fraud, he took steps to conceal account statements from his clients and at times impersonated clients in communicating with brokerage firms. Dellas admitted that he stole approximately $686,000 from his victims through unauthorized withdrawals and advisor fees.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated, “Dean Dellas’s greed knew no bounds. He abused the trust of his clients and used their hard-earned retirement dollars as his own personal piggy bank. Thanks to our dedicated law enforcement partners, he is being held accountable so we may get justice for the victims of his crimes.”
Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office stated, “Mr. Dellas abused his position as a financial advisor to callously steal from clients who trusted him with their investments. The FBI takes our responsibility to investigate those who commit fraud for personal gain very seriously, which is why Mr. Dellas is now heading to federal prison. We will continue working with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who use illegal means and criminal behavior to take advantage of others.”
Sentencing is scheduled for June 22, 2026, before United States Chief District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. Dellas faces at least two years and up to 22 years in federal prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000. The charges also carry a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. As part of his plea, Dellas agreed to pay restitution to the victims of his crimes. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Michael F. Perry are prosecuting the case.
Canton Man Convicted by Jury for PerjuryRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A federal jury convicted a Canton man for false statements before a court.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, William “Bill” Byrd McHenry, Jr., provided false statements on November 18, 2021, during a judgment debtor examination. The examination, which was taken by the Receiver for Arthur Lamar Adams and Madison Timber Properties, LLC, was to determine the assets he had available to satisfy at least part of a $3,473,320 judgment that had been entered against him. The judgment was to be used to satisfy, at least partially, investors who had lost money in the Madison Timber Properties multi-state Ponzi scheme involving more than one hundred million dollars and hundreds of victims spanning a number of years. During a judgment debtor examination, McHenry was asked directly about certain assets and whether he had sold them during the pendency of his own personal bankruptcy, which he filed after the $3,473,320 judgment. He falsely denied selling any such assets.
McHenry is scheduled to be sentenced on May 28, 2026. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Samuel Goff and Matt Allen are prosecuting the case.
California Woman Sentenced to over 8 Years for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
POCATELLO - U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today that Marissa Nicole Delagarza, 38, of Visalia, California, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine. Her co-defendant, Maryjane Maria Gomez, 24, of Tulare, California, was sentenced to 8 months in prison.
According to court records, on July 2, 2024, an Idaho State Police trooper stopped a car driven by Gomez in Chubbuck, Idaho. Delagarza was a passenger in the car. The Trooper eventually searched the car and found almost 18 pounds of methamphetamine in a backpack that was stored in the trunk. Investigators also obtained evidence from one of the cellphones that had been located in the vehicle, which showed that the two women were transporting the methamphetamine from California to South Dakota for the purpose of distribution and that Delagarza paid Gomez to drive her and the methamphetamine to South Dakota.
Both Delagarza and Gomez pleaded guilty to the charge of Possession with the Intent to Distribute on December 11, 2025.
Senior U.S. District Court Judge B. Lynn Winmill sentenced both women. He sentenced Delagarza to 100 months in prison, a $500 fine, and five years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Judge Winmill sentenced Gomez to 8 months in prison for her role as the driver. He ordered Gomez to pay a $500 fine and to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of the Idaho State Police, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe McLane prosecuted the case.
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California Man Sentenced to over 24 Years for Transporting 132 Pounds of Methamphetamine to Tampa International AirportRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Jacob Paul Arjona (32, Bakersfield, CA) has been sentenced to 24 years and 6 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. This sentence is to be served concurrently with Arjona’s sentence in a separate federal methamphetamine trafficking and kidnapping case, in which he was sentenced in August 2025 to 17 years and 7 months’ imprisonment. Arjona has been in custody since February 25, 2025, he pleaded guilty on November 19, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Arjona recruited Hernan Cruz-Moreno and Agustin Ortiz-Sanchez to transport more than 120 pounds of methamphetamine to Tampa in their luggage on a flight from Los Angeles, California to Tampa International Airport (TIA) on May 3, 2023, while Arjona traveled to Florida separately to oversee the distribution of the methamphetamine.
After Cruz-Moreno and Ortiz-Sanchez were stopped and arrested at TIA and their luggage was seized, special agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) had packaging from the seized methamphetamine tested and received a positive match on fingerprint testing for Arjona. Airline records showed that Arjona had traveled to Tampa later and flew out of Orlando on May 3, 2023.
Cruz-Moreno previously pleaded guilty to trafficking charges and was sentenced in April 2024 to 7 years and 3 months’ imprisonment. Ortiz-Sanchez fled after he was released on bond and remains a fugitive from justice.
Airline records also connected Arjona to similar ventures in other jurisdictions involving marijuana and methamphetamine. In addition, airline and baggage records the HSI agents had gathered while investigating this case helped the Drug Enforcement Administration connect Arjona to an unrelated October 2023 drug and kidnapping case in Holiday, Florida. Arjona pleaded guilty in that case in December 2024.
“The coordination and cooperation by our law enforcement partners were effective in disrupting the trafficking of methamphetamine from coast to coast,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “We will continue to work together to prevent the flow of dangerous drugs into our communities across the Middle District of Florida.”
“Illicit narcotics like methamphetamine pose a grave threat that destroys lives, tears apart families, and undermines the safety and well-being of neighborhoods across the country,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Calvo. HSI, alongside our partners at Tampa International Airport Police Department, are dedicated to stopping these criminals from importing the devastating effects of illegal drugs into our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Tampa International Airport Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney E. Jackson Boggs, Jr.
Business Owner Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas business owner was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for fraudulently obtaining nearly $4 million dollars from a food brokerage company.
According to court documents, Richard Vairo owned Richard’s Brazilian Sausage LLC, a Florida company that purportedly sold sausage to grocery stores in Florida. From September 2021 to about October 2022, he carried out a scheme to solicit money from a Las Vegas food brokerage company to increase the sales of sausage to a supermarket chain. As part of the scheme, he falsely stated that he would repay the food brokerage company a percentage of the gross profits received from the sausage sales. He sent false weekly statements to the food brokerage company; and repeatedly misrepresented that a bank had placed a hold on the funds in the bank account. He never sold sausages to the supermarket.
Throughout the scheme, Vairo used a social media messaging application and emails to misrepresent that he was selling to the supermarket. The food brokerage company loaned Vairo nearly $11 million, and Vairo repaid the food brokerage company about $7 million, using the victims’ own money as if the repayment came from sales to the supermarket. In total, the food brokerage company had a net loss of about $3,887,620. Vairo used the money he fraudulently obtained from the food brokerage company to support his lifestyle, to pay his bills and debts, and to conduct his business activities.
“Richard Vairo betrayed the trust of a local food brokerage company, stealing nearly $4 million through a calculated fraud scheme,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division. “Thanks to a thorough FBI investigation, Vairo is being held accountable, sending a clear message that we will not tolerate financial crimes that harm victims. The FBI remains steadfast in protecting businesses and pursuing justice. If you suspect financial fraud, help us keep our community safe by reporting tips at tips.fbi.gov.”
Vairo pleaded guilty to 10 counts of wire fraud. In addition to imprisonment, Chief United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon sentenced Vairo to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and FBI Special Agent in Charge Delzotto made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Schiess prosecuted the case.
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Brazilian National Sentenced for Selling Firearms Without a License and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully living in Framingham was sentenced for conspiracy and engaging in the business of selling firearms without a license.
Victor Santos DeSouza, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 14 months in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In November 2025, Santos DeSouza pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing firearms without a license and one count of engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license.
Between May 2023 and August 2023, De Aguiar Ferreira sold two pistols, one with a large capacity magazine, to a cooperating witness without the required license in exchange for cash.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Framingham and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Crowley and John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
Brazilian National Sentenced for Involvement in Large-Scale Human Smuggling RingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brazilian national illegally residing in Worcester, Mass., has been sentenced for his involvement in a conspiracy to smuggle aliens into the United States, money laundering conspiracy and illegal reentry. Case is part of significant international law enforcement operation targeting alien smugglers in United States and Brazil.
Flavio Alexandre Alves, a/k/a “Ronaldo,” 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 30 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In October 2025, Alves pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to bring aliens to and transport aliens within the United States, one count of conspiracy to launder money and one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. The defendant was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with human smuggling in March 2025 and remains in federal custody.
According to the charging documents, Alves was previously convicted of human smuggling offenses in the Central District of California in 2004 and subsequently deported to Brazil in February 2005. Sometime after his removal, Alves illegally re-entered the United States and has been residing in the United States without immigration status.
In April 2022, an investigation began into a human smuggling organization (HSO) operating in the United States, Brazil and Mexico, that smuggles Brazilian nationals through Mexico, across the U.S.-Mexico border and into the United States for financial gain and laundering the proceeds. The investigation identified Alves as domestic-based smuggler for the HSO who joined the organization in 2021. Alves coordinated with co-conspirators in Brazil and Mexico to facilitate the transportation of aliens from Brazil into the United States, launder funds to Mexico to support the HSO and collect smuggling fees paid by or on behalf of the Brazilian nationals being smuggled.
Specifically, Alves was responsible for purchasing airline tickets for aliens – including families and groups – to various places within the United States. This included purchasing airline tickets for Brazilian nationals to travel from border cities to other locations across the United States shortly after the aliens were encountered by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and released from detention. Between May 2021 and August 2022, Alves purchased more than 100 individual airline tickets from Tucson or Phoenix shortly after CBP encounters, to destination cities throughout the United States.
Alves sent money to aliens and smugglers located in Mexico to pay for expenses associated with transit into the United States. Bank and financial records obtained during the investigation revealed that Alves sent hundreds of thousands of dollars in money transfers to facilitate the travel of aliens who were later encountered by immigration authorities illegally crossing into the United States, and paid smugglers in Mexico for their role in the HSO. Additionally, Alves utilized different methods to conceal the nature and frequency of the transfers, including using in-person money transfer services at various locations throughout Massachusetts; providing different variations of his name and home address; and having other close associates conduct the transactions on his behalf.
Alves also collected payments from aliens as the fee for being smuggled into the United States – taking a percentage of the fee as his “cut” and transferring the remainder of the money to other members of the HSO based in Mexico.
The investigation and arrest of Alves was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) and the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) Program. JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA is comprised of detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 355 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 315 U.S. convictions; more than 260 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The ECT program is a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI and focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence and prosecutorial resources. ECT also coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Brasília, Brazil Attaché Troy Clausen for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement today. Substantial assistance was provided by HSI Offices in Brasilia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg and Philadelphia; HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C; U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force; and the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Noto of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case along with Trial Attorneys Clayton O’Connor, Alexandra Skinnion and Acting Deputy Chief Frank Rangoussis of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights & Special Prosecutions Section.
Bradford County Man Sentenced to One Year of Probation for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Richard Burke, age 76, of Bradford County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann to one year of probation and ordered to pay $350,634.23 in restitution on a charge of wire fraud.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, from April 2005 until
March 7, 2022, Burke withdrew $350,634.23 of his deceased mother’s Social Security Retirement, Survivors and Disability (RSDI) benefits and Veterans Affairs death pension benefit payments from her bank account. Burke’s mother died in 2005, and no other individual was entitled to the benefits designated to her. Burke used his deceased mother’s bank card to make regular cash withdrawals over the years following her benefits deposits, never notifying the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) nor the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) that she had died.
The Social Security Administration and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Zenzinger prosecuted the case.
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Armed Felon and Methamphetamine Trafficker from Oahu Sentenced to over 14 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Douglas Neddles Keikilani Junior Manago, 46, of Ewa Beach, was sentenced on February 24, 2026, in federal court by Senior United States District Judge Helen Gillmor to 178 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release for possessing methamphetamine and a firearm after having been previously convicted of a felony. Manago pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in November 2025. He was remanded into custody following his sentencing.
According to court records, Manago was distributing methamphetamine on Oahu. The charges to which he pled guilty stem from two separate traffic stops and subsequent search warrants executed on vehicles Manago was driving. Manago admitted that he possessed methamphetamine intending to distribute it to others, as well as a firearm that he was prohibited from possessing due to a prior felony conviction. In total, Manago was held responsible for over three pounds of methamphetamine.
The FBI and Honolulu Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret C. Nammar prosecuted the case.
This prosecution was 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 Hawaii comprises agents and officers from ICE-HSI, FBI, ATF, CBP, CGIS, DCIS, DEA, DSS, IRS-CI, NCIS, USMS, USPIS and HHIDTA with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Hawaii.
Anson, Texas Man Federally Charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor After Arranging to Meet Purported 15-Year-Old GirlRead the Press Release
An Anson man was charged with attempted enticement of a minor after arranging to meet a purported 15-year-old girl, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Ervin Joe Campbell, 63, was charged by a federal criminal complaint and arrested on February 26, 2026, for the federal offense of attempted enticement of a minor. He made his initial appearance yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge John R. Parker.
“The collaborative efforts of our law enforcement partners took another alleged would-be predator from our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This case highlights the importance of devoting resources to unearth sex trafficking in the Northern District of Texas. We will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute these cases.”
According to the complaint, Ervin Joe Campbell allegedly attempted to persuade, induce, entice, or coerce an individual he believed to be fifteen years old to engage in prostitution and sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense. As alleged, on February 25, 2026, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the Abilene Police Department, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office conducted an undercover chat operation in Abilene, Texas, targeting the solicitation of prostitution and child predators. During the operation, AG Investigators posed as minors, aged fifteen and sixteen, via an undercover account. The account posted on Facebook Marketplace as “Massage and Fun.” Campbell allegedly contacted the account and agreed to pay $200 for sex with a person he believed to be a 15-year-old girl.
The complaint alleges that Campbell sent a picture of himself and stated he was 60 years old. After being told that the person he was communicating with was fifteen, Campbell replied, “I could get in trouble,” followed later by “I’m not a cop, are you?” The undercover investigator informed Campbell that her sixteen-year-old friend was available as well and provided the price of $500.00 for sexual intercourse with both girls. The messages exchanged between the undercover investigator and Campbell included:
According to the complaint, Campbell arrived at a prearranged meeting place with two condoms and $652.00 cash. Officers also found a cellphone on which Campbell had saved the undercover investigator’s number as “15.”
If convicted, Campbell faces a sentence of at least 10 years in federal prison up to life imprisonment. He remains in federal custody pending detention and preliminary hearings on March 3, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge John Parker in Abilene, Texas.
Homeland Security Investigations Abilene Division, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division in Abilene, the Abilene Police Department, and the Texas Attorney General’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney James is prosecuting the case.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Campbell is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
26 February 2026
Zuni man pleads guilty to triple homicideRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man has pleaded guilty to federal charges in connection with the deaths of three individuals on July 4, 2025.
According to court documents, on July 4, 2025, Willis Kylestewa, 42, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, drove while intoxicated with four passengers in a vehicle without working headlights. When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Kylestewa fled, speeding and swerving through traffic before losing control of the vehicle, which flipped and crashed. Kylestewa and three passengers were ejected from the vehicle and two died at the scene. A third passenger died inside the vehicle. At the hospital, Kylestewa’s blood alcohol level was .317, and THC was also detected in his system.
Kylestewa pleaded guilty to three counts of second-degree murder. At sentencing, Kylestewa faces any number of years up to life in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department and Zuni Open Space. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas J. Marshall and Amy Mondragon are prosecuting the case.
Zachary Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Convictions of Multiple Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick sentenced Jeremy Dewayne Hawkins, age 45, of Zachary, Louisiana, to 180 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and heroin and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. The Court further sentenced Hawkins to serve four years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
As the evidence at trial demonstrated, DEA agents intercepted communications over four of Hawkins’ telephones between June and August 2017 and learned that Hawkins conspired with others to obtain kilogram quantities of cocaine and heroin from Houston, Texas and elsewhere and redistribute those narcotics within the Middle District of Louisiana. Evidence brought to light at trial by federal and state law enforcement officials described a search warrant on Hawkins’ property in Ethel, Louisiana, where agents located more than four kilograms of cocaine, over 100 grams of heroin, six firearms, and over 800 rounds of ammunition.
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 Baton Rouge comprises agents and officers from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Marshals Service (USMS), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the U.S. Coast Guard, Investigative Service (CGIS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations (CBP OFO), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol (CBP BP), with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Louisiana.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service, Iberville Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, East Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, East Feliciana Parish Sheriff’s Office, and Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as a Deputy Chief in the Criminal Division.