Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Wednesday 14 January 2026
Boyd County Man Receives 10 Year Sentence for Armed Fentanyl Trafficking and Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – A Boyd County, Ky., man, Terry Gannon, 52, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 120 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to his plea agreement, in February 2025, law enforcement received information that Gannon was distributing large amounts of drugs from his residence in Boyd County. On February 25 and 27, 2025, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to purchase a total of four grams of fentanyl from Gannon. A subsequent law enforcement search of Gannon’s vehicle and residence uncovered 89.934 grams of fentanyl, 1.27 grams of methamphetamine, eight firearms, ammunition, scales, baggies, a suspected drug ledger, and $11,049 in cash.
Gannon admitted to possessing the drugs with intent to distribute them. He also admitted that he possessed a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities.
Gannon was previously convicted of trafficking drugs in the third degree and trafficking drugs in the second degree in the Court of Common Pleas, Lawrence County, Ohio, and was therefore prohibited from possessing any firearm.
Under federal law, Gannon must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon Gannon’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for four years.
Paul C. McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; John Nokes, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Director Scott Hardcorn, Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the ATF and the Northern Kentucky Drug Strike Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
— END —
Biostatistician Charged with Insider TradingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Jersey biostatistician was charged today in federal court in Boston with allegedly earning more than $450,000 by trading on the material non-public information of a Massachusetts company.
Hong Wang, 59, of East Brunswick, N.J., was charged in an indictment with three counts of securities fraud. Wang was arrested this morning at his home and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the indictment, Wang was a biostatistician who worked as a consultant for a Massachusetts pharmaceutical company (Company A). In 2023, during the course of his work for Company A, Wang allegedly obtained material non-public information about the fact that in December 2023, Company A planned to publicly announce positive test results concerning one of its cancer-treating drugs (the December Disclosure).
While in possession of this material non-public information, and in violation of his fiduciary duties to Company A, Wang allegedly bought shares of Company A in advance of the December Disclosure. Over a roughly 22-day period, Wang allegedly purchased more than 150,000 shares across several different brokerage account he controlled. Wang allegedly sold 20,000 shares after Company A made the December Disclosure and held the remainder of the shares. It is alleged that Wang earned more than $450,000 trading in the securities of Company A based on its material non-public information.
The charges of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Securities and Exchange Commission has filed a civil complaint against Wang alleging violations of the securities laws.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Saltzman of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Big Island Man Sentenced to 4 Months and Ordered to Pay over Half a Million Dollars in Restitution for Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Douglas Mycko, 61, of Kurtistown, Hawaii, was sentenced yesterday in federal court by Senior United States District J. Michael Seabright to four months in federal prison followed by one year of supervised release for making and subscribing a false tax return. Mycko was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $561,587.91. He pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in August 2025.
As part of his guilty plea, Mycko admitted to filing false tax returns for calendar years 2016 through 2020 in which he underreported his business income, resulting in losses to the federal government in the amount of $244,121.00 and to the State of Hawaii in the amount of $280,308.91. Mycko further admitted that despite working and continuing to operate his business from 2020 through 2023, he applied for and obtained unemployment benefits through the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (“PUA”) program by making false and fraudulent representations regarding his unemployment status and absence of income. As a result of this fraudulent conduct, Mycko received $37,158.00 in PUA funds that he was not entitled to receive.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) at 866-720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case.
Armed fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A drug trafficker with residences in Lorton and Fredericksburg was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, from November 2022 through May 2025, law enforcement conducted a series of controlled purchases of fentanyl and cocaine in Lorton and Fredericksburg. The drugs in each of those controlled purchases were supplied by D’Quinta Arastoo Hill, 31.
On Feb. 1, 2023, law enforcement searched Hill’s residence in Lorton and located, among other things, two firearms, 55 fentanyl pills, and cocaine. On May 28, 2025, law enforcement searched Hill’s residence in Fredericksburg and recovered another firearm.
“D’Quinta Hill flooded our communities with fentanyl – one of the most lethal drugs confronting our nation – and cocaine, placing countless lives at risk,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Hill distributed more than 450 grams of fentanyl for redistribution, including pressed pills designed to resemble legitimate medication, while illegally possessing firearms to protect his drug trafficking operation. Every two milligrams of fentanyl he put into circulation represented a potential overdose, loss of life, and another grieving family. Our office remains committed to disrupting drug distribution networks and preventing those who profit from poisoning our communities.”
“This criminal posed a serious threat to the lives of many residents, not just with firearms but also with fentanyl,” said Christopher Goumenis, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division. “By investigating and apprehending this individual, we are saving lives and making our communities safer. The seizure of the guns and drugs reinforces the DEA’s commitment to targeting those who produce and distribute these lethal substances and commit acts of violence. Through the DEA’s Fentanyl Free America campaign and ongoing enforcement efforts, we will persist in holding those accountable and ensuring they face justice.”
One of the firearms recovered from Hill’s apartment in Lorton was straw-purchased by Danielle Nicole Johnson, 34, of Alexandria. In 2018, Hill was convicted of assault and battery and in 2022 he was convicted of possession of a controlled substance. As a previously convicted felon, Hill cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition. Johnson pled guilty on Sept. 8, 2025, to making false statements to acquire a firearm and transferring a firearm to a convicted felon. On Dec. 18, 2025, Johnson was sentenced to a year and a day in prison.
The fentanyl provided by Hill that was distributed in the controlled purchases was provided to and sold by Gordon Dupree Jackson, 32, of Boston, Virginia. Jackson pled guilty on April 30, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl after having been convicted of a serious drug felony. Jackson was sentenced on July 16, 2025, to 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin S. Starr prosecuted the case.
The DEA and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, investigated this case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:25-cr-266 (Hill), 1:25-cr-121 (Jackson), and 1:25-cr-249 (Johnson).
Tuesday 13 January 2026
Waterloo Domestic Abuser Who Possessed Firearms with High Capacity Magazines Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A convicted domestic abuser who possessed guns illegally was sentenced today to two years in federal prison.
Chad Michael Newell, age 51, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 4, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a person convicted of domestic violence.
In 2020, Newell was convicted of domestic abuse assault by strangulation and domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury. Based on these convictions, Newell was prohibited from possessing guns. On February 11, 2025, police searched Newell’s garage and located three guns in Newell’s inside a car. Two of the guns had a magazine with a 30-round capacity.
Newell was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Newell was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Newell was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the United States Marshal on date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Waterloo Police Department.
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.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-02029.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Used car salesman sentenced to six years in prison for fraudRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach man was sentenced today to six years in prison for conspiracy to commit mail, bank, and wire fraud; wire fraud; and bank fraud.
According to court documents, Adrian Knight, 41, owned Ace Auto Sales, LLC in Chesapeake. From March 2019 to January 2023, Knight engaged in a fraud conspiracy in which he and co-conspirators listed Ace as the seller of automobiles in buyers’ agreements or buyers’ orders that accompanied fraudulent loan applications to various financial institutions for automobiles that were not in Ace’s inventory. Knight recruited the co-conspirators and was the leader of the operation. The conspirators provided false information, such as altered vehicle identification numbers and false income and employment data, to obtain the loans.
After the financial institutions provided loan funds to Knight and others, Knight would retain a portion of the proceeds and share the remainder with his co-conspirators. The conspirators would then default on the loan or claim the loan was filed through identity theft, and the banks or their insurers were left with the loss. No automobiles were purchased with these loan proceeds. The fraud victimized two dozen financial institutions and resulted in over $2 million in fraud loss.
“Adrian Knight conspired to profit from exploiting financial institutions that serve honest consumers,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “These schemes undermine legitimate lending and drive up costs for borrowers. We will continue to ensure that markets remain fair, transparent, and trustworthy, and that those who manipulate the system for personal gain are brought to justice.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-46.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Honors Legendary AUSA John Luke Walker and Victim-Witness Coordinator Vicki Chance for Their 30+ Years of ServiceRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE– The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana honors the retirement of Assistant United States Attorney John Luke Walker after 36 years of dedicated and decorated federal service and the departure of longtime and invaluable support staff member Vicki Chance, who will now continue her public service working for the federal district court after 33 years serving the Office.
“Luke and Vicki represent the best that public service has to offer: two people who have dedicated their lives to keeping their Louisiana community safe, with Luke standing up in court and Vicki working behind the scenes to advocate for victims of some of the most serious crimes that occur in our society,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller. “Their tenures at the Office, each spanning well more than three decades, are models of integrity, professionalism, and devotion to justice that have shaped not just generations of prosecutors and staff in our Office but also their Louisiana communities as well.”
Luke’s storied career included taking down the “Dreamboard” child exploitation website through a case that involved a total of 72 defendants and that was also one of the earliest significant actions against online child sexual abuse. His career was also distinguished in prosecuting dozens of defendants preying upon children in Louisiana and elsewhere as well as prosecuting public corruption, including unraveling bribery schemes within Louisiana district attorney offices that had a huge impact on improving public trust in one of our most important public institutions. These efforts led to his being awarded the Department of Justice’s Child Protection Award in 2013 and a Director’s Award in 2017 for his combatting an illegal pay-for-plea program, but awards don’t do capture the full scope of his contribution to Louisiana: a consummate trial lawyer and model prosecutor, Luke’s most enduring contribution is the mentorship, leadership, and friendship that he provided the Office and dozens of prosecutors over his 36 years.
Vicki served as the Office’s victim-witness coordinator for nearly 20 years while often stepping up to perform other functions the Office needed, including writing press releases and organizing community events. Before her role as victim-witness coordinator, she worked for 13 years as the legal assistant to the U.S. Attorney and First Assistant U.S. Attorney. Like Luke, her legacy at the Office is most pronounced in the leadership, mentorship, and friendship that she provided to support staff members who make our Office’s mission possible to achieve over her 33 years of service.
The United States Attorney’s Office is only as strong and as dedicated to its mission and the public as its people: they are what make it possible for the Office to fulfill its mission to protect our Louisiana community. Luke and Vicki were and remain models to all of us for that service.
###
Contact
Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
Twitter @USAO_WDLA
Twice Convicted Rhode Island Businessman Sentenced for Federal Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Cranston man, previously twice convicted for federal tax charges, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for tax evasion, announced United States Attorney Charles Calenda.
William N. L’Europa, 60, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr. to two years’ probation and ordered to pay $1,367,336.08 in restitution to the IRS for unpaid taxes, penalties, fees, and interest owed for the years 2007 through 2013.
L’Europa pleaded guilty on August 14, 2025, to tax evasion, admitting that he failed to pay more than $1.3 million owed to the IRS.
According to court documents, L’Europa was previously convicted in 2012 of conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing a false tax return after he and his business partner underreported business receipts for tax years 2007 through 2010, resulting in the underpayment of more than $500,000 in federal taxes. In January 2013, he was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and ordered to file accurate, amended federal tax returns and pay all taxes due to the IRS.
After release from federal prison, the IRS issued deficiency notices to L’Europa for payment of the over $500,000 he owed. Court records reflect that in March 2019, L’Europa submitted documentation to the IRS falsely indicating that he had little or no income, causing the IRS to suspend collection efforts. In 2022, L’Europa signed an Offer in Compromise to reduce his tax liability while knowingly understating his personal income. Investigators determined that he manipulated business finances and records to conceal income and personal expenditures, including the purchase of a new motorcycle, the payment of a debt owed to the State of Rhode Island, and the down payment on a new truck for his wife. His evasion of payment resulted in growth of his tax debt to $1,367,336.08.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Taos Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Brutal 2019 Double HomicideRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Taos man was sentenced to life in prison for the June 2019 killings of two members of the Taos Pueblo.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Joshua Gonzales, 39, a non-Indian, murdered John Doe 1 and his father, John Doe 2, both enrolled members of the Taos Pueblo, inside John Doe 1’s residence.
The evidence established that Gonzales repeatedly bludgeoned both victims with a wooden table leg, causing catastrophic head injuries and multiple skull fractures. After killing the men, Gonzales dragged their bodies, stacked them on top of one another inside the residence, and concealed them beneath rolled wire fencing. The victims were not discovered until two days later, after family members reported them missing.
Surveillance video, forensic evidence, and cell phone records established a clear timeline of the murders and Gonzales’s actions afterward. Video footage showed John Doe 2 arriving at the residence shortly before the killings. Minutes later, surveillance captured John Doe 2’s pickup truck being driven erratically around the property before crashing into trees nearby, consistent with Gonzales’s attempted flight from the scene. The truck was later found abandoned.
Inside and around the residence, investigators documented extensive blood evidence, vehicle tracks, damaged fencing, and bone fragments. Cell phone records further established Gonzales’s involvement, showing that he possessed and used one of the victim’s phones the morning after the murders and began using a new phone shortly thereafter.
Witness testimony further tied Gonzales to the crimes. A family member testified that Gonzales was the last person seen with John Doe 1, possessed the spare key to the residence, attempted to fabricate an alibi, and later threatened her with death to prevent her from speaking to authorities. Additional witnesses testified to Gonzales providing key admissions about his role in the killings, describing in detail how he beat both victims and concealed their bodies with details closely matching the physical evidence.
Nearly six years after the murders, a federal jury in June 2025 convicted Gonzales of two counts of second-degree murder following an eight-day trial.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Public Safety, Bureau of Indian Affairs, New Mexico State Police, Espanola Police Department, Taos Police Department, Taos County Sheriff’s Department, and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Samuel A. Hurtado are prosecuting the case.
Twice-Deported Salvadoran Man Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jose Neftali Monge-Guevara, 38, of El Salvador, was sentenced yesterday to nearly two months in federal prison after pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The criminal alien has repeatedly shown complete disregard for our nation’s immigration laws, and now he’ll spend time in federal prison before being deported for the third – and hopefully final – time. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi launched Operation Take Back America to repel the invasion of illegal immigration that persisted unchecked for the past several years, and my office will continue to fulfill that mission with successful prosecutions like this one.”
According to court records, Monge-Guevara was discovered to be illegally in the United States after he was encountered by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Highway Patrol during a traffic stop in Wakulla County, Florida, on October 26, 2025. Law enforcement determined that Monge-Guevara was a citizen and national of El Salvador who had been previously deported or removed from the United States in 2013 and 2014. Thereafter, Monge-Guevara had not applied for nor obtained permission from the United States Secretary of Homeland Security or the Attorney General to reenter the United States.
An ICE detainer has been lodged against Monge-Guevara, and deportation proceedings against him will commence soon.
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access 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.
Shown White Sentenced to over 24 Years for CarjackingRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On January 13, 2026, Shown White, 45, of Clinton, TN, was sentenced to 292 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for five years and Judge Varlan ordered him to pay $442,636.13 in restitution to the victims.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, White agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with carjacking, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2119.
According to the filed plea agreement, White flagged down a waste collection truck for help after he crashed the vehicle he was driving in the vicinity of 549 Henley Street in Knoxville on August 7, 2023. The driver of the waste collection truck stopped in the roadway to assist. Almost immediately, White jumped into the passenger side of the vehicle, held a knife to the driver’s throat, and instructed the driver to head south on Chapman Highway. While the driver was attempting to comply with White’s demands, a struggle ensued which led the driver to jump from the moving vehicle. White took control of the vehicle and continued driving into Sevier County until ultimately crashing the garbage truck into a business located on Dolly Parton Parkway.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) Nashville Field Office, made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the FBI, Knoxville Police Department, Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, Sevierville Police Department, and Tennessee Highway Patrol. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Wesley Leatham.
Assistant United States Attorney Miriam Johnson represented the United States.
This case is part of the Take Back America Task Force, led by Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
###
Sex Offender Living Near School Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A sex offender living near a school in Tulsa was sentenced today for failing to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Mark Joseph Vossler, 53, to 27 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, he will also be required to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, in 1994, Vossler was convicted of sexual battery after he forced a 19-year-old woman to have sex with him while he held the victim down. After pleading guilty, Vossler was sentenced to a five-year deferred sentence and ordered to complete 80 hours of community service. After violating the conditions of probation, Vossler was ordered to serve five years in the Department of Corrections.
In a second sexual assault incident in 2013, Vossler grabbed the victim by the hair while he was driving. He told the victim he had a gun, was a member of the Universal Aryan Brotherhood, and said that he would blow the victim's head off if she did not have sex with him. Vossler pulled the vehicle over and sexually assaulted the victim. He pled guilty to sexual battery in 2015, was ordered to serve five years, and was required to register as a sex offender.
Court records show that Vossler was previously convicted in 2006, 2016, 2020, and 2023 for failing to register as a sex offender. He was federally indicted in August 2025 for failing to register as a sex offender from March through July 2025. Records obtained by the U.S. Marshals show that Vossler was using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and reported that he was homeless. However, after further investigation, marshals located Vossler living in a prohibited apartment in Tulsa near a school.
Vossler will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michele Hulgaard prosecuted the case.
St. Amant Man Charged with Interstate Transmission of Extortionate Communication, Coercion and Enticement of a Minor, Production of Child Pornography, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that a federal grand jury recently returned a five-count indictment charging Dakota Hudson, age 20, of St. Amant, Louisiana, with interstate transmission of extortionate communication, coercion and enticement of a minor, production of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. Hudson pled not guilty to the pending charges.
According to the Indictment, on or about January 15, 2024, Hudson knowingly, with the intent to extort from another person anything of value, communicated a threat to injure Minor Victim 1.
The Indictment also alleges that from July 1, 2024, and continuing to an exact date unknown, but at least until about May 12, 2025, Hudson knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced Minor Victim 2 to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a criminal offense. On two different occasions in August and September 2024, Hudson knowingly employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced Minor Victim 2 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. Lastly, the Indictment alleges that Hudson knowingly possessed material that contained images of child pornography on or about June 20, 2025.
If convicted, Hudson faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the interstate transmission of extortionate communication charge, a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison on each charge of production of child pornography, and a maximum penalty of life in prison on the coercion and enticement of a minor charge. Hudson also faces mandatory minimum sentences of 10 years in prison on the coercion and enticement of a minor charge and 15 years in prison on each charge of production of child pornography. Each offense also carries a fine of up to $250,000 and significant periods of supervised release.
"This case is just the latest example of the FBI’s efforts to root out predators who prey on our nation’s children through gaming apps and social media,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “The FBI encourages parents to closely monitor the online activity of their children and be aware of warning signs of potentially sinister activity.”
This matter is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Anderson.
The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes.”
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
Those arrested as part of Operation Relentless Justice are alleged to have committed various crimes, including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material; online enticement and transportation of minors; and child sex trafficking. Some of the alleged offenders include an airman out of Dallas, TX, who was arrested with his wife for producing child sex abuse material (CSAM), as well as a Police Officer from Raleigh, NC, who distributed CSAM to an undercover officer while discussing his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. In another case involving enticement of a minor, the Miami Field Office arrested a Guatemalan national who was previously deported in 2011, and had previous arrests for battery, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and carrying a concealed weapon.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI’s Victim Services Division (VSD) assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD’s mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department remains vigilant against the threat of Nihilistic Violent Extremist (NVE) networks, like 764, that operate within the United States and around the globe. NVEs often target vulnerable individuals, including minors, using social media platforms to share CSAM and gore material, and groom victims toward committing acts of violence. Victims are often extorted, coerced, compelled, and blackmailed into complying with NVE demands, including self-mutilation, online and in-person sexual acts, harm to animals, sexual exploitation of siblings and others, acts of violence, threats of violence, suicide, and murder. For more information on how to protect children and others, read about the online risks here: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/parents-and-caregivers-protecting-your-kids, https://www.ic3.gov/PSA/2025/PSA250306
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendant is presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Roanoke Man to Serve 165 Months for Role in Drug Robbery, ShootingRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke man, who robbed his one-time roommate for drugs and drug proceeds and later shot and killed someone who attempted to rob him, was sentenced yesterday to 165 months in federal prison.
Damon Tyler Mills, 29, pled guilty in April 2025 to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of brandishing and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
“Those who use firearms to advance the drug trade and commit acts of violence in the Western District of Virginia will face swift and certain accountability in federal court,” said Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci.
“ATF is not only committed to protecting the public from violent criminals like Damon Mills, but also holding others like him fully accountable for their violent criminal acts,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “We are ready- and fully capable- of pursuing anyone who believes that illegally possessing firearms, committing robberies, and taking lives is acceptable behavior in our communities.”
According to court documents, on February 24, 2019, law enforcement responded to an apartment in Roanoke County, Virginia regarding a disturbance involving firearms. Officers arrived on the scene and located victim FC deceased with gunshot wounds to their head and chest. Officers investigated and determined Mills was the shooter.
However, these events began years earlier. Mills was a known drug dealer in Roanoke, distributing marijuana from various locations from at least 2016 through 2019. For several months in early 2018, A.W. and Mills were friends. The two lived together and distributed marijuana together.
In November 2018, A.W. was living in his father’s home after a falling out with Mills. It was nighttime and A.W. was playing video games and waiting for his pregnant girlfriend, D.T. to arrive home from work. Mills and an unidentified accomplice entered the home wearing ski masks and brandishing AR-style firearms and pistols. They beat and bound A.W. and demanded he tell them where his drugs and drug proceeds were. A.W. refused. Mills and his accomplice eventually found $1,300 and an AK-47.
When D.T. arrived home, they threw her on the bed and demanded to know where the drugs and money were located. When she couldn’t provide a sufficient answer, Mills and the second robber took her phone and $100.
Four months later, on February 24, 2019, Mills was hanging out with his friend at his girlfriend’s apartment. Mills had been living there for several months and sold marijuana out of the apartment. Taylor Miles, a marijuana customer of Mills, knocked on the door. Miles came to the door because her boyfriend, F.C. had planned to rob Mills.
F.C. had no personal relationship with the defendant but knew he was likely to have cash and drugs and arranged his girlfriend to set-up the meeting.
Miles knocked on the door, Mills approached the door, armed with a firearm, he opened the door and spoke to Miles. Suddenly, F.C. appeared, racked his pistol, and pointed it at Mills. Mills drew his pistol and fired one shot that struck F.C. in the chest.
F.C. fell to the ground.
Mills stood above him and while F.C. was still moving, Mills shot F.C. in the head, killing him.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Roanoke County Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant United States Attorney Charlene R. Day and Special Assistant United States Attorney John Beamer, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office prosecuted the case for the United States.
Rhode Island Man Sentenced to Prison for Possessing over Six Kilograms of Methamphetamine Intended for DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man was sentenced on Jan. 7, 2026 in federal court in Boston for drug possession and distribution charges.
Star Sirikhom, 39, of R.I., was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to two years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In September 2025, Sirikhom pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022 along with five alleged co-conspirators.
In 2019, an investigation began into a Colombia-based money laundering organization that was laundering drug proceeds on behalf of multiple drug trafficking organizations. During surveillance of a residence identified as a possible drug stash location, multiple people were observed entering the location with weighted bags or boxes and exiting with large trash bags, weighted bags, and five-gallon buckets which were placed in vehicles before departing the residence.
In June 2021, Sirikhom was observed entering the stash house carrying a black backpack and exiting six minutes later with the same black backpack, which appeared to be weighted. During a subsequent traffic stop of Sirikhom’s vehicle, the backpack was seized from the trunk and found to contain over six kilograms of orange pills containing methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian J. Sullivan of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Repeat offender sentenced to 60 months for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 42-year-old Mexican man has been sentenced for illegally reentering the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Gabriel Rodriguez-Martinez pleaded guilty March 28, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Rodriguez-Martinez to serve 60 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
Rodriguez-Martinez has felony convictions for illegal reentry as well as multiple driving while intoxicated offenses. He was first removed from the United States in September 2014 and returned illegally again.
Rodriguez-Martinez will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano 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.
Repeat Offender Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Huntsville, Ala. – A Limestone County man has been sentenced for committing child sexual exploitation crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Harold D. Mooty, III, sentenced Clayton Sawyer, Jr., 67, of Athens, Alabama, to 180 months in prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. As part of his sentence, Sawyer was ordered to pay a $3,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. In December 2025, Sawyer pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
According to the plea agreement, on February 4, 2025, United States Probation Officers searched Sawyer’s residence and found a Samsung smartphone hidden inside of a box of “Breakfast Essentials.” A forensic analysis of the device revealed 18 images of child pornography. Possession of an electronic communication device without prior approval was a violation of the provisions of Sawyer’s supervised release.
At the time of the search, Sawyer was serving a life term of supervised release following federal convictions in the Northen District of Alabama for receipt of child pornography and possession of child pornography.
The FBI Birmingham – Huntsville RA investigated the case along with the United States Probation Office. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Rapper ‘Taliban Glizzy’ Sentenced to 219 Months in Robberies of East Coast Jewelers That Netted His Crew MillionsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Trevor Jonathan Wright, 34, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 219 months in federal prison for leading a series violent armed robberies of South Asian jewelry stores that netted millions of dollars in cash and gold for his 15-member crew, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Wright, the D. C. rapper known as “Taliban Glizzy,” pleaded guilty Sept. 16, 2025, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act Robbery); brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence; and unlawful possession of a firearm.
In his plea agreement, Wright accepted responsibility for his roles in the June 10, 2022, armed robbery of Virani Jewelers in Iselin, New Jersey for $1.2 million in gold jewelry; the Oct. 25, 2022, armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey, for $1.93 million in gold jewelry; and the Dec. 6, 2022, armed robbery of Kishek Jewelers in Jacksonville, Florida, for $700,000. He also accepted responsibility for unlawful possession of a machine gun in Miami, Florida on May 27, 2021.
“Trevor Wright and his crew terrorized victims from Northern New Jersey to South Florida. His crew left behind a wake of destruction and great financial loss for family-owned businesses,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “They smashed glass display cases and shoveled the gold into laundry bags. After one armed robbery of nearly $2 million, Wright spent proceeds to purchase a Rolex. He sure won’t need a luxury watch to measure the more than 18 years he’ll now spend in prison.”
In addition to the 219-month prison term, Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered Wright to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, during the course of 18 months, Wright and his co-conspirators schemed to rob multiple South Asian jewelry stores of heavy gold jewelry of high purity. The conspiracy began in January 2022 and continued until August 2023.
Each robbery was coordinated in advance. The crew selected their targets after careful research. To evade law enforcement detection, some of the suspect vehicles were rented, stolen, or outfitted with stolen tags. At least one of the vehicles was carjacked by the crew at gunpoint.
The crew cased the stores in advance. They shattered the doors and windows with sledgehammers They employed a show of force to gain compliance from their victims. At least one co-conspirator was armed with a firearm during each robbery.
The crew fenced the stolen jewelry in Miami or melted down the gold into bars which they later sold for cash.
On Dec. 12, 2022, Wright was arrested on an outstanding warrant issued by the Southern District of Florida as he and his entourage departed the St. Yves nightclub in a Cadillac Escalade. Police recovered, among other things, more than $17,300 in cash, which investigators linked to proceeds from the Kishek robbery.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Washington Field Division; FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office; FBI Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the Newark Field Office; Director Gadyaces Serralta of the United States Marshals Service; and Interim Chief Jeffery W. Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
This case was investigated by the ATF, the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI’s Newark, Jacksonville, and Washington Field Offices. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Duvall and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi.
23cr137
Trevor Wright, aka Taliban Glizzy, in a portrait.An AR-15 recovered on July 17, 2022, from the backseat of a rideshare vehicle in which Trevor Wright and other crew members had traveled.
Surveillance screen shot from the October 25, 2022, of a co-defendant during the armed robbery of Paradise Jewelry in Paterson, New Jersey, from which the crew netted $1.93 million in gold jewelry.
DEFENDANTAKAHOMECHARGES/SENTENCETrevor Wright, 34Taliban GlizzyWashington DCSentenced Dec. 16, 2025, to 219 months after pleading guilty Sept. 16, 2025, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence aiding and abetting; and unlawful possession of a firearm.William Hunter, 30Ill Will, BroskiWashington DCSentenced to 228 months on Dec. 11, 2024, after pleading guilty to interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Avery Fuller, 31Deavry Cordell Fuller, Fully AceWashington DCPending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Franklin Hunter, 31GinoWashington DCPleaded guilty on Dec. 30, 2024, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery) and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Davon Johnson, 32YBWashington DCSentenced to 111 months on Nov. 20, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Decarlos Hill, 31LosMarylandSentenced to 57 months on November 6, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery.Lamont Marable, 29 Washington DCSentenced to 93 months on Nov. 11, 2024, for interfering with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act robbery); and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Keith McDuffie, 28 CaliforniaInterfering with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Jameise Vaughn Christian, 35Safety, Safe PlayWashington DCPending sentencing after pleading guilty in the Middle District of Florida to conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Andrew Smith, 32Drewso, DrewMarylandSentenced to 138 months in prison on Oct. 17, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Robert Sheffield, 35Real LifaaWashington DCSentenced to 156 months on July 2, 2025, for conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery); possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Jaylaun Brown, 23Lil LaunyWashington DCSentenced to 102 months on May 1, 2025, for conspiracy to interfere with Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Timothy Conrad, 34TwinWashington DCSentenced to 168 months on Oct. 1, 2024, for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for possessing a firearm during a crime of violence.Antonio Tate, 22T-MotionWashington DCSentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Delonte Martin, 27 Washington DCSentenced to 108 months for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; and for brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence.Rancho Cordova Man Pleads Guilty to Production and Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Daragh Finbar Hayes, 44, of Rancho Cordova, pleaded guilty on Jan. 9 to three counts of production of child sexual abuse material and one count of distribution of child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between June 25, 2024, and Sept. 30, 2024, Hayes knowingly used a child to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing visual depictions of that conduct. Hayes kept images of the sex abuse in a “hidden” folder on his personal electronic device and distributed images of the sex abuse to at least one other person over the internet.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shea J. Kenny is prosecuting the case.
Hayes is in custody and will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dena Coggins at a later date. For each of the three counts of production of child sexual abuse material, Hayes faces a mandatory statutory minimum of 15 years in prison, a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. For the count of distribution of child sexual abuse material, he faces a mandatory statutory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Raleigh County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – John Thompson, 49, of White Oak, pleaded guilty today to aiding and abetting the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 18, 2024, Thompson oversaw the sale of approximately 205 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $2,500. As part of his guilty plea, Thompson admitted that he arranged the transaction after meeting with the confidential informant and that co-defendant Sharee Woodson conducted it. Thompson further admitted that he sold quantities of methamphetamine on February 28, 2024, and March 1, 2024, and quantities of fentanyl on March 4, 2024, and March 13, 2024, each time to the confidential informant.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 8, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million.
Woodson, 45, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on October 29, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 2026.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-116.
###
Prison time for healthcare employees in multimillion dollar adult daycare fraud schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A doctor and clinic employee have been sentenced following their convictions for receiving illegal kickbacks after ordering unnecessary lab tests and prescriptions, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A federal jury found Dr. Osama Nahas, 70, McAllen, and Isabel Pruneda, 54, Edinburg, guilty March 1, 2024, of conspiracy to commit healthcare fraud, healthcare fraud and conspiracy to violate the Anti-Kickback Statute following a two-week trial. Pruneda was also convicted for aggravated identity theft.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 120-month-term of imprisonment for Nahas, while Pruneda received 97 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court characterized Nahas and Pruneda as “predators” who exploited elderly, disabled and otherwise vulnerable patients at adult day care centers. Both were also ordered to pay over $3.1 million in restitution to Medicare.
“Medical professionals have a solemn obligation to heal the sick and infirm, not to subject them to unnecessary treatments solely for the sake of making a quick buck,” said Ganjei. “The defendants here abused their unique position of trust and shamelessly took advantage of particularly vulnerable victims. Now they will have several years in prison to reflect on their actions.”
Nahas, the owner and physician at Crosspoint Medical Clinic in Edinburg, traveled to adult day care centers across the Rio Grande Valley ordering unnecessary lab tests and prescriptions on behalf of elderly and vulnerable clients. Pruneda, a medical assistant at Crosspoint, helped carry out the scheme by fording patient signatures on consent forms and misappropriating expensive medications, including pain creams.
Pruneda would strip patient information and packaging from the creams to hand them out as “goodie bags” in an effort to encourage patients to agree to testing. From January 2016 through December 2017, Nahas and Pruneda ordered unnecessary prescriptions and lab work, resulting in millions in losses. They directed those prescriptions and tests to specific companies in exchange for kickbacks.
In June 2018, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Crosspoint and seized hundreds of thousands in stolen medications. Nahas and Pruneda also paid bribes-disguised as “rent” payments-to adult day care owners to gain access to their facilities. Witnesses testified that both accepted kickbacks for referrals, often labeling them as “rent” agreements.
Evidence also revealed that both received tens of thousands of dollars in kickbacks from January 2016 to December 2017.
Nahas was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender, while Pruneda will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and Texas Health and Human Services - OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Swartz and Brad Gray prosecuted the case.
Previously Deported Man Sentenced for Misuse of a Social Security Number and Selling a Fraudulent California Driver’s LicenseRead the Press Release
Javier Aguilera Rosas, 43, of Los Angeles, was sentenced Monday by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb to 15 months in prison for transfer of a false identity document, misuse of a social security number, and illegal reentry by a previously removed alien, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, from August 2020 through December 2023, Rosas transferred at least 20 false identification documents to multiple buyers in the Eastern District of California. On multiple occasions, buyers submitted orders to Rosas through text messages asking for fraudulent passports, driver’s licenses, and Social Security cards. After obtaining the fraudulent IDs as specified by the particular buyer, Rosas mailed the false IDs to the buyer. On at least four occasions, he provided IDs containing the true name, birthdate, and Social Security number of identity theft victims.
At least one buyer used the false IDs Rosas provided to sell marijuana out of state, rent Airbnbs, and travel, including passing through Transportation Security Administration checkpoints. Rosas pleaded guilty on Aug. 25, 2025.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Moody prosecuted the case.
Plymouth Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting Minors in the PhilippinesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Plymouth, Mass. man has been arrested and charged with allegedly sexually exploiting two minor victims from the Philippines.
Robert Meserve, 38, is charged by criminal complaint with two counts of sexual exploitation of children. Meserve was arrested this morning in New Jersey and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to charging documents, in June 2025, law enforcement in Bergen County, New Jersey were notified of an individual – allegedly later identified as Meserve – engaging in communications, negotiating payment and directing the sexual abuse of children by their trusted adults on live streams, which Meserve screen recorded. It is alleged that an initial forensic examination of Meserve’s devices revealed files consistent with child sexual abuse material and numerous communications and corresponding payments, which detail the sexual abuse of these two minors in the Philippines – ages six and eight – including a non-verbal minor with disabilities.
The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations in Newark, NJ, the United States Marshals Service, the Bergen County, New Jersey Prosecutor’s Office, the Massachusetts State Police, and the Plymouth Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm, of the Major Crimes Unit and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Assistant U.S. Attorney Allegra Flamm of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
The case is 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.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Pittsburgh Resident Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of distributing and possessing material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Marissa Lynn Segal, 31, pleaded guilty on January 12, 2026, to two counts before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on July 14, 2025, Segal distributed material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor—including photographs and videos of infant victims and victims engaged in acts of bestiality—via a mobile application. Additionally, Segal possessed child sexual abuse material including images and videos depicting prepubescent minors.
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for April 27, 2026. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court ordered Segal detained in the custody of the United States Marshals Service.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Segal.
Peoria Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Two Counts of Distributing “Ice” MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Peoria, Illinois man, Christopher William Crawford, 32, of the 1400 block of West Covington Court, was sentenced on January 7, 2026, to 120 months imprisonment on each of two counts of distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual). The sentences will be served concurrently, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Crawford must also pay a $200 special assessment fee. The Court ordered Crawford’s sentence to be served concurrent to any term of imprisonment imposed in Peoria County Circuit Court.
At the sentencing hearing, uncontroverted evidence showed that in September 2024, Crawford sold controlled substances on two occasions in the Peoria area. On both occasions, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms found the drugs tested as “ice” methamphetamine. In total, Crawford was responsible for the distribution of at least 174.2 grams of ice methamphetamine.
Crawford was indicted and arrested in October 2024. He entered a guilty plea in March 2025.
The statutory penalties for distributing 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) are 10 years to life, followed by up to 5 years of supervised release.
The Peoria Area Federal Firearms Task Force, comprised of agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Peoria Police Department; the Peoria County Sheriff’s Department; Illinois Department of Corrections; and the Illinois State Police, investigated the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa P. Ortiz represented the government in the prosecution.
North Carolina Sex Offender Sentenced for Failing to Register Under SORNARead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – Joseph Rimero Rutherford, 34, of North Carolina, was sentenced last week to 18 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for failing to register as a sex offender in Virginia, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), after he began living in Bristol, Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about 2020 through in or about July 2022, Rutherford habitually resided in an apartment in Bristol, Virginia. Rutherford failed to register in Virginia or update his registration in North Carolina as required by SORNA. Rutherford is required to register as a sex offender and comply with SORNA because of his 2015 federal convictions for the possession and distribution of child pornography out of the District Court for the District of Columbia.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
The United States Marshals Service and the Bristol, Virginia Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carrie Macon prosecuted the case.
Newly Released Felon Sentenced in Possession of a GlockRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dion Zellars, 37, a previously convicted felon from Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 30 months in prison for illegally possessing a Glock 29 pistol only one week following his release to a halfway house, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Zellars, aka “Thomas Good,” pleaded guilty on Sept. 30, 2025, to one count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. The case marks his fifth firearms conviction. In addition to the 30-month prison term, Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered Zellars to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to court documents, on March 20, 2025, at about 4:25 p.m., four MPD officers were patrolling the 4200 block Southern Avenue SE, when they observed several individuals congregating on the sidewalk. One member of the group—later identified as Zellars—immediately attempted to hide behind a parked silver SUV, which drew the attention of the officers.
As additional police arrived in an unmarked car, Zellars took off running down the sidewalk while clutching his waistband. Multiple officers chased Zellars. At one point, Zellars held up a black firearm with his left hand. Officers yelled at Zellars to drop the gun.
As Zellars ran along the side of a house and into its back yard, he dropped the gun. He hopped a fence, ran down an alley, then tripped on the steps leading into another yard. Police caught and handcuffed him. Zellars initially identified himself to officers as Thomas Anthony Good, with Zellars’ same date of birth.
Officers recovered cell phones and a Glock 29 10mm pistol with a laser attachment, with one round in the chamber, and a 15-round magazine containing 14 rounds.
Zellars consented to the search of his phone. The phone contained text messages, photos, and videos from the same day documenting the Glock that Zellars dropped. Specifically, Zellars sent a text message to “Boo” about 1:19 p.m., with multiple photos of the gun, asking “Yu like this joint?” In response, “Boo” warned Zellars not to touch the gun: “asking me about a gun when u just did 10 years ! u shouldn’t even be touching that.”
Zellars had been released to a halfway house on March 12, 2025—about a week before this incident—and was on supervision for sentences for two different gun convictions.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by Washington Field Division of the ATF and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael L. Barclay for the District of Columbia.
Still image from body-worn camera showing Zellars (red) fleeing police
Still images of the gun from Zellars’ phone
25cr122
Michigan Man Who Caused Plane to Make Emergency Landing in Cedar Rapids Sentenced to over a Year in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who was flying from Omaha to Detroit who disrupted the flight, causing the plane to divert to Cedar Rapids and make an emergency landing, was sentenced today to more than a year in federal prison.
Mario Nikprelaj, age 24, from Shelby Township, Michigan, received the prison term after a September 23, 2025, guilty plea to one count of interfering with flight crew members and attendants.
Information at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, on July 17, 2025, Nikprelaj boarded a plane in Omaha, Nebraska, bound for Detroit, Michigan. Even before the plane left the gate, Nikprelaj began making disruptive and rude statements to passengers and flight crew. Nikprelaj refused to put his seatbelt on, but a flight attendant eventually convinced him to do so and the plane took off.
Once in the air, Nikprelaj began disrupting the flight and interfering with the flight crew’s performance of their duties. He repeatedly took off his seat belt and had to be told to put it back on. He flipped off the flight attendant telling him to put his seat belt on and stood up repeatedly while the plane was ascending. Eventually, Nikprelaj poked the flight attendant in the chest. The flight attendant told Nikprelaj that the flight attendant would report him to law enforcement. Nikprelaj threatened to kill the flight attendant.
Eventually, Nikprelaj appeared to have fallen asleep in his seat. The two flight attendants began service for the passengers. However, several passengers pressed their emergency call buttons when Nikprelaj began manipulating the emergency exit door near his seat. Passengers believed he was trying to open the door. The flight attendant Nikprelaj had threated, who was 80 years old, approached him again to stop him. Nikprelaj pushed the flight attendant away, swore at the flight attendant, and continued to threaten to kill him.
After this incident was reported to him, the captain of the plane decided to make an emergency landing in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. As the plane was descending, Nikprelaj again stood up, took his shirt off, and began walking up and down the aisle. The flight crew asked for help from the passengers. Three passengers approached Nikprelaj, and he became belligerent with them. Nikprelaj took a swing at them. He eventually returned to his seat. While the plane was landing, Nikprelaj continued to flip off the flight attendant and other passengers.
Officers from the Cedar Rapids Police Department were waiting for the plane to land. After it landed, they boarded the plane and took Nikprelaj into custody. When officers searched him, they found a prescription bottle containing 41 pills of purported Xanax. The prescription on the bottle was not in Nikprelaj’s name.
Nikprelaj has a criminal history including a conviction for assaulting, resisting, or obstructing a police officer. In that situation, Nikprelaj ran from, resisted even when tasered, and fought with law enforcement officers. He also has convictions for domestic violence, disorderly conduct, breaking and entering, and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Nikprelaj was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Nikprelaj was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, and the Eastern Iowa Airport Public Safety Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-61.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Merrillville Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay $883,166.92 in RestitutionRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – On January 13, 2026, Armon A. Hill, 46 years old, of Merrillville, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Hill was sentenced to 30 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $883,166.92 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, between April 2020 and May 2022, Hill submitted a series of fraudulent loan applications under the Covid-19 Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury and Disaster Loan programs. Hill’s applications contained false information and forged tax documents purporting to show that Hill operated a successful business with multiple employees, when in fact Hill had no such business and had no employees. Based on Hill’s fraudulent representations, he received a total of approximately $840,000 in Covid-19 grant and loan funding to which he was not entitled. Hill spent the funds on personal expenses unrelated to any legitimate business activity, including on international travel and high-end retail shopping.
“Armon Hill took advantage of government programs designed to help small businesses survive the Covid-19 pandemic, using hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to fund his own lavish lifestyle,” said United States Attorney Mildred. “As this case demonstrates, fraud and abuse of government programs are not tolerated in the Northern District of Indiana.”
“At a time when struggling small businesses were depending on emergency relief to survive the economic fallout of COVID-19, Armon Hill chose to exploit a national crisis for personal gain,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “By submitting fraudulent applications to the SBA, he diverted critical taxpayer-funded resources away from legitimate business owners who played by the rules. Pandemic relief funds were not a windfall—they were a lifeline—and abusing them is a federal crime with serious consequences.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary D. Heater.
Maryland Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Leading Scheme in Which Doctors Were Impersonated to Obtain NarcoticsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Maryland man was sentenced today to 65 months in federal prison for leading a long-running scheme in which dozens of medical doctors’ personal information was stolen and then used to create fraudulent e-prescribing accounts, which his accomplices then used to issue thousands of fraudulent prescriptions of controlled substances.
Benjamin Jamal Washington, 25, of Hyattsville, Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu.
Washington pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
From September 2020 to May 2023, Washington and his co-conspirators obtained personal identifying information (PII) belonging to dozens of doctors, including their names, dates of birth, addresses, phone numbers, National Provider Identification number, and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Registration Numbers.
After obtaining this information, the co-conspirators impersonated the victims by obtaining fake drivers’ licenses in their names. They also paid corrupt telephone company employees to perform illegal subscriber identity module (SIM) swaps – fraudulently inducing a phone carrier to reassign a cell phone number from the legitimate subscriber to a phone controlled by the co-conspirators – to gain access to the physicians’ phone numbers.
Washington and his co-conspirators then used the fraudulent drivers’ licenses and the stolen phone numbers to open fraudulent e-prescribing accounts in the physicians’ names. At least one co-conspirator spoke with a pharmacy technician to understand the patterns and practices of physicians submitting e-prescriptions so Washington and his co-conspirators could avoid detection and issue more fraudulent prescriptions.
Once the co-conspirators opened the fraudulent e-prescribing accounts, Washington and others used the accounts to submit at least 5,600 fraudulent prescriptions of controlled substances, including illegal prescriptions of oxycodone and promethazine with codeine.
The co-conspirators then traveled to pharmacies across the United States, including pharmacies within the Los Angeles area, to pick up the illegally prescribed controlled substances, which they sold for a significant profit.
During the same period, in May 2022, Washington stole mail from two mailboxes in Bethesda, Maryland, and unlawfully possessed a United States Postal Service arrow key – a master key that allows access to mail for hundreds of boxes in an area. At the first mailbox, Washington stole at least 30 checks.
Washington pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of mail theft and one count of unlawful possession of Postal Service keys. That case was transferred from the District of Maryland to the Central District of California.
Micah Robert Lee, 26, of Washington, D.C., who is another co-conspirator in the fraudulent e-prescription scheme, pleaded guilty in December 2025 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on April 17, at which time he will face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the DEA investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Ian V. Yanniello of the National Security Division, Elizabeth S.P. Douglas of the Major Frauds Section, and Matthew J. Tako of the Transnational Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.
Madison Man Sentenced to over Seven Years for Unlawfully Possessing a Firearm and Violating Terms of Federal SupervisionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Francesco Anglin, 28, Madison, Wisconsin, was sentenced on January 9, 2026, by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 63 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon, and an additional 24 months in federal prison for violating the terms of his federal supervision for a previous federal firearm conviction. Anglin pleaded guilty to the felon in possession offense on October 24, 2025.
On March 15, 2025, a Maple Bluff police officer attempted to stop a vehicle for a traffic violation. The vehicle fled and ultimately crashed in downtown Madison with the two occupants running from the scene. Officers searched the vehicle and found a loaded 9mm handgun. They also found Anglin’s cell phone with a lock screen photo of him pointing a black firearm at the camera.
On April 24, 2025, a Madison police officer stopped Anglin’s vehicle and located a loaded privately made firearm in the glovebox. Anglin had previously posted photos to his Facebook account showing him in possession of that privately made firearm.
Anglin was on federal supervised release at the time of these offenses, after serving 43 months for a prior felon in possession conviction. In that case, Anglin asked a female to purchase a handgun for him. At the time, he was already convicted of a felony offense and was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition. While on supervised release, for that offense, Anglin escaped from a prison facility, was charged, convicted, and sentenced to eight months in prison.
At sentencing the government argued that Anglin was a significant danger to the community and was not deterred by previous prison sentences. The government also noted the many images that Anglin posted on Facebook showing him in possession of firearms and making threatening comments.
At sentencing Judge Peterson found that Anglin had been a failure on supervised release and that he presented a significant danger to the community. Judge Peterson said that Anglin was resistant to intervention by federal probation officers who were tasked with helping him, and that carrying a gun presented an extreme risk to those officers. Judge Peterson noted that there was strong evidence that Anglin was always armed, and that he was intent on intimidating others and inciting violence by his social media posts. Judge Peterson concluded that Anglin needed to be removed from the community and sent a significant message that his gun crimes would not be tolerated.
The charge against Anglin was the result of an investigation conducted by the Maple Bluff and Madison Police Departments, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Madison Man Sentenced to Five Years for Illegal Gun PossessionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jevon Smith, 31, Madison, Wisconsin was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 60 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Smith pleaded guilty to this charge on October 22, 2025.
On June 15, 2025, Fitchburg police officers found Smith sleeping in a car in the parking lot of McKee Farms Park. Officers searched Smith’s car and found a loaded Glock 29 10mm handgun with a machinegun conversion device attached to it. In 2019, Smith was convicted of heroin trafficking, eluding an officer, and recklessly endangering safety. As a convicted felon, Smith is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
A machinegun conversion device is an illegal device that can be attached to handguns to allow them to fire fully automatic. Machinegun conversion devices are also known as “switches” and pose an extreme risk to the community.
At sentencing Judge Peterson considered Smith’s past convictions and said that he was on a bad trajectory. Judge Peterson also noted that Smith was on bond for a pending drug trafficking case at the time he committed the current federal offense. Judge Peterson ordered Smith to serve three years of supervision following his release from prison.
The charge against Smith was the result of an investigation conducted by the Fitchburg Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.Federal criminal cases involving firearms are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. 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 and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Mexican Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of a Minor and Immigration OffenseRead the Press Release
PANAMA CITY, FLORIDA – Noe Zamudio Hernandez, 43, of Mexico, pleaded guilty in federal court to attempted enticement of a minor and illegal reentry of a previously removed alien. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, in close collaboration with our federal law enforcement partners, this previously deported illegal alien was stopped before he could sexually victimize a child. My office will continue to back up this great work by our law enforcement partners with successful prosecutions, and this criminal alien sexual predator will find himself in federal prison before being swiftly deported from this country.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant came under investigation in 2024 during an operation aimed at identifying individuals targeting children for sexual exploitation. During the operation, the defendant communicated with an individual he believed was a minor to arrange for a sexual transaction. When the defendant was arrested, law enforcement learned he was unlawfully present in the United States and had been previously removed to Mexico.
Zamudio Hernandez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years’ imprisonment up to life in prison.
The case involved a joint investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2026, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.
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.
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.
Louisburg Man Sentenced to over 17.5 Years in Federal Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced a Louisburg man to over 17 years in federal prison for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). William Justin Lewis, age 55, pleaded guilty on August 19, 2025.
“Innocent children require all of us to protect them. If deviant criminal predators harm children in our District, they can expect the FBI and other partners in law enforcement to find them, prosecute them, and lock them away from our children for decades,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boye. “On behalf of families all across North Carolina, we thank Judge Dever for this appropriately lengthy prison sentence to punish this coward’s truly abhorrent behavior.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, undercover agents with the FBI investigated online distributors and traders of CSAM when agents located a chat room where a user, later identified as Lewis, uploaded numerous disturbing images and videos of CSAM. Agents traced the IP address back to the Louisburg residence where Lewis lived. The FBI, with the assistance of the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant on Lewis’s residence and seized numerous digital devices that contained hundreds of disgusting CSAM videos and images. At the time of the crimes, Lewis worked at a Wal-Mart in Louisburg as a personal shopper.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood partners federal, state, and local resources locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The FBI investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert J. Dodson and Charity Wilson prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on USAO EDNC website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00094-D-KS.
Local man sentenced to nearly 22 years in prison for exploiting childRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Loveland, Ohio, man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 262 months in prison and a lifetime of supervised release for sexually exploiting an 11-year-old.
Jonathan Travis Mackey, 46, of Loveland, exploited a child victim in person while employed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). As part of his guilty plea in August 2025, Mackey immediately resigned from the FDIC.
According to his court documents, in May 2024, Mackey sexually exploited an 11-year-old and created photos of the abuse. For example, the defendant created a digital photo that depicted Mackey directly engaged in sexual conduct with the victim.
Mackey was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Matthew Stentz, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Jason J. Scalzo, Special Agent in Charge of the FDIC Office of Inspector General Electronic Crimes Unit; and officials with the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle J. Healey and Danielle E. Margeaux are representing the United States in this case.
# # #
Liberty Man Sentenced to 15 years for Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Liberty, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his involvement in a fentanyl drug conspiracy.
Dakota Thomas Morris, also known as “DMO,” 28, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 15 years’ imprisonment without parole. Morris previously pleaded to guilty one count of conspiracy to distribute over 400 grams of fentanyl, between Oct. 27, 2020, and Jan. 24, 2023, in the Western District of Missouri.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Grundy County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office; Trenton, Missouri, Police Department; Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force; U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Buchanan County, Missouri Drug Strike Force; U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Mercer County, Missouri Sheriff’s Office; and the Internal Revenue Service.
Homeland Security Task Force
This operation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Kansas City comprises agents and officers from Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; U.S. Drug Enforcement with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Missouri.
Ledyard Man Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JASON GIBSON, 45, of Ledyard, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2020, Gibson was convicted in state court of possession of child pornography and sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 30 months, and 10 years of probation. He was released from state custody in January 2021. In April 2023, Gibson’s probation was revoked for violating the conditions of his release and he was sentenced to 90 months of incarceration, suspended after six months, and 94 months of probation. He was released from state custody in August 2023.
On March 6, 2024, state probation officers made a routine home visit to Gibson’s residence and seized an unapproved cellphone that also contained a dark web application. Subsequent analysis of the phone revealed more than 200 child sex abuse images and videos, and numerous text messages with links to access child pornography on the dark web. On April 2, 2025, probation officers made another home visit to Gibson’s residence and seized an external hard drive. Analysis of the hard drive revealed more than 18,000 images and 1,400 videos depicting child sex abuse. Gibson has been detained since that date.
Gibson pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced because of Gibson’s prior state convictions. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
This investigation is being conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the New Haven Police Department, with the assistance of the Town of Groton Police Department, the Watertown Police Department, the Westport Police Department, and the Connecticut Court Support Services Division – Adult Probation Services.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon through 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.
Leader of Inland Empire Street Gang Sentenced to 9 Years in Federal Prison for Ordering 2023 Kidnapping in RiversideRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A leader of a Riverside County-based street gang was sentenced today to 108 months in federal prison for ordering – while behind bars in a different criminal case – the 2023 kidnapping of a woman in Riverside as punishment for losing the gang’s extortion proceeds when law enforcement seized them.
Luis Ramirez, 49, formerly of Jurupa Valley, was sentenced by United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr who ordered him to serve the sentence consecutive to his current life sentence in state prison.
Ramirez pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of violent crime in aid of racketeering (VICAR). He has been in federal custody since June 2024.
According to his plea agreement and other court documents, Ramirez was a leader of Westside Riva (WSR), a Jurupa Valley-based street gang. The gang engaged in a variety of racketeering activities, including extorting local businesses for the payment of “taxes” for permission to operate within areas the gang claimed as its territory.
Westside Riva also conducted, managed, and supervised an illegal gambling business within its territory. It required other gambling businesses operating within its territory to pay a portion of revenue for the gang’s permission to operate.
To maintain his status as a gang leader, Ramirez – who was serving a sentence in California state prison for attempted murder – ordered the kidnapping of a victim identified in court documents as “Person 1.” On September 27, 2023, co-defendants Jose Jonathan Rubalcaba Alarcon, 23, and Gilbert Rey Martinez, 22, both of Jurupa Valley, kidnapped the victim and ultimately held the victim at a gang-controlled clothing store in Riverside. Once inside the store, Rubalcaba and Martinez forced the victim inside a locked bathroom. The victim was held inside the store for several days. The victim ultimately escaped on October 1, 2023, after being left alone inside the store.
“At [Ramirez’s] direction, [Rubalcaba and Martinez] kidnapped and confined Person 1 in a WSR-controlled store, without regular access to food, for four to five days,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Person 1 was malnourished, did not have access to necessary medication, suffered physical abuse at the hands of…Martinez, suffered emotional distress, and was ultimately admitted to a hospital following her escape.”
Rubalcaba and Martinez have pleaded guilty to federal criminal charges in this case. Martinez is serving a 46-month prison sentence and Rubalcaba is serving a 41-month prison sentence.
The FBI and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Peter H. Dahlquist and Erin C. Kiss of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Recording His Sexual Abuse of Two MinorsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Tuesday sentenced a man who recorded his sexual abuse of two girls to 35 years in prison.
One victim told authorities that Benjamin F. Sexton Jr., of Jefferson County, Missouri, sexually abused her between the ages of 7 and 14 and recorded the abuse. She said he restrained her at times and supplied her with methamphetamine. The second victim said Sexton abused her when she was 15. Investigators found child sexual abuse material that documented the abuse of both girls.
In 2023, the grandfather of one victim discovered explicit communications between that victim and Sexton and notified authorities.
Sexton, now 49, pleaded guilty in August to one count of production of child pornography, one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and one count of receipt of child pornography.
As part of his plea agreement, Sexton agreed to forfeit items that had been seized by law enforcement, including computers, cameras and other electronic devices, two handguns, cell phones, night vision goggles and fraudulent $100 bills.
The St. Louis County Special Investigations Unit and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Individual Indicted and Arrested for CarjackingRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On January 7, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Jeremy Ruiz-Rosario, 22 years of age, of Trujillo Alto, with two carjackings, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Both carjackings were conducted at the same time, in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant in Guaynabo, Puerto Rico. Ruiz-Rosario and others, brandishing firearms, carjacked two adult females. On January 12, 2026, the Federal Bureau of Investigation arrested Ruiz-Rosario.
According to the Government’s allegations, on August 30, 2021, in the District of Puerto Rico, Jeremy Ruiz-Rosario, while carrying and brandishing a firearm, did take a motor vehicle, to wit: a white, 2020 Toyota RAV4 that had been transported, shipped or received in interstate or foreign commerce, from the presence of an adult female, by force, violence and intimidation. On that same date, Ruiz-Rosario is also charged with the armed carjacking of a white 2011 Nissan Rogue from an adult female by force, violence and intimidation.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is in charge of the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julian N. Radzinschi of the Violent Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution of the case. If convicted, the defendant faces a sentence of up to fifteen years in prison for the carjackings and up to life in prison for the firearms charges.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Illegal Alien Sentenced to 10 Years for Trafficking Multiple Kilos of Meth into North MississippiRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN, MS– Arturo Bonilla, 48, of Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court to ten years in prison for drug trafficking.
According to documents and evidence presented in court, in 2021, officers with the Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Department and Mississippi Highway Patrol conducted traffic stops of Bonilla and found him in possession of methamphetamine. Agents with the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) began investigating Bonilla’s role in drug distribution and determined he was responsible for the trafficking of at least six kilograms into the State of Mississippi.
HSI also determined that Bonilla was illegally present in the United States.
Senior U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Bonilla to 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release in the event that he remains in the country.
However, officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement have placed an immigration detainer on the defendant, to result in his removal from the United States following the conclusion of his federal sentence.
“The defendant in this case, who never should have been in this country to commit these crimes in the first place, imported poison into our community and has now been held to account for that conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary. “Our law enforcement partners did incredible work on this case and provided the level of cooperation that our citizens should expect.”
“This sentence sends a clear message that those who traffic dangerous drugs into our communities will be held accountable. Homeland Security Investigations remains committed to dismantling transnational criminal organizations and protecting the citizens of Mississippi,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright. “We will continue to work with our state and local partners to pursue those who threaten our communities with illegal narcotics and ensure they face justice.”
This case was investigated by HSI, with assistance from the Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Office and Mississippi Highway Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison 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).
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Maurice Kelly Johnson, also known as “Reese,” 58, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 22, 2025, Johnson provided a Smith & Wesson model M&P Shield M2.0 9mm pistol that was sold to a confidential informant in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Johnson admitted to possessing the firearm and to providing it to co-defendant Earl Michael Myers, who conducted the transaction.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base on November 23, 1999, and conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base on September 4, 1992, both in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Johnson and Myers are among several individuals indicted by a federal grand jury on charges alleging they conspired to distribute fentanyl, cocaine base, and methamphetamine in the Huntington area from at least in and around March 2025 to in and around August 2025.
Myers, also known as “Mike,” 45, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on January 6, 2026, to distribution of cocaine base and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026. Co-defendant Erin Leigh Keeney, 41, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on December 15, 2025, to distribution of carfentanil and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2026. Two other individuals were indicted separately as a result of the same investigation including Donovan Dewayne Pauley, 20, of Huntington, who pleaded guilty on October 27, 2025, to possession of a short-barreled shotgun not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026.
The charges again the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 4, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Police Department, and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-161.
###
Honduran Man Indicted for Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that OSCAR FRANCISCO AVILA-NORALES (“NORALES”), age 45, was indicted on January 9, 2026, for illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, NORALES was found in the United States on December 10, 2025, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States, after being previously deported on September 30, 2011.
If convicted, NORALES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, followed by up to one (1) year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the United States Customs and Border Protection in investigating this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick Veters, Jr., of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
Honduran Man Indicted for Illegal Reentry of a Removed AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that DARWIN NECTALI MORADEL-VELASQUEZ (“VELASQUEZ”), age 40, was indicted on January 9, 2026, for illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to the indictment, VELASQUEZ was found in the United States on December 31, 2025, having reentered the United States, without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States, after being previously deported on October 11, 2016.
If convicted, VELASQUEZ faces a maximum term of imprisonment of two (2) years, followed by up to one (1) year of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Customs and Border Protection in investigating this case. Special Assistant United States Attorney Frederick Veters, Jr., of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
* * *
Hays woman pleads guilty to assault on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS - A Hays woman accused of an assault on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Alta Rose Chandler, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chandler faces up to 10 years in prison, a $100,000 fine, and 3 years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing is set for May 14, 2026. Chandler was released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on the evening of September 29, 2023, Chandler and Heavenlee Sears were driving around on the Fort Belknap reservation and drinking beer. Late in the night, the two went to a bar to buy more alcohol before driving to John Doe’s home.
When Chandler and Sears arrived at Doe’s house, they were highly intoxicated, and they beat him. Sears hit Doe multiple times on the head with a peppermint schnapps bottle. Chandler hit Doe with her fists after he had fallen to the ground.
Around 6:00 a.m. on September 30, Sears called a family member to say something was wrong with Doe. Family arrived and found Chandler trying to clean up blood on the floor. According to the witness, Chandler rubbed some of the blood on her arm and said, “I did this. I mean, my dad did this.” Witnesses saw a glass peppermint schnapps bottle at the scene.
Doe was taken to Fort Belknap Indian Health Services. He was unresponsive and breathing erratically. After he was intubated, Doe was life flighted to a higher level of care. On October 18, 2023, Doe was admitted to the Long-Term Care Hospital in Billings, Montana. He was diagnosed with traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage. Doe was largely unresponsive to stimuli and completely nonverbal due to his traumatic brain injury. Doe died on December 11, 2023.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
XXX
Guatemalan National Charged with Reentry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that LUCAS TINOCO-TIERES ("TINOCO-TIERES"), age 33, a native of Guatemala, was charged via bill of information on December 23, 2025, with reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, TINOCO-TIERES was apprehended in Orleans Parish on December 3, 2025. The defendant, an illegal alien, has no legal authorization to reside in the United States. Immigration records show TINOCO-TIERES was previously removed by federal authorities on March 2, 2002.
If convicted, TINOCO-TIERES faces up to two years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that a bill of information is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs Enforcement Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
* * *
Greenbrier County Woman Sentenced for Immigration CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Avanibahen Patel, 44, of Ronceverte, was sentenced today to six months of federal probation for unlawful employment of aliens.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from November 2020 through at least September 2024, Aakash Prakash Makwana, 30, a citizen of India unlawfully residing in Ronceverte, was employed at a Fairlea business owned and operated by Patel and her husband. Makwana assisted with running the daily business during the time period. Patel admitted that she and her husband agreed to hire Makwana knowing that he was living in the United States illegally after his immigration visa expired.
Patel’s husband, Rajesh N. Patel, 51, of Ronceverte, was sentenced on January 9, 2025, to three years of federal probation and fined $10,000 after pleading guilty to knowingly transporting an illegal alien.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
United States Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage prosecuted the case, as part of a special unit within the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia focused on the immigration enforcement objectives of Operation Take Back America.
Operation Take Back America is 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-137.
###
Great Falls man sentenced to over 18 years in prison on methamphetamine chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Great Falls man who trafficked methamphetamine was sentenced today to 220 months in prison to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Michael Lee Wakeford, 62, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of money laundering.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement learned defendant Mike Wakeford was involved in the distribution of methamphetamine in Great Falls and elsewhere between approximately late 2019 or early 2020 through at least January 2021. Wakeford obtained methamphetamine from a source of supply in Arizona for redistribution in Montana. In approximately late 2021 or early 2022, Wakeford introduced his brother, Daniel Wakeford, to his source of supply in Arizona. During this trip, the Wakefords acquired between five and 10 pounds of methamphetamine that they later transported to and sold in Montana.
Law enforcement spoke with numerous individuals who received methamphetamine from Mike Wakeford between approximately 2020 and 2021. In November 2024, an informant disclosed that he/she met Wakeford at a pre-release center in Great Falls in 2020 and began to work with him to distribute methamphetamine. The informant said Wakeford would provide the informant methamphetamine to re-sell and to use. The first time, Wakeford gave the informant approximately two ounces of methamphetamine, but it eventually evolved to Wakeford providing the informant pound-quantities of methamphetamine. This informant stated Wakeford made numerous trips to Arizona to resupply.
In January 2021, a second informant disclosed he/she met Wakeford when they were in prison together in 2020. Upon release, the informant received methamphetamine from Wakeford for use and resale on approximately eight occasions. The informant estimated he/she received approximately two pounds of methamphetamine from Wakeford.
Wakeford has several prior convictions for drug offenses, including a conviction in the United States District Court for the District of Montana for Aiding and Abetting Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute.
In January 2024, Wakeford purchased a car through an intermediary from a car dealer in Great Falls for $10,099 in cash. The funds used to purchase the car were proceeds from the crime of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Starnes and Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The Russell Country Drug Task Force conducted the investigation.
XXX
Goose Creek Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Thefts from Vulnerable Nursing Home ResidentsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Courtney Jeanine Brown, 49, of Goose Creek, has been sentenced to nearly three years in federal prison for thefts from nursing home residents.
Brown worked as the business office manager for Riverside Health and Rehabilitation, a nursing home in North Charleston. Over more than three years, Brown stole approximately $146,000 from 132 residents in that facility, most of whom were physically and/or mentally incapacitated. Brown exploited her position of private trust by writing checks to cash from personal funds that belonged to the residents. Brown then deposited the checks into her personal account and used the funds for personal expenses.
United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendrickssentenced Brown to 33 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. The court ordered Brown to pay $160,300.69.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and the North Charleston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Limehouse prosecuted the case.
###
Four charged in connection with drug distribution scheme involving cocaine and firearmsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Four people are charged federally for a drug trafficking conspiracy involving more than 20 pounds of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Lead defendant, Luis Donaldo Galeana Garcia, 29, a Mexican citizen residing in Marysville, was ordered detained late yesterday when the magistrate judge found him both a flight risk and a danger to the community.
The defendants in this case were identified last summer as possible members of a drug trafficking conspiracy. Initially, HSI agents identified Galeana Garcia as a major drug distributor in the western region of Washington State. By late September 2025, law enforcement obtained information pertaining to Galeana Garcia’s intentions of exchanging approximately 20 pounds of cocaine for 15 pounds of methamphetamine and $155,000. Three others were involved in the drug exchange: Juan Carlos Garnica Pacheco, 33, of Everett, Lorena Esquivel,35, and Dustin Ray Binion,27, both of Bellingham.
Law enforcement intervened in the drug exchange. Galeana Garcia and Garnica Pacheco abandoned the car they were driving. Various vehicles were seized by law enforcement and court authorized search warrants resulted in the seizure of more than 10
kilograms of cocaine and a 9mm firearm in the center console of one of the vehicles. After law enforcement had identified and located the various defendants they executed search warrants on their residences last week. Galeana-Garcia and Garnica Pacheco both had a significant number of firearms and ammunition for semiautomatic weapons. That evidence as to Galeana Garcia was presented to Magistrate Judge Kate Vaughan who ordered him detained.
Due to the significant amount of narcotics involved in this case the defendants face a mandatory minimum ten years in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. The DEA, FBI and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office provided key assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Vincent T. Lombardi.