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25 February 2026
Court Sentences Mobile County Woman for Possessing A Firearm as an Eight Time Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL - On February 23, 2026, United States District Court Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock sentenced Heather Ashley Stringfellow to 77 months’ imprisonment for Possession of a Firearm as a Convicted Felon.
Court documents show that on August 2, 2024, Mobile County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant at the Stringfellow’s home in Grand Bay, Alabama, where she was found in bed in the master bedroom. Under that bed, deputies located a Taurus GX4 semi-automatic pistol. Deputies also found a purse belonging to Stringfellow which contained marijuana, Xanax bars, and a baggie containing a small amount of methamphetamine. Stringfellow admitted to deputies that several individuals sold drugs from the home.
During the investigation deputies obtained a screen shot from a cellular telephone in which the defendant was texting with another individual. In the text messages Stringfellow sent a picture of the Taurus firearm and stated: “I bought a pistol.” The picture matched the firearm seized.
Stringfellow also made a recorded phone call from the Metro Jail in which she asked another person to sign an affidavit saying the weapon belonged to her (the other person’s) deceased father. The other person’s deceased father previously owned and lived in the trailer where the defendant was living at the time of the search and the false ploy was to represent that the deceased man left the weapon in the trailer under the box spring.
Stringfellow had been previously convicted of the following eight felonies: Money Laundering, on or about October 16, 2017, in United States District Court for the Southern District of Alabama; Possession of a Controlled Substance, on or about April 2, 2013, in the Circuit Court for Mobile County, Alabama; Identity Theft, on or about April 2, 2013, in the Circuit Court for Mobile County, Alabama; Obstructing Justice-False Identification, on or about April 2, 2013, in the Circuit Court for Mobile County, Alabama; Possession of a Forged Instrument, 2nd degree, on or about October 19, 2011, in the Circuit Court for Mobile County, Alabama; Robbery, 2nd Degree, on or about May 11, 2011, in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama; Possession of a Forged Instrument, 2nd Degree, on or about October 5, 2006, in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama; and Theft of Property, First Degree, on or about October 5, 2006, in the Circuit Court of Mobile County, Alabama.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney George F. May prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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 Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTF) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Convicted Felon from Northampton Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Firearm and Narcotics ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Northampton, Mass. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for firearm and narcotics offenses while on federal supervised release. The defendant was previously convicted in federal court of possessing a loaded ghost gun and ammunition and various firearms and drug offenses in state court.
Gabriel Lebron, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to seven years in prison on the firearm and narcotic charges and one year in prison for violating the conditions of his supervised release to be served consecutively and three years of supervised release. In September 2025, Lebron pleaded guilty to one count each of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin.
On April 9, 2025, law enforcement in Hadley responded to a 911 call about a man in the Howard Johnson hotel lobby brandishing a firearm. Lebron was found in the lobby in possession of a Jimenez Arms, Model JA 25, .25 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with five rounds of .25 caliber ammunition, including one in the chamber, 10 “snap caps” of crack cocaine and two bundles of heroin. He was immediately taken into custody. At the time of his offense, Lebron was on federal supervised release for a Vermont firearms conviction of possessing a loaded ghost gun with a laser sight and multiple rounds of ammunition, for which he was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release in 2023.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance provided by the Hadley Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Columbia Man Sentenced for Meth, Fentanyl, and Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and for possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking offense in St. Joseph, Mo.; transporting approximately 2,300 fentanyl pills at a train station in Kansas City, Mo.; and for possession with intent to distribute another 913 fentanyl pills in Quapaw, Okla.
Walter Antwine Moore, 44, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 180 months’ imprisonment based on his guilty pleas to two counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers contacted Moore when he arrived at a train station in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 10, 2023. Moore became confrontational with the detective who questioned him and attempted to flee on foot. He was tackled by the detective and detained with the assistance of other detectives and tactical response officers. Officers found a bundle wrapped in clear cellophane on the floor close to where Moore was detained. The bundle, contained approximately 2,300 fentanyl pills.
Moore had also been detained by law enforcement officers in St. Joseph, Mo., on Jan. 7, 2023. According to court documents, St. Joseph police officers were dispatched to a convenience store to investigate a report of a man who reportedly stole a bag of potato chips and was trying to sell drugs. Officers searched his vehicle and found a baggy that contained numerous clear plastic baggies with a total of 284.8 grams of methamphetamine. Officers also found a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun in the car.
On Dec. 6, 2022, Moore was gambling at a casino in Quapaw, Okla. After quickly losing over $1,000 at a blackjack table, Moore became belligerent with a female blackjack dealer. Moore began cursing at her, making vague threats, and reaching into his coat as if he was armed. The pit boss asked him to leave, and Moore stated if he left it would involve “yellow police tape and lights and sirens.” The pit boss then summoned the Deputy Quapaw Marshals. Moore was asked to do a pat-down for the officer’s safety. Moore refused and reached his right hand into his jacket. Moore ultimately took his hand out of his jacket and the deputy noticed a baggie in Moore’s hand that appeared to have something blue inside of it. Moore then tried to push past the deputy and run. The deputy took Moore to the ground and they began to scuffle. During the melee, the bag exploded and small pills scattered. In total, casino staff recovered 913 blue pills marked with an “M" printed on one side and “30” printed on the other side of the pill. The pills later tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. This case was initially charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Oklahoma. Pursuant to a plea agreement, this case was transferred to the Western District of Missouri and the defendant pleaded guilty to the charge.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam McConney. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Missouri Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Northwest Missouri Drug Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration in Oklahoma, and the Quapaw Nation Marshals Service.
Operation Take Back America
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.
Clairton Resident Pleads Guilty to Coercing Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Clairton, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Jeffrey A. McLaughlin Jr., 43, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between August 5, 2021, and November 17, 2021, McLaughlin—pretending to be a teenage boy—solicited nude images and videos from a 12-year-old female over social media. McLaughlin also sent explicit sexual content to the same minor.
Judge Horan scheduled sentencing for June 24, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, McLaughlin will remain in federal custody.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Kelly M. Locher are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in Pittsburgh and Buffalo, New York; the Allegheny County Police Department; and the Allegheny County Probation Office conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of McLaughlin.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Civil Rights Division Obtains Settlement with a Company that Used AI-Generated Advertisements that Excluded U.S. Workers from JobsRead the Press Release
The United States Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division announced that it has secured a settlement agreement with Elegant Enterprise-Wide Solutions Inc., a Virigina IT professional service provider. The settlement addresses allegations that the company violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) when it posted job advertisements generated by an artificial intelligence (AI) tool that included citizenship status restrictions not authorized by law, including language restricting consideration only to applicants with H-1B, OPT, or H-4 visas.
“It is unconscionable for companies to illegally exclude U.S. workers when recruiting and hiring,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This Department of Justice will not tolerate discriminating against U.S. workers, no matter who — or what — drafts a job advertisement, or whether it is an employee, a recruiter, or an AI tool.”
This settlement is the eighth settlement since the Department re-launched its Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative in 2025 to enforce the INA’s prohibition on citizenship status discrimination against companies that illegally discriminate against U.S. workers in favor of those with employment visas. Under these settlements, the Department obtains civil penalties for each violation and will continue to seek the maximum penalty permitted by law. The settlements also involve awards of back pay, when warranted, and require employers to conduct comprehensive training to relevant staff and recruiters and cease restricting consideration for job opportunities based on workers’ citizenship status without a lawful reason.
For information about additional settlements under the Protecting U.S. Workers Initiative, visit IER’s website.
For informal assistance, the public can call IER’s free hotline at 1-800-255-7688 for workers or at 1-800-255-8155 for employers (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired between 9am and 5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday; sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation; email [email protected]; or visit www.justice.gov/ier.
Charlotte Man Who Drove Minor to Commit Bank Robbery Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to seven years in prison today for the armed robbery of a Wells Fargo bank, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Michael Malik Pringle, Jr., 32, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after he completes his prison term. On June 4, 2025, Pringle pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and aiding and abetting.
Reid Davis, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, and Chief Michael Hudgins of the Pineville Police Department, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents and today’s court hearing, on May 2, 2024, Pringle picked up a 16-year-old minor in a rented vehicle. Pringle and the minor had previously discussed robbing a bank and had agreed to rob a bank on that date. After unsuccessfully trying to rob one bank, Pringle and the minor travelled to a Wells Fargo bank located at 9420 Pineville-Matthews Road and parked in a parking lot near the bank. Pringle gave the minor a firearm and a black bag and told the minor to demand $20,000 from the bank employees. Court records show the minor entered the bank wearing a hoodie and a face mask while Pringle waited in the car. Once inside the bank, the minor told a bank employee that he needed to make a withdrawal. Then the minor pulled out the gun and the bag and told the employee to “put $20,000 in this bag right now.” One of the tellers filled the bag with approximately $18,333. The minor fled the bank and ran to the getaway vehicle where Pringle was waiting, and the pair drove off.
Following the robbery, law enforcement located Pringle’s vehicle and conducted a traffic stop. Pringle and the minor were placed under arrest. Officers located a loaded Glock 43 handgun with an extended magazine in a pocket on the driver’s door. Officers also recovered cash from the robbery that had been scattered throughout the back passenger area of the vehicle.
Pringle is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI, CMPD, and the Pineville Police Department for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Dana Washington of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Center Junction Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Update Sex Offender RegistrationRead the Press Release
A man who failed to update his sex offender registration was sentenced on February 23, 2026, to 18 months in federal prison.
Colton Rickels, age 30, of Center Junction, Iowa, received the sentence after a September 26, 2025, guilty plea to one count of failure to update registration as a sex offender. At the plea hearing, Rickels admitted that, between July 2024 and April 2025, he knowingly failed to update his sex offender registration by failing to update the Internet identifiers he used.
Rickels was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Rickels was sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Anamosa Police Department, the Jones County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 25-47.
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Bozeman man pleads guilty to child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA - A Bozeman man accused of trading and uploading child pornography admitted to charges yesterday, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
The defendant, Jaden Douglas Batson, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. Batson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years, a maximum term of 20 years, a $250,000 fine, and not less than five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto presided. U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for July 1, 2026. Batson remains released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in June 2023, law enforcement received a Cybertip from an electronic service provider indicating that an account registered to Batson had paid $20 for child pornography. Law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for Batson’s PayPal account and received information indicating he made a payment of $20 on June 14, 2023, with a note stating, “For the cp gc.”
Based on this and other information, law enforcement continued to receive other Cybertips connected to Batson. These tips, submitted by electronic service providers, reflected Batson trading and uploading child pornography. Multiple search warrants were obtained and executed on various electronic service accounts registered to Batson and results contained multiple images and videos of child pornography. On April 9, 2025, a search warrant was executed at Batson’s residence in Bozeman, Montana and electronic media was seized. During the execution of that warrant, Batson agreed to be interviewed following a waiver of Miranda. During that interview, Batson admitted he had traded child pornography on social media sites. His cellular phone was later reviewed and approximately 688 videos and 362 images of child pornography were discovered. Also found were messages consistent with Batson attempting to obtain child pornography.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. Homeland Security Investigations and Bozeman Police Department conducted the investigation.
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 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
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Arizona Man Sentenced for Possessing More than Eight Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man from Phoenix, Arizona, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Olajuwon Hasan Myers, 40, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In May 2025, Tulsa Police officers began investigating an individual suspected of transporting narcotics from Arizona to Oklahoma. While conducting surveillance, officers found the vehicle they believe was used to transport narcotics. Myers was seen getting into the vehicle and pulled over during a traffic stop. During the stop, a K9 officer conducted an open-air sniff and made a positive alert to their handler. While searching the vehicle, officers found more than eight pounds of methamphetamine in a hidden compartment.
Myers will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Tulsa Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyson McCoy and Niko Boulieris prosecuted the case.
24 February 2026
United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania Reappointed to Continue as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of PennsylvaniaRead the Press Release
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Brian D. Miller has been reappointed by the United States District Court to continue as the United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann administered the oath of office to Mr. Miller yesterday in Williamsport, Pennsylvania.
Mr. Miller was originally appointed by United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi on October 27, 2025, for 120 days. This new order by the District Court Judges appoints Mr. Miller as United States Attorney until the vacancy is filled by the President. In September 2025, President Trump nominated Mr. Miller to be the United States Attorney, and his nomination is pending before the United States Senate.
Previously, Mr. Miller was confirmed by the United States Senate to be the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery on June 2, 2020. Mr. Miller’s prior positions include Senior Associate White House Counsel; Inspector General of the United States General Services Administration (Senate confirmed on July 22, 2005); Senior Counsel to the Deputy Attorney General; Assistant United States Attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia; Special Counsel on Health Care Fraud for the Deputy Attorney General; and Counsel to the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. He has also served as Acting General Counsel of the Department of Housing and Urban Development in 2025.
As a federal prosecutor, Mr. Miller litigated civil and criminal cases involving terrorism and terrorist financing, drug-related conspiracies and murder, and the False Claims Act. As an inspector general, Mr. Miller is known for his investigation of a lavish GSA conference in Las Vegas.
Mr. Miller was honored to receive the Attorney General’s Distinguished Service Award, the EOUSA Director’s Award for Superior Performance as an AUSA, and the David M. Walker Excellence in Government Performance and Accountability Award, which recognizes and honors government audit professionals who have made sustained contributions to improve government performance and accountability through their leadership in transforming government organizations.
Mr. Miller received his bachelor’s degree from Temple University and his law degree from the University of Texas School of Law. He resides in the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Enters into Settlement Agreement to Improve Accessibility at Historic Bronx House and MuseumRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the settlement of a civil rights lawsuit against the NEW YORK CITY DEPARTMENT OF PARKS & RECREATION (“PARKS”) and the HISTORIC HOUSE TRUST (“HHT”). The settlement resolves violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) at the Van Cortlandt House Museum in Van Cortlandt Park, in the Bronx, New York.
“The ADA applies to all places of public accommodation, even those that predate our Declaration of Independence,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The settlement approved today will expand access at the Van Cortlandt House Museum so more visitors, including people with disabilities, can experience this important piece of New York City history.”
According to the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court, the Agreement entered by the court, and information from the Van Cortlandt House Museum:
The Van Cortlandt House was built in 1748 as the residence of the Van Cortlandt family. During the Revolutionary War, General George Washington stayed at the House in 1776 and 1783. At the end of the nineteenth century, the Van Cortlandt family sold the property to the City of New York. The City has operated the property as a museum since 1897, in coordination with the HHT. A Cottage was added to the property in 1910 that now serves as a welcome center and gift shop. The Van Cortlandt House Museum aspires to recreate the furnishings and decoration of the home from 1749 to 1823.
The settlement, in the form of a court-approved stipulation and order (the “Agreement”), was entered today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken and requires PARKS, among other things, to embark on a long-term capital project that seeks to provide barrier-free access to the basement and the first floor of the House. In the near term, the Agreement obliges PARKS to remove barriers to accessibility at the Cottage, many of which have already been removed. After the United States issued its findings letter to PARKS regarding the violations of the ADA, PARKS installed a wooden ramp that for the first time provided access to the Cottage. The Agreement obliges PARKS to maintain this ramp pending completion of the broader capital project. While providing physical access to the second and third floors of the House is not readily achievable due to architectural constraints, the ADA requires places of public accommodation to explore other methods of accessibility. As a result, the Agreement requires PARKS to offer iPads or similar electronic devices at the Cottage that provide a virtual 360-degree tour of the entirety of the House.
Mr. Clayton thanked the Disability Rights Section of the Department of Justice, and particularly its architectural staff, for their assistance in this matter.
Since President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA into law in 1990, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has played a significant role in bringing numerous New York City institutions into compliance with the ADA and its regulations. The Office’s enforcement efforts include, among many others, Yankee Stadium, Madison Square Garden, Radio City Music Hall, the Shubert Theaters, the Nederlander Theaters, the Jujamcyn Theaters, Avery Fisher Hall at Lincoln Center, the Metropolitan Opera, the Apollo Theater, the Rainbow Room, The Vessel at Hudson Yards, and dozens of hotels and restaurants.
To file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation within the Southern District of New York is not accessible to persons with disabilities, use the Civil Rights Complaint Form available on the United States Attorney’s Office’s website, https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/civil-rights. Complaints should be emailed or sent by mail to:
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Southern District of New York
86 Chambers Street, 3rd Floor
New York, New York 10007
Attention: Chief, Civil Rights Unit
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Rights Unit in the Civil Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Kennedy is in charge of the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office EDNC Announces Seizure of $61 Million Dollars’ Worth of CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced that federal agents seized over $61 million worth of Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar. Investigators traced the seized funds to cryptocurrency addresses allegedly associated with the laundering of criminally derived proceeds stolen from victims of cryptocurrency investment scams, commonly known as a “pig butchering scheme”.
“The seizure of a staggering $61 Million dollars’ worth of funds linked to cryptocurrency fraud shows that, in the Eastern District of North Carolina, cheaters never win. Our asset forfeiture team worked along with HSI to take the profit out of crime,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
According to court filings, criminal actors targeted and recruited victims by establishing trust under the pretense of a romantic relationship. Once trust was secured, the scammers claimed to possess specialized techniques for generating substantial profits through cryptocurrency trading. They directed victims to fake cryptocurrency trading platforms, which closely resembled legitimate platforms in both name and appearance. These fake platforms displayed made up investment portfolios showing unusually high returns, deliberately designed to entice victims to invest more and more money. When victims attempted to withdraw their funds, they could not and were often presented with various excuses, such as the requirement to pay a “tax” or “fee” to release their funds. The scammers used these tactics to further exploit and extract even more money from their victims.
Once the victims’ money transferred to a cryptocurrency wallet under the scammers’ control, the crooks quickly routed that money through many other wallets to hide the nature, source, control, and ownership of that stolen money. In this case, agents and analysts from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Raleigh, North Carolina received a report of alleged investment fraud from a victim through the HSI Tip Line. Through investigative efforts, agents and analysts traced the victim’s money into and through multiple cryptocurrency wallets used in the fraud and money laundering scheme. Several of these wallets still contained substantial amounts of victims’ money subject to seizure and forfeiture.
“Criminal actors and professional money launderers use cyber-enabled fraud schemes to swindle their victims and conceal their ill-gotten gains,” said HSI Charlotte Acting Special Agent in Charge Kyle D. Burns. “HSI special agents work diligently to trace the illicit proceeds of crime across the globe to disrupt and dismantle the transnational criminal organizations that seek to defraud hardworking Americans.”
The Department of Justice and HSI acknowledges Tether for its assistance in transferring these assets.
Three Defendants Charged with Federal Immigration CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Alabama – A federal grand jury in Birmingham has charged three individuals with immigration crimes, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
The following defendants were indicted for illegally reentering the United States after having previously been deported:
- Jacob Garcia Martinez, 41, a citizen of Mexico; and
- Jose Sanchez-Flores, 31, a citizen of Mexico;
Jorge Alexis Campos-Dolores, 30, a citizen of Mexico, was charged with being an alien in possession of a firearm.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
Texas Man Sentenced to More than Five Years in Prison for Smuggling Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Texas man has been sentenced for smuggling cocaine, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Rolando Garza-Alaniz, 38, of Roma, Texas, to 64 months in prison. In October 2025, Garza pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to the plea agreement, on September 6, 2023, an agent with the 17th Circuit Drug Task Force conducted a traffic stop on Garza for crossing the lines on Interstate 20/59 in Greene County, Alabama. Garza told the agent that he and his girlfriend were travelling from Texas to New York for vacation. The agent noticed that Garza appeared to be extremely nervous during the conversation and asked if he could search the vehicle. Garza consented to the search. Agents recovered 7 kilograms of powder cocaine concealed inside the inner lining of the Igloo cooler.
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.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case along with the 17th Circuit Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brittany T. Byrd and Carson R. Gilbert prosecuted the case.
Texas Doctor Sentenced to 8.5 Years in Prison for $145 Million Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An orthopedic surgeon was sentenced today to 102 months in prison and ordered to pay over $13 million in restitution for his role in a $145 million scheme to defraud the Department of Labor through the submission of fraudulent claims for prescription compound creams.
“The Department is committed to protecting victims and combating fraud against the United States wherever it is found,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentence is the result of years of tireless efforts by our prosecutors and agency partners who investigated this complex fraud scheme and brought to justice the defendants responsible for stealing tens of millions of dollars from the American people. It serves as a reminder that medical professionals who violate the trust society places in them, their oath, the law, and harm Americans for personal enrichment will be investigated and prosecuted.”
“This sentence sends a strong message to those who would defraud our federal health care programs for personal gain,” said Inspector General Tammy Hull of the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS OIG). “The outstanding work by the legal and investigative teams stopped a multi-year health care fraud scheme responsible for tens of millions in fraudulent billing to government agencies. Along with the Department of Justice and our federal law enforcement partners, USPS OIG will remain committed to investigating those who would engage in this type of fraud and abuse.”
“Dr. Michael Taba accepted bribes and kickbacks for writing thousands of prescriptions for unnecessary compounded medications issued to injured federal workers covered by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs (DOL-OWCP), putting illegal profits above patients’ safety,” said Inspector General Anthony P. D’Esposito of the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). “We will continue to stand firm alongside our law enforcement partners to protect patients, safeguard the OWCP, and ensure the integrity of DOL’s benefits programs from wastefulness and greed.”
“We are committed to collaborating with our law enforcement partners to halt fraud, waste, and abuse,” said Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of the Inspector General (VA-OIG). “This sentencing demonstrates that we will identify those who commit healthcare fraud and endanger VA employees and hold them accountable.”
“Complex criminal schemes like the one Michael Taba was involved in are fueled by greed that blinds and hardens criminals, and that’s where the forensic accounting expertise of our special agents come in to trace the money,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Rodrick Benton of the IRS Criminal Investigation's Houston Field Office. “Money always leaves a trail and our criminal investigators are committed to uncovering fraud and ensuring accountability. When people are willing to tear down trust in our nation’s medical system to pilfer money, federal law enforcement stepped in to force them to step out.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Michael Taba, 61, of McKinney, Texas, accepted bribes paid by pharmacy owners to prescribe medically unnecessary compound creams to injured federal workers. Taba’s co-defendants owned and operated three pharmacies located in Fort Worth and Arlington, Texas. Over the course of the scheme, the pharmacy owners paid Taba and other doctors millions in illegal bribes and kickbacks. Evidence at trial showed these compounds were mixed in the back rooms of the pharmacies by untrained teenagers at a cost to Taba’s co-defendants of around $15 per prescription and then billed the DOL-OWCP for as much as $16,000 per prescription. Patients who received the creams testified at trial to the creams’ ineffectiveness and, in some instances, that using the creams resulted in painful, irritating skin rashes.
Between May 2014 and March 2017, the pharmacies billed the DOL-OWCP and Blue Cross Blue Shield more than $145 million and were paid more than $90 million for unnecessary prescriptions referred by Taba and other medical providers.
On Nov. 16, 2023, a federal jury in the Northern District of Texas convicted Taba on all counts of the superseding indictment, which included one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and three counts of health care fraud.
USPS OIG, DOL-OIG, VA-OIG, and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ethan Womble and Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of eight strike forces operating in federal districts across the country, has charged more than 6,200 defendants who collectively billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $45 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Ten Drug Dealers Handed Lengthy Federal Prison Sentences for Trafficking Kilos of Fentanyl, Meth, and CocaineRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Ten defendants have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in a multi‑county fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine trafficking operation spanning Indianapolis, Muncie, Terre Haute, and other areas within the Southern District of Indiana.
DefendantCharge(s)SentenceJoshua Kendall, 44, of IndianapolisConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances33 years’ imprisonment; 10 years of supervised releaseWesley Young, 49, of Hudson, New YorkConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances23 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseDavid Bork, 38, of IndianapolisDistribution of 500 Grams of More of a Substance Containing Methamphetamine14 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseAlex Members, 47, of IndianapolisConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances13 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseTia Wampler, 36, of Bloomington, IndianaConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances10 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseBrian Connelly, 57, of Romney, IndianaPossession with Intent to Distribute 500 grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Methamphetamine10 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseFynn Fox, 55, of IndianapolisConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances8 years, 1 month imprisonment; 3 years of supervised releaseTerry Pounds, 48, of Muncie, Indiana
Possession with Intent to Distribute 500 Grams of More of a Substance Containing Cocaine5.5 years’ imprisonment; 5 years of supervised releaseRichard Moore, 46, of Marion, IndianaConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances5 years’ imprisonment; 4 years of supervised releaseTaneesha Robertson, 45, of IndianapolisConspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances4 years’ imprisonment; 2 years of supervised releaseBetween October 2022 and November 2023, Moore, Kendall, Young, Robertson, Wampler, Fox, and Members conspired to operate a large‑scale drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine across multiple Indiana counties. Kendall, who was identified as the leader of the Indianapolis based distribution network, often used threats to intimidate and control subordinates carrying out his directives.
In total, the group was responsible for distributing at least 108 kilograms of methamphetamine, 4 kilograms of Fentanyl, and 6 kilograms of cocaine.
On November 8, 2023, law enforcement executed multiple simultaneous search warrants at the defendants’ homes and vehicles, which were being used to store and distribute narcotics and drug‑trafficking proceeds. Officers seized 25,000 Fentanyl pills, 2 pounds of methamphetamine, 348.8 grams of cocaine base, 225 grams of cocaine, and 487 grams of Fentanyl laced with Xylazine. Xylazine is a veterinary tranquilizer that can slow breathing, heart rate, and blood pressure to dangerously low levels, and can decrease the effectiveness of reviving overdoses through use of Narcan.
The following firearms, ammunition, and other items were seized and forfeited:
- C.A.I. Stalb P9R 9mm handgun
- Charter Arms Undercover .38 Special revolver
- Kel Tec .380 caliber handguns (x2)
- Kimber Custom .45 caliber handguns (x2)
- MI2AK l2-gauge shotgun
- Norinco SKS 7.62 rifle
- Ruger .45 caliber handguns (x2)
- Sig Sauer P365 9mm handgun
- Smith & Wesson Bodyguard .38- caliber handgun
- Springfield Hellcat 9mm handgun
- Springfield 40 caliber handgun
- 38 caliber Taurus revolver
- Smith & Wesson .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun
- Glock Model 19 9mm handgun
- Springfield XD semiautomatic
- $18,981 in cash
- At least five digital scales
- Cutting agents, including Phenyltetrahydroimidazothiazole (PTHIT)
- Hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition
- Multiple cell phones
“Dismantling a drug trafficking organization responsible for pumping massive quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl into our communities is a major victory for law enforcement and for every Hoosier,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Because of the exceptional, collaborative work of our federal, state, and local partners, we achieved a remarkable outcome that sends a crystal‑clear message to major drug dealers: we will continue our relentless pursuit to dismantle your illicit operations and protect the people of Indiana.”
“The scope of this drug trafficking organization and the volume of fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine it distributed posed a serious threat to communities across central and southern Indiana,” said DEA Indianapolis District Office Assistant Special Agent in Charge Gerald Dooley. “Because of the strong collaboration between our federal and local law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, we were able to dismantle this network and remove significant quantities of dangerous drugs and firearms from our streets.”
“These sentences send a clear message: if you profit from pumping fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into our neighborhoods, you will pay for it with your freedom,” said Adam Jobes, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “These individuals trafficked poison for profit, fueling addiction and violence across Indiana. These prison sentences remove both the dealers and their drugs from our streets — and that makes our communities safer. IRS-CI will continue to work relentlessly with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to identify, disrupt, and shut down every level of these operations and hold accountable anyone who chooses to traffic poison in our communities.”
“It is remarkable what law enforcement agencies can achieve when they work together in true partnership said ATF Special Agent in Charge Jorge Rosendo. These individuals brought devastation and chaos to the people of Indiana. Because of their actions, they faced the full force of coordinated law enforcement efforts. Now, they will face the consequences of their crimes within the prison system.”
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, IMPD, and Vigo County Drug Task Force investigated this case. The sentences were imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Olivier, Lindsay E. Karwoski and Patrick Gibson, who prosecuted this 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 Crossroads of America comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Services, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department, Indiana National Guard, Indiana State Police, HIDTA, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Field Operations, Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and Plainfield Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana.
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Suspect Arrested and Charged with Attempting to Set Fire to a Building Utilized by DHSRead the Press Release
BOISE – Sarah Elizabeth George, 43, of Boise, was arrested Monday in Boise on federal criminal charges, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced. According to the criminal complaint, on February 18, 2026, George stole and then drove an ambulance into the Portico building in Meridian, Idaho, before she dumped gasoline in the ambulance and building intending to light a fire. News outlets had reported that the Department of Homeland Security leased a portion of the Portico building prior to George’s actions.
Yesterday, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging George with two counts of attempted malicious damage by fire. The first count alleges that George maliciously attempted to damage or destroy federal property by means of fire, that created a substantial risk of injury, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(f)(2). If convicted, George faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years and up to 40 years in federal prison. The second count alleges that George maliciously attempted to damage or destroy, by means of fire, property used in and affecting interstate commerce, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i). If convicted, George faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in federal prison. Both charges also carry a fine up to $250,000. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The United States Attorney’s Office will vigorously prosecute any crime that places government employees in danger or is aimed at destroying federal property,” said U.S. Attorney Davis.
“The FBI worked swiftly alongside our law enforcement partners to identify and arrest the person allegedly responsible for this crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “Given the potentially devastating consequences of this defendant’s actions, this case was a priority. The FBI remains steadfast in ensuring the safety of our personnel and the public.”
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Meridian Police Department; and the Ada County Prosecutor’s Office, which led to the charges. Assistant United States Attorneys David Robins and Francis Zebari are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Summit County Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison on Child Sexual Abuse Materials ChargesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A 38-year-old Summit County man has been sentenced to prison for engaging in the receipt and distribution of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and then attempting to destroy files in his possession.
Alejandro James Sosa, of Akron, Ohio, has been sentenced to 108 months (nine years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Charles Esque Fleming, after pleading guilty in November 2025 to the following charges:
- Receipt and Distribution of Visual Depictions of Real Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct
- Possession of Child Pornography
- Destruction, Alteration, or Falsification of Records in a Federal Investigation
- Obscene Visual Representations of the Sexual Abuse of Children
He was also ordered to serve 10 years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Fleming imposed the sentence Feb. 20.
According to court documents, federal agents were investigating individuals in Portage, Summit, and Medina counties who were suspected of viewing and sharing CSAM. During the investigation, agents discovered that Sosa received or transmitted more than 10,000 CSAM files from about January through August 2025. During a search warrant execution conducted at Sosa’s residence, agents seized multiple electronic devices that contained CSAM which included infants and toddlers. Sosa later admitted that he attempted to delete evidence of CSAM from his electronic device as agents arrived to conduct the search.
The investigation was led by the FBI Akron Resident Agency, with valuable assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol Office of Criminal Investigation, the Vermilion Police Department and the FBI Task Force.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Toni Schnellinger Feisthamel for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
South Florida Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Global Scheme that Stole Millions of Dollars from American ConsumersRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Florida man has been sentenced to 72 months in federal prison for participating in a transnational scheme to steal millions of dollars from American consumers’ bank accounts, the Justice Department announced today.
Michael Young, 44, of Hollywood, Florida, was sentenced Monday afternoon by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi.
Young pleaded guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act.
“Global criminal groups use U.S.-based individuals to exploit our nation’s banking system and launder money stolen from innocent victims,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for helping to bring this criminal to justice. We must and shall be as relentless in using every legal tool available to punish these individuals.”
“This sentence holds accountable yet another member of a transnational criminal network that stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes are designed to be difficult to detect – spanning multiple jurisdictions and relying on layers of conspirators to obscure their operations – making them especially harmful to victims who often do not realize they have been targeted until it is too late. With 22 defendants charged in four districts, this prosecution reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantle every layer of criminal enterprises that prey on Americans, no matter how far their operations reach.”
According to court documents, Young was part of a criminal enterprise responsible for stealing millions of dollars from the bank accounts of unknowing consumers across the United States. The enterprise obtained “lead lists” that contained victims’ banking information – some of which derived from payday loan applications – and used it to make unauthorized debits against victims’ bank accounts.
Members of the enterprise falsely claimed to banks that victims had authorized the transactions. The enterprise also used numerous shell entities and money laundering techniques to conceal its actions.
For years, Young worked for a co-conspirator based in Southern California who ran the domestic side of the operation, assisting foreign co-conspirators with obtaining lead lists, establishing U.S. banking relations and coordinating nominal owners or “signers” for shell entities. Through that work, Young participated in nearly every aspect of the scheme. Young later replicated the scheme himself to make more money.
In total, 22 defendants have been charged and seven have been convicted in connection with this scheme. Notices of upcoming hearings may be found here.
The United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Monica E. Tait of the Major Frauds Section and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted this case.
The Department of Justice urges individuals to be on the lookout for unauthorized debits to their accounts. Regularly check your bank, credit card and other financial statements and contact your financial institution if you see a charge you do not recognize. Report any fraudulent debit you identify to law enforcement. Reports may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Alan Leon Red Willow, 25, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Red Willow was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession of an Unregistered Firearm by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 31, 2025.
In March of 2024, in Rapid City, South Dakota, Red Willow was driving a stolen vehicle. Law enforcement recognized this vehicle as stolen and approached the vehicle. Red Willow unsuccessfully tried to evade law enforcement. Inside the car underneath Red Willow’s seat, law enforcement found a sawed-off shotgun that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Certain firearms, such as shotguns with a barrel length under 18 inches or an overall length under 26 inches, must be registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. It is a federal crime for a person to possess such a firearm that is not registered to him.
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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Sioux Falls Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Red Willow was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty for Role in $10 Million International Fraudulent Market Survey ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty for Role in $10 Million
International Fraudulent Market Survey Conspiracy
CONCORD – An Alabama man pleaded guilty today for his role in an international scheme to sell fraudulent market survey data, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Daniel Harriman, 39, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Landya B. McCafferty scheduled sentencing for June 15, 2026.
According to the public record, Op4G and Slice were market research companies based in New Hampshire and Illinois, respectively. Clients would hire the companies to conduct market research surveys. As part of their business model, Op4G and Slice maintained “panels” consisting of individuals potentially eligible to take surveys. Stoudt initially worked for Op4G before moving over to Slice.
In 2014, several conspirators, including Harriman, decided to increase company revenues by generating fabricated survey data. To execute the scheme, the conspirators recruited “ants”, who pretended to be legitimate survey takers but instead were paid a nominal fee for completing surveys that produced false market research data. Some of the conspirators even served as “ants” and fraudulently took large quantities of surveys themselves, receiving significant payments.
To evade detection, the conspirators exchanged instructions with each other and the “ants.” These instructions included directions on how to answer survey screener questions, provided parameters on how long “ants” should remain on surveys, and encouraged the use of virtual private network (VPN) services to conceal real IP addresses.
Between 2014 and the beginning of 2025, Op4G and Slice billed over $10 million to clients for work tainted with fraudulent survey data. In more recent years, false market research data was used to generate approximately 90% of Op4G and Slice’s revenues.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The FBI led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
Co-defendant Frank Hayden pleaded guilty on February 2, 2026 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2026.
Scranton Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Possession of A Machine GunRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Naim Mustafa House, age 28, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 24, 2026, to 144 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Karoline Mehalchick for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and possession of a machine gun.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, on July 8, 2024, Scranton Police Officers initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle that House was a passenger. House fled on foot and was found hiding under a rear porch of a residence. During a search incident to arrest, police found marijuana packed for resale on his person and inside his backpack found 30 additional grams of marijuana and a Glock 7, 9mm handgun equipped with a device to transition the firearm from a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm. The firearm also had an extended magazine containing 10 rounds of ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Scranton Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
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SDNY Announces Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure and Cooperation Program for Financial CrimesRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today the Office’s new Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Program for illegal activity involving fraud and financial misconduct affecting market integrity. The program, building on years of experience with corporate self-reporting, a focus on individual accountability, and a commitment to the interests of victims, is designed to protect investors, root out wrongdoing more quickly, and strengthen the integrity of the financial markets by encouraging companies to promptly disclose misconduct and take swift remedial measures.
The program establishes clear guidelines and predictable treatment for companies that voluntarily disclose certain classes of criminal activity to this Office. Under this program, eligible companies that self-report qualifying illegal activity, fully cooperate with law enforcement, commit to ongoing reporting of criminal conduct for three years, and remediate harm caused by the misconduct will have a clear, agreed path to a declination. Specifically, the Office will extend a conditional declination letter to qualifying companies shortly after they make a qualifying self-report. After a company satisfies its cooperation and remediation obligations and restitutes victim losses, the Office will provide a final declination letter, concluding the matter without criminal charges.
“The self-reporting program rests on a simple principle: prompt corporate disclosure and cooperation in rooting out and remedying wrongdoing is in the best interest of victims, shareholders, employees, and our markets generally,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “When companies do the right thing—report quickly, cooperate fully, and remediate harm—they should know where they stand. With this program, we expect there will be strong alignment among corporate fiduciary duties, corporate cooperation with the Department of Justice, and the interests of victims, shareholders, and the public generally. To be sure, companies that choose not to cooperate proactively and are found to have engaged in criminal conduct, will face significant corporate consequences.”
The program builds on the Office’s longstanding practice of favorably weighing voluntary disclosures and sincere cooperation in its charging decisions. Consistent with this new program, the Office already has extended a conditional declination letter to a self-reporting company within a month of that company making a disclosure. These types of self-reports also enable the Office to focus on holding individuals accountable. During U.S. Attorney Clayton’s tenure, the Office has brought criminal charges against individual executives and employees based on information originally obtained through corporate self-disclosures and will continue to do so. These actions demonstrate that early disclosure and cooperation under this program will help this Office hold accountable individual wrongdoers, while also offering swift resolution and certainty to self-reporting entities that commit to remediation and cooperation.
Additional details about the SDNY Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Program for Financial Crimes, including information about eligibility criteria and a model conditional declination letter, are available on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/self-reporting-program.
Ross Township Resident Pleads Guilty to Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Ross Township, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal laws regarding the sexual exploitation of minors, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Ralph Talerico, 45, pleaded guilty to three counts before Chief United States District Judge Cathy Bisson.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, in and around June through July 2023, Talerico produced videos of two minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Additionally, on or about June 6, 2024, Talerico possessed videos and still images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom were prepubescent and under 12 years of age.
Chief Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for June 16, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, 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.
Assistant United States Attorney V. Joseph Sonson prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Talerico.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Rockbridge County Man Sentenced for Unlawfully Harvesting Timber from National ForestsRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Rockbridge County, Virginia man convicted of unlawfully damaging trees and removing timber from a national forest was sentenced yesterday to 30 days in jail.
Matthew Keith Miller, 35, was previously tried in federal court on October 9, 2025, and convicted of both offenses.
According to evidence presented at previous court hearings, on January 18, 2025, an anonymous complainant advised the U.S. Forest Service that they observed several downed locust trees in a restricted area around Petites Gap Road, within Rockbridge County. The complainant provided a picture of a truck that was being used to remove the wood, which the Forest Service traced back to Miller.
Miller admitted that he had removed trees from Petites Gap Road that day, but he claimed that he had a wood cutting permit and only took dead timber. However, Miller’s wood cutting permit explicitly restricted timber harvesting in the Petites Gap Road area.
A Forest Service officer inspected the location where Miller removed timber and found many live trees had been cut down. Miller also made multiple postings on Facebook Marketplace advertising the sale of large amounts of locust timber.
Acting U.S. Attorney Robert N. Tracci made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Inman is prosecuting the case for the United States.
The U.S. Forest Service Investigations investigated the case.
Repeat Felon on Supervised Release Sentenced to 21 Months for Illegal Possession of HandgunRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jefry Stevent Padilla Sanchez, 21, a previously convicted felon whose last known address was in Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in federal prison in connection with his illegal possession of a loaded handgun in a crowded public transit station, while unlawfully possessing fentanyl and while on active court supervision, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Padilla pleaded guilty on Oct. 23, 2025, before Judge Tanya S. Chutkan to a charge of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 21-month prison term, Judge Chutkan ordered Padilla to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on September 12, 2025, about 6:38 p.m., officers with the Metro Transit Police Department observed Padilla commit fare evasion at the Fort Totten Metro Station by “piggybacking” behind a paying customer. Officers then detained Padilla to issue a citation when a subsequent records check revealed Padilla had an active extraditable warrant issued by the Circuit Court for Montgomery County, Maryland, for violation of probation stemming from a felony burglary conviction.
Officers placed Padilla under arrest and conducted a search incident to arrest. Police discovered a 9mm Heckler & Koch P2000SK semiautomatic handgun concealed in Padilla’s waistband. The firearm was loaded with nine rounds in the magazine and one round in the chamber. In addition to the firearm, officers recovered approximately 37 “M30” pills, which field testing confirmed contained fentanyl.
At the time of this offense, Padilla had multiple prior felony convictions out of Maryland. The offenses included second-degree burglary and unauthorized removal of a motor vehicle. He was serving concurrent terms of supervised probation for those offenses.
This case was investigated by the Metro Transit Police Department with valuable assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Tortorice.
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Port Saint Lucie Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud and Lying on Naturalization ApplicationRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Port Saint Lucie tax preparer was sentenced Feb. 11 to 36 months in federal prison for defrauding taxpayers of more than $175,000 and attempting to obtain U.S. citizenship by concealing his crimes from immigration officials.
U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks imposed the sentence on Wislet Metayer, 45, and ordered him to pay $167,792.45 in restitution. A federal jury in West Palm Beach previously convicted Metayer of 32 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns and one count of making a false statement related to naturalization.
“This defendant abused the trust of his clients and stole from the American taxpayer,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “He inflated refunds to increase his fees, costing the U.S. Treasury more than $175,000. At the same time, he attempted to obtain U.S. citizenship while concealing his crimes. Fraud in our tax system and dishonesty in our immigration process will not be tolerated.”
“When you turn tax forms into tools for bogus refunds —you’re stealing from every honest taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “Metayer chose to cheat the system and even lied in a bid for citizenship. A jury saw through it, and the court delivered accountability. IRS Special Agents will continue protecting the integrity of the tax system and work with our partners to hold accountable those who engage in fraud.”
According to court records, Metayer worked as a professional tax preparer from approximately 2019 through 2025. To attract customers and justify inflated preparation fees, Metayer prepared and filed dozens of federal income tax returns containing false business losses, deductions, and credits—without his customers’ knowledge—in order to increase their refunds. As a result of this scheme, the U.S. Treasury suffered losses exceeding $175,000.
Metayer is a Haitian national and lawful permanent resident of the U.S. In March 2024, while his tax fraud scheme was ongoing, Metayer applied to become a naturalized U.S. citizen. As part of the application process, Metayer was required to disclose whether he had ever been convicted of, charged with, or arrested for a crime or offense and whether he had ever committed a crime or offense for which he was not arrested. Metayer concealed his ongoing criminal conduct and falsely denied committing any such offenses.
Metayer will be subject to removal from the U.S. after completing his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Loecker; and Acting Special Agent in Charge José R. Figueroa of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Miami made the announcement.
IRS‑CI Florida Field Office and HSI Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Osborne prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-14036.
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Pharmacist and Business Owner Pleads Guilty to $3M Medicare, Medicaid, and Private Insurer Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A pharmacist and business owner who engaged in a five-year pharmacy shortage fraud scheme at two separate pharmacies pleaded guilty today, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Field Division.
Mohammad Hamdan, age 44, from Dearborn Heights, Michigan, pleaded guilty to the charge of conspiracy to commit health care fraud for a scheme that caused over $3 million in loss to Medicare, Medicaid, and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
At the hearing, Hamdan admitted to utilizing his two pharmacies to submit false and fraudulent claims for prescriptions even though the prescribed drugs were medically unnecessary or not actually dispensed. In many instances, the pharmacies lacked the inventory to dispense these drugs but billed the health care insurers as thought they had been dispensed. Over the five-year scheme, Hamdan submitted or directed the submission of false and fraudulent claims totaling over $3.2 million.
Sentencing before United States District Judge Judith Levy will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hamdan faces a possible maximum sentence of not more than 10 years’ imprisonment without the possibility of parole, a fine of not more than $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jason Dorval Norwood.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced on charges related to the sexual exploitation of children, announced Acting United States Attorney Catherine L. Crosby.
United States District Judge Anna M. Manasco sentenced Robert John Newman, Jr., 29, of Glenshaw, Pennsylvania, to 480 months in prison followed by a life term of supervised release. Newman was also ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Act. In October 2025, Newman pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, and travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
According to court documents, from on or about December 30, 2024, through January 4, 2025, Newman targeted the 14-year-old victim online through social media, befriended her through deceit, and relentlessly coerced her into sending him child sexual abuse material at his direction. On January 4, 2025, Newman travelled over 700 miles from his residence in Glenshaw, Pennsylvania to the minor victim’s residence in northern Alabama with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity with her. The minor’s mother found Newman, a man unknown to her, lying on the bed in her daughter’s bedroom and confronted him. Newman fled the residence back to Glenshaw, Pennsylvania.
On January 22, 2025, Newman was arrested in Pennsylvania on Alabama state warrants for electronic solicitation, traveling to meet a minor for an unlawful sex act, production of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. At the time of his arrest, officers seized Newman’s iPhone. After obtaining a federal search warrant, FBI agents reviewed his iPhone which revealed communications between Newman and the minor victim as well as child sexual abuse material involving the victim. Additional digital evidence recovered from Newman’s iPhone revealed that this minor was not Newman’s only victim. After returning to Pennsylvania from the minor victim’s residence in Alabama, Newman was in communication with another victim who the FBI identified as an 11-year-old female in Colorado.
This case was part of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort by FBI field offices across the country, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorneys’ Offices around the country to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators, and in connection with 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.
If you suspect or become aware of the possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 (AVAA) created new penalties and made several changes to existing child pornography laws. In the passage of this legislation, Congress intended for victims of child pornography to be compensated for the harms resulting from every perpetrator who contributes to their anguish. The amounts received as AVAA special assessments are deposited in the Child Pornography Victims Reserve to pay defined monetary assistance to victims.
The FBI Birmingham Field Office investigated the case along with the FBI Pittsburgh Division (PA), FBI Denver Division (CO), Winston County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office and the Shaler, Pennsylvania, Township Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Leann White prosecuted the case.
Pennsylvania Man Sentenced to 15 years in Prison for Exploitation of Oshkosh MinorRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 23, 2026, Zachary J. Vogt (age: 20) of West Chester, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 180 months’ imprisonment by U.S. District Court Judge Byron B. Conway following his conviction for Production of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).
According to court documents, in October 2024, Vogt began corresponding online with a minor child located in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. The exchanges between the two quickly became sexual in nature. The child’s parents discovered the online activity and warned the minor and Vogt that all interaction must cease. Vogt ignored that warning. In June 2025, despite knowing that the child was underage, Vogt travelled from Pennsylvania to Wisconsin to engage in sexual activity with the child. Vogt sexually abused the child and recorded the abuse on his cellular phone. Law enforcement subsequently recovered the images, and Vogt was arrested.
In determining that 180 months’ imprisonment was an appropriate sentence, Judge Conway noted the incredibly serious nature of the offense and highlighted that the defendant had been warned to cease contact with the child. Judge Conway cited strong need to deter others from enticing children online and found a need to protect the public from online sexual predators like Vogt. Following the defendant’s release from federal prison, he will spend 15 years on supervised release. He will also be required to register as a sexual offender under state and federal law.
“This defendant is clearly a sick and dangerous individual,” said U.S. Attorney Schimel. “He was given the chance to terminate his online sexually explicit activity with the child but ignored that warning and escalated his criminal conduct by crossing multiple states to sexually exploit the child. The only way to keep the community safe from him is to lock him up. The law enforcement community has no higher priority than to protect our kids, and if you harm them, we are coming for you.”
This case was investigated by the City of Oshkosh Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble.
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 U.S. Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Pasco County School Employee Charged with Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Joel Thomas Lust (51, New Port Richey) has been charged by federal indictment with possessing child sex abuse material. If convicted, Lust faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, between March 2023 and May 2024, Lust possessed and accessed with intent to view a matter which contained a visual depiction involving the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
IndictmentPensacola Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Geoffery Bartee Dale, 38, of Pensacola, Florida was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding work of our local and federal law enforcement partners, this drug trafficker’s scheme has been dismantled and he’ll spend the next 15 years in federal prison. The Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America initiative was launched to target and eliminate drug trafficking operations like this one that have flooded our communities with deadly poison and threatened the health and safety of our residents. My office will continue to deliver successful prosecutions like this one to keep violent drug traffickers in prison where they belong and give our residents the safe and drug-free streets they deserve.”
According to court records, in February and March of 2024, the defendant was a target of a joint law enforcement investigation. On March 8, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the defendant’s Pensacola residence, during which investigators located over 3,100 grams of methamphetamine, as well as a large amount of marijuana, four firearms, ammunition, over $129,000 in United States currency, and other drug distribution related items. Law enforcement also obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s storage unit, where they found more than 4,400 grams of methamphetamine, a large amount of marijuana, three firearms, and ammunition. The defendant has two prior felony convictions.
“This amount of methamphetamine represents a public health threat capable of impacting an entire region,” said DEA Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar. “Getting this trafficker off the streets will make communities safer and get the State of Florida closer to being Fentanyl and Methamphetamine free.”
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Pensacola Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Etherton.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Operator of Lucrative Online Pornography Marketplace “the Ho Zone” Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that KYLE WHITE was sentenced to 20 years in prison for advertising and distributing child pornography on his online marketplace he called “The Ho Zone.” On October 21, 2025, WHITE pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Colleen McMahon, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Kyle White’s operation of the large-scale online pornography marketplace he callously dubbed ‘The Ho Zone’ caused immeasurable harm to his over one thousand child and adult victims whose sexual abuse materials he distributed to thousands of paying customers,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “White’s high-volume, illegal pornography enterprise earned him a staggering profit at the expense of innocent children and young women whose sexual trauma he broadcast to the world. There is a clear message from today's 20-year sentence: anyone who seeks to profit from the sexual exploitation of children will face justice for their heinous crimes. Every New York family wants Kyle White's 'Ho Zone' operation shut down and Mr. White off the streets.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in related court proceedings:
WHITE ran an online pornography marketplace known as “The Ho Zone” on the messaging application Telegram, earning a profit of over $387,000. WHITE categorized the pornography he advertised and sold on “The Ho Zone” into dozens of groups and channels with thousands of members and subscribers, such as “Other Teen (18+) Leaks,” “THZ Black Market,” “MOST POPULAR GIRLS LISTS,” “Tiktoker Private Leaks,” “ATHLEAKS,” and more. Within each of these groups and channels, WHITE further categorized the pornography by the name of the woman or minor girl featured in the sexually explicit content. Each group and channel on “The Ho Zone” featured a variety of free content as a preview of what users could get if they were to pay WHITE for full access. Such access cost between $15 and $75 depending on the pornography purchased. Once a user paid WHITE for the content of a specific woman or minor girl available on “The Ho Zone,” the user gained permanent access to numerous sexually explicit photographs and videos of that woman or minor girl that WHITE had compiled, enhanced, and edited.
WHITE advertised and sold child pornography on “The Ho Zone,” which depicted minor victims as young as 11 years old, as well as minor victims engaging in sexually explicit conduct with their minor victim siblings. WHITE also sold illegally obtained adult pornography on “The Ho Zone,” including pornography that had been hacked from women’s cellphones and pornography that was the product of blackmail and extortion. Most of the women featured were between 18 and 23 years old. In total, WHITE advertised and distributed illegal pornography of over one thousand adult and minor victims.
WHITE knew that running “The Ho Zone” was illegal but he continued to sell child pornography and illegally obtained adult pornography on the marketplace because it was lucrative. For example, WHITE claimed in a message to another Telegram user that he “made over 300k in the first year” of operating “The Ho Zone.”[1] WHITE also stated that he did not want to stop selling child pornography because “[i]t’s just easier said than done givin up $1,000’s,” and WHITE was “sure the feds got more important things to worry abt [sic] lol.”
After the FBI searched WHITE’s home and seized his electronic devices, WHITE engaged in obstruction of justice. Although WHITE pretended to assist the FBI in shutting down “The Ho Zone,” in reality, WHITE continued running “The Ho Zone” on a backup account from a new cellphone.
Victims of WHITE and “The Ho Zone” are encouraged to visit https://forms.fbi.gov/victims/THZVictims to learn about available resources that may assist them.
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In addition to the prison term, WHITE, 27, of Louisville, Kentucky, was sentenced to 20 years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and in particular, the victim specialists with FBI’s New York Division.
This case is being supervised by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea L. Scism is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] Communications referenced herein are described in substance and in part.
Nevada Man Pleads Guilty to Arson at Tesla Collision Center in Las VegasRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man pleaded guilty Monday to using a firearm and Molotov cocktails to destroy and damage vehicles and property at a Tesla Collision center in March 2025.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, Paul Hyon Kim spray-painted the word “RESIST” on the front of the Tesla Collision center entrance. He then used a PA-15 multi-caliber firearm equipped with a .300 BLACKOUT upper receiver attached to the lower receiver; and a 7.62mm silencer to shoot out surveillance cameras. Kim then fired several shots into vehicles. Next, Kim threw three Molotov cocktails into three vehicles; two exploded and erupted into flames, and a third did not detonate. In total, Kim damaged five Tesla vehicles.
Kim pleaded guilty to two counts of arson of property used in interstate commerce; one count of attempted arson of property used in interstate commerce; and one count of unlawful possession of an unregistered firearm (destructive device). The mandatory minimum statutory penalty is five years in prison. The total maximum statutory penalty is 70 years in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 27, 2026, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division, and Special Agent in Charge John Wester for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) San Francisco Field Division made the announcement.
The FBI, ATF, and Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case with significant assistance from the Clark County Fire Department.
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Mission Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Michael Barrera, age 18, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Barrera was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 20, 2025.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred in May of 2025, in the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, Barrera drove to a residence near Mission and entered armed with a shotgun and confronted the victim, an adult male. Barrera argued with the victim and a struggle ensued, during which Barrera shot the victim in the left shoulder, fatally wounding him. Barrera then fled the scene. On June 4, 2025, Barrera was arrested at a residence in Rapid City, South Dakota.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Barrera was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Millington Man Sentenced to 4½ Years for Domestic Violence Against Service Member SpouseRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Jared Goodman, 34, was sentenced to federal prison for committing domestic violence against his service member spouse in the territorial jurisdiction of the United States. Goodman previously pleaded guilty on November 10, 2025 to one count of domestic violence in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2261.
On February 20, 2026, Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced Goodman to 54 months in prison for his crime.
According to information presented in court, Goodman met his victim in December 2022. She was an active-duty service member who was stationed at Naval Support Activity Mid-South and lived in military housing on the Naval Base in Millington. The couple married in October of 2023, and Goodman moved into her residence. On Christmas Eve of 2023, Goodman became angry with the victim and forcefully assaulted her, causing a lumbar spine fracture.
In addition to the prison term, Chief United States District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman also ordered Goodman to serve a five-year period of supervision following his release from custody.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: “Perpetrators of domestic violence seek to control their victims to perpetuate their violent acts. This victim was particularly brave to come forward and report her abuse. Though these cases are not often brought in federal court, when we have jurisdiction, we will hold offenders accountable for their violent conduct.”
“NCIS remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting those who serve our nation and their families from harm, including domestic violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Arturo Hernandez of the NCIS Central Field Office. “This investigation highlights the critical importance of collaboration to ensure the safety and security of our warfighters as well as the communities in which they live and work.”
This case was investigated by the United States Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
The case was prosecuted on behalf of the government by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn Crum.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Mexican National Sentenced for Unlawfully Being in the United States After Being Arrested for Driving DrunkRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Mexican national was sentenced today for Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien, announced U.S. Attorney
Clint Johnson.U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Estevan Barron-Ruiz, 49, to eight months imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release.
In August 2025, Barron-Ruiz was arrested and later convicted in a separate state court case for aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under suspension, and unsafe lane change. While being booked into jail, law enforcement discovered that he was not lawfully inside the United States. Court records show that Barron-Ruiz was previously removed from the United States in November 2014. Law enforcement further verified that Barron-Ruiz has not applied or sought permission from the Secretary of Homeland Security to re-enter the United States.
Court dockets show that Barron-Ruiz previously pleaded guilty in 2013 to another aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol charge in State Court.
Barron-Ruiz will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. He consented to removal from the United States and agreed to cooperate in removal proceedings following his sentence.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustus Forster prosecuted the case.
Member of Transnational Fraud Network Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy that Stole Millions from American ConsumersRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced to six years in prison yesterday for his participation in a scheme to steal millions of dollars from American consumers’ bank accounts.
“This sentence holds accountable yet another member of a transnational criminal network that stole millions of dollars from unsuspecting Americans across the country,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These schemes are designed to be difficult to detect – spanning multiple jurisdictions and relying on layers of conspirators to obscure their operations – making them especially harmful to victims who often do not realize they have been targeted until it is too late. With 22 defendants charged in four districts, this prosecution reflects the Criminal Division’s commitment to dismantle every layer of criminal enterprises that prey on Americans, no matter how far their operations reach.”
“Global criminal groups use U.S.-based individuals to exploit our nation’s banking system and launder money stolen from innocent victims,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “I applaud our law enforcement partners for helping to bring this criminal to justice. We must and shall be as relentless in using every legal tool available to punish these individuals.”
“Despite hiding their actions behind fake companies, these suspects will pay for their abuse of people’s information and the banking system,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Criminal Investigations Group. “By exploiting victims from the payday loan list, these criminals took what little was left from people already struggling to make ends meet. The United States Postal Inspection Service will continue to relentlessly pursue criminals who exploit this country’s hardworking citizens and the U.S. Mail for unlawful purposes.”
According to court documents, Michael Young, 44, of Hollywood, Florida, was part of a criminal enterprise responsible for stealing millions of dollars from the bank accounts of unknowing consumers across the United States. The enterprise obtained “lead lists” that contained victims’ banking information – some of which derived from payday loan applications – and used it to make unauthorized debits against victims’ bank accounts. Members of the enterprise falsely claimed to banks that victims had authorized the transactions. The enterprise also used numerous shell entities and money laundering techniques to conceal its actions. For years, Young worked for a co-conspirator based in Southern California who ran the domestic side of the operation, assisting foreign co-conspirators with obtaining lead lists, establishing U.S. banking relations and coordinating nominal owners or “signers” for shell entities. Through that work, Young participated in nearly every aspect of the scheme. Young later replicated the scheme himself to make more money.
In June 2025, Young pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. In total, 22 defendants have been charged and seven have been convicted in connection with this scheme. Notices of upcoming hearings may be found here.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Wei Xiang and Meredith B. Healy of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica E. Tait for the Central District of California prosecuted the case.
The department urges individuals to be on the lookout for unauthorized debits to their accounts. Regularly check your bank, credit card and other financial statements and contact your financial institution if you see a charge you do not recognize. Report any fraudulent debit you identify to law enforcement. Reports may be filed with the Federal Trade Commission at https://reportfraud.ftc.gov or at 877-FTC-HELP.
Member of Large-Scale Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Distributing PCP and Other NarcoticsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Phillip Gillard, 48, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 18 years in prison, 10 years’ supervised release, and $2,400 in fines and assessments by United States District Judge John M. Gallagher for drug trafficking and firearms offenses.
In July 2023, a grand jury in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania returned a 54-count superseding indictment charging Gillard and eight co-defendants with their participation in a large-scale drug trafficking organization (“DTO”) operating in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia, in the immediate vicinity of the Memphis Street Academy, a charter school located at 2950 Memphis Street.
The defendant was convicted at trial of federal drug trafficking and firearm offenses in February 2024.
The charges arose from the FBI’s two-year investigation into the Gillard drug trafficking organization, which supplied other drug traffickers with wholesale quantities of methamphetamine, phencyclidine (“PCP”), fentanyl, and other narcotics.
Throughout the course of the investigation, law enforcement agents conducted surveillance and undercover sting operations, during which drugs were purchased from the defendants. Gillard and his co-defendants maintained three separate properties in connection with their drug trafficking organization, all of them less than 1,000 feet away from the Memphis Street Academy.
In total, the FBI confiscated over 20 pounds of pure methamphetamine, three gallons of PCP, one and a half kilograms of cocaine, 900 grams of crack cocaine, 400 grams of fentanyl, and 11 firearms.
Co-defendants Diane Gillard, Sharif Jackson, Amin Whitehead, Cesar Maldonado, Terrence Maxwell, Raphael Sanchez, Melvin Dreher, and Arron Preno pleaded guilty to their roles in the Gillard DTO.
Diane Gillard was sentenced to 16 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Jackson to 15 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Whitehead to 11½ years in prison and 10 years of supervised release, Maldonado to eight years in prison and eight years of supervised release, Maxwell to more than seven and a half years in prison and five years of supervised release, Sanchez to seven and a half years in prison and three years of supervised release, Dreher to five years in prison and three years of supervised release, and Preno to six months in prison and two years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI, Philadelphia Police Department, and Homeland Security Investigations, with extraordinary cooperation from the Memphis Street Academy, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Everett Witherell and Robert Schopf.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm Offenses and Unlawful Entry into the U.S.Read the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Massachusetts man unlawfully present in the United States, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to possession of a loaded firearm following a traffic stop, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Everton Luis Teixeira Da Silva, 23, of Framingham, MA, has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and ammunition and unlawful entry into the United States. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 14, 2026. The sentence imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on August 17, 2025, during a traffic stop conducted by the Providence Police Department, Da Silva fled from officers on foot and during the pursuit, he discarded a firearm. The weapon was later recovered by police and identified as a green 9mm pistol, loaded with six rounds and had an obliterated serial number. The defendant was apprehended and investigators determined that he entered the United States unlawfully.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and the Providence Police Department.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Manchester Resident Charged with the Attempted Murder of a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester resident has been charged in connection with a shooting that occurred over the weekend in Pittsburg, New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Blu Zeke Daly, a/k/a Cullan Zeke Daly, 26, was charged by complaint with one count of attempted murder of a federal officer and one count of assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon. Daly is currently obtaining medical treatment at a New Hampshire hospital and is under guard.
According to the complaint, on the evening of February 21, 2026, a Border Patrol agent encountered Daly driving alone in Stewartstown, New Hampshire, near the Canadian border. The agent asked whether Daly had used any other names, at which point Daly drove away. The Border Patrol agent followed at a distance. Shortly after midnight on February 22, 2026, Daly arrived at the Pittsburg Port of Entry on the border between the United States and Canada. The crossing was closed and the gate was locked. The Border Patrol agent activated his emergency lights and exited his vehicle, at which point Daly started to turn. Daly then fired a handgun at the Border Patrol agent. The agent returned fire with his own service weapon and shot Daly.
The charge of attempted murder of a federal officer carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of assault of a federal officer with a deadly weapon also carries a sentence of up to 20 years in prison 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.
The FBI is leading the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Man with Two Machine Gun Conversion Devices by NC State Fair and Lenovo Center Pleaded GuiltyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Raleigh man pleaded guilty to possessing machine gun conversion devices in the parking lot next to the North Carolina State Fairgrounds and the Lenovo Center where NC State and the Hurricanes play in Raleigh, North Carolina. A United States Magistrate Judge signed a complaint on October 27, 2025, charging Luis Alberto Guerra-Martinez with possession of a machine gun. A Grand Jury for the Eastern District of North Carolina returned an indictment on November 18, 2025.
“Bad hombres bringing illegal guns to crowded parking lots are up to no good. Thanks to the alert officer who sniffed out this nefarious plot before any blood was spilled. Stay alert, stay alive.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
"Observant local officers acted quickly, discovering multiple weapons, including a machine gun in this subject's car parked outside a concert of 15,000 people. This is an outstanding example of the FBI Raleigh Durham Safe Streets Task Force, the Raleigh Police Department, the Wake County Sheriff's Office, and the Dunn Police Department uniting for one purpose, to keep our communities safe. The FBI is committed to working with our state and local partners to bring the full weight of federal charges against anyone who may pose a threat to the homeland," said Reid Davis, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, on October 24, 2025, law enforcement stopped Guerra-Martinez as he drove erratically in the parking lot between the N.C. State Fair and the Lenovo Center. The N.C. State Fair was in full swing with tens of thousands of members of the public at the time. Also, popular youth rapper performed was a concert at the Lenovo Center at the same time. As Guerra-Martinez exited his vehicle, law enforcement detected the odor of marijuana coming from his car. Guerra-Martinez attempted to run away from the car as officers approached. They searched the car. The search yielded five guns, two drop in sears. A drop in sear converts a semi-automatic gun into a fully automatic machine gun. The search also yielded 35 grams of marijuana, THC vape cartridges, a digital scale, a ski mask, a Lenovo center radio, three Santa Muerte candles, one machete and one hunting knife, and two cell phones. Guerra-Martinez had recently been fired from Lenovo where he had worked as a janitor for a third-party contractor.
At sentencing, Guerra-Martinez faces up to 10 years in prison.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement today. The FBI Raleigh Safe Streets Taskforce, WCSO, RPD and DPD investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Aria Merle and Assistant U.S. Attorney William Van Trigt are prosecuting the case.
MS-13 Associate Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for the Murder of Teenage Victim in Kissena Park in QueensRead the Press Release
Today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, Oscar Flores-Mejia, also known as “Chamuco,” an associate of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment for the murder of 17-year-old Andy Peralta. Co-defendants Juan Amaya-Ramirez, also known as “Cadaver,” and Leyla Carranza were previously sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment and 22 years’ imprisonment, respectively, for their participation in the murder.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Michael Alfonso, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI New York), announced the sentences.
“The senselessness of this murder is matched only by its brutality,” said United States Attorney Nocella. “The defendants lured Andy Peralta to a secluded part of Kissena Park where they beat him mercilessly before Amaya-Ramirez choked him to death and Flores-Mejia hacked at him with a knife. The murder of this teenager is a chilling reminder of MS-13’s callous disregard for human life. Bringing those who commit violent crimes to justice is one of our Office’s highest priorities.”
Mr. Nocella also thanked the New York City Police Department for its work on the case.
“MS-13’s pattern of savagery, depravity and instilling terror in our communities while treating human life as expendable will not be tolerated,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “May today’s sentencing send a clear message: those who commit murder and gang violence for a foreign terrorist organization like MS-13 will be held accountable. The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to dismantling all dangerous organizations and protecting our neighborhoods.”
“MS-13’s violence is methodical, premeditated, and ruthless —its depravity laid bare in the horrific and senseless murder of Andy Peralta in Kissena Park, NY. No prison sentence can ever restore what was stolen from his family, who are forced to endure the lifelong trauma of such unimaginable brutality,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Alfonso. “HSI New York and our law enforcement partners stand resolute in our mission to dismantle MS-13 and protect our communities from further acts of unspeakable violence.”
As proved at a hearing in connection with Leyla Carranza’s sentencing, the defendants sought to murder Peralta because they believed he was associated with 18th Street, a rival gang of MS-13. Flores-Mejia found a video online that depicted Peralta, who the defendants did not know, briefly flashing a sign associated with the 18th Street gang. Flores-Mejia then recruited a 16-year-old boy to help kill Peralta. Amaya-Ramirez’s then-girlfriend Carranza was recruited to befriend Peralta and lure him to his death in the park.
The day of the murder, Carranza messaged Peralta and took him to a predetermined location in Kissena Park in Flushing where Amaya-Ramirez, Flores-Mejia and their 16-year-old accomplice were waiting. Flores-Mejia had brought a knife and black winter gloves to use in the attack. When Peralta arrived, Flores-Mejia gave a signal, and the men attacked Peralta, beating him until they were exhausted. Amaya-Ramirez then began strangling Peralta while Flores-Mejia stomped on his head. Peralta begged for his life and called out for his mother and father. Flores-Mejia put dirt in his mouth to silence him and Amaya-Ramirez choked him to death. Flores-Mejia stabbed Peralta in the back and slashed his tattoo of his girlfriend’s name.
The men took a photograph posing over Peralta’s body in which they flashed MS-13 hand signs. They stole Peralta’s money and dragged him to a small body of water, where he was found the following day.
Today’s sentencing is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of MS-13. MS-13’s leadership was based in El Salvador and Honduras, but the gang has thousands of members across the United States. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders, and assaults. Since 2010, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 45 murders in the district and has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by our law enforcement partners including HSI and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI and NYPD.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime & Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Anna L. Karamigios and Kamil R. Ammari are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendants:
JUAN AMAYA-RAMIREZ
Age: 28
Fresh Meadows, QueensOSCAR FLORES-MEJIA
Age: 26
Elmhurst, QueensLEYLA CARRANZA
Age: 25
Richmond, VirginiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-228 (LDH)
Man Pleads Guilty to Robbing Gainesville BankRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Patrick Shane Johnson, 51, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to bank robbery and bank theft. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Another successful prosecution under Operation Take Back America means one less violent criminal on our streets threatening our public safety. Great work by the Gainesville Police Department to quickly apprehend this offender, and great work by my office to aggressively prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents reveal that on August 27, 2025, the defendant entered a Wells Fargo bank on Archer Road and passed a note to a teller. The note read, “This is no joke, it is an armed bank robbery. All of the money now I am armed.” The defendant grabbed over $1,000 cash and fled. The Gainesville Police Department responded and immediately apprehended the defendant.
Johnson faces up to 50 years’ imprisonment upon sentencing, which is scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor
The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department and the Federal Burau of Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Lowell Man Sentenced to Time ServedRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – On February 24, 2026, John Andrew Smriga III, 24 years old, of Lowell, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to transmitting threatening communications, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Smriga was sentenced to time served followed by 1 year of supervised release with a term of home detention for 8 months. Smriga was also ordered to pay a $2,000.00 fine.
According to documents in the case, Smirga used anonymizing internet-based phone services to send threatening text messages and images to an elected official in Crown Point, Indiana and a law enforcement officer in Cedar Lake, Indiana. As part of the threat, messages to both victims included pictures of individuals holding and/or mimicking the possession of firearms.
“Public servants are the backbone of the American justice system. Working in tandem, federal and state law enforcement will ensure that individuals who threaten officials online—as John Andrew Smriga III did—are held strictly to account,” said United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. “Today’s sentence proves that these threats are not mere pranks, but crimes requiring real consequences. I want to thank the FBI and the Indiana State Police for their swift work in neutralizing these serious threats.”
“Threats against elected officials and law enforcement, especially those involving images of firearms, are taken extremely seriously,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI is committed to investigating these threats and holding anyone who seeks to intimidate public servants or endanger our communities fully accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Indiana State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Francis Sohn prosecuted the case.
Lowcountry Attorney Charged with Defrauding $1.5M from Mt. Pleasant Law Firm and ClientsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — William Christopher Swett, 42, of Johns Island, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering for defrauding his employer and clients of at least $1.5 million.
According to the charging documents, Swett worked as a personal injury attorney at a Mt. Pleasant law firm and represented individuals in civil claims following death, injury, and other loss. From at least 2018 through 2024, Swett devised a scheme to defraud the law firm and his clients. To further his scheme, Swett established legal services companies and expensed the law firm and his clients for services not performed and for inflated and illegitimate expenses. Swett withheld his association with these companies from his clients and the law firm.
Swett also submitted reimbursement requests for fictitious clients, fabricated death and personal injury claims, and falsified medical records and other documents to further his fraud. To conceal his crimes, Swett laundered the funds through accounts he controlled and siphoned the money for his own personal enrichment. Swett fraudulently obtained at least $1.5 million.
Swett has agreed to plead guilty to four counts of wire fraud and four counts of money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Limehouse is prosecuting the case.
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Lewis County man charged federally with unlawful weapons possessionRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 47-year-old Lewis County man appeared today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma charged with unlawfully possessing firearms, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Michael Lee Draper is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior criminal convictions. In 2009, Draper was sentenced to 13 years in prison for unlawfully possessing firearms, including a stolen firearm. Prosecutors will ask the court to detain Draper pending trial at a hearing scheduled for Monday March 2, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, Draper was under investigation for theft from his former employer, the Cowlitz Indian Tribe. On January 22, 2026, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office pursued a truck driven by Draper for reckless driving. The truck crashed through a fence on a rural property. A passenger in the truck was taken into custody at the scene.
Draper fled from police but was located by a Washington State Patrol surveillance aircraft and was taken into custody in a muddy, wooded ravine.
Investigators learned that Draper was under investigation for making fraudulent purchases using credit accounts of his former
employer. Some of the purchases were recovered in the back of the truck. Also in the truck were two polymer firearms – a handgun and an AR style rifle. Both guns are “ghost guns” – firearms without serial numbers that have been manufactured using a 3D printer. The truck also contained some drug paraphernalia and some suspected crystal methamphetamine.
Draper has been in state custody in Thurston County until he appeared on the federal charge today.
Unlawful possession of a firearm is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, no more than three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
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.
Law enforcement continues to investigate the theft charges related to Draper’s employment with the Cowlitz Tribe. Draper currently faces five state counts of first-degree theft in Lewis County.
The case is being investigated by the Cowlitz Tribal Police, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Department, and the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Victoria Cantore.
draper_complaint.pdfLast of Six People Charged in Scheme to Remove or Destroy Evidence Left in Impounded Vehicle Has Been ArrestedRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced the arrest of the last of six defendants charged in connection with a scheme to remove or destroy evidence from a vehicle impounded by the Pennsylvania State Police.
The six defendants — Tyree Goldsmith, 38, Kyle Smith, 41, Lamont Sparrow, 38, Latonya Upchurch, 57, and Taleah Goldsmith, 39, all of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Shafiq Taylor, 30, of Glenolden, Pa. — were charged by second superseding indictment, which was unsealed in August of last year, and all but Sparrow were arrested soon thereafter.
Last week, the U.S. Marshals Service located Sparrow and took him into custody. He made his initial appearance in federal court in Philadelphia before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lynne A. Sitarski.
All six defendants are charged with one count of conspiracy, one count of tampering with objects or proceedings, and one count of destruction or removal of property to prevent search or seizure.
Tyree Goldsmith, Smith, Sparrow, and Taylor have also been charged with one count of malicious damage by means of fire to a vehicle used in interstate commerce.
In addition, Tyree Goldsmith, Taleah Goldsmith, and Upchurch have been charged with two counts of wire fraud, and Tyree Goldsmith with one count each of possession of a firearm by a felon and use of fire to commit a felony.
The indictment alleges that the defendants’ conspiracy arose from a traffic stop that resulted in Tyree Goldsmith’s vehicle being impounded.
As detailed in the indictment, on April 27, 2024, at approximately 3:29 a.m., members of the Pennsylvania State Police (PSP) conducted a traffic stop of Tyree Goldsmith while he was operating his Ford F-450 in Philadelphia. After observing marijuana and a scale in plain view inside the truck, PSP troopers advised Goldsmith that they would be requesting a tow truck and impounding his vehicle at the PSP barracks, pending a search warrant. The troopers further advised the defendant that criminal charges may be filed, depending on what they recovered from inside the F-450.
A short time later, the vehicle was towed to the PSP Philadelphia Barracks impound lot.
Early the same morning, PSP troopers obtained and executed a Philadelphia County search warrant for the Ford F-450, recovering a .40 Glock semiautomatic pistol loaded with 19 live rounds of ammunition, nine plastic bags containing marijuana, a digital scale, and $865 in U.S. currency.
The indictment alleges that, between approximately April 27, 2024, and April 29, 2024, the six defendants, and others, created and executed a plan to gain entry into the PSP Philadelphia Barracks impound lot, in order to remove the gun, marijuana, and other items from the Ford F-450. They allegedly did so at the behest of Tyree Goldsmith, who was on federal supervision and state parole, and sought to avoid being charged with additional crimes that would violate the conditions of his release.
After breaking into the impound lot and discovering that the firearm and drugs had already been removed from the Ford F-450, the indictment alleges, the defendants decided to set fire to the vehicle, believing that, if the truck were destroyed, PSP would not be able to use the recovered items as evidence against Tyree Goldsmith.
The indictment further alleges that Tyree Goldsmith purchased an insurance policy prior to the Ford F-450 being set on fire, and, after he, Smith, Sparrow, Taylor, and others ignited a blaze on April 29, 2024, that damaged the truck, he directed Upchurch and Taleah Goldsmith to file a fraudulent insurance claim for the vehicle.
This case is currently scheduled to go to trial in October.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Arena and Assistant United States Attorney Ashley N. Martin.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Lancaster man going to prison for receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Alexander Grupp, 33, of Lancaster, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 180 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz M. Wright, who handled the case, stated that in March 2018, Grupp was convicted in New York State Court of Possessing Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child less than sixteen years of age, and sentenced, in part, to 10 years' probation. In October 2022, Grupp communicated with a 15-year-old girl using the instant messaging application, Discord. During these conversations, Grupp persuaded the victim to send him nude pictures of herself.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
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Kyle Man Sentenced to over 3 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting a Woman in the Pine Ridge ReservationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on February 23, 2026.
Clay Loafer, 30, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,915.20 in restitution and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Loafer was indicted for Kidnapping and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury in March of 2025. He pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025.
Loafer was convicted of brutally assaulting a woman with whom he had a brief relationship by repeatedly striking and punching her about her face and body.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Loafer was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.