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19 February 2026
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges Related to the Sponsorship of Unaccompanied Alien ChildRead the Press Release
A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in the United States pleaded guilty yesterday to charges of aggravated identity theft and false statements related to the submission of a fraudulent application to sponsor an unaccompanied alien child (UAC).
According to court documents, Felix Coc Choc, 29, of Rogers, Arkansas, submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalty of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of a UAC after the UAC entered the United States illegally.
As admitted in the plea agreement, after the 16-year-old Guatemalan UAC entered the United States illegally in Jan. 2023, Coc Choc submitted an application to sponsor the UAC, falsely claiming to be the UAC’s brother, J.C.J. Coc Choc also provided to ORR J.C.J.’s Guatemalan national identification card and birth certificate in support of the sponsorship application. After initially denying that he was using another individual’s identity, Coc Choc admitted to impersonating J.C.J and then submitted a sponsorship application in his true name. ORR denied this application as a result of the fraud.
Coc Choc pleaded guilty to one count of making a false, fictitious or fraudulent statement and one count of aggravated identity theft. At sentencing, Coc Choc faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the false statement count, and a mandatory consecutive penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft count. The Court will schedule Coc Choc’s sentencing at a later date. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General is investigating the case. Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Legal Attaché team in Guatemala, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C. and ORR provided valuable assistance.
Joint Task Force Alpha Trial Attorneys Aaron Jennen and Nicole Lockhart and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Craig for the Middle District of Louisiana are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Samantha Usher of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Arkansas.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 390 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
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 other 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 Neighborhoods.
Hughes County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lariat Wayne Jagger, age 32, of Holdenville, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment charged Jagger with knowingly possessing a 12-gauge pump action shotgun and 13 rounds of 12-gauge ammunition on July 2, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Hughes County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jagger will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Honduran national admits to illegally reentering U.S. for the ninth timeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 50-year-old man illegally residing in Houston has pleaded guilty to unlawfully reentering the country without authorization, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Danilo Nunez-Avila has multiple prior convictions for illegal reentry and was first removed from the United States in 1991. Court records show authorities have removed him from the country at least eight times.
On Oct. 29, 2024, authorities discovered Nunez-Avila again in the United States after responding to a reported assault involving a family member.
U.S. District Judge Alfred Bennett accepted the plea and set sentencing for March 21. At that time, Nunez-Avila faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Nunez-Avila has been and will remain in custody pending his sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ekua Assabill is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Honduran man sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A man from Honduras who was in the United States illegally was sentenced on Tuesday, February 17, to time served, 76 days, and remanded to the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Wilson Edis Rodriguez-Serrano, 39, pleaded guilty in January 2026 to one count of illegal reentry.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on the morning of December 4, 2025, Border Patrol agents were alerted to a construction-type truck at a gas station in Havre that was suspected of being operated by an individual unlawfully present in the United States. The truck’s driver was outside pumping gas while three other men were inside the truck.
Agents initiated a consensual encounter at the gas pump, which evolved into a detailed immigration inspection. The defendant, Wilson Edris Rodriguez-Serrano, was identified as one of the passengers in the truck and determined to be a citizen of Honduras. Law enforcement determined all four men were in the United States illegally, and they were transported to the Havre Border Patrol Station for further processing.
At the Station, Rodriguez-Serrano was advised of his Warning as to Rights. He acknowledged his rights and was willing to speak without a lawyer present. He admitted he crossed the international boundary into the United States from Mexico near Eagle Pass, Texas. He also acknowledged he had previously entered the United States unlawfully and been ordered to return to Honduras. In fact, on November 21, 2010, Rodriguez-Serrano requested and was granted a Voluntary Return to Honduras, and on October 28, 2019, a final order of removal was issued to him.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. U.S. Border Patrol conducted the investigation.
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.
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Honduran National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Trinidad Amaya-Montoya, A/K/A Bernardo Cardana, age 39, a citizen of Honduras, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Mendoza-Hernandez illegally reentered the United States and was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on January 27, 2026. Mendoza-Hernandez was removed from the United States through Brownsville, Texas, on May 18, 2016, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Honduran National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Marvin Cornejo Hernandez, age 40, a citizen of Honduras, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that on or about January 27, 2026, Mendoza-Hernandez was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, after previously having been removed from the United States. The indictment also alleges that Mendoza-Hernandez had been removed from the United States through Brownsville, Texas on April 29, 2019, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Kelley K. McGraw is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following the finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Greenville County Man Sentenced for Straw Purchasing FirearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kelsey Antonio McCallum, 32, of Greenville, has been sentenced to more than five years in federal prison for straw purchasing guns that were bought in South Carolina and Georgia.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that between March 2018 and June 2022, McCallum bought 93 firearms in 52 separate purchases from firearm dealers in South Carolina and Georgia. McCallum would indicate on the federal firearms sale forms that he was the actual buyer of the firearms, knowing that he intended to sell them to others. McCallum would then transport these firearms to Maryland to sell them to other individuals. Some of the guns were later discovered at crime scenes in Maryland and in other states. McCallum was convicted by a federal jury in 2024 after a two-day trial.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced McCallum to 63 months imprisonment, to be followed by a one-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon prosecuted the case.
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Greece man pleads guilty to threatening FBI agent and familyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Steven L. Ploof, 48, of Greece, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Meredith A. Vacca to threatening to assault a member of the immediate family of a Federal law enforcement officer with intent to impede with such law enforcement officer while engaged in the performance of official duties, or with intent to retaliate against such law enforcement officer on account of the performance of official duties. The charge carries a maximum penalty of six years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Everardo A. Rodriguez, who is handling the case, stated that on September 15, 2025, Ploof went to the Ogden, NY, residence of an FBI Special Agent and his family. When he arrived at the house, Ploof placed two posterboard signs on the front porch, one sign read “Corrupt FBI AGENT!” and the other sign read “I Want To (expletive) Your Kids!” Video of Ploof placing the two signs on the front porch was obtained from a residential security system.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the Greece Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Wood, the Ogden Police Department, under the direction of Chief Travis Gray, and the Orleans County Sherriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourke.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026, before Judge Vacca.
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Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments yesterday. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation, and a person named as a defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Michigan Man Charged With Posting Threats To Kill ICE Agents
Justin P. Ward, 33, Ironwood, Michigan, is charged with using interstate commerce to transmit threats to injure another person. The indictment alleges that on January 29, 2026, Ward posted threats to kill ICE agents on Facebook.
If convicted, Ward faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in federal prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the FBI; Minnesota State Patrol; Saint Paul, Minnesota Police Department; and the Gogebic County Michigan Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Altman is currently handling the case.
La Crosse County Man Charged With Possessing Child Pornography
William J. Clark, III, 40, Mindoro, Wisconsin, is charged with possession of child pornography. The indictment alleges that on January 22, 2026, Clark possessed child pornography on a Samsung cellphone.
If convicted, Clark faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse County Sheriff’s Office and the Coulee Region Children’s Internet Protection Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Pfluger is handling the case.
This investigation was part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Fitchburg Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition
Cordero C. Coker, 38, Fitchburg, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that on November 13, 2025, Coker possessed a 9 mm Smith & Wesson firearm and ammunition.
If convicted, Coker faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Monona Police Department, Dane County Sheriff’s Office, and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. The ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force is comprised of federal agents from ATF and Task Force Officers from state and local agencies throughout the Western District of Wisconsin. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Ginsberg is handling the case.
Sauk County Man Charged With Fentanyl Trafficking
Deandre Templeton, 42, Baraboo, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing fentanyl intended for distribution. The indictment alleges that on July 30, 2025, Templeton possessed approximately 174 grams of fentanyl intended for distribution.
If convicted, Templeton faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in federal prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Sauk County Drug Task Force; the Sauk County Sheriff’s Office; the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation; and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington is handling the case.
Madison Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearm and Ammunition
Davoris Anderson, 20, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The indictment alleges that Anderson possessed the firearm and ammunition on December 11, 2025.
If convicted, Anderson faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
The charge against him is the result of an investigation conducted by the Madison Police Department and the ATF Madison Crime Gun Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan is handling the case.
The drug and gun cases in the press release are part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the U.S. Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Gang member sentenced to 29 years for role in sex trafficking operationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 27-year-old member of the Forum Park Crips has been ordered to federal prison for sex trafficking young teenage girls, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Damarquis McGee aka Lilblue pleaded guilty Aug. 26, 2024.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered McGee to serve 348 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard information and evidence detailing McGee’s exploitation and victimization of numerous teenage girls. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted that McGee’s conduct was “horrific” and that McGee was “every parent’s worst nightmare.” The court emphasized that in exploiting his victims through force, violence, threats, rape and coercion, McGee used the victims for his own entertainment and tossed them aside. He will serve 15 years on supervised release following the completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. McGee will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
“McGee systematically exploited young teenage girls for personal gain, using violence, intimidation, and fear. For far too long, these young girls were treated as commodities, instead of people,” said Ganjei. “Today’s sentence cannot erase the trauma the victims endured, but it does affirm a fundamental truth: their lives have value, their voices matter, and those who abused them will be held accountable.”
From April 2019 to February 2020, McGee and others worked to recruit young teenage girls and forced them to engage in sex acts with “clients” for money in cars and motels around the Bissonnet “blade” or “track.”
The Bissonnet blade is an area near I-59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where pimps and traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.
McGee and others passed around or reassigned victims amongst one another, taught each other “the pimp game” and forced young girls to walk the blade while they kept the proceeds.
To switch between pimps, the young girls had to pay an exit fee or get “beat out.” Some traffickers required daily quotas each night from their victims. If the victims failed to meet their daily quotas, they were severely punished through beatings and humiliation.
Co-conspirators Michael Anthony Gonzalez aka Mumbles, 29, Jerreck Michael Hilliard aka Jmoney, 37, and Javon Yaw Opoku aka Glizzy, 25, all of Houston, were previously sentenced to 240, 292 and 365 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the sex trafficking conspiracy.
McGee will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Suh, Anthony Franklyn, Amanda R. Alum, and former AUSA Richard W. Bennett prosecuted the case.
The Houston Police Department conducted the investigation as part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations and Harris County District Attorney’s Office.
HTRA law enforcement includes members of HPD, FBI, ICE-HSI, Texas Attorney General’s Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, Department of Labor, DOL – Wage and Hour Division, Department of State, Texas Alcoholic and Beverage Commission, Texas Department of Public Safety, Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration – OIG and Sheriff’s Offices in Harris and Montgomery counties in coordination with District Attorney’s offices in Harris, Montgomery and Fort Bend Counties.
Established in 2004, the United States Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Gonzales Woman Sentenced to 125 Months in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Hannah Kinchen, age 41, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 125 months in federal prison following her conviction for receiving child sexual abuse material produced by a photographer she arranged to take the images. The Court further sentenced Kinchen to serve five years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment and ordered her to complete sex offender treatment and register as a sex offender upon her release.
According to admissions made during her guilty plea, beginning in at least July of 2020 and continuing through at least February 2021, Kinchen communicated with a photographer who self-identified as a pedophile, using the Internet, about the minor victim’s modeling career, among other topics.
She coordinated and transported the minor victim to photoshoots with the photographer, in Louisiana and elsewhere. Kinchen was present during these photoshoots, permitted the photographer to photograph the minor victim in scanty attire, including thongs and G-string bikinis, and collaborated in posing the minor victim. Some of the resulting photographs qualified as child pornography and some were later sold.
On or about August 1, 2020, the photographer sent Kinchen most of the images through a file-sharing website on the internet, which she received and downloaded onto her computer.
“This administration will continue to make the safety of our children a top priority. Thanks to the FBI and Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Craig for their hard work in this case,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall.
“The defendant in this case preyed on an innocent child. The FBI and our partners will do everything in our power to remove child predators from our great nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI's New Orleans Field Office.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.
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.
Four Charged with $7 Million Pandemic Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four individuals, including one from Massachusetts, have been charged for their alleged involvement in a multi-state scheme to obtain millions of dollars in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds for themselves and others by submitting fraudulent applications to PPP lenders.
The following individuals have been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud:
- Sniders Jean-Jacques, 38, of Miami;
- Lorne Johnson, 38, of Boston;
- Tanya Pierre, 28, of Miami; and
- Ashley Spike, 31, of Miramar, Fla.
Jean-Jacques and Pierre were arrested and appeared in federal court in Miami. Johnson was arrested and appeared in federal court in Boston. Spike was arrested and appeared in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The defendants will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Jean-Jacques, Johnson, Pierre and Spike allegedly submitted fraudulent PPP applications on behalf of borrowers and collected up to 30 percent of the loan proceeds as a fee for securing the loans. Beginning in March 2021, the defendants and others allegedly recruited borrowers who were ineligible for PPP loans, claimed the borrowers operated businesses that qualified them for loans and created fake tax forms to backstop the borrowers’ fraudulent applications. As a result, Jean-Jacques, Johnson, Pierre, Spike and others allegedly obtained approximately $7 million in PPP funds to which they and the borrowers were not entitled. The indictment also alleges that the borrowers who received PPP funds based on these fraudulent applications paid kickbacks to Jean-Jacques, Johnson, Pierre, Spike and others, commonly in an amount equal to 30 percent of the loan proceeds.
Jean-Jacques and Pierre were also charged in a separate indictment with conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud related to a scheme to obtain mortgage loans and apartment leases.
The charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region; and Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Former police officer sentenced to three years in prison for inheritance scamRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Belle Haven man was sentenced today to three years in prison for wire fraud and money laundering relating to a scam involving an inheritance claim.
According to court documents, former Eastville Police officer Jerry Keith Brady Jr., 38, concocted a scheme to convince at least 13 people to loan him money needed to pay fees related to a purported inheritance he claimed was due. Brady solicited loans from friends, acquaintances, and colleagues to pay for attorney fees, taxes, or other related costs that Brady claimed were necessary to receive an inheritance or life insurance proceeds he was due from a deceased relative.
Some victims had Brady sign a written contract or promissory note agreeing that he would repay the money. When the due date passed without repayment, Brady told victims that without more money he would lose the inheritance entirely, and in many instances the victims provided Brady additional funds. Brady defrauded his victims of hundreds of thousands of dollars in 33 transactions. Brady wasted most of the money gambling in casinos, through online sports betting apps, and at slots-style gambling machines in convenience stores.
The IRS Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph L. Kosky prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-101.
Former Troup County payroll manager sentenced for embezzling more than $500,000 in government fundsRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. - Wesleigh Gaddy has been sentenced for stealing more than $500,000 from the Troup County Board of Commissioners’ payroll accounts.
“Gaddy stole more than half a million taxpayer dollars, misusing and abusing the personal information of dozens of former Troup County employees,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “We and our agency partners will hold accountable any public servant who manipulates his or her position for unlawful private benefit.”
“While Wesleigh Gaddy’s crime may not have caused physical harm, it severely impacted the lives of Troup County residents by betraying the public trust,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “The FBI is committed to holding accountable those who steal from the public, and this sentence underscores the seriousness of such actions.”
“Wesleigh Gaddy’s actions represent a serious breach of public trust and a deliberate exploitation of her position for personal gain,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “This sentence sends a clear message that public corruption and financial crimes will be thoroughly investigated and prosecuted in partnership with our federal and local partners.”
“Wesleigh Gaddy’s theft of public funds is a grave betrayal of trust,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “As a public servant, her crime not only impacted hard working employees of the county, but it also undermines the integrity of government. Be assured that IRS Criminal Investigation is committed to ensuring those who disregard the public trust for personal financial gain will be investigated and held accountable.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In April 2025, a Troup County deputy sheriff discovered that his employee portal showed several direct deposit payments that he never received and that were made during a period when he did not work for the county. Subsequent review of the county’s payroll data showed that, between May 2023 and April 2025, while Wesleigh Gaddy was Troup County’s Payroll and Benefits Specialist, hundreds of paychecks, totaling more than $550,000, were withdrawn from county accounts in the names of more than 60 former Troup County employees. None of the employees worked for the county at the time of the payments, and all the funds went into accounts controlled by Gaddy.
Gaddy spent the stolen funds on inventory and staffing for her side business, Cedar Creek Ranch Boutique, which she had planned to expand into a feed store at the time her theft was revealed. Gaddy also used the funds to pay for three horses, a horse trailer, a horse trainer, expenses for her numerous rodeos, and everyday expenses, such as clothing and dining out. Also, during the period of her theft, Gaddy and her then-husband purchased a travel camper and a boat.
Multiple Troup County employees provided written statements at Gaddy’s sentencing, explaining the direct impact her actions had on their lives, including causing their tax filings to be incorrect and forcing them to pay taxes on additional income they never received but that Gaddy reported in their names. These sentiments were echoed by Troup County Manager Eric Mosley and Troup County Human Resources Director Valerie Heard, who testified at Gaddy’s sentencing, telling the Court that Gaddy’s actions not only impacted the victim employees, but all Troup County citizens, who lost faith in their local public officials.
Since Gaddy’s arrest, Mosley and Heard have fielded phone calls from Troup County citizens upset by Gaddy’s theft of their tax dollars. Mosley and Heard explained that the Troup County Board of Commissioners has been working hard to regain that trust by ensuring that Gaddy’s actions could not be repeated by anyone else in the future.
Wesleigh Gaddy, 36, of Hogansville, Georgia, was sentenced to one year, six months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release and was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $558,943.17. Gaddy was convicted of theft from a program receiving federal funds on October 6, 2025, when she pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany L. Rupert prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Former Special Police Officer Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison for Violating Arrestee’s RightsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Brigette O. Robertson, 40, a former special police officer residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to 12 months in prison in connection with violating the constitutional rights of a detained citizen by stomping on her face in June 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Robertson pleaded guilty on July 22, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Dabney L. Friedrich to a misdemeanor count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
According to court documents, on June 24, 2023, Robertson was employed by Specific Protection Services, LLC., as a Special Police Officer (SPO). She was licensed in the District of Columbia to act and to carry out law enforcement actions as an SPO. That day, while in full uniform and vested with police powers, Robertson was providing security services at a McDonald’s restaurant on the 3900 block of Minnesota Avenue, NE.
At about 3:30 p.m., Robertson got into a verbal altercation with a patron at the restaurant. The altercation escalated into a physical confrontation. Metropolitan Police Department officers responded to the scene. After the patron was under the control of an MPD officer, the patron remained prone on the ground. Robertson stepped over the patron and, while doing so, stomped on the patron’s face. The stomp to the face caused the patron to experience pain and bleeding. The stomp was without legal justification and in violation of the individual’s constitutional rights.
Joining in U.S. Attorney in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
Use-of-force investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews police-involved use of force to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law. To prove civil rights violations, prosecutors must typically be able to prove that the involved officers willfully used more force than was reasonably necessary. Proving “willfulness” is a heavy burden. Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely.
The FBI Washington Field Office and the Metropolitan Police Department Internal Affairs Division investigated the case. Prosecuting the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Truscott for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia’s Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
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Former Shaw AFB Daycare Worker Indicted for Assaulting ChildrenRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a seven-count indictment, presented by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, charging Tyrel Mack, 29, of Florence, for physically assaulting minor victims.
The indictment alleges that Mack was an employee at a child development and youth center on Shaw Air Force Base near Sumter. This center provides childcare to US Airforce service members and their families. In November 2025, Mack was assigned to work in a classroom serving children from ages 3-years-old to 5-years-old. The indictment charges Mack with assaulting four different minor victims on seven different occasions. Mack is alleged to have kicked, hit, struck, and intentionally stepped on the minor victims, all of whom were younger than 5-years-old.
Mack faces a maximum penalty of one year for each of the seven charges.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Airforce Security Forces Squadron. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Scott Matthews and Elle E. Klein are prosecuting the case.
All charges in the indictment are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former Coal Company Executive Convicted in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — A federal jury convicted a former vice president of Corsa Coal Corporation (Corsa) for his role in a multi-year scheme to bribe Egyptian government officials in connection with nearly $140 million in coal supply contracts.
“Charles Hunter Hobson won business for his company by paying bribes — and he even took a cut for himself,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Businessmen and companies that pay bribes to foreign government officials to win contracts undermine the rule of law and distort competition, which hurts American business interests worldwide. The Criminal Division will continue its commitment to vindicating our national interests by combatting foreign corruption in violation of U.S. law.”
“Bribing officials of foreign governments to obtain business, and then laundering that money, is illegal, corrupts the global marketplace, and disadvantages law-abiding U.S. companies,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Along with our law enforcement colleagues at the FBI and other agencies, we will continue to investigate and bring to justice defendants such as Charles Hobson who seek to enrich themselves while engaging in flagrant, fraudulent conduct.”
"Hobson used his leadership position at Corsa to bribe Egyptian government officials and secure millions of dollars in sales contracts for the company," said Assistant Director in Charge Darren Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. "Through this bribery scheme, he violated American and Egyptian laws and robbed law-abiding coal companies of the chance to compete for profits. His conviction is the latest result of the FBI's work to investigate individuals who resort to corrupt practices to increase international business."
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Charles Hunter Hobson, 50, of Knoxville, Tennessee, agreed to bribe Egyptian government officials to obtain and retain business with Al Nasr Company for Coke and Chemicals (Al Nasr), which was then a state-owned and state-controlled chemical manufacturing company in Egypt. Hobson, together with others, paid the bribes through purported sales commissions and laundered the bribes through bank accounts in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Hobson also secretly received kickback payments as part of the scheme.
The evidence at trial showed that, between 2016 and 2020, Hobson, who was then a vice president at Corsa responsible for international sales, conspired to and did pay bribes to Egyptian government officials — whom Hobson referred to as “the Team” — in order to win contracts for Corsa to sell coal products to Al Nasr. The bribes were paid through an intermediary in Egypt, who, received more than $4.8 million in purported sales commissions. In addition to using the corrupt commissions to pay bribes, the intermediary paid Hobson over $200,000 in kickbacks from the scheme.
The jury convicted Hobson of one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), two counts of violating the FCPA, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of the FCPA and FCPA conspiracy counts, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy, money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy counts, respectively. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Frederick Cushmore, Jr., another Corsa executive, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and is awaiting sentencing. The department resolved its investigation into Corsa in March 2023 through a declination and the disgorgement of profits as defined in Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy.
The FBI’s International Corruption Unit in Washington, D.C., and the Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Natalie Kanerva and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Former Coal Company Executive Convicted in International Bribery and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a former vice president of Corsa Coal Corporation (Corsa) for his role in a multi-year scheme to bribe Egyptian government officials in connection with nearly $140 million in coal supply contracts.
“Charles Hunter Hobson won business for his company by paying bribes — and he even took a cut for himself,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Businessmen and companies that pay bribes to foreign government officials to win contracts undermine the rule of law and distort competition, which hurts American business interests worldwide. The Criminal Division will continue its commitment to vindicating our national interests by combatting foreign corruption in violation of U.S. law.”
“Bribing officials of foreign governments to obtain business, and then laundering that money, is illegal, corrupts the global marketplace, and disadvantages law-abiding U.S. companies,” said U.S. Attorney Troy Rivetti for the Western District of Pennsylvania. “Along with our law enforcement colleagues at the FBI and other agencies, we will continue to investigate and bring to justice defendants such as Charles Hobson who seek to enrich themselves while engaging in flagrant, fraudulent conduct.”
“Hobson used his leadership position at Corsa to bribe Egyptian government officials and secure millions of dollars in sales contracts for the company,” said Assistant Director in Charge Darren Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office. “Through this bribery scheme, he violated American and Egyptian laws and robbed law-abiding coal companies of the chance to compete for profits. His conviction is the latest result of the FBI's work to investigate individuals who resort to corrupt practices to increase international business.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Charles Hunter Hobson, 50, of Knoxville, Tennessee, agreed to bribe Egyptian government officials to obtain and retain business with Al Nasr Company for Coke and Chemicals (Al Nasr), which was then a state-owned and state-controlled chemical manufacturing company in Egypt. Hobson, together with others, paid the bribes through purported sales commissions and laundered the bribes through bank accounts in the United States and the United Arab Emirates. Hobson also secretly received kickback payments as part of the scheme.
The evidence at trial showed that, between 2016 and 2020, Hobson, who was then a vice president at Corsa responsible for international sales, conspired to and did pay bribes to Egyptian government officials — whom Hobson referred to as “the Team” — in order to win contracts for Corsa to sell coal products to Al Nasr. The bribes were paid through an intermediary in Egypt, who, received more than $4.8 million in purported sales commissions. In addition to using the corrupt commissions to pay bribes, the intermediary paid Hobson over $200,000 in kickbacks from the scheme.
The jury convicted Hobson of one count of conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), two counts of violating the FCPA, one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering, two counts of money laundering, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison on each of the FCPA and FCPA conspiracy counts, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering conspiracy, money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy counts, respectively. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Frederick Cushmore Jr., another Corsa executive, previously pleaded guilty for his role in the scheme and is awaiting sentencing. The department resolved its investigation into Corsa in March 2023 through a declination and the disgorgement of profits as defined in Part I of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy.
The FBI’s International Corruption Unit in Washington, D.C., and the Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Natalie Kanerva and Ligia Markman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Stockey for the Western District of Pennsylvania are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act (FEPA) matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA and FEPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Five Individuals Charged with Multi-Million Dollar Mortgage and Apartment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Five individuals have been charged for their alleged involvement in a scheme to obtain millions of dollars of mortgage loans and dozens of luxury apartment leases by submitting fraudulent applications and forged financial records.
The following individuals have been indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire and bank fraud:
- Sniders Jean-Jacques, 38, of Miami;
- German Olivo, 41, of Weston, Fla.;
- Jim Kelly Michel, 50, of Delray Beach, Fla.;
- Tanya Pierre, 28, of Miami; and
- Rosalie Clement-Jackson, 55, of Sunrise, Fla.
Jean-Jacques and Pierre were arrested and appeared in federal court in Miami. Olivo, Michel and Clement-Jackson were also arrested and appeared in federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The defendants will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, Jean-Jacques operated a purported tax preparation and credit repair business with offices in Boston and Miami. For Jean-Jacques’s clients with poor credit who needed a mortgage loan or apartment rental (“Fraudulent Applicants”) the defendants allegedly conspired to prepare fake paystubs and forged bank statements. They allegedly obtained so-called “tradelines,” in which the Fraudulent Applicants were added to the credit accounts of individuals with strong credit histories, in order to fraudulently boost the Fraudulent Applicants’ credit scores. Additionally, it is alleged that they used other people’s identities to hide the Fraudulent Applicants’ savings and credit history from mortgage lenders and landlords.
Kelly Michel allegedly provided the tradelines and victim Social Security numbers for the Fraudulent Applicants to use. Olivo allegedly altered the Fraudulent Applicants’ bank statements to show significant balances and deposits corresponding to fake paystubs Jean-Jacques allegedly sent him, all to suggest the Fraudulent Applicants’ ability to pay a lender or landlord. It is further alleged that Pierre worked as Jean-Jacques’s assistant and allowed Jean-Jacques to use her identity to rent apartments in Miami on behalf of Fraudulent Applicants in order to hide the true tenants’ identities from landlords. Clement-Jackson allegedly worked as a mortgage broker and directed Fraudulent Applicants to Jean-Jacques for fake paystubs and forged bank statements. It is alleged that, between in or about May 2018 and in or about June 2025, the defendants and others applied for more than $6.7 million and obtained more than $3.7 million, in mortgage loans from lenders and applied for and obtained dozens of apartment rentals for Fraudulent Applicants.
Jean-Jacques and Pierre were also charged in a separate indictment with conspiracy to commit wire fraud related to a scheme to obtain loans under the Paycheck Protection Program.
The charge of wire and bank fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the scheme, 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.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Special Agent in Charge of the Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region; and Randy Maloney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Housing Finance Agency Office of Inspector General and the Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Final man pleads guilty in multimillion-dollar Ponzi schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Katy resident has admitted to his role in a scheme to defraud dozens of victims of over $17 million, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Christopher Knight Lopez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
From May 2015 to January 2025, he and his brother, Jayson Lopez, conspired with others to defraud their clients by providing false information about the companies in which the clients invested. They used forged bank letters and fabricated account statements to mislead investors about the companies’ financial strength.
They operated under several LLCs, to include Knight Nguyen Investments, Knight Advisory and Planning, Aevum Holdings Inc., Exempt Management LLC, and Ping An Financial Services Pte.
The Lopez brothers misappropriated their clients’ funds for personal use and to pay purported returns to other investors to mislead their clients into believing their investments were profitable.
Christopher and Jayson Lopez also admitted they falsely claimed access to $2 billion in U.S. Treasury bonds. They told their clients they could use these funds to finance their clients’ businesses if the clients paid large advance fees. The brothers collected the fees from their clients but never issued the loans.
The scam resulted in an approximate loss of $17 million for over 40 victims that included senior citizens and others looking to invest their retirement savings and children’s college funds, as well as local and international businesses.
“These defendants turned an investment firm into their own personal piggy bank, leaving shattered futures in their wake. Christopher Knight Lopez’s clients trusted him with their life savings—he rewarded that trust with lies in the form of false promises, forged documents, and fictitious assets,” said Ganjei. “The Southern District of Texas can be counted upon to relentlessly pursue those who would financially prey on members of our community. Be warned; if your business model is nothing more than a scam, and your clients are nothing more than intended victims, you can expect a visit from us.”
“For over a decade, Christopher Lopez shamelessly defrauded senior citizens, local businesses, close friends, and international acquaintances out of more than $17 million through deceit and lies,” said Special Agent in Charge of FBI Houston Jason Hudson. “Even after being federally charged, Lopez continued to scam victims, resulting in a superseding indictment. Today’s conviction is a testament to the FBI’s commitment to aggressively pursue fraudulent schemes that target members of our communities, especially our senior citizens.”
U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea and set sentencing for May 7. At that time, Lopez faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Jayson Lopez, 43, Orlando, Florida, previously pleaded guilty to the same charge. He is set for sentencing April 2, 2026.
Nadir Abdel Torres 46, Mandan, North Dakota, was also charged and previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, admitting he assisted the brothers by helping them obtain the forged letters and bank statements. He faces up to five years at his sentencing, which is set for March 12.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin R. Martin is prosecuting the case.
Felon Who Stole 100 Guns Sentenced to 100 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Thursday sentenced a man who stole about 100 firearms to 100 months in prison.
Jeremy Lorenz, 31, of St. Charles, pleaded guilty in October to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted stealing the guns from a federal firearms licensee’s storage site in St. Louis County on Nov. 15, 2024. Lorenz was arrested four days later and officers found him with a pistol and a shotgun that had been reported stolen. Investigators caught him with a stolen pistol the next day. They found six stolen guns in the car he was driving and 13 more in his girlfriend’s home. In an interview with investigators, Lorenz admitted being a convicted felon and stealing the guns. He also told agents that he’d sold some of the guns, and agents have been able to recover about 75 of the stolen firearms so far.
“Stealing 100 firearms is a brazen act that puts communities at immediate risk,” said Bernard “Butch” Hansen, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. “We recovered most of the stolen firearms, but every weapon taken in this theft had the potential to fuel violent crime. Stolen guns routinely end up in the hands of people who are prohibited from possessing them. We are grateful for the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the partnership from St. Louis County Police Department and the Missouri State Highway Patrol that ensured justice was served. This case demonstrates that those who traffic in stolen guns will be held accountable.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, St. Louis County Police Department and Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg prosecuted the case.
Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Pistol That He Fired Inside a SE Apartment ComplexRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Larry Johnson, 26, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 50 months in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a 9mm pistol that he fired twice inside of an apartment where a woman and her two children were present, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Johnson pleaded guilty Nov. 5, 2025, before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to a count of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 50-month prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Johnson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Aug. 10, 2025, Metropolitan Police officers responded to the 2200 block of Town Center Drive, SE. Officers learned of an altercation that had occurred about 11:36 p.m. inside an apartment on the fourth floor. During the altercation, Johnson fired a gun twice while inside of the apartment in the presence of a woman and her children.
Officers recovered a Springfield-Armory XD-9 Mod.2 Sub-Compact 9mm pistol from a shelf in a bedroom closet. Johnson was not licensed to possess a firearm in the District and had been previously convicted on a felony robbery count in Montgomery County, Maryland.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caelainn Carney.
Officers recovered a Springfield-Armory XD-9 Mod.2 Sub-Compact 9mm pistol from a shelf in a bedroom closet.
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Federal grand jury indicts man arrested with weapons near airportRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury today indicted the man who allegedly had multiple loaded guns near the John Glenn Columbus International Airport last month.
William T. Griffith, 40, of Delaware, Ohio, was charged by federal criminal complaint in January. The indictment returned today charges him with illegally possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
According to charging documents, on Jan. 9, local law enforcement responded to a 911 call at approximately 4am regarding Griffith trespassing in a construction area at the airport. Law enforcement officers discovered firearms at the scene. The indictment details Griffith possessing a rifle, a pistol and a revolver.
At the time of Griffith’s arrest, he was dressed in military-style fatigue trousers. Body armor with ceramic plates and a ballistic helmet with night vision were also located nearby.
In 2011, Griffith was convicted of kidnapping, prohibiting him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, and members of the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Damoun Delaviz is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Federal Jury Convicts Los Angeles Man Caught Transporting 30 Kilograms of Methamphetamine in OklahomaRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted GUSTAVO DE ALBA, 48, of Los Angeles, California, of drug conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to the public record, on June 13, 2025, law enforcement stopped a vehicle being driven by De Alba, on I-40 near Sayre, Oklahoma. After a K-9 unit alerted to the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle, law enforcement searched the vehicle and recovered approximately 30 kilograms of methamphetamine stored in a sophisticated after-market compartment concealed behind the backseat. De Alba and the passenger, codefendant WALTER LUIS ZAPATA MANZANARES, 36, also of Los Angeles, California, were arrested.
On July 1, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged De Alba and Zapata Manzanares with drug conspiracy and possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. On February 18, 2026, after a two-day trial, a federal jury found De Alba guilty on both counts. Zapata Manzanares had previously pleaded guilty to a Superseding Information charging drug conspiracy on October 9, 2025.
At sentencing, De Alba faces up to life in federal prison and fines of up to $20 million, and Zapata Manzanares faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $1,000,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hoch and Drew E. Davis are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Federal Jury Convicts Lexington Man for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SPARTANBURG, S.C. — William Steven Wooten, 46, of Lexington, has been convicted by a federal jury following two days of trial. Wooten was found guilty on one count of possession of child sexual abuse material.*
Evidence introduced at trial showed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was conducting a stolen valor investigation related to Wooten’s possession and use of a fraudulent form DD-214, a military discharge document. Wooten purported to be a combat veteran and to have earned a Purple Heart. In truth, Wooten had never served in the military. Wooten used the fraudulent document in an effort to obtain employment and to convince a single mother that he was an upstanding citizen who could be trusted around her young children.
The FBI obtained a search warrant for Wooten’s phone and discovered child sexual abuse material, in addition to the fraudulent DD-214. FBI forensic examiners located 203 images depicting child sexual abuse. Search terms indicated Wooten was seeking images of young girls, including children being abused by adult males.
Just eight months before the FBI found Wooten in possession of child sexual abuse material and the fraudulent discharge document, Wooten was found guilty in state court for criminal sexual conduct with a minor. Approximately two weeks before his federal trial, Wooten pleaded guilty to possessing the fraudulent DD-214.
Wooten faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years on the child sexual abuse material conviction, a fine of up to $250,000, and restitution. U.S. District Judge Donald C. Coggins presided over the trial and will sentence Wooten after receiving and reviewing a pre-sentence report from the U.S. Probation Office.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bill Watkins and Winston Marosek are prosecuting the case.
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Federal Charges Filed Against Sacramento Man for Possessing a Firearm in a School ZoneRead the Press Release
A criminal complaint was filed today against Brian Richard Girardot Jr., 20, of Sacramento, charging him with possessing a firearm within a school zone, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Feb. 18, 2026, Girardot, a previous student at St. Mary Parish School, dropped his younger relative off at St. Mary Parish School in Sacramento. Girardot returned at approximately 9:30 a.m. and walked onto the property of St. Mary Catholic Church/St. Mary Parish School. He walked to the front of the church building and attempted to enter with a loaded firearm. The church was in the process of holding an Ash Wednesday mass, which had begun at 8 a.m. Girardot had additional ammunition and a camouflage jacket in his vehicle, which he had parked nearby.
Law enforcement conducted a search of Girardot’s home and found a series of handwritten notes in a stack in his bedroom that contained references to suicide and threats.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Police Department are conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong is prosecuting the case.
In addition to the federal charge, Girardot has been charged criminally in state court.
If convicted, Girardot faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Fayette County Man Sentenced for Threatening a Kentucky Commonwealth AttorneyRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. – A Lexington, Ky., man, Christopher Rhodes, 41, was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Claria Horn Boom to 42 months for interstate communication of a threat.
According to his plea agreement, on May 22, 2025, Rhodes used his Google account to send an email to Jackie Steele, who is the Commonwealth Attorney for Laurel and Knox Counties. Rhodes intended the email as a threat and specifically indicated that Steele needed curtains in his residence and made references to his wife and children and that he should fear for the safety of his family. This message was sent as part of a series of emails that spanned multiple weeks that expressed Rhodes’ anger with Steele based on Steele’s service as Commonwealth Attorney.
Under federal law, Rhodes must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The U.S. Attorney’s Office was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Parman.
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El Paso Real Estate Accountant Sentenced to Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso woman was sentenced in federal court Wednesday to 33 months in prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, Carol Talamantes, 61, was employed as a certified public accountant for multiple real estate businesses operating in Texas and New Mexico, from which she stole $603,738.96 between Oct. 20, 2020, and Oct. 31, 2024. Talamantes fraudulently wrote company checks to herself, electronically transferred money from company bank accounts to her personal bank accounts, and transferred funds to herself via Automatic Clearing House (ACH) transactions through the real estate businesses. Talamantes initiated more than 90 fraudulent transactions from the real estate businesses directly to herself and used the proceeds for her own personal benefit, including to pay her home mortgage and personal credit card bill.
On Sept. 26, 2025, Talamantes was summoned to federal court, where she pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and was granted a $20,000 bond. She also agreed to a money judgment of $603,738.96.
The FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Countryman prosecuted the case.
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Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 17 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today that Franklin Ryan, 45, of Sparks, Nevada, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in eastern Idaho.
According to court records, Ryan sold large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in eastern Idaho between March and September of 2024, including eight pounds of methamphetamine he sold to another person. Investigators recovered financial records that showed that over $100,000 in drug proceeds were funneled through accounts controlled by Ryan, indicating he was involved in a large-scale drug distribution operation. Ryan also illegally possessed and sold firearms as a part of his methamphetamine and fentanyl distribution business.
Ryan pleaded guilty to the charge on August 26, 2025. Four other defendants are charged as co-conspirators in the same case. Their cases are still pending.
U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Ryan serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
U.S. Attorney Davis made the announcement and commended the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Idaho State Police, which led to the charges.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe McLane prosecuted the case.
This case was investigated through the Federal Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the Idaho State Police and the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force.
The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies
that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region.
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Dauphin County Man Indicted for Production, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG—The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gregory Strickland, age 45, of Hummelstown, Pennsylvania, was indicted on February 18, 2026, by a federal grand jury for production, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Strickland used a minor to produce child pornography on 12 separate occasions in 2022, 2023, and 2024. The indictment further alleges that Strickland received child pornography via the Kik application in 2022 and 2025 and possessed child pornography in 2025.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Christian T. Haugsby is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum total penalties for the offenses charged are 420 years’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release of up to life following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Distribution, Receipt, and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Robert Redding, 43, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 35 years’ imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Gerald J. Pappert for child pornography offenses. Judge Pappert also ordered Redding to pay $25,000 in restitution to the minor victims.
The defendant was charged by indictment in March of last year with one count of distribution and attempted distribution of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography. In August, he pleaded guilty to all charges.
As detailed in court filings and statements, Redding had previously served more than a decade in prison for hands-on sexual offenses committed against a 13-year-old girl, and after his release, was required to register as a sex offender under Megan’s Law.
While still under the supervision of Pennsylvania State Parole, Redding resumed his criminal activities, this time by participating in an online child pornography community, trading videos depicting children, including some as young as babies and toddlers, being raped by adult men, and uploading images of child sexual abuse to online accounts.
The defendant committed some of these new crimes while residing at Kintock Residential Reentry Center as a condition of his state parole and used at least one electronic device unknown to and unauthorized by his parole officer, to commit some of the offenses.
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 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 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kelly Harrell and Eileen Castilla Geiger.
Colombian Transnational Robbery Crew Member Pleads Guilty to $5 Million Dollar Organized Jewelry Theft Ring in MiamiRead the Press Release
MIAMI – The last member of a transnational Colombian robbery crew in Miami pleaded guilty on Feb. 12 for his role in a series of robberies of and thefts from jewelry couriers that targeted high-end retailers and resulted in losses exceeding $5 million dollars. Leroy Ortega, also known as “El Enano,” 43, of Miami, was the last of 11 defendants indicted as part of an operation against South American theft groups operating in the Southern District of Florida.
The 11 defendants were each convicted as part of Operation Boujee Bandits, an investigation of a Colombian South American Theft Group targeting jewelry salespersons in South Florida and elsewhere. The investigation resulted in three indictments and an information that charged robberies and money laundering activity from September 2019 to July 2021.
“This transnational theft crew came to the United States to steal from American businesses and preyed upon unsuspecting, hard-working citizens who were just trying to do their jobs as jewelry couriers,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Leroy Ortega played an integral role with other already convicted defendants to execute sophisticated, high-value robberies that caused millions of dollars in losses. The Criminal Division will investigate and prosecute organized theft networks and hold to account those individuals who participated in them at all levels.”
“These defendants operated as part of a coordinated South American theft group that targeted hardworking jewelry couriers and sales professionals transporting high-value diamonds, watches, and other merchandise,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They followed their victims from jewelry exchanges, used fraudulent identification to rent vehicles, and relied on force and violence to steal valuable inventory. Those who commit organized robberies in South Florida will face federal prosecution and significant prison time. We will continue dismantling theft crews that threaten the safety of our community and the integrity of our marketplace.”
“Eliminating these brazen South American Theft Groups reinforces the FBI’s mission of ensuring public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “With our hardworking special agents, analysts, and professional staff triaging leads and sharing threat intelligence with law enforcement partners around the world, we’ve been able to efficiently and effectively disrupt these criminal groups.”
According to court documents, Ortega was part of a group that forcefully took jewelry and other property from victims they believed were in the business of buying and selling jewelry throughout South Florida. To commit the robberies, defendants rented vehicles using false identification documents to follow jewelry salespersons from the International Jewelry Exchanges or the Seybold Jewelry Building. They would then rob victims of the jewelry that they were transporting, sometimes brandishing a knife-like weapon to ensure victims’ compliance.
Ortega admitted that he committed two robberies. On Oct. 16, 2019, Ortega and his co-defendants identified a person they believed was carrying a case of jewelry. In fact, the victim was not a jewelry courier but rather a professional photographer who had been photographing jewelry. Following the victim to a shopping center, co-defendant Allan Lucas, 33, of Miami, pushed the photographer and Ortega grabbed the photographer’s case, which contained photography equipment and a computer. The photographer chased Ortega and Lucas to their get-away car. When the photographer tried to open the car door to get his case back, Ortega reversed the car, causing injury as the photographer was thrown to the ground.
Then, on Nov. 7, 2019, Ortega and his co-conspirators, including defendants Andres Barahona Poveda, 51, a national of Colombia, and Edwin Castillo, 45, of Pembroke Pines, robbed a jewelry salesman of approximately $125,000 of assorted jewelry. Ortega and his co-conspirators followed the salesman to his business in Miami Beach. As the salesman sat in the vehicle, Ortega approached and smashed the salesman’s windows while another co-conspirator took the salesman’s backpack containing the jewelry. When the salesman tried to exit the vehicle, Ortega held the salesman’s door shut trapping him inside the vehicle. To conduct the robbery, defendant Carlos Morales, 47, of Miami rented a vehicle using a fraudulent Venezuelan driver’s license.
Ortega pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Defendants convicted under this Operation, in addition to Ortega, include the following:
Allan Lucas, who was sentenced to 168 months in prison;
Diana Grisales Basto, 41, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 97 months in prison;
Carlos Morales, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison;
Giovanni Cardenas, also known as“El Mono,” 40, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 110 months in prison;
Andres Barahona Poveda, who was sentenced to 87 months in prison;
Edwin Castillo, who was sentenced to 108 months in prison;
Demian Gonzalez Contreras, 30, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 74 months in prison;
Victor Fabian Valenzuela, 39, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 57 months in prison;
Hernando Rodriguez Mahecha, also known as “Nando,” 42, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison; and
Mark Simon, 57, of New York, was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
The FBI Tampa Field Office is leading the investigation of the case with valuable assistance from the FBI Miami Field Office, Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Boca Raton Police Department, Palm Beach Sherriff’s Office, Boynton Beach Police Department, Fort Pierce Police Department, and the Jewelry Security Alliance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Dobbins for the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Lakeita F. Rox-Love and Christopher D. Usher II of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting 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 23-cr-20272.
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Chinese National sentenced for role in pig butchering schemeRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Chinese national has been sentenced to federal prison for his role in a scheme to launder the proceeds of cryptocurrency investment scams and other fraudulent schemes involving millions of dollars in victim funds, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Fei Liao, 31, of San Gabriel, California, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge J. Campbell Barker on February 19, 2026. Liao was ordered to forfeit over $2.3 million in seized currency and to pay restitution of more than $2.8 million to the victims that directed money to his accounts.
According to information presented in court, Liao and others conspired to open shell companies and bank accounts to launder victim proceeds of cryptocurrency confidence schemes – also known as “pig butchering” scams. Pig butchering fraud schemes (a term derived from a foreign-language phrase used to describe these crimes) consist of scammers encountering victims on dating services or social media, or through unsolicited messages or calls, often masquerading as a wrong number. Scammers initiate relationships with victims and slowly gain their trust, eventually introducing the idea of making investments using cryptocurrency. Once funds are sent to scammer-controlled accounts, the investment platform often falsely shows significant gains on the purported investment, and the victims are thus induced to make additional investments. Ultimately, the victims are unable to withdraw or recover their invested funds and suffer significant financial losses.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, Tyler Resident Office and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Austin Wells.
If you or someone you know is a victim, report it to www.IC3.gov. In the report, please reference “Pig Butchering PSA” and include as much information as possible in the complaint including names of investment platforms, cryptocurrency addresses and transaction hashes, bank account information, and names and contact information of suspected scammers. Maintain copies of all communications with scammers and records of financial transactions.
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Chinese National Found Guilty of Smuggling 207 Pounds of Marijuana into the United StatesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Wenjian Zhuo, age 32, a Chinese national and lawful permanent resident of the United States, has been found guilty of possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute following a jury trial in federal court in Syracuse.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Robert Garcia, Chief of United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, and Farhana Islam, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Enforcement Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), made the announcement.
Evidence presented during the two-day trial proved that on January 22, 2025, Zhuo drove from New York City to the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation where his van was loaded with 94 kilograms (approximately 207 pounds) of marijuana. Zhuo began to transport the marijuana back to New York City where he intended to deliver it when Border Patrol pulled him over and seized the marijuana.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated, “For far too long, criminal networks have exploited the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation as a gateway for smuggling illegal drugs into our country. We will not tolerate anyone using this border region as a safe haven for trafficking. If you attempt to move narcotics through this corridor, you will be investigated, arrested, prosecuted, and held fully accountable. Border Patrol and DEA work every day to close this valve and this time, they were successful.”
Chief of United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector Robert Garcia stated, “Swanton Sector Border Patrol agents remain vigilant in protecting the nation from the dangers posed by human and narcotics trafficking. This case demonstrates the dedication and teamwork of our agents and all our law enforcement partners in the area, including the United States Attorney’s Office, in intercepting illicit drugs before they reach our communities. We also commend the United States Attorney’s Office for their dedication to prosecuting those who attempt to exploit our border for criminal activity, ensuring they are held accountable and brought to justice.”
DEA Special Agent in Charge of the New York Enforcement Division Farhana Islam stated, “Once again, justice is being delivered to those criminal networks and individuals flooding the Northeast corridor with illegal marijuana. Today’s guilty verdict against Wenjian Zhuo reinforces our commitment to identify, target, and prosecute all those who profit from illicit drug distribution. The DEA New York Enforcement Division remains steadfast in our pursuit of holding accountable anyone trafficking drugs across our borders and into our neighborhoods.”
Zhuo will be sentenced on June 23, 2026, by United States Senior District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby, who presided over the trial. The charge of conviction against Zhuo carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
Border Patrol and DEA investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer prosecuted the case
Chesapeake man sentenced to 10 years in prison for attempting to receive a meth deliveryRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for attempted possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on March 18, 2025, law enforcement intercepted a parcel containing 2,618 grams of methamphetamine addressed to a residence on Rystrom Run in Chesapeake. After intercepting the package, investigators replaced the meth with sham narcotics and conducted a controlled delivery. The package was brought into the residence by a child. Geno Cassell Smith, 64, later entered the residence and opened the package.
Soon afterward, investigators entered the residence and executed a search warrant. The investigators found the sham narcotics as well as a handgun with two magazines. Smith previously was convicted of marijuana possession and distribution and assault and battery on a family member. As a previously convicted felon, Smith cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, Virginia Beach Police Department, and Virginia Beach Sheriff’s Office with the assistance of K9 “Pablo” investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda L. Cheney and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Anne Cournoyer prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-104.
Career Offender from Alexander Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Kevin Williams, who has been convicted of multiple drug and gun felonies, will spend the next 15 years in federal prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by United States District Judge D.P. Marshall, Jr.
A federal grand jury indicted Williams, 46, of Alexander, in a three-count Indictment for being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. On September 22, 2025, Williams pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. At the time, Williams was already serving state sentences for possession of a firearm by certain persons and possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver. Judge Marshall ordered the 180-month federal sentence to be served consecutively to Williams’ state sentences, and also sentenced Williams to three years’ supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
In March 2023, an investigation revealed that Williams, who was on active parole with a search waiver on file, was in possession of a large amount of methamphetamine and firearms. On March 20, 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration executed a search warrant at the hotel room where Williams resided. During the search of Williams’ hotel room, agents located 900 grams of methamphetamine in a suitcase and 850 grams of methamphetamine in a safe. Agents also located in the safe a Canik, Model TP9SF 9mm loaded firearm containing 15 rounds of ammunition, 107.5 grams of marijuana, five pills marked “M30,” and a digital scale. Agents located a second safe in the room that contained $10,900.
Williams has at least two prior convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense and is therefore classified as a career offender. His criminal history includes four convictions for possession of methamphetamine with purpose to deliver, three convictions for possession of drug paraphernalia, and a conviction for possession of firearms by certain persons.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Field Division, Little Rock District Office, and the Saline County Sheriff’s Office, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Saline County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Edward Walker.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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California man sentenced to nine years in prison for trafficking victims in prostitutionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A California man was sentenced today to nine years in prison for coercion and enticement to travel in interstate for prostitution, which involved two adult women.
According to court documents, in August 2023, Demarco Raushi Coney-Jones II, 31, of Merced, coerced a victim to travel from Las Vegas, Nevada, to Alexandria, Virginia, to engage in prostitution. Between Oct. 2 and Oct. 8, 2023, Coney-Jones coerced another victim to travel to Alexandria, this time from California, to engage in prostitution.
Coney-Jones committed part of this offense while detained on charges stemming from his alleged involvement in the theft of jewelry valued at more than $3 million from a sex buyer of one of his trafficking victims. Despite a prior conviction for possessing an unregistered firearm, Coney-Jones possessed a stolen handgun and an AK-47 assault rifle with an obliterated serial number at the time of his arrest.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the FBI Baltimore Field Office and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Meredith J. Edwards prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-176.
This release was revised on February 27, 2026, to recognize the assistance of the FBI Baltimore Field Office and the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office.
California Man Found Guilty of Eight Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
A California man who helped bring methamphetamine and fentanyl from California to Iowa was convicted by a jury today after a three-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Joshua James Cannady, age 51, from Yucca Valley, California, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and seven counts of distribution of a controlled substance. The verdict was returned this afternoon following about 90 minutes of jury deliberations.
The evidence at trial showed that Cannady worked with others to send methamphetamine and fentanyl to Cedar Rapids and Mount Vernon, Iowa, between May 2023 and November 2024. Law enforcement officers seized over 500 grams of actual methamphetamine and 1,700 fentanyl pills from seven different packages sent from California. Cannady’s fingerprints were on three of the packages.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Cannady remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Cannady faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of lifetime imprisonment, a $43,000,000 fine, and a lifetime term of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Michael Hudson and Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards, and it was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Postal Inspection Services, the United States Marshals Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the San Bernardino County, California, Sheriff’s Office,
the Riverside County, California, Sheriff’s Office, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Mount Vernon-Lisbon Police Department, and the Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-00025-CJW.
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Box Elder man sentenced to over 4 years in prison for assault on Rocky Boy’s Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Box Elder man who impaled an individual’s eye with a cane on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Mario Patacsil, Jr., 57, pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
U.S. District Judge William W. Mercer presided.
The government alleged in court documents that On July 22, 2024, law enforcement officers were dispatched to a house after a 911 call reporting that the defendant, Mario Patacsil, Jr., had shot John Doe in the arm. When officers arrived, Doe stated that he had not been shot, but Patacsil had beaten him with a wooden cane and stuck him in the eye. Officers could see Doe’s right eye was swollen and had a circular wound around it. The wound appeared consistent with being prodded with the bottom of a cane. Doe also had bruising on his forearm. The officers arrested Patacsil and found a wooden cane in his car.
The FBI interviewed both Doe and Patacsil. Both described an argument that resulted in Patacsil, Jr. “poking” Doe with his cane before he fled the scene.
Doe was seen at Benefis Hospital in Great Falls. He was admitted with a ruptured orbital globe with no vision or light perception in his right eye and underwent surgery. In August, Doe went out of state for additional surgery in an attempt to save his eye. There he underwent a vitrectomy to remove the fluid within his eye, a lensectomy to remove the lens of his eye, and a retinectomy to remove the retina. Doe permanently lost vision in his right eye.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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Bergen County Accountant Admits to Defrauding Investors Through Multi-Million Dollar Ponzi Scheme and Failing to File Income Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County accountant and tax preparer on February 17,2026 admitted to running a Ponzi and bank fraud scheme that bilked victims out of more than $10 million dollars and a related bank fraud scheme, among other crimes, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Evangelos Drosos, 51, of Glen Ridge, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with three counts of wire fraud, one count of bank fraud, and one count of failure to file an individual income tax return.
“For years, Evangelos Drosos abused the confidence his clients placed in him, operating a Ponzi scheme that funneled millions of their hard-earned dollars into his own lifestyle instead of legitimate investments. When investor funds ran dry, he escalated his conduct with additional fraud to keep the scheme going. This guilty plea holds him accountable and sends a clear message: those who run Ponzi schemes and exploit the faith of investors for personal gain will be identified, prosecuted, and brought to justice.”
- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
“Mr. Drosos created a complex fraud scheme that turned trusting investors into devasted victims,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue working with our law enforcement partners to investigate those who betray the public’s trust and hold them accountable.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From 2013 through June 2025, Drosos used various businesses that he controlled to run a Ponzi scheme to falsely represent to his clients and other victim investors that he would manage their money through various investment strategies. In reality, Drosos did not invest his clients’ money and, instead, co-mingled those funds with his other accounts, and used the funds either to repay other investors or pay his personal expenses, including vacations, a luxury vehicle, and real estate. In order to hide the scheme , Drosos provided his victim investors with false account statements. Drosos caused his victims to send him more than approximately $10 million, resulting in aggregate losses of more than approximately $3 million to victims.
In June 2024, the Ponzi scheme fell apart, and Drosos no longer had sufficient investor deposits to repay other investors. To cover his tracks, Drosos engaged in a check-kiting scheme in which he cut checks that exceeded the funds in his bank accounts, then deposited and quickly withdrew funds from other bank accounts before the bogus checks bounced. Using this scheme, Drosos fraudulently obtained nearly $500,000 from the victim banks.
Drosos also admitted that he failed to file an individual income tax return for tax year 2023.
The counts of wire fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000, or twice the gross loss to the victim or gain to the defendant, whichever is greatest. The count of failure to file a tax return carries a maximum penalty of one year in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark; Office of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Mid Atlantic Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Carpenter; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to this guilty plea. He also thanked the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Mark Musella; and the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Daniel M. Perez, for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert L. Toll and George L. Brandley (Unit Chief) of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Health Care Fraud & Opioids Enforcement Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Maximillian Novel, Esq.
drosos.information.pdfBell Man Pleads Guilty to Making Numerous Threats to Kill Newspaper Reporter, Muslims, and PoliticiansRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Peter Daniel Ring, 31, of Bell, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to sending multiple threatening interstate communications to kill or cause physical injuries. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office takes seriously any threat of violence, and we have zero-tolerance for criminal threats directed toward others because of their religious or political affiliation.”
Court documents reveal that in June 2025 the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) received a complaint from the Washington Post newspaper that it had received a threat to kill one of its reporters. The defendant was identified as the source of the threat, and when contacted by the FBI he said he would not make any more threats. However, two months later, the FBI received a tip that the defendant was posting religiously and politically motivated threats of violence against Muslim people, members of the media, and prominent politicians. Between May and September 2025, the defendant made threats to kill or cause physical injury to at least fourteen victims.
Ring faces up to 10 years’ imprisonment upon sentencing, which is scheduled for April 28, 2026, at 4:00 pm, at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The case involved an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigations and 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, human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Armed Church Intruder Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – FERNANDO JESUS VILLEGAS, 41, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 77 months in federal prison for possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public records, on May 21, 2025, the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) responded to a metro church near the intersection of S. Shartel Avenue and SW 25th Street, on reports of an armed intruder. Church members told OCPD that the intruder, later identified as Villegas, forced his way into the basement of the church where there were multiple people, including children, and demanded they help hide him. Witnesses reported that Villegas brandished a handgun, pointing it at a member, and waving it in the air. When officers arrived, Villegas fled from the basement and exited the church but was located and arrested nearby a short time later. During the arrest, officers seized a handgun from his front pocket.
On August 5, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged Villegas with being a felon in possession of a firearm. Villegas pleaded guilty on October 22, 2025, and admitted he possessed a firearm despite his previous felony convictions.
Public records reflect that Villegas has multiple felony convictions in Oklahoma County District Court, including:
- possession of drug proceeds and possession of marijuana in case number CF-2003-3981;
- possession of methamphetamine in case number CF-2015-1908; and
- possession of methamphetamine and aggravated eluding a police officer in case number CF-2016-364.
At the sentencing hearing on February 18, 2026, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Villegas to serve 77 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted its concern for protecting the public considering Villegas’ criminal history.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and OCPD. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nichols, Jr., prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
18 February 2026
West Bloomfield Resident Sentenced for Multi-State Unemployment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A West Bloomfield resident was sentenced today for his role in a multi-state unemployment insurance fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Joining in the announcement were Anthony P. D’Esposito, Inspector General, Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Jason Palmer, Director, Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
Arron Howard, 33, was sentenced to 41 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to committing wire fraud.
According to court records, Howard obtained over $626,000 in fraudulent unemployment insurance benefits for dozens of third-party claimants. Howard admitted that he kept a portion of those fraudulent benefits for himself. In executing his scheme, Howard submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance applications to the states of Arizona, California, and Michigan.
Howard was sentenced by Judge Mark A. Goldsmith. As part of his sentence, Howard was ordered to pay $626,960.88 in restitution.
This case was investigated by the Department of Labor—Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation andthe Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind.
Washington area airbag thieves sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Three men have been sentenced to prison for their roles in a conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation and sale of stolen goods involving an airbag theft ring in the metro Washington area.
According to court documents, in August 2022, Chinese national Yuchen Zhang, 28, and Adisorn Damrongchai, 47, of Alexandria, began stealing airbags from vehicles in Virginia and transporting them to Maryland to sell them to Keith William Smith, 45, of Severn, Maryland, who sold used car parts, including stolen airbags.
On November 13, 2022, Zhang and Damrongchai were arrested in Arlington County just after they had stolen several airbags. Zhang and Damrongchai were in possession of window punches, screwdrivers, pliers, and a hand-held flashlight as well as six stolen airbags.
After their arrest, Zhang and Damrongchai resumed stealing airbags and selling them to Smith. On Sept. 20, 2024, Zhang drove to Silver Spring, Maryland, stole an airbag, and returned to Virginia with it. On Oct. 4, 2024, Zhang picked up Damrongchai from his residence and traveled to neighborhoods in Fairfax and Herndon where they stole airbags from multiple vehicles. Later that day, law enforcement searched Zhang’s residence and vehicles and Damrongchai’s residence and recovered 14 airbags, some of which had been stolen earlier that morning.
Smith paid Damrongchai a total of $47,170 and Zhang a total of $37,220 for stolen airbags. Together, the three men were responsible for hundreds of stolen airbags across northern Virginia.
Zhang pled guilty in Arlington to grand larceny and destruction of property valued in excess of $1,000. On Dec. 18, 2024, he pled guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia to conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation of stolen property and was sentenced on March 7, 2025, to three years and two months in prison. In 2020, Zhang was convicted in the Eastern District of Virginia of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for his role in a $1.1 million fraud scheme involving gift cards. For that conviction, Zhang was sentenced to seven months in prison.
Smith pled guilty on March 10, 2025, and was sentenced on May 28, 2025, to six months in prison.
On February 21, 2025, Damrongchai was convicted in Arlington of tampering with a vehicle, destruction of property, two counts of destruction of property greater than $1000, sale of stolen property greater than $1,000, and possession of burglarious tools. Damrongchai pled guilty in the Eastern District of Virginia on Dec. 3, 2025, to conspiracy to engage in interstate transportation and sale of stolen goods. Damrongchai was sentenced to a total of two years and nine months in prison.
The FBI Washington Field Office, Alexandria Police Department, and Fairfax County Police Department investigated this case with valuable assistance from the Arlington County Police Department, Howard County Police Department, and Manassas City Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyndi McVey prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:24-CR-261 (Zhang), 1:25-CR-58 (Smith), and 1:25-cr-199 (Damrongchai).
USAO Collects More Than $134M from Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
CLEVELAND – United States Attorney David M. Toepfer announced that for fiscal year 2025 (FY2025), the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio (USAO) collected a total of $134,018,633.20 from criminal and civil actions. This includes amounts collected for both the district, as well as other components of the Department of Justice (DOJ).
The USAO collected $18,220,994.34 in total, with $9,650,947 derived from criminal actions and $8,570,047.34 from civil actions. In cases pursued jointly with other DOJ components, the USAO collected an additional $115,797,638.84. Of this amount, $57,063.17 was collected from criminal actions and $115,740,575.67 was collected from civil actions.
In addition to the criminal and civil collections, the USAO, working with partner agencies and divisions, garnered $14,523,149 in asset forfeiture funds in FY2025. Forfeited funds deposited into the Department of Justice Asset Forfeiture Fund are used to restore monies to crime victims and for a variety of other law enforcement purposes.
“These amounts represent the dedication of the men and women in our office who come to work each day on a mission to make sure that justice is served and victims of crime are made whole,” said U.S. Attorney Toepfer. “We are grateful to our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners who work with us to hold both individuals and organizations accountable for breaking federal laws.”
U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country, along with the DOJ’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of some federal crimes, who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid directly to a victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to DOJ’s Crime Victims’ Fund, which then distributes the funds to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Notable cases that contributed to the amounts collected in FY25 include:
U.S. v. Lima Refining Co. – The USAO’s Civil Division and DOJ’s Environmental and Natural Resources Division settled a lawsuit against the Lima Refining Company for violations of the Clean Air Act. This suit related to violations of federal regulations governing emissions standards. The settlement required the Allen County oil refinery to pay a $19 million civil penalty and implement approximately $150 million in capital improvements to reduce emissions of benzene, a carcinogen, as well as other hazardous air pollutants and volatile organic compounds. The civil penalty has been paid in full.
U.S. v. ex rel Novik v. Cosmax USA et al. – This lawsuit was filed by a former employee of Cosmax USA, alleging that false information was submitted in connection with eligibility for Paycheck Protection Program funds. Cosmax USA agreed to pay $6 million to resolve the allegations. Of that amount, $3 million was earmarked for restitution payable to the Small Business Association. The settlement has been paid in full.
Fresh Mark, Inc. – Fresh Mark, Inc., a nationwide supplier of specialty meat products, entered into a non-prosecution agreement with the USAO, related to a former hiring manager’s involvement in an identity theft scheme, that involved undocumented, alien employees working at the company’s processing plants. Fresh Mark paid a $3,719,997 penalty as part of the agreement. Pursuant to the Victims of Crime Act, the money will go to the federal Crime Victims Fund.
BBR Investments v. Michael’s, Inc. – In 2024, the USAO appeared in a state foreclosure proceeding against Michael’s, Inc., a hospitality and catering company, and asserted an interest on behalf of the U. S. Small Business Association (SBA). The SBA’s interest arose from a second mortgage between the SBA and Michael’s. The USAO worked quickly to establish priority to the foreclosure proceeds and secured $767,773.99 for the SBA.
U.S. & State of Ohio v. City of Youngstown – Pursuant to a 2002 Clean Water Act Consent Decree, the City of Youngstown was required to adhere to a long-term control plan to control the overflow of untreated wastewater. The city failed to meet requirements of the plan and paid a penalty of $739,500 as a result. The funds will go to the Environmental Protection Agency.
U.S. v. Mark Brant – The defendant pleaded guilty to one count of Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. On Sept. 11, 2024, Brant was sentenced to 18 months incarceration and ordered to pay a $500,000 fine. The full amount was paid and deposited into the federal Crime Victims Fund.
U.S. v. Paul Spivak et al. – The defendant and his co-conspirators were convicted of Conspiracy to Commit Securities Fraud. The fraud resulted in a loss to investors of more than $6 million. In FY25, the USAO recovered over $360,000 in restitution owed to the fraud victims.
Notable cases that contributed to forfeitures in FY25 include:
U. S. v. 8,207,578 Tether (USDT) Cryptocurrency –This cryptocurrency investment fraud scam was perpetrated against victims throughout the country. In May 2025, the subject $8.2 million USDT in cryptocurrency was forfeited to the United States. The final order of forfeiture provided that, “Returning forfeited assets to victims is one of the primary goals of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Asset Forfeiture Program.” Accordingly, the USAO and the FBI are taking steps to allow all 38 identified victims the opportunity to recover their stolen monies.
U. S. v. Edward Oluwasanmi and Joseph Oloyede – The defendants pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, and tax charges related to COVID business loan programs. In addition to being ordered to pay more than $5.6 million in restitution, the defendants also forfeited approximately $715,162.21 seized from financial accounts and properties valued at approximately $1.2 million.
U. S. v. $774,830.00 – Defendant Alexandre Haussmann was driving a rental car from Chicago to New York when he was stopped for a traffic violation on the Ohio Turnpike. During the stop, a state trooper’s drug canine alerted to the trunk of the vehicle, which resulted in a search of the trunk and the seizure of $774,830 in cash. During discovery in the civil forfeiture case, Haussmann refused to answer any questions about the source of the currency. This resulted in the district court ultimately striking his claim and entering a default judgment for the $774,830 in favor of the government.
USA Attorney Ellis Boyle Meets with Law Enforcement Officers in Kitty Hawk, NCRead the Press Release
USA Attorney Ellis Boyle met with the outstanding and remarkable Kitty Hawk Police Department team. They were joined by Mayor Charlotte Walker and Councilman Peter Mantz. Thank you for all you do for Kitty Hawk and North Carolina.
U.S. Attorney's Office Collects Nearly $12 Million in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The District of Nevada collected $11,808,878.69 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah. Of this amount, $11,184,107.37 was collected in criminal actions and $624,771.32 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the District of Nevada worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $15,031.84 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $100 was collected in criminal actions and $14,931.84 was collected in civil actions.
“The District of Nevada is committed to collecting restitution for victims of federal crime and criminal and civil debts owed to the United States,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Chattah. “The Financial Litigation Unit and Asset Recovery Unit are a critical part of fulfilling our mission by collecting restitution and debts owed. Thanks to the dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorneys and professional staff we are holding wrongdoers financially accountable for their crimes.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Additionally, the District of Nevada, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $30,514,684.99 in asset forfeiture actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Forfeited assets are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
- In December 2024, a victim received $3,443,286.03.
- In April 2025, the District of Nevada and the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section (MNF) authorized the forfeited $531,308.46 of the fraudulently obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans be paid to the Small Business Administration.
- In May 2025, the District of Nevada and MNF authorized the forfeited $1,068,123.94 of the fraudulently obtained PPP loans be paid to the Small Business Administration.
- In July 2025, a victim received $32,193,787.94.
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U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller Highlights Seven Recent Prosecutions Involving Threats and Assaults Against Federal Law Enforcement and Public OfficialsRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, LA – Today, United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller highlights a series of recent prosecutions undertaken by the Office that reflect its ongoing commitment to protecting federal law enforcement officers and public officials, to safeguarding the integrity of the judicial process, and to holding accountable those who threaten, assault, or seek to interfere with the administration of justice.
“Every attack or threat against our law enforcement officers, our public officials, or our courts is an attack on the rule of law itself,” said U.S. Attorney Keller. “These arrests, indictments, and convictions show our Office’s commitment alongside our federal partners to vigorously pursue and prosecute those who perpetrate these acts.”
The following seven ongoing cases show the Office’s commitment to ensuring the safety of our federal law enforcement officers and public officials:
Justin Chadwick Butler, 31 of Shreveport, was arrested by criminal complaint on February 13, 2026, after posting repeated violent threats on social media targeting Speaker Mike Johnson and the President Donald Trump. These charges came after authorities identified several social media posts in which Butler advocated for Speaker Johnson’s death or execution, including stating for example that “Mike Johnson couldnt [sic] lie so smoothly with bullet holes in his face.” Butler faces up to 10 years in prison for the charges currently pending. The matter is being investigated by the United States Capitol Police, United States Secret Service, Homeland Security, Caddo Parish Sheriff’s Office, Louisiana State Police, FBI and United States Marshals Service and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney William Gaskins with assistance from Legal Assistant Amanda Morgan.
Avieyle Moore, 40 of Jackson Parish, who was incarcerated at the time of the offense, pled guilty on January 30, 2026, to mailing a threatening letter to the Supreme Court of the United States that falsely claimed to be laced with fentanyl that would kill its reader. The letter, which contained approximately one tablespoon of a white, powdery substance and stated, “IF You Are Reading this you are gonna die soon because this letter is laced with Fentanyl!!”, caused the evacuation of the Supreme Court’s warehouse facility and prompted a hazardous materials response. Moore faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and three years of supervised release. The matter was investigated by the United States Supreme Court Police, United States Secret Service and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Reeg with assistance from Legal Assistant Stevie Hickman.
Alex Taylor Fontenot, 27 of Lake Charles, was indicted on February 4, 2026, after allegedly posting a social media video threatening Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) agents. In the video, Fontenot allegedly stated that if ICE agents “step foot on to my house, you’re leaving in a body bag” and that they would “be dropped like flies, immediately, so [they] won’t feel a thing.” If convicted, Fontenot faces up to five years in federal prison and three years of supervised release. The matter is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel with assistance from Legal Assistant Dru Casebonne.
Justice Hunter, 41 of Alexandria, was indicted on February 4, 2026, following his January arrest for striking a Courtroom Security Officer (“CSO”) at the United States Federal Courthouse in Alexandria, Louisiana. According to court documents, Hunter stood outside the courthouse yelling profanities and making statements about a coming revolution before entering the building and continuing to act disruptively. After refusing repeated orders to leave, Hunter allegedly struck a CSO in the face and resisted officers attempting to detain him. If convicted, Hunter faces up to 20 years in federal prison and three years of supervised release. The matter is being investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Vermaelen with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
Matthew Reardon, 38 of Oxford, Mississippi, was convicted at trial on January 16, 2026, of disorderly conduct after he repeatedly obstructed the entrance to the John M. Shaw Federal Courthouse in Lafayette, Louisiana and harassed CSOs in an escalating pattern of conduct while refusing to leave the premises. Reardon faces up to 30 days in prison. The matter is being investigated by the United States Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney LaDonte Murphy with assistance from Legal Assistant Christy Angelle.
Maximiliano Perez-Perez, 22 of Mexico, is detained pending trial after he was indicted in December 2025 for biting an ICE officer while being detained for being an illegal alien subject to removal. Perez-Perez faces up to 20 years in prison as well as three years of supervised release. The matter is being investigated by ICE and Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorneys Craig Bordelon II and Lauren Sarver with assistance from Legal Assistant Dru Casebonne.
Micah James Legnon, 29, of New Iberia, is detained pending trial after being charged by criminal complaint in December 2025 for allegedly making a threat against New Orleans-based ICE officers. On December 5, 2025, Legnon allegedly posted that it was “time to recreate Waco TX with these f***ers,” and one week later allegedly drove toward New Orleans with body armor, an assault rifle, a handgun, and a gas cannister. A subsequent search of his residence resulted in the seizure of additional weapons, ammunition, and tactical training materials. The investigation remains ongoing, is being investigated by the FBI, and is being prosecuted by United States Attorney Zachary A. Keller and Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Nickel with assistance from Legal Assistant Dru Casebonne.
These cases reflect the Office’s ongoing priority to vigorously enforce federal laws designed to protect law enforcement officers, our judicial process, and those who serve the administration of justice. Federal law provides significant penalties for threats, assaults, and obstruction of officers and court personnel, and those who violate these statutes will be held accountable.
Criminal complaints and indictments are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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CONTACT
Public Affairs
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Louisiana
www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
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Two-Time Felon Sentenced for Illegally Re-Entering the United StatesRead the Press Release
A man who illegally re-entered the United States after having been convicted of two federal immigration-related felony offenses was sentenced February 18, 2026, to a total of four years in federal prison.
Jesus Banuelos-Lepe, 49, who is a citizen of Mexico but had been living in Maurice, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 30, 2025, guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry as a felon. Additionally, at the time he was found illegally in the United States, he was on federal supervised release from another 2023 federal illegal re-entry conviction which included conditions he neither illegally re-enter the United States, nor commit new law violations. The hearing on February 18, 2026, was a combined sentencing for the 2025 illegal re-entry conviction, and for the violations of his 2023 supervised release terms.
At the combined hearing, Banuelos-Lepe admitted that on July 20, 2025, he was arrested in Sioux County, Iowa, for operating while intoxicated after he was found passed out behind the wheel of his vehicle in the middle of the road after consuming 12 beers. Following his arrest, he was booked into the Sioux County Jail but provided an alias to law enforcement. Further investigation proved his true identity as Banuelos-Lepe, a citizen of Mexico, who had been removed from the United States on five occasions and did not have permission to legally be in the United States.
Banuelos-Lepe had previously been convicted of federal felony transportation of an illegal alien, in April of 2007, in the United States District Court for the District of Oregon. This offense involved defendant smuggling two aliens into the United States from Mexico then holding one of them against their will pending additional smuggling fees.
Banuelos-Lepe was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Banuelos-Lepe was sentenced to 24 months’ imprisonment for this 2025 illegal re-entry conviction and 24 months’ imprisonment for violating conditions of supervised release from his 2023 conviction. Those periods of incarceration are to be served consecutively, for a combined sentence of four years’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Banuelos-Lepe is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-04045 and 25-CR-4057. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Two Mexican nationals removed to U.S. to face federal drug trafficking charges in New MexicoRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Two Mexican nationals were removed to the United States to face federal drug trafficking charges in New Mexico.
Daniel Alfred Blanco-Joo, 39, made his initial appearance today in New Mexico after being removed from Mexico on a five-count indictment charging him with conspiracy, distribution of fentanyl, distribution of an analogue of fentanyl, and international money laundering conspiracy.
David Eliezer Seas-Centeno, 43, made his initial appearance today in New Mexico after being removed from Mexico on a charge of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
Federal agents assumed custody of Blanco-Joo and Seas-Centeno from Mexican authorities on January 21, 2026. If convicted, both face no less than 10 years and up to life in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David B. Hirsch and Blake Nichols are prosecuting these cases.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.
View the Indictment (Seas-Centeno).pdf View the Indictment (Blanco-Joo).pdfAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.