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18 February 2026
Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man pleaded guilty today after assaulting a federal officer at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Robert Jacob Hoopes, 25, pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury.
According to court documents, on June 14, 2025, Hoopes threw a large rock and struck an ICE officer in the head, causing a significant laceration over the officer’s eye. Later that same day, he and two other individuals were seen using an upended stop sign as a makeshift battering ram, which resulted in significant damage to the main entry door to the ICE building.
On August 5, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Hoopes with aggravated assault on a federal employee with a dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property.
Hoopes faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on May 12, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Hoopes has agreed to pay full restitution, estimated to be over $7,000
The FBI is investigating the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case.
Plymouth Woman Pleads Guilty to PPP Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Plymouth woman has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to money laundering and submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of herself and her father.
Katherine Reynolds, 66, pleaded guilty on Feb. 12, 2026 to two counts of wire fraud and one count of money laundering. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for June 23, 2026. In August 2024, Reynolds was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Reynolds submitted two fraudulent loan applications seeking loans for herself and her father pursuant to the PPP. The loan applications falsely claimed that Reynolds and her then 86-year-old father earned over $100,000 per year providing massage services out of their home. The loan applications also included fraudulent tax forms that were not filed with the IRS. After receiving the funds as a result of the fraudulent applications, Reynolds withdrew $20,000 in cash from the account into which the PPP loans were paid.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 10 years and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. The Massachusetts Office of the Inspector General provided valuable assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Major Crimes 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 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 and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.Pearl River Woman Pleads Guilty to Assault on the Choctaw Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A tribal member pleaded guilty on February 18, 2026, to the charge of assault resulting in serious bodily injury of another tribal member on the Choctaw Indian Reservation, announced U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and Gabriel Billie, Director of Choctaw Public Safety for the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.
According to court documents, Amery Ketcher, 30, of the Pearl River Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation, stabbed the victim with a knife which resulted in serious bodily injury to the victim.
In March of 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Ketcher on the assault charge. Ketcher pleaded guilty to the assault and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 20, 2026. Ketcher faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger commended the work of the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, who investigated the case. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne, Brian K. Burns, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.
###Pensacola Felon Charged with Armed Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Timothy Donail Knight, 25, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 40 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Knight appeared on February 10, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for March 16, 2026, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
If convicted, Knight faces a minimum mandatory of 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to 40 years’ imprisonment, on the possession with intent to distribute fentanyl count; up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count; and a minimum mandatory 5 years’ imprisonment, and up to life imprisonment, on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense count consecutive to other sentences imposed.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Marshals Service, and the Pensacola Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, 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.
Oregon Business Owner Sent to Prison for Employment Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— The owner of a tree removal business was sentenced to prison today for willfully failing to pay over employment taxes to the IRS on behalf of the company she owned and operated.
Joyce Leard, 47, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release. Leard was also ordered to pay $2,880,346.25 in restitution and $100 special assessment.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from approximately 2017 through 2024, Leard owned and operated Mr. Tree Inc., a Happy Valley, Oregon, company that provided tree removal and landscaping services to customers. The company advertised itself as being in business for thirty years and employed approximately 50 to 75 employees each year.
Leard was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and federal income taxes from the wages of her employees and paying those funds over to the IRS each quarter, as well as filing quarterly employment tax returns with the IRS.
From the fourth quarter of 2018 through the fourth quarter of 2020, Leard withheld taxes from her employees’ wages but did not pay over those taxes to the IRS or file quarterly employment tax returns. Instead, she used funds in Mr. Tree’s business bank account to pay other expenses and creditors and purchased approximately $3.5 million of real estate. During this period, the company also did not file a corporate tax return, and, from 2018 through 2020, Leard did not file a personal income tax return, as required by law.
Leard’s conduct caused a total tax loss of over $3.5 million.
On January 14, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a 12-count indictment charging Leard with willful failure to account for and pay over tax and willful failure to file return.
On June 16, 2025, Leard pleaded guilty to one count of willful failure to account for and pay over tax.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Trial Attorneys J. Parker Gochenour and Megan E. Wessel of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section prosecuted the case with substantial support from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Nigerian Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for Computer Intrusion and TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Nigerian national living in Mexico, who was extradited to the United States, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a scheme to break into Massachusetts tax preparation firms’ computer networks and to file fraudulent tax returns.
Matthew A. Akande, 37, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Akande was also ordered to pay $1,393,230 in restitution. Akande was arrested in October 2024 at Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom at the request of the United States and extradited to the United States on March 5, 2025. Akande was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022 with one count of conspiracy to obtain unauthorized access to protected computers in furtherance of fraud and to commit theft of government money and money laundering; one count of wire fraud; four counts of unauthorized access to protected computers in furtherance of fraud; 13 counts of theft of government money; and 14 counts of aggravated identity theft.
Between in or about June 2016 and June 2021, Akande worked with others to steal money from the United States government using taxpayers’ personally identifiable information (PII) to file fraudulent tax returns in the taxpayers’ names. The scheme also involved stealing taxpayers’ PII from Massachusetts tax preparation firms via phishing attacks and computer intrusions.
To carry out the scheme, Akande caused fraudulent phishing emails to be sent to five Massachusetts tax preparation firms. The emails purported to be from a prospective client seeking the tax preparation firms’ services but in truth were used to trick the firms into downloading remote access trojan malicious software (RAT malware), including malware known as Warzone RAT. Akande used the RAT malware to obtain the PII and prior year tax information of the tax preparation firms’ clients, which Akande then used to cause fraudulent tax returns to be filed seeking refunds. The tax returns directed that the fraudulent tax refunds be deposited in bank accounts opened by coconspirators in the United States. Once the refunds were issued, those coconspirators withdrew the stolen money in cash in the United States and then transferred a portion to third parties in Mexico, at Akande’s direction, while keeping a portion for themselves. In total, Akande and his coconspirators filed more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns seeking over $8.1 million in fraudulent tax refunds over approximately five years. They successfully obtained over $1.3 million in fraudulent tax refunds.
Federal authorities encourage all businesses that suspect they have been the target and/or victim of a cyberattack to file a complaint with the Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov. Taxpayers and tax preparation firms that suspect they have been the target and/or victim of a phishing attack can also forward phishing email(s) to [email protected].
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs coordinated with authorities in the United Kingdom to secure the extradition of Akande. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Niagara Falls man pleads guilty to meth chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Charles Barker, 70, of Niagara Falls, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to possession with intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt I. Kass, who is handling the case, stated on June 13, 2025, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) was alerted to a parcel being shipped from Arizona to Niagara Falls, that was consistent with parcels containing narcotics. USPIS investigators executed a search warrant on the parcel, which was found to contain approximately 703 grams of crystal methamphetamine. On June 17, 2025, a controlled delivery of the parcel was conducted to the 77th Street residence of Barker, who was listed as the recipient. Barker was arrested after accepting the parcel, which had been replaced with sham methamphetamine. During a search of the residence, investigators recovered quantities of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine, a shotgun, and $25,821 in cash.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division and the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Nicholas J. Bucciarelli, Boston Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2026, before Judge Vilardo.
Newport News man pleads guilty to stealing Social Security funds from his deceased neighbor’s accountRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man pled guilty yesterday to theft of government property.
According to court documents, beginning on July 5, 2018, Alonzo Darren McClary, 62, held power of attorney to make decisions for his elderly neighbor in the event the neighbor was incapacitated or passed away. McClary occasionally withdrew funds from the neighbor’s bank account to assist the neighbor as needed.
After the neighbor passed away on Feb. 20, 2020, the Social Security Administration (SSA) continued to pay benefits into the neighbor’s bank account. Rather than inform SSA that the neighbor had passed, McClary continued to withdraw money from the neighbor’s bank account. McClary caused a benefit overpayment of $62,957.92 from which he stole for his personal use.
McClary is scheduled to be sentenced on May 19 and faces up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The SSA Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Mack Coleman is prosecuting 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. 4:25-cr-81.
New York State Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Lying to Federal InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced today that MICHAEL O’FLAHERTY pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Philip M. Halpern to making false statements to federal investigators about having disclosed to his former confidential informant turned fentanyl dealer that another law enforcement agency was actively and covertly investigating the drug dealer.
“Michael O’Flaherty, a New York State Police narcotics investigator, exploited his position of public trust, betrayed the oath he swore to protect New Yorkers, and jeopardized the safety of fellow law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He did the unthinkable. He tipped off a drug trafficker—responsible for distributing tens of thousands of fentanyl pills—to a covert narcotics investigation. When questioned by federal investigators, O’Flaherty lied repeatedly to cover his tracks. Today’s guilty plea demonstrates our Office’s continued commitment—and the commitment of our police departments—to rooting out the bad apples.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint, court records, and statements made in court:
In 2022, a state law enforcement agency and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) conducted an investigation of fentanyl pill distribution linked to multiple overdose deaths in Dutchess County (the “Fentanyl Investigation”). The Fentanyl Investigation identified a particular narcotics trafficker (“Individual-1”) and Individual-1’s network of runners as a prolific source of fentanyl pills in the county. The Fentanyl Investigation also learned that Individual-1 had previously served as a confidential informant for the New York State Police (“NYSP”) and had been supervised by MICHAEL O’FLAHERTY, a police officer with the NYSP. During conversations with members of the Fentanyl Investigation, O’FLAHERTY expressed a willingness to assist the Investigation. But unbeknownst to the Fentanyl Investigation and O’FLAHERTY’s own supervisors, O’FLAHERTY had maintained a personal relationship with Individual-1 both during and after Individual-1’s tenure as an informant. O’FLAHERTY purported to assist the Fentanyl Investigation, but in fact O’FLAHERTY promptly told Individual-1 about the Fentanyl Investigation. O’FLAHERTY also tried to dig for sensitive details about the Investigation, including the identity of the Investigation’s confidential source within Individual-1’s network. At the same time, O’FLAHERTY attempted to prevent the Fentanyl Investigation from discovering the nature and extent of O’FLAHERTY’s interactions with Individual-1, including telephone calls, text messages, and one-on-one meetings that O’FLAHERTY had concealed from NYSP supervisors and colleagues. When federal investigators ultimately questioned O’FLAHERTY about the nature of his interactions with Individual-1, including O’FLAHERTY’s disclosure of the Fentanyl Investigation, O’FLAHERTY lied to federal investigators.
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O’FLAHERTY, 43, of Poughkeepsie, New York, pled guilty to one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the valuable assistance of the DEA and the NYSP Professional Standards Bureau.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Qais Ghafary and Jeffrey C. Coffman are in charge of the prosecution.
New York Man Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New York based sales director for the Northeast region of a mobile medical diagnostics company was sentenced on Feb. 13, 2026 in federal court in Boston for conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
James Rausch, 57, of Point Jefferson Station, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to eight months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $17,573,642 in restitution, forfeiture in the amount of $408,437 and a $20,000 fine. In June 2025, Rausch pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute.
From March 2015 through at least September 2020, Rausch conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Rausch and his co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. The co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These were sham agreements that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.
The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General of the Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Man Indicted for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – On January 29, 2026, KENTRELL WILLIAMS (WILLIAMS), a/k/a “Fire,” age 43, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was indicted on January 29, 2026, for distribution of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on August 13, 2025, WILLIAMS distributed approximately 56 grams of fentanyl in New Orleans.
If convicted of distribution of fentanyl, WILLIAMS faces a minimum term of five (5) years, up to a maximum term of forty (40) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $5,000,000, at least four (4) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Louisiana State Police, the Major Crimes Task Force, and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney David I. Courcelle announced that SHAYNE DAVIS (“DAVIS”), age 36, a resident of Gretna, pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm on February 3, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Darrel J. Papillion, announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle. Specifically, DAVIS pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, in March 2025, federal and local task force officers were assigned to locate and arrest DAVIS, who was wanted for aggravated assault and felon in possession of firearm charges. DAVIS fled when officers and federal agents attempted to arrest him and, during the chase, he discarded the firearm in a neighbor’s yard. DAVIS was quickly apprehended and found to be in possession of a nine-millimeter magazine. The discarded firearm, a Glock Model 26 Gen5, nine-millimeter pistol, was recovered. Additionally, during the execution of a search warrant at DAVIS’s residence, officers discovered an FIE Titan, .25 caliber handgun.
DAVIS will be sentenced on May 12, 2026, and faces a maximum of fifteen years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Gregory M. Kennedy of the Violent Crime Unit.
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McLoud Man Indicted after Firing at FBI Agents and Threatening to Kill Federal Officers and Others on YouTubeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal Indictment has been returned charging TAYLOR RYAN PRIGMORE, 30, of McLoud, Oklahoma, with attempting to murder federal law enforcement officers, assaulting federal officers, possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in the furtherance of a crime of violence, and threatening to murder federal agents and others, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to court records, beginning on May 9, 2025, and continuing through January 17, 2026, a YouTube account holder—alleged to be Prigmore—posted multiple comments on various videos threatening to kill Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and others. Prigmore also threatened to kill any law enforcement officers who came to his residence, stating he wanted to kill “as many as possible.”
On January 19, 2026, the FBI arrested Prigmore. During a brief standoff before his arrest, Prigmore fired multiple rounds at federal agents. No one was injured.
On February 17, 2026, a federal Grand Jury returned an Indictment, charging Prigmore with attempted murder of federal law enforcement, assaulting federal officers, possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in the furtherance of a crime of violence, four counts of threatening to murder federal law enforcement officers, and two counts of communicating a threat. If found guilty as charged, Prigmore faces up to 100 years in federal prison, and fines of up to $2,250,000.
The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that the defendant is innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI Oklahoma City Field Office’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Arvo Mikkanen and Matt Dillon 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.
Man Previously Indicted for Sexual Exploitation of Albemarle Teen Arrested for Assaulting Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The Charlottesville-based man who was indicted in December 2025 on two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, one count of sexual exploitation of a minor, and one count of possession of child sexual abuse material, was charged recently with assaulting a federal law enforcement officer.
Gustavo Quintero, 25, made his initial appearance today in federal court on a criminal complaint charging him with one count of assault on a federal law enforcement officer.
“Let this be clear: this office will seek swift, clear, and certain accountability against anyone who makes the mistake of committing assault and battery on a federal law enforcement officer in the Western District of Virginia,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today.
According to the complaint, on January 15, 2026, agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), along with officers from the Albemarle County Police Department, traveled to the Albemarle Charlottesville Regional Jail to execute a federal arrest warrant on Quintero.
Agents identified themselves and informed Quintero of the reason for their visit, explaining they were going to take him to the federal magistrate for his initial court appearance.
After being placed in handcuffs, belly chain, and leg shackles, Quintero looked at one of the officers and threatened him, stating, “I’m going to spit on you.”
Following the threat, agents retrieved a spit hood, a piece of equipment routinely used by law enforcement to prevent prisoners from spitting on others. Quintero responded, “You ain’t gonna put that sh*t on me.” When agents reiterated that a spit hood was going to be placed on his head, Quintero stated, “I’m gonna act up.”
Quintero became increasingly combative and continued to advise officers he did not want the spit hood on his head.
As one of the officers reached toward Quintero to place the hood on his head, Quintero spit directly at a nearby agent’s face, hitting the right side of his face.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Albemarle County Police Department.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Man Admits Choking, Assaulting Woman on Gateway Arch GroundsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An Illinois man on Wednesday admitted strangling and assaulting a woman on the grounds of Gateway Arch National Park.
Darrion Lamont Evans, 20, of Belleville, Illinois, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of assault by strangulation and two counts of interstate domestic violence.
In the plea agreement, Evans admitted strangling the victim, who he had been dating, on April 28, 2025. National Park Service Rangers encountered the victim near a vehicle that was parked on a service road. She had red marks on her face, neck, arms, legs and feet and injuries to her fingers. The victim told Rangers that the couple began arguing in the car in Belleville, Illinois. During that part of the argument, Evans grabbed the victim by the neck and shoved her head into the driver’s side door, breaking her glasses. A bystander called 911.
Evans then agreed to drive the victim to her mother’s house in Dupo and take a rideshare to his grandfather’s home in St. Louis. He instead began driving directly to his grandfather’s residence. Once the victim realized that Evans was not taking her to Dupo, she began pulling on the emergency brake and grabbing the steering wheel to make Evans exit the highway. After they stopped on the service road, the argument continued and became physical. Evans admitted choking the victim, slapping her and spitting on her. Part of assault was captured on video.
Evans is scheduled to be sentenced on June 3. Each count is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The National Park Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Hoag is prosecuting the case.
Macon Check Cashing Manager Pleads Guilty to Filing False ReportsRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The manager of a Macon check cashing company pleaded guilty to filing false reports resulting from a larger investigation into a bank fraud conspiracy targeting a Morris Bank branch in Gray, Georgia.
James Kevin Meyers, 57, of Gray, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of causing the filing of false currency transaction reports before U.S. District Judge Marc T. Treadwell on Feb. 18. Meyers faces a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $500,000 fine. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court.
In two related cases, Ronnie Atkinson, 57, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to serve a total of 84 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Feb. 5, after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft on May 12, 2025. Atkinson was also ordered to pay a total of $3,357,073.21 in restitution.
Alan Childs, 60, of Gray, Georgia, was sentenced to serve twelve months and one day in prison on Sept. 17, 2025, and was ordered to pay $3,094,200.98 in restitution after he pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud on April 12, 2025.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“This investigation shows we will hold all participants in financial crimes accountable,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Such schemes harm our community and will not be tolerated.”
“Financial crimes like this undermine trust in our banking system and harm everyday people across our communities,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “Whether someone is committing fraud directly or helping conceal it, we will continue holding every participant accountable for abusing positions of trust and enabling million-dollar schemes.”
According to court documents and statements in court, Meyer managed Mr. Kevin’s Check Cashing in Macon, a money services business. As a domestic financial institution, his check-cashing company was required to comply with the Bank Secrecy Act regulations and reporting requirements, including filing Currency Transaction Reports (CTRs) for transactions exceeding $10,000.
Co-defendant Atkinson took out numerous loans with Morris Bank, where co-defendant Childs served as Market President and helped Atkinson obtain them. Atkinson got loans in his name and in the name of straw borrowers. Many of these loans were alleged to be for the purchase of equipment and items from various individuals. Morris Bank would issue a loan or cashier’s check to the listed seller. Atkinson brought several of these Morris Bank checks to Mr. Kevin’s Check Cashing to be cashed several times without the listed payee present, always more than $10,000. The CTR should have listed the person who presented the check and left with the cash as Atkinson. Instead, the CTR’s listed the payees of the check, although they were not present and did not collect the cash. Meyers would either personally cash these checks for Atkinson or direct his employees to cash them and also file the CTRs with the listed payee’s name, even though it was Atkinson who actually cashed the checks.
Five checks were cashed in 2022, amounting to $166,788, $117,409, $93,338, $126,743, and $280,013.
For more information about this conspiracy, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/central-georgia-man-sentenced-bank-fraud-conspiracy.
The case was investigated by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Howard is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Kokomo Man Sentenced to 188 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Keith Hall, 27 years old, of Kokomo, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Hall was sentenced to 188 months in prison, 15 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $250 to the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Assistance Act of 2018.
According to documents in the case, Hall possessed 18 still images and 168 videos depicting child sexual abuse material. Hall had previously been convicted of sexual misconduct with a minor in Miami County, Indiana.
“We thank Miami County Prosecuting Attorney Jeff Sinkovics, Chief Deputy Peter Diedricks, and their office, along with the agents of the Homeland Security Investigations, the Indiana State Police Internet Crimes against Children Task Force (ICAC), and the Miami County Sheriff’s Office for partnering with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to help make Hoosiers safer to live, work, and raise their families,” said United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah T Jones.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Kansas man sentenced to prison for meth traffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas man was sentenced to 200 months in prison for selling methamphetamine as part of a drug trafficking network.
According to court documents, Chaz Hicks, 28, of Kansas City, Kansas pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
In February 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) received information that Hicks was selling methamphetamine in the Kansas City, Kansas area. Hicks sold methamphetamine to undercover officers multiple times, sometimes with a firearm on his lap.
ATF agents observed Hicks’ movements which included frequent stops at a house on Ruby Ave in Kansas City, Kansas, the home of Ernest Lucas. By monitoring individuals coming and going from the Ruby Avenue house, law enforcement saw a travel pattern connecting it to a second house on Mersington Avenue in Kansas City, Missouri.
In July 2022, ATF served a search warrant at the Ruby Avenue house and located 12 firearms, ammunition, over $11,000 in cash, and approximately 274 grams of methamphetamine. Investigators searched the Mersington Avenue house on the same day and found approximately 102 pounds of methamphetamine, eight firearms, electronic scales and other drug paraphernalia.
Co-defendants Ernest Lucas, 52, Abraham Gallegos, 45, Spencer Allen, 48, and Jason Smith, 50, have all pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. They are awaiting sentencing.
“When the public reports criminal activity and no immediate action is taken, sometimes people mistakenly assume law enforcement doesn’t take the allegations seriously. The reality is that building a solid case often takes time,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Thanks to a tip from the community, federal agents initiated an investigation against the defendants then collected enough evidence to make arrests and secure convictions across a larger network.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case with assistance from the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department (KCKPD).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle McFarlane is prosecuting the case.
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Justice Department Secures $850,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Kentucky Landlord and Property ManagerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the owners and property managers of residential rental properties in Lexington, Kentucky have agreed to pay $850,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that two property managers sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
“Women should never feel unsafe in their own homes,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously protecting the rights of vulnerable tenants subjected to sexual harassment and holding housing providers and managers accountable when they violate the law.”
“The harm caused by decades of the defendants’ alleged sexual harassment, which often targeted female tenants perceived as vulnerable because of their need for housing, is difficult to quantify,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. McCaffrey for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This settlement provides some measure of justice for those victims, and aims to eliminate future harassment perpetrated by these defendants against their tenants.”
“Adnan and Mohommed Shalash exploited tenants’ fundamental need for housing to commit serious abuses of power. Today’s settlement sends a clear message: those who abuse vulnerable tenants will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Northeast Region. “HUD OIG will not tolerate property managers or anyone in positions of authority using housing as leverage to engage in sexual harassment or abuse and will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold housing providers accountable for these actions.”
The Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in November 2024, and amended in June 2025, alleges that for decades, property managers Adnan and Mohammed Shalash sexually harassed female tenants at various rental dwellings throughout Lexington, Kentucky. The suit alleges Adnan and Mohammed Shalash offered housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual contact, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants, entered the homes of female tenants without their permission, subjected female tenants to unwelcome touching and groping and took adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused their sexual advances.
The Department’s lawsuit also names as defendants 17 owners of rental properties managed by Adnan and Mohammed Shalash, including Fox Den Properties LLC and Griffith Market Inc. The lawsuit alleges that these defendants are vicariously liable for the sexual harassment committed by their agents, Adnan and Mohommed Shalash.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation that uncovered the evidence leading to the lawsuit.
Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the defendants must pay $845,000 to tenants who were harmed by Adnan and Mohammed Shalash’s harassment and a $5,000 civil penalty to the United States. The settlement agreement permanently bars Adnan and Mohammed Shalash from contacting tenants harmed by their harassment, permanently bars them from managing residential rental properties, and mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination at residential rental properties owned or managed by either defendant.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered close to $18 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Secures $850,000 Settlement in Sexual Harassment Lawsuit Against Kentucky Landlord and Property ManagerRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that the owners and property managers of residential rental properties in Lexington, Kentucky have agreed to pay $850,000 to resolve a lawsuit alleging that two property managers sexually harassed female tenants in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
“Women should never feel unsafe in their own homes,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is committed to vigorously protecting the rights of vulnerable tenants subjected to sexual harassment and holding housing providers and managers accountable when they violate the law.”
“The harm caused by decades of the defendants’ alleged sexual harassment, which often targeted female tenants perceived as vulnerable because of their need for housing, is difficult to quantify,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul C. McCaffrey for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “This settlement provides some measure of justice for those victims, and aims to eliminate future harassment perpetrated by these defendants against their tenants.”
“Adnan and Mohommed Shalash exploited tenants’ fundamental need for housing to commit serious abuses of power. Today’s settlement sends a clear message: those who abuse vulnerable tenants will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Shawn Rice of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG), Northeast Region. “HUD OIG will not tolerate property managers or anyone in positions of authority using housing as leverage to engage in sexual harassment or abuse and will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to hold housing providers accountable for these actions.”
The Department’s lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky in November 2024, and amended in June 2025, alleges that for decades, property managers Adnan and Mohammed Shalash sexually harassed female tenants at various rental dwellings throughout Lexington, Kentucky. The suit alleges Adnan and Mohammed Shalash offered housing-related benefits in exchange for sexual contact, made unwelcome sexual comments and advances to female tenants, entered the homes of female tenants without their permission, subjected female tenants to unwelcome touching and groping and took adverse housing-related actions against female tenants who refused their sexual advances.
The Department’s lawsuit also names as defendants 17 owners of rental properties managed by Adnan and Mohammed Shalash, including Fox Den Properties LLC and Griffith Market Inc. The lawsuit alleges that these defendants are vicariously liable for the sexual harassment committed by their agents, Adnan and Mohommed Shalash.
The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General participated in the investigation that uncovered the evidence leading to the lawsuit.
Pursuant to the settlement agreement, the defendants must pay $845,000 to tenants who were harmed by Adnan and Mohammed Shalash’s harassment and a $5,000 civil penalty to the United States. The settlement agreement permanently bars Adnan and Mohammed Shalash from contacting tenants harmed by their harassment, permanently bars them from managing residential rental properties, and mandates training and the adoption of policies and procedures to prevent future discrimination at residential rental properties owned or managed by either defendant.
If you are a victim of sexual harassment by another landlord or property manager or have suffered other forms of housing discrimination, call the Justice Department’s Housing Discrimination Tip Line at 1-800-896-7743 or submit a report online. More information about the Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt. This settlement is part of the Justice Department’s Sexual Harassment in Housing Initiative. The initiative, which the Department launched in October 2017, seeks to address and raise awareness about sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, loan officers and other people who have control over housing. Since launching the initiative, the department has filed 52 lawsuits alleging sexual harassment in housing and recovered close to $18 million for victims of such harassment.
Justice Department Opens Investigations into Three Michigan School Districts for Required Instruction on Sexual Orientation and Gender Ideology in Pre-K-12 SchoolsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched investigations into three Michigan public school districts: the Detroit Public Schools Community District, Godfrey-Lee Public Schools, and the Lansing School District (the Michigan School Districts), to determine whether they have included sexual orientation and gender ideology (SOGI) content in any class for grades pre-K-12. If they are teaching SOGI-related content, the investigations will examine whether the schools have notified parents of their right to opt their children out of such instruction. The investigation will also assess whether the Michigan School Districts limit access to single-sex intimate spaces, such as bathrooms and locker rooms, based on biological sex.
“This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to ending the growing trend of local school authorities embedding sexuality and gender ideology in every aspect of public education,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Supreme Court precedent is clear: parents have the right to direct the religious upbringing of their children, which includes exempting them from ideological instruction which conflicts with their families’ sincerely held religious beliefs. And Title IX demands that we guard the safety, dignity, and innocence of our youngest citizens—our children—by ensuring that they have unfettered access to bathrooms and locker rooms of their biological sex.”
The investigations will examine whether these Michigan School Districts, which are recipients of hundreds of thousands of dollars of taxpayer funding are adhering to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and the Supreme Court’s decision in Mahmoud v. Taylor, 606 U.S. 522 (2025).
The Civil Rights Division has not reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigations.
Justice Department Joins Lawsuit Against Racial Discrimination in Los Angeles Public SchoolsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sought intervention in a lawsuit against the administrators of the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) over the Predominately Hispanic, Black, Asian, and Other (PHBAO) Program. This program categorizes students by race and by the race of their neighbors in order to determine school funding and magnet school admissions. The lawsuit was brought by the 1776 Project Foundation, a nonprofit focused on public education.
“Treating Americans equally is not a suggestion — it is a core constitutional guarantee that educational institutions must follow,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “This Department of Justice will never stop fighting to make that guarantee a reality, including for public-school students in Los Angeles.”
“Los Angeles County students should never be classified or treated differently because of their race. Yet this school district is doing exactly that by providing benefits that treat students — based on their race — as though they have learning disabilities,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racial discrimination is unlawful and un-American, and this Civil Rights Division will fight to ensure that every LAUSD student is treated equally under the law.”
“Now in its sixth decade, LAUSD’s desegregation program has outlived its usefulness to the point of being unconstitutional,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “School districts must treat their students equally and no longer discriminate on the basis of race.”
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, notes that the PHBAO Program first separates everyone in the LAUSD area by race into either the “Anglo,” meaning White group, and everyone else. School neighborhoods with less than 30% Whites are treated as disadvantaged with “Predominately” non-White racial groups. Most schools are PHBAO in the majority Hispanic area served by LAUSD.
The United States’ complaint notes that LAUSD provides extra funding to the PHBAO schools to lower the student/teacher ratio by 5.5 students, and increase parent-teacher conferences. It also gives students wishing to transfer to a magnet program an admissions preference equal to that for an overcrowded school. LAUSD treats attending school with non-Whites as a disadvantage equal to attending an overcrowded school.
This case is brought by the Educational Opportunities Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
You can view the motion to intervene here and the proposed complaint here.
Jury finds California woman guilty of defrauding local bank of over $170,000Read the Press Release
MISSOULA – A California woman who defrauded a local bank of over $170,000 was found guilty by a federal jury today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Following a one-and-a-half-day trial, Kristin Renee Zelonish Edwards, 38, was found guilty of four counts of bank fraud. Edwards faces 30 years of imprisonment on each count, a $1,000,000 fine, and five years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for June 23, 2026. Edwards was released with conditions pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that Kristin Edwards defrauded Glacier Bank of over $170,000 by depositing 12 fraudulent savings bonds at four different bank branches in Northwest Montana. Edwards traveled from California to Montana to deposit the savings bonds, making four trips between October 2022 and January 2023. Glacier Bank received notice in February 2023 from the United States Treasury Department that one of the savings bonds deposited by Edwards was fraudulent. Glacier Bank’s security officer called Edwards and informed her of the fraudulent bond. Her response was that she found the savings bonds while going through boxes of her deceased grandmother’s items with her mother.
Witnesses testified Edwards never received bonds from her grandmother’s estate. The savings bonds deposited by Edwards that were alleged to have been purchased by her grandmother had issue dates as early as 1980—over 6 years before Edwards was born. The fraudulent savings bonds have Edwards’ Social Security Number printed on them, which means, if Edwards’ story were true, her grandmother bought the bonds in Edwards’ name and with Edwards’ Social Security Number six years before Edwards was born.
The U.S. Secret Service analyzed the savings bonds and found they had several common defects and were not made with the printing presses used for authentic savings bonds. Edwards’ fraudulent savings bonds also share a common source with other fraudulent savings bonds that were deposited in Idaho and Colorado by Edwards’ unindicted co-conspirator.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katy Stack and Brian Lowney prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Secret Service.
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Jacksonville Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Preparing over $1.8 Million in Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Survalarie Harris has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy Berger to 18 months in federal prison for aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return. The court also entered an order of restitution in the amount of $1,824,279, the amount of tax loss to the United States. Harris entered a guilty plea in August 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, Harris worked as a tax return preparer at her business Tax Genie Tax Service in Jacksonville. In preparing tax returns for others, Harris knowingly reported false information, including false claims of having a business, to decrease the amount of money taxpayers would owe to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and to increase the amount of money taxpayers would receive as tax refunds from the IRS. Agents with IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) determined that Harris falsified tax returns in a similar manner multiple times, specifically by creating fictitious business expenses. Despite a lack of documentation from taxpayers, Harris included these fictitious expenses on the tax returns, indicating a net loss for a non-existent business. This lowered the taxpayers’ adjusted gross income, allowing the taxpayer to apply for an Earned Income Credit, a refundable tax credit based primarily on income and filing status.
On March 22, 2022, Harris prepared a 2021 tax return for an undercover IRS-CI agent who posed as a customer. During their conversation, Harris told the undercover agent that the agent was going to owe money on her tax return. Harris asked the undercover agent if she did any work on the side, to which the undercover agent stated she sometimes braided hair. Harris told the undercover agent that she could help the undercover agent receive a refund for an additional fee. Moments later, Harris told the undercover agent that she was receiving a refund of $2,950, minus the additional fee. Harris, however, did not ask for it, and the undercover agent did not provide any documentation or information associated with business losses or income. Despite the lack of documentation, Harris prepared the undercover agent’s tax return, which indicated a net loss for a non-existent business. Harris understood that the non-existent business net loss would lower the undercover agent’s adjusted gross income so that the undercover agent would qualify for an Earned Income Credit.
Throughout IRS-CI’s investigation, agents learned that Harris had been preparing falsified tax returns on behalf of taxpayers since at least 2018. Agents estimated that Harris prepared more than 900 falsified tax returns between the 2020 and 2022 tax years. The tax loss to the United States from Harris’s fraudulent conduct was at least $1,824,279.
“Deliberately submitting false, fraudulent, or misleading information to the IRS is a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe. “We will work with the IRS to vigorously investigate and prosecute those who deliberately seek to defraud our tax system.”
“Most tax preparers play by the rules—but those who don’t will be held accountable,” said Ron Loecker, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Florida Field Office. “Creating bogus businesses to steal refunds isn’t a shortcut—it’s a felony. IRS Special Agents will relentlessly pursue fraudsters and make sure justice is served.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams.
Illegal alien sentenced for leadership role in multi-state drug trafficking organization linked to Mexican cartelsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican national who illegally resided in Houston has been ordered to federal prison for his role in a conspiracy involving large quantities of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Baldemar Navarro-Jaimes pleaded guilty July 1, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has now ordered Navarro-Jaimes to serve 234 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, Judge Morales noted the vast quantity of drugs attributed to the organization and the numerous lives affected by the drugs and firearms.
Navarro-Jaimes was a leader in a drug trafficking organization responsible for moving drugs from Mexican cartels to Houston and Dallas. The narcotics were then distributed to other U.S. cities in the states of Illinois, New York, Georgia and North Carolina. The organization also moved firearms to Mexico to arm the cartels.
Navarro-Jaimes was responsible for brokering narcotics and firearms transactions for the organization. He was directly tied to approximately nine kilograms of cocaine, 23 kilograms of methamphetamine and over 10 firearms.
The investigation revealed he used a stash house in Dallas to facilitate drug trafficking activities. A search warrant of another residence tied to Navarro-Jaimes resulted in the discovery and seizure of four firearms, assorted ammunition and multiple cellphones.
Navarro-Jaimes has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tyler Foster, Liesel Roscher and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
This investigation and prosecution was part of the Homeland Security Task Force 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 U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, 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 South Texas comprises agents and officers from ICE-HSI; FBI; DEA; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Department of Transportation/IRS; Interpol/Department of State and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Illegal Alien Indicted on Drug Trafficking Charges After Agents Seized over 70,000 Fentanyl Pills in the District of UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today on an alleged drug trafficker, living in the United States illegally, for drug crimes after agents seized 74,000 fentanyl pills during two separate drug seizures in the District of Utah.
Jesus Aaron Camacho Duarte, 25, of Mexico, illegally residing in Salt Lake City, was initially charged by complaint on February 5, 2026.
According to the allegations in court documents, in December 2025 agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received information from a DEA undercover officer concerning illegal drug trafficking by an individual later identified as Camacho Duarte. Agents then conducted an undercover controlled purchase of counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl from Camacho Duarte. On February 4, 2026, agents conducted surveillance at Camacho Duarte’s residence and observed his vehicle, which was identified during their investigation, as being used to facilitate the distribution of narcotics. Agents conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle driven by Camacho Duarte, and a narcotics K9 was deployed and indicated positive for the presence of narcotics. Agents seized approximately 10,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills (1,246 grams) from the vehicle, which field-tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. Camacho Duarte was arrested.
Agents then executed a search warrant at Camacho Duarte’s residence seized approximately 64,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills (6,406.1 grams) which field-tested positive for the presence of fentanyl.
Camacho Duarte is charged with two counts of distribution of fentanyl, possession of fentanyl, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for February 20, 2026, at 11:30 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Special Assistant United States Attorney Kelsy B. Young of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Illegal Alien from Mexico and Co-Conspirator Indicted for Trafficking Fentanyl in Homeland Security Task Force CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An illegal alien from Mexico and his co-conspirator have been indicted for trafficking fentanyl in a case that is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Samuel Aquino Chavez, 28, of Mexico, and Crystal Stroud, 34, of Charlotte, are charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and distribution of fentanyl.
According to allegations in the indictment from July 2023 to June 2024, Chavez and Stroud knowingly and intentionally conspired to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance. It is further alleged that the pair distributed the fentanyl in and around Mecklenburg and Union Counties, and elsewhere.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson credited the Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation of the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte.
The charges against the defendants are allegations and they are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Howard County Man Indicted on International Parental Kidnapping ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a Howard County man for international kidnapping.
Tahseen Dakheel Samo, 36, of Columbia, Maryland, is charged with international parental kidnapping stemming from a divorce and custody battle over his minor child.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI – Baltimore Field Office; Clinton J. Fuchs, U.S. Marshal for the District of Maryland (USMS); Special Agent in Charge Jacob Cameron, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division – Washington Field Office; and Chief Gregory Der, Howard County Police Department (HCPD).
According to court documents, Samo and his former spouse, who are both U.S. citizens, have family members living in Sweden. In December 2020, while Samo’s ex-wife and their minor son visited family in Sweden, Samo traveled to Sweden to visit the minor victim.
When Samo arrived, he took his son from his former spouse and came back to the United States with him. At some point, Samo texted his ex-wife, “You will never see your son again.”
The minor victim remained in Samo’s custody, thereafter, including during the divorce and custody proceedings that began in April 2024, in the Circuit Court for Howard County.
Then in November 2024, flight records show that Samo and the minor child flew to Denmark, but only Samo returned to the U.S. Samo did not disclose the location of the minor victim to his ex-wife or the court.
Eventually, in October 2025, the court granted Samo’s ex-wife sole legal and physical custody of the minor child. The custody order required Samo to surrender his son to his ex-wife or disclose his location. Samo did not comply with the order, so the court held him in contempt.
On November 29, Samo was released from contempt. Then on December 12, the USMS and FBI arrested Samo in Arlington, Virginia. Authorities later located the child in Sweden on January 27, 2026, and returned him to the U.S.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Samo faces a maximum sentence of three years in federal prison for international parental kidnapping.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended the FBI, USMS, Army CID, and HCPD for their work in the investigation, and the Swedish Police Authority for their valuable assistance. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reema Sood and Elliot Higgins who are prosecuting this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Reentry of Deported AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – WALTER OMAR CASCO-LOPEZ (“CASCO-LOPEZ”), age 36, was sentenced by United States District Judge Greg Gerard Guidry on February 4, 2026 for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, CASCO-LOPEZ unlawfully reentered the United States after having been previously deported on October 12, 2011.
Judge Guidry sentenced CASCO-LOPEZ to twenty-one months of imprisonment, followed by one year of supervised release, and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. Upon completion of his sentence, CASCO-LOPEZ will be transferred to the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation to his home country of Honduras.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to deter illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines enforcement efforts through coordination with the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Customs Enforcement Border Protection in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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Home Repairmen Sentenced to Prison for Tax Fraud After Failing to Report Income Earned Overcharging Elderly Clients for RepairsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Two home repairmen were sentenced to prison today for failing to report more than $1.5 million in income they earned from overcharging elderly customers for home repair services, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
David Angelo Quick, 43, of Charlotte, and Tony Joshua Christo, 34, formerly of Charlotte, now residing in Florida, previously pleaded guilty to filing a false tax return.
Quick was sentenced to 20 months in prison followed by a year of supervised release and was ordered to pay $296,300 in restitution to IRS. Christo received 15 months imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $227,548 in restitution to the IRS.
Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) which oversees North Carolina, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents and the court hearings, from 2018 to 2021, Quick and Christo provided home repair and improvement services, as well as car repair services, to elderly clients. During that time, the defendants collectively received more than $1.5 million from elderly customers but failed to report any of this income on their federal income tax returns filed with the IRS. Quick, who was not a licensed contractor, owned and operated David Quick Home Improvements, which provided roofing, painting, driveway construction and other home services; Christo, Quick’s brother, worked with him.
Filed documents show that the defendants defrauded some of the elderly clients by overcharging them for repairs. According to court records, Quick would generally approach elderly people about fixing damage to their cars, often in the supermarket parking lot. Once they hired him to do this work, Quick would eventually convince the elderly clients that they had all sorts of problems around their homes and that he and Christo could fix those problems. Then, the repairmen charged the elderly clients outrageous amounts to fix the purported problems, such as painting garage floors, paving a driveway, and replacing windows.
Court records also show that the defendants received payment for their services, but they failed to report their income to the IRS.
The defendants will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The IRS-CI and the USPIS investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Caryn Finley of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Highland Physician Sentenced to 97 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Bethany A. Cataldi, D.O., 54 years old, of Chesterton, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to healthcare fraud, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Cataldi was sentenced to 97 months imprisonment, followed by 1 year of supervised release, and ordered to pay $19,138,245.43 in restitution. As part of her plea agreement, Cataldi was required to forfeit significant assets, including jewelry, vehicles, musical instruments, and the contents of a number of bank accounts. Cataldi also agreed to sell real estate and other luxury assets purchased using the proceeds of her crime in order to fulfill her obligations to repay the fraudulently obtained funds.
According to documents in the case, Cataldi – a physician, and the sole owner of the Center for Otolaryngology and Facial Plastic Surgery in Highland, Indiana – billed Medicare and private insurance for thousands of balloon sinuplasty procedures that she did not perform. A balloon sinuplasty is a procedure designed to treat chronic sinusitis by using a small, flexible balloon catheter to widen and drain blocked sinus passages. Cataldi sought approximately $50,000,000 for these non-existent procedures for which she was actually paid almost $20 million. Approximately $460,000 of the fraudulently obtained funds were paid by individual patients in the form of co-insurance payments.
“Doctors who sign up with Medicare and private insurance companies are in a position of trust. Bethany Cataldi abused that trust – as well as the trust of her patients, many of whom were senior citizens – by filing fraudulent claims. This sentence reflects that doctors who engage in such outrageous behavior will face significant consequences in this District,” said United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred. “My thanks to our federal law enforcement partners whose excellent and determined work led to the sentence that was handed down today.”
“Billing for thousands of procedures that were never performed is a profound breach of the trust placed in medical professionals,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “This scheme siphoned millions of dollars from Medicare and private insurers and even targeted individual patients for payment. We remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to uncover health care fraud and ensure that those who exploit patients and federal programs are held fully accountable.”
“Protecting the integrity of our nation’s healthcare system is a top priority for the FBI. Schemes like this erode public trust and siphon critical funding away from legitimate medical providers and patients,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Timothy J. O’Malley. “The FBI remains committed to working with our partners to protect public funds and ensure those who commit healthcare fraud face justice.”
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, with assistance from the Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Francis Sohn prosecuted the case.
Haskell County Resident Pleads Guilty to Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of A MinorRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Scott Lucas, age 39, of Keota, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, punishable by up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that beginning on November 15, 2023, and continuing until October 11, 2024, Lucas knowingly possessed and accessed with intent to view one or more matters containing visual depictions of one or more minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including the visual depictions of prepubescent minors and minors who had not attained the age of twelve.
The charge arose from an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations and the Oklahoma City Police Department.
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.
Lucas will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah McAmis, Morgan Muzljakovich, and Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Harrison County Woman Admits to Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Clarksburg, West Virginia woman has admitted to selling hundreds of grams of methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Taylor Danielle Jenkins, 32, pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Jenkins was selling methamphetamine and fentanyl in Harrison County. During two traffic stops, investigators seized more than 800 grams of methamphetamine, 203 grams of fentanyl, three firearms, and $6,006 in cash from Jenkins’ vehicle.
As a part of the plea agreement, Jenkins has agreed to forfeit the three firearms, associated ammunition, and the cash.
Jenkins faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
Georgia Teen Charged in Possession of a Firearm on the U.S. Capitol GroundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Carter Camacho, 18, of Smyrna, Georgia, was charged in a complaint today with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm within the United States Capitol Buildings or Grounds in connection to carrying a loaded shotgun onto federal property, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Camacho made his first appearance in U.S. District Court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge G. Michael Harvey who scheduled a detention hearing for March 2, 2026.
According to the charging documents, on Feb. 17, 2026, Camacho parked a white Mercedes SUV on Maryland Ave. SE, between First and Third Streets. About 12:07 p.m., Camacho exited the vehicle and ran toward the United States Capitol carrying a firearm while wearing a tactical-style vest and camouflage-style clothing.
Camacho reached the steps on the western side of the Capitol. A uniformed officer with the U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) asked Camacho what he was carrying. Camacho produced the firearm. The officer ordered Camacho to halt and lie down on the ground.
Once Camacho was on the ground, USCP officers recovered a Mossberg Model 88 12-gauge shotgun loaded with seven rounds in the tube and one in the chamber, with the safety off. An additional 17 rounds of ammunition were held in a carrier attached to the shotgun’s stock.
Officers placed Camacho in handcuffs. Camacho told USCP officers that he was just there to talk to a Member of Congress.
USCP officers traced Camacho’s path to the white Mercedes SUV and located a fixed blade knife on the ground about forty feet from the vehicle.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Capitol Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan M. Horan, who is detailed to the U.S. Attorney’s Office from the United States Capitol Police.
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United States Capitol PoliceGeorgia Resident Sentenced to 20 Months for Role in Conspiracy to Obstruct IRSRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Lazerrick Lawrence, 52, of Georgia, was sentenced on February 13, 2026 to 20 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release for conspiring with others to obstruct the IRS as part of a fraudulent tax refund scheme. Lawrence pled guilty in August 2025 shortly before the trial of his codefendants.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lawrence conspired with others to prevent the IRS from recouping money unlawfully obtained by his co-conspirators through a tax refund scheme. From approximately January 2015 through September 2018, Lawrence’s co-conspirators prepared and filed false federal tax returns with the IRS. Each of these returns included fraudulent tax forms purportedly issued by mortgage lenders, which established large tax refunds that the scheme participants were not entitled to receive. As a result of these false returns, the U.S. Treasury issued refund checks to the scheme participants totaling more than $1 million.
Lawrence helped to support the conspiracy. Among other acts, he filed retaliatory liens against the IRS employee assigned to recover the fraudulently obtained funds, created corporate entities designed to conceal the true ownership of real properties subject to federal tax liens, and helped his co-conspirators file sham bankruptcy proceedings.
Four of Lawrence’s codefendants were convicted at trial in August 2025 and sentenced in January 2026 for their roles in the tax refund fraud scheme: Rosemarie Lastimado-Dradi was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment; Marciaminajuanequita Dumlao was sentenced to 33 months’ imprisonment; Elvah Miranda was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment; and Daniel Miranda was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. A fifth codefendant, Danitta Ross Morton, is currently awaiting trial scheduled for September 2026.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and FBI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Paris Yates and Trial Attorney Sarah A. Kiewlicz of the Criminal Division Tax Section prosecuted the case.
Georgia Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On February 18, 2026, a federal judge sentenced 34-year-old Sydney Seymour Carpenter, Jr., of Ludowici, Georgia, to 72 months in federal prison for possession of child sexual abuse material, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson. Following his term of imprisonment, Carpenter will serve 20 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to his plea agreement and court records, during the summer of 2023, the United States Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force began investigating Carpenter for failing to register as a sex offender. At the same time, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency State Bureau of Investigation was investigating a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding uploads of child sexual abuse material.
The investigation determined that Carpenter possessed a laptop recovered in Montgomery that contained 49 images or videos of child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement officers later located Carpenter at a residence in Opp, Alabama, where he was arrested. On November 4, 2024, Carpenter pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency State Bureau of Investigation, and the FBI, with assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the Alabama Attorney General’s Office, and the Montgomery Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz, J. Patrick Lamb, and Russell T. Duraski prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and 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.
Gang Members Charged After Threatening to Kill the Child of Testifying WitnessRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, and United States Marshal for the Southern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel, announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging two gang members with witness tampering and witness retaliation: TYSHAWN PALMER, a/k/a “Ty Boogie,” a/k/a “pte_tm,” and HASSAN BROWN, a/k/a “Twin,” a/k/a “everythingsleezy.” The charges relate to threats that PALMER and BROWN made to a witness during a racketeering and murder trial, United States v. Lamar Williams, which concluded last week with the jury returning a verdict of guilty on all counts. Both PALMER and BROWN were arrested this morning. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who also presided over the Williams trial.
“Threatening a witness and that witness’s family is an attack on our judicial system, the rule of law, and our society,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As alleged, Tyshawn Palmer and Hassan Brown retaliated against a testifying witness in a federal murder trial. In our federal courts, witness intimidation will not work—rather, it will be met with swift justice.”
“The alleged actions taken by the defendants to intimidate witnesses and their family members with violence are a deliberate attack on the integrity of our judicial system,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “We will not tolerate any attempt to influence the course of justice, and I thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their continued partnership on this case."
“As alleged, defendants Palmer and Brown attempted to undermine the rule of law and erode our justice system by witness tampering and retaliation,” said U.S. Marshal Ricky J. Patel. “Their actions have been met with the profound reaction they face today after being charged and arrested by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the United States Marshals Service, and the NYPD. The U.S. Marshals have been responsible for the protection of the federal judicial process since 1789, a responsibility taken very seriously to this day. Ensuring the judicial process operates independently and free from harm or intimidation is paramount for law and order. I commend the collective work of the Deputy U.S. Marshals who investigated and arrested these individuals along with our law enforcement partners in this case.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:[1]
Between February 2 and February 11, 2026, a jury in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York sat for the federal criminal trial of United States v. Lamar Williams, 22 Cr. 600 (LAP) (S.D.N.Y.) (the “Trial”), in which Lamar Williams, a leader of the violent Mac Ballers gang in the Bronx, New York, was charged with participating in the Mac Ballers racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, and murder through the use of a firearm. On February 4 and February 5, 2026, a witness (the “Witness”) testified about the August 2013 murder that Williams committed, among other crimes. Subsequently, the jury unanimously convicted Williams on all counts.
On or about February 4, 2026, PALMER and BROWN, who are Williams’s Mac Baller associates and have known both Williams and the Witness for years, learned that the Witness was testifying in the Trial. During and after the Witness’s testimony, PALMER and BROWN, and other Mac Baller members and associates, used Instagram to post and repost threats designed to retaliate against the Witness for the Witness’s testimony, and to prevent or influence the Witness from providing further testimony or information to law enforcement.
In particular, PALMER and BROWN posted and reposted, among other things, the Instagram account name and photograph of the Witness; posts that repeatedly referred to the Witness as a “rat” and a “snitch”; and photographs of the Witness’s family members, including a photograph of the Witness and the Witness’s young child, in which the defendants threatened to “kill[ ]” the Witness’s child “at his school.”
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PALMER, 32, of Hackensack, New Jersey, and BROWN, 34, of the Bronx, New York, are each charged with one count of witness tampering and one count of witness retaliation, each of which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
The statutory maximum penalties in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD, the United States Marshals Service, the Special Agents and Task Force Officers of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and the Southern District of New York Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison, Katherine Wheelock, and Patrick R. Moroney are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
[2] This image has been redacted, but the image as originally posted and reposted to Instagram included the unredacted faces of the Witness and the Witness’s young child.
Former Union President and Former Lobbyist Sentenced for Stealing Union Funds and Lying to Federal InvestigatorsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former President of the State Police Association of Massachusetts (SPAM) and the union’s former Massachusetts lobbyist were sentenced today in federal court in Boston for racketeering, fraud, obstruction of justice and tax crimes.
Dana A. Pullman, 64, of Worcester, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to two years in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Pullman was also ordered to pay $43,915 in restitution. Anne M. Lynch, 75, of Hull, was sentenced by Judge Stearns to 15 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. Lynch was also ordered to pay $41,795 in restitution.
In November 2022, Pullman and his co-conspirator Anne M. Lynch, the union’s former Massachusetts lobbyist, were convicted by a federal jury of one count of racketeering conspiracy, one count of honest services wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, one count of obstruction of justice and one count of conspiracy to defraud the Internal Revenue Service. Pullman was also convicted of two additional counts of wire fraud and two counts of aiding and assisting the filing of a false tax return. Lynch was convicted of an additional count of obstruction of justice and four counts of aiding and assisting in the filing of a false tax return.
In May 2023, Pullman and Lynch were sentenced to 30 months in prison and two years in prison, respectively, on the convicted counts. In June 2025, the First Circuit Court of Appeals reversed three of the defendants’ wire fraud convictions and one of Lynch’s tax convictions, and reversed one of Lynch’s obstruction of justice convictions. The First Circuit affirmed the defendants’ remaining convictions and remanded the case to the District Court for resentencing.
“Dana Pullman and Anne Lynch ran the Massachusetts State Police union like an old-school racket, siphoning money from troopers, deceiving the Commonwealth, hiding income from the IRS and then lying when they got caught. Their conduct was deliberate, sustained and corrosive,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “The men and women of the Massachusetts State Police deserve leaders who protect their interests, not exploit them. No badge, title or power shields anyone from accountability.”
“Former Massachusetts State Police Trooper and union boss Dana Pullman should know better than anyone: crime doesn’t pay. Yet he joined forces with lobbyist Anne Lynch to run the State Police Association of Massachusetts like an organized criminal enterprise to rake in thousands of dollars in bribes and kickbacks for their own financial gain – at the cost of their integrity, careers, and freedom,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The public’s trust is critical for our justice system to function properly. That’s why the FBI will do everything in its power to root out those whose criminal conduct violates that trust.”
“This case underscores a serious breach of public trust. Mr. Pullman and Ms. Lynch exploited their positions of trust and authority for their own personal gain, betraying the very people they were meant to serve. The reversal of some convictions does not erase the damage wrought by years of fraudulent financial conduct, including the misuse of union funds and tax evasion. IRS-CI remains committed to upholding accountability, protecting the integrity of public institutions, and ensuring that no one is above the law,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office.
SPAM is an association consisting of more than 1,500 Troopers and Sergeants from the Massachusetts State Police (MSP). SPAM acts as the exclusive bargaining agent between its members and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts regarding the terms and conditions of SPAM members’ employment. Pullman, who was a trooper from 1987 to 2018, was the President of SPAM from 2012 until his resignation on Sept. 28, 2018. Lynch’s lobbying firm represented SPAM during the same time period, in exchange for monthly retainer payments.
For the six years that Pullman was President of the union, Pullman and Lynch turned SPAM into a racketeering enterprise, using Pullman’s position and power to defraud SPAM members, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, and the IRS. Among other things, Pullman and Lynch defrauded SPAM members and the Commonwealth of their right to honest services from Pullman when Lynch paid Pullman a $20,000 kickback in connection with a settlement agreement between SPAM and the Commonwealth. The defendants hid the payment in a manner designed to avoid reporting and paying taxes on that income to the IRS.
In addition to stealing money from SPAM with Lynch, Pullman stole money from SPAM on his own. Over the course of two years, Pullman used the SPAM debit card to pay personal expenses for him and his then-girlfriend. This included a celebratory personal lunch in New York featuring champagne and caviar and a vacation to Miami.
In 2018, when a federal grand jury issued subpoenas as part of the investigation of this matter, Pullman encouraged the SPAM Treasurer to lie that SPAM had a policy to destroy expense records after a year. Additionally, Lynch attempted to obstruct the grand jury’s investigation by lying to investigators.U.S. Foley, FBI SAC Docks and IRS SAC Demeo made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Former Postal Employee Indicted for Delay of United States MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DEMESMEN PERRIA, (“PERRIA”), age 28, of New Orleans, was indicted on February 6, 2026 for delay of United States mail, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1703(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, on or about July 14, 2025, PERRIA, then a United States Postal employee, delayed United States mail by dumping undelivered mail within the Eastern District of Louisiana.
For the offense, PERRIA faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five (5) years, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Duane A. Evans of the General Crimes Unit is prosecuting the matter.
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Former New York City Police Department Detective Pleads Guilty to Orchestrating Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, John Bolden pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme. At the time of the offense, Bolden was a detective with the New York City Police Department (NYPD). Today’s proceeding was held before United States Chief Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon. Bolden’s co-defendants—Anthony Carreira, another former NYPD detective, and Christian McKenzie—previously pleaded guilty. When sentenced, the defendants each face up to 30 years in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and James C. Barnacle, Jr., Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the guilty pleas.
“The Paycheck Protection program was created to keep small businesses afloat during an unprecedented national emergency,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “John Bolden, who swore to uphold the law as a police officer, instead shamefully broke the law and exploited the COVID-19 pandemic for personal gain. This Office remains committed to protecting taxpayer-funded programs and prosecuting those who steal from them.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Suffolk County Police Department; the Small Business Administration’s Office of the Inspector General; the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Office of the Inspector General; the U.S. Department of Education, Office of Inspector General; and the NYPD’s Internal Affairs Bureau for their assistance on the case.
“Former NYPD Detective John Bolden abused his sworn oath to protect his community by submitting fraudulent loan applications to unlawfully receive paycheck protection program funds,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Barnacle. “While the cadre of NYPD detectives remains dedicated to their promise to selflessly serve, the FBI will not tolerate any public servant who exploits federal programs and taxpayer dollars to line their own pockets.”
Congress created the PPP in 2020 as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. As set forth in court filings, Bolden and Carreira, both of whom at the time served as NYPD detectives, owned partnership interests in a franchise location for a tax preparation business. Between May 2020 and October 2022, Bolden engaged in a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by working with his clients to fraudulently obtain PPP funds. Bolden sought to obtain, and in many cases did obtain, PPP funds for himself, his co-defendants and more than 65 individuals by helping submit online loan applications that contained materially false and fraudulent information. One of those loan applications belonged to Carreira, who knowingly submitted false documentation to obtain PPP funds. McKenzie, Bolden’s cousin, also fraudulently obtained a PPP loan and steered other applicants to Bolden in exchange for fraudulent PPP proceeds. As part of the scheme, Bolden prepared fictitious Internal Revenue Service Form Schedule C documentation, which accompanied the loan applications and contained false information about his, his co-defendants’ and his clients’ places of employment, gross income, and net income.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Public Integrity Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Grubin and Eric Silverberg are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Johnson Peow.
The Defendants:
JOHN BOLDEN
Age: 47
Valley Stream, NYANTHONY CARRIERA
Age: 43
Staten Island, NYCHRISTIAN MCKENZIE
Age: 48
Wheatley Heights, NYE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-361 (DG)
Former Childcare Provider Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for the Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Former Childcare Provider Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison
for the Production of Child Sexual Abuse Material
CONCORD – A Keene woman was sentenced today in federal court for aiding and abetting the production of child sexual abuse material, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
Krystal Baird, 40, of Keene, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steven J. McAuliffe to 15 years in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release. In November 2025, a federal jury convicted Baird of aiding and abetting the production of child sexual abuse material after a five-day trial.
According to the evidence admitted at trial, on January 29, 2024, Krystal and Paul Baird were babysitting a 9-year-old child. After the child was given THC-infused candy, Krystal Baird directed Paul Baird to try to get the child to play with his genitalia. Paul Baird took at least one sexually explicit image of the victim’s genitalia. Krystal Baird then photographed Paul Baird sexually assaulting the victim, thereby producing child sexual abuse material. Paul Baird later uploaded links to three sexually explicit images of the minor victim on a dark website dedicated to child pornography. The evidence showed that the couple had been drugging and abusing the victim since at least August of 2023.
Before her arrest, Krystal Baird was a licensed childcare provider.
“Crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children inflict lasting trauma on victims and their families,” said United States Attorney Creegan. “It is particularly disturbing that this defendant was once in a position of trust, caring for children. Today’s sentence reflects the particularly appalling circumstances of Krystal Baid’s crime.”
“Krystal Baird’s crimes are deeply disturbing. Baird was a willing participant when she and her partner conspired to drug and sexually abuse a child left in their care, photographing their crimes to share on the dark web. She denied any responsibility, but a jury rejected her story and found her guilty,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Today’s sentence emphasizes the incredible and irreversible damage she inflicted on a young life. We hope that knowing Krystal and Paul Baird will be behind bars for decades brings some peace to the victim and their family.”
Paul Baird was previously sentenced to 25 years of incarceration.
The Department of Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. The Keene Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski and former Assistant United States Attorney Heather Cherniske prosecuted the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
Former Bookkeeper Sentenced for Stealing from Her EmployerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney, David I. Courcelle, announced that BELINDA MARTIN (“MARTIN”), age 51, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 10, 2026 by U.S. District Judge Darrel James Papillion, for access device fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(2).
According to court documents, between 2022 and 2023, MARTIN embezzled money and things of value in excess of $1,000 from her employer through the fraudulent use of her company’s access device accounts. MARTIN was sentenced to 5 years of probation and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. MARTIN was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $63,112.87.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Richard R. Pickens, II of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Foreign National Found Guilty in Defrauding American Taxpayers Out of Millions in Covid-Era Emergency AidRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jose “Joe” Biaou, 41, a citizen of Benin and a resident of the District of Columbia, was found guilty yesterday on seven counts in connection with defrauding Covid-era economic programs out of millions of dollars in taxpayer-provided emergency funds, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
A federal jury in U.S. District Court deliberated for less than one day before finding Biaou guilty on February 17 of six counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
“Jose Biaou, a citizen of Benin, West Africa, was convicted of orchestrating massive fraud that siphoned millions of dollars from the American taxpayers at a time of national crisis when assistance was offered to those in need,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “The Trump Administration will not look the other way and will make thieves accountable. Mr. Biaou will suffer the consequence of his attempt to cheat the American taxpayers.”
Biaou, the founder of FRB Capital Group LLC, faces a maximum statutory sentence of 30 years in prison when he is sentenced by Judge Christopher R. Cooper. A date is pending. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided for informational purposes. The sentence will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to the government’s evidence at trial, Biaou applied for more than $5 million in loans and received more than $3.5 million in proceeds from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program on behalf of FRB and, Millennium Global Finance, the latter of which was an entirely fictional entity with no employees or operations.
In support of his FRB application, Biaou falsely claimed that he was a U.S. citizen and provided a counterfeit birth certificate, which he forged using a copy of his minor daughter’s birth certificate.
FRB Capital is a brokerage firm for the commercial real estate industry. On his applications for federal emergency funding, Biaou consistently inflated the number of FRB employees, as well as their average monthly salaries, office rents, and other financial information. Biaou then applied for forgiveness of one of the PPP loans and submitted false information about how his business spent the funds during the pandemic.
Biaou also applied for and received $1.25 million in PPP funds for Millennium Global Finance after representing that the firm had 52 employees and an average monthly payroll of more than $520,000 throughout 2019. Millennium Global was not a real company.
Biaou was arrested July 17, 2024.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Sungtae Kang and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samanatha Miller.
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Felon Convicted of Illegal Firearm Possession and Witness Tampering after Attack at Metro BusinessRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – ISAEL ANTONIO ORTIZ, 27, of Oklahoma City, has been convicted of possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction and witness tampering, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On January 6, 2026, a federal grand jury charged Ortiz with being a felon in possession of a firearm and witness tampering. On February 10, 2026, a federal jury found Ortiz guilty on both counts. According to the evidence at trial, on October 14, 2024, the Oklahoma City Police Department responded to a report of an assault with a dangerous weapon. The victim told police that Ortiz struck his vehicle outside a local business, breaking the driver’s-side window, and began pulling a gun from his pants. Ortiz then fled the scene after noticing a surveillance camera. Officers later responded to Ortiz’s home, where they detained him, executed a search warrant, and seized a firearm.
Additional evidence at trial showed that, while in custody, Ortiz made several phone calls, sent text messages, and communicated through third parties in an attempt to persuade a witness to falsely claim ownership of the firearm and to state that Ortiz was unaware of its existence.
According to public records, Ortiz has previous felony convictions that include:
- eluding a police officer in Canadian County District Court case number CF-2018-106;
- use of a vehicle in discharge of a weapon, drive-by shooting, illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of a firearm while in the commission of a felony in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2019-5007; and
- rioting, second-degree attempted arson, and malicious injury and destruction to property in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2020-2901.
At sentencing, Ortiz faces up to 35 years in federal prison, and fines of up to $500,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Laney Ellis are prosecuting the case. SAUSA Ellis is an attorney with the City of Oklahoma City whose position is funded by a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant awarded to the City of Oklahoma City to enhance efforts to address and reduce violent crime. PSN is 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.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Federal Jury Convicts Kansas Resident of Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced today that Ramone Antuane Newman, age 36, of Olathe, Kansas, was found guilty by a federal jury of one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The jury trial began with testimony on February 17, 2026, and concluded on February 18, 2026, with the guilty verdict.
During the trial, the United States presented evidence that on February 2, 2024, while attempting to elude law enforcement during a high-speed chase, Newman threw a Glock handgun and magazine loaded with four rounds from the vehicle. Law enforcement successfully apprehended Newman near the entrance to the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant and recovered the firearm and magazine in the area where they were thrown from the vehicle. At the time of the chase, Newman had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year in prison and was prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
The guilty verdict was the result of investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the McAlester Police Department, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant Police Department, the Pittsburg County Sheriff’s Office, the Savanna Police Department, and the Choctaw Lighthorse Police.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the trial and ordered the completion of a presentence report. The sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Newman will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals until sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Gross and Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Venezuelan Men for Bank Larceny OffensesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – A federal grand jury in Paducah, Kentucky, returned an indictment on January 14, 2026, charging two Venezuelan nationals with two counts of bank larceny.
Both defendants are Venezuelan nationals that were illegally in the United States.
U.S. Attorney Kyle Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Paducah Police Chief Brian Laird, and McCracken County Sheriff Ryan Norman made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on October 2 and 3, 2025, Leonel Ramones-Ramos, 24, and Luis Olivares-Davila, 21, both citizens of Venezuela, stole more than $1000 in United States currency from two credit unions located in McCracken County.
On February 13, 2026, Ramones-Ramos made an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. He is being held in federal custody. Olivares-Davila is facing other charges in the Northern District of Texas and will make an initial appearance at a future date. He is being held in federal custody pending those charges. If convicted, the men face maximum sentences of 10 years in prison and forfeiture of at least $80,000 in United States currency. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI Paducah Satellite Office, HSI, the McCracken County Sheriff’s Department, and the Paducah Police Department are investigating.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Easton Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Easton man has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for using Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds to secretly purchase a home in the name of a close relative.
Bill Dessaps, 49, was sentenced on Feb. 13, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Dessaps was also ordered to pay $836,800 in restitution. In September 2025, Dessaps was convicted of two counts of wire fraud conspiracy, one count of money laundering, and one count of bank fraud. In January 2024, five other individuals were charged for their alleged involvement in the PPP fraud scheme.
Dessaps – the operator of an Abington-based used car dealership – allegedly conspired with individuals in Massachusetts and Florida to submit a fraudulent PPP application on behalf of Dessaps’ dealership. The application they prepared and submitted for Dessaps’ dealership falsely stated that the dealership had 40 employees and average monthly payroll expenses of $334,720. As a result of the applications, the lender disbursed a PPP loan of $836,800 to Dessaps. After receiving these funds, Dessaps made kickback payments to one or more of the individuals who assisted with the application.
After Dessaps received the PPP loan, he purchased a $750,000 home in the name of a straw buyer—his close relative—because his credit score would have prevented him from obtaining a mortgage on favorable terms, and because he purchased the home using PPP funds, a purchase the PPP prohibits. Dessaps, his close relative, and a real estate agent submitted false mortgage application documents to a lender, including forms and forged records that inflated the relative’s income and assets. For a portion of the home costs, Dessaps transferred PPP proceeds into a joint bank account that he and his relative controlled. After a lender denied the close relative’s application for a secondary loan for the remaining funds, Dessaps and his real estate agent arranged a sham gift of $127,500 from the real estate agent’s girlfriend to the close relative, which Dessaps wired to the girlfriend. Through these and other misrepresentations, Dessaps obtained a $510,000 mortgage on the home and lived in it.
Dessaps also attempted to obtain a “Second Draw” PPP loan through another fraudulent application in March 2021.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Holcomb and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Annapurna Balakrishna assisted with forfeiture.
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.
Drug trafficking organization leader sent to prison for 30 years for large-scale distribution schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 40-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for his role in the distribution of multiple narcotics, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Fredrick Jermaine Dunbar pleaded guilty Oct. 15, 2025.
U.S. District Andrew S. Hanen has now ordered Dunbar to serve 360 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court considered additional evidence showing Dunbar led and organized a large-scale drug trafficking organization, recruited others to transport narcotics and possessed firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking activities. The court also noted Dunbar’s leadership role in the conspiracy and the significant quantities of drugs involved.
The investigation began in early 2020 when law enforcement identified Dunbar as a supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine and heroin in the Houston area.
In April 2020, Dunbar arranged the purchase of two kilograms of methamphetamine for redistribution to a co-conspirator.
Over the course of the investigation, authorities seized approximately 12 kilograms of narcotics – one, five and six kilograms of cocaine, heroin and methamphetamine, respectively.
To date, 12 others have been convicted and sentenced in connection with the conspiracy.
Dunbar will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Texas Department of Public Safety, Harris County Sherriff's Office and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
This operation is now part of the Homeland Security Task Force 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 U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Casey N. MacDonald and Anibal J. Alaniz prosecuted the case.
Criminal Alien Child Sex Offender Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A three-time removed illegal alien and convicted child sex offender from Mexico was sentenced today to 41 months’ imprisonment by Senior U.S. District Court Judge Dale A. Kimball for illegally reentering the United States.
Isidro De Jesus-Mayo, 44, of Mexico, was charged by felony information on December 17, 2025. In addition to his term of imprisonment, the court imposed a sentence of three years of supervised release. Upon his release of imprisonment, De Jesus-Mayo will be remanded to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement for deportation proceedings.
According to court documents and statements made at De Jesus-Mayo’s sentencing hearing, on a date unknown to law enforcement, De Jesus-Mayo illegally reentered the United States and was encountered in Layton, Utah, while driving under the influence and attempting to provide a false name to officers. Between 2007 and 2021, De Jesus-Mayo was deported from the United States on three occasions. His most recent deportation in 2021 followed a federal conviction for illegal reentry, in which he received 16 months’ imprisonment. De Jesus-Mayo has an extensive criminal history in the United States that includes narcotics trafficking and the sexual abuse of a 13-year-old victim spanning several months. De Jesus-Mayo was more than 31-years-old at the time of the abuse. For public safety reasons, De Jesus-Mayo, has a lifetime sex offender registration requirement in Utah.
“This administration and our office remain focused on swiftly prosecuting and deporting criminal public safety threats like De Jesus-Mayo,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah.
“The ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, Salt Lake City Field Office is committed to help keep our communities safe by finding, apprehending, and removing criminal illegal aliens,” said acting Field Office Director Brian Henke. “We appreciate partnering with the United States Attorney’s Office in further prosecuting these lawbreakers.”
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Assistant United States Attorney Bryan N. Reeves of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Attachments:
isidro_de_jesus-mayo.sentencing_memo.pdf
Convicted and Armed Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A previously convicted armed fentanyl trafficker was sentenced to prison today on gun and drug charges, announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina. Shamel Malik Dove, 32, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 13 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join the U.S. Attorney’s Office in making the announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, in 2016, Dove was convicted of illegal firearm possession and was sentenced to 23 months in prison. In February 2023, CMPD officers were investigating a shooting incident and executed a search warrant at an apartment in Charlotte. Dove was in the apartment when the officers found three firearms, including a Glock model 23 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Glock model 27 .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Ruger AR-15 pistol with a binary trigger. At the time, Dove denied any knowledge of the firearms. On May 8, 2023, CMPD officers arrested Dove, who had a firearm on his person. The officers also discovered a bag of fentanyl pressed into small, round, blue pills marked with an “M” on one side and “30” on the other, located on the rear passenger seat of an SUV nearby. Prior to his arrest, a CMPD officer saw Dove next to the open door of the rear passenger seat of the SUV. The pills were chemically analyzed and determined to be 89.5 grams of fentanyl.
Dove pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possession in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Dove remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The ATF and CMPD conducted the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.