Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
17 February 2026
Illegal alien siblings indicted on alien smuggling and fraud charges related to the sponsorship of unaccompanied alien childRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - An indictment was unsealed today in the Northern District of Georgia charging two Honduran nationals with alien smuggling and fraud charges related to the smuggling of an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) and submission of an application to sponsor a UAC. The defendants were residing illegally in the United States at the time the alleged crimes were committed.
“Through coordinated lies and deception, two illegal aliens smuggled a child into our country to facilitate the exploitation of a 15-year-old child by a 30-year-old man,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of unwavering law enforcement dedication, the child has been removed from a predatory situation, and the deceitful duo who trafficked her will be held accountable for their crimes.”
“This indictment alleges a disturbing scheme where two individuals who were in this country illegally lured a young girl to the United States, gave her a false identity and tried to fraudulently gain custody of her through the Office of Refugee Resettlement,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Government programs designed to afford protection cannot become tools for exploitation – especially of children. The Criminal Division and Joint Task Force Alpha will find those who deceive the government to gain access to vulnerable children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Defrauding a program designed to protect vulnerable children and attempting to manipulate the sponsorship process is a serious crime that will not be tolerated,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These programs are intended to ensure the safety and well-being of children in need and must never be misused for personal gain. Working with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will aggressively pursue those who undermine these protections and bring them to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Luis Adolfo Mendoza Fonseca and his sister, Rosmery Yambiel Castillo Fonseca, allegedly encouraged and induced a UAC to come to, enter, and reside in the United States illegally and submitted an application to the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) under penalty of perjury to sponsor and obtain custody of the UAC after having entered the United States illegally.
As alleged in the indictment, in the Spring of 2024, Mendoza Fonseca and a then-15-year-old Nicaraguan national, the UAC, met online and began a romantic online relationship.
Thereafter, Mendoza Fonseca encouraged and induced the UAC to travel to the United States, paying for her travel and providing the UAC with the identity of a purported Honduran national to use when she entered the United States. The purpose in using the false identity was to enable Castillo Fonseca to sponsor the UAC. In March 2025, Castillo Fonseca submitted an application to ORR to sponsor the UAC, falsely identifying the UAC as her Honduran cousin. Mendoza Fonseca and Castillo Fonseca both admitted to staff at an HHS-funded care provider that the UAC was not the person identified in the sponsorship application, and that the UAC and Mendoza Fonseca had a romantic online relationship.
Earlier today, Luis Adolfo Mendoza Fonseca, 30, of Raleigh, North Carolina, and his sister, Rosmery Yambiel Castillo Fonseca, 25, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, appeared before a federal magistrate judge in Atlanta and were arraigned on one count of conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States; one count of aiding and abetting the encouragement and inducement of an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain; and one count of aiding and abetting making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement. Both defendants were detained pending further proceedings. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of ten years in prison for the conspiracy and aiding-and-abetting charges, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the false statement charge. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department of Justice’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant U.S. Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 390 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General are investigating the case. HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C., and ORR have provided valuable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia and JTFA Trial Attorney Aaron Jennen and 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, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illegal alien from Honduras previously convicted of assaulting officer and other crimes sent to federal prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 39-year-old Honduran national who illegally resided in Houston has been sentenced for unlawfully reentering the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Wilson Antonio Vargas Argueta pleaded guilty Dec. 4, 2025.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr. has now ordered Argueta to serve 24 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the country.
Argueta has multiple prior convictions for assault, driving while intoxicated and fleeing from law enforcement.
In 2020, he bit a police officer while resisting arrest. Argueta was convicted of the assault and eventually removed from the country.
He illegally returned and in 2025, authorities discovered him in Houston with no authorization to be there. He had been driving while under the influence of alcohol and refused to pull over when ordered to do so.
Argueta has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ben Hostetter and Amanda Alum prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Illegal Mexican Alien Child Molester Charged with Perjury and Immigration FraudRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, N.C. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Roberto Almeida-Santos, 56, an illegal alien born in Mexico, with perjury and immigration fraud. The indictment alleges that Sanchez lied about his criminal history on his application to obtain a non-immigrant visa.
According to the indictment and previously issued court documents, Sanchez is alleged to have knowingly made materially false statements under penalty of perjury on his application to obtain a non-immigrant visa when he submitted it to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS) in 2021. He allegedly answered “No” in response to the questions “Have you EVER committed a crime or offense for which you have not been arrested?” and “Have you EVER ordered, incited, called for, committed, assisted, helped with, or otherwise participated in any of the following:…[e]ngaging in any kind of sexual conduct or relations with any person who was being forced or threatened?”
On August 7, 2023, in Randolph County Superior Court of North Carolina, a grand jury returned an indictment which charged him with having committed two counts of statutory sex offense with child under 15, and two counts of indecent liberties with a child, from January 1, 2018, through January 1, 2020. On August 7, 2023, in Guilford County Superior Court of North Carolina, a separate grand jury returned two indictments against Almeida. The first indictment charged him with having committed statutory sex offense with a child from January 24, 2016, through January 23, 2017. The second indictment charged him with having committed the same offense from January 24, 2018, through January 23, 2019.
On August 14, 2024, in Guilford County Superior Court of North Carolina, Almeida was convicted of two counts of sex offense with a child by an adult. The child victim was 8 years old. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 18 and 26 years and ordered to register as a sex offender. Almeida confessed to having committed the offenses from January 24, 2016, through January 23, 2017, and January 24, 2018, through January 23, 2019.
On December 17, 2024, in the Randolph County Superior Court of North Carolina, Almeida was convicted of two counts of statutory sex offense with child under 15. He was sentenced to a term of imprisonment of between 16 and 25 years and ordered to register as a sex offender. He confessed to having committed the offenses from January 1, 2018, through January 1, 2020. The victim was 14 years old.
The grand jury charged Almeida in a two-count indictment. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. ICE ERO officers are investigating the case as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing initiative designed to aggressively target child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtain immigration benefits. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lori Warlick is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. [insert].
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Jackie Dwayne Lucas, also known as “Dwayne,” 49, of Huntington, was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. Lucas admitted to a role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Huntington area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 4, 2025, Lucas distributed approximately 112.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $650. As part of his guilty plea, Lucas admitted that he distributed the methamphetamine, conducted the transaction at his residence, and that it had been arranged beforehand by a co-defendant.
Lucas also admitted to additional criminal conduct. On July 29, 2025, Lucas sold approximately 113.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $650. Lucas admitted that he conducted the transaction, that it occurred at his residence, and that another co-defendant arranged it beforehand.
Lucas is among 10 defendants indicted on charges alleging they participated in the DTO. Lucas and three co-defendants pleaded guilty. The charges against the other defendants remain pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Cabell County Sheriff's Office, and the Mason County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Joseph F. Adams 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-154.
###
Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Daniel Legette, also known as “Bam,” 50, of Huntington, pleaded guilty today to distribution of quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 21, 2025, Legette sold approximately 0.65 grams of fentanyl and 0.42 grams of crack to a confidential informant in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Legette admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Legette is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-186.
###
Honduran Nationals Illegally in the United States Indicted on Alien Smuggling and Fraud Charges Related to the Sponsorship of Unaccompanied Alien ChildRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed today in the Northern District of Georgia charging two Honduran nationals with smuggling an unaccompanied alien child (UAC) into the United States using a stolen identity and then submitting a fraudulent sponsorship application to gain custody of the child. The defendants were residing illegally in the United States at the time the alleged crimes were committed.
“This indictment alleges a disturbing scheme where two individuals who were in this country illegally lured a young girl to the United States, gave her a false identity and tried to fraudulently gain custody of her through the Office of Refugee Resettlement,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Government programs designed to afford protection cannot become tools for exploitation – especially of children. The Criminal Division and Joint Task Force Alpha will find those who deceive the government to gain access to vulnerable children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Through coordinated lies and deception, two illegal aliens smuggled a child into our country to facilitate the exploitation of a 15-year-old child by a 30-year-old man,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg for the Northern District of Georgia. “As a result of unwavering law enforcement dedication, the child has been removed from a predatory situation, and the deceitful duo who trafficked her will be held accountable for their crimes.”
“Defrauding a program designed to protect vulnerable children and attempting to manipulate the sponsorship process is a serious crime that will not be tolerated,” said Acting Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Scott J. Lampert of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “These programs are intended to ensure the safety and well-being of children in need and must never be misused for personal gain. Working with our law enforcement partners, HHS-OIG will aggressively pursue those who undermine these protections and bring them to justice.”
According to court documents, Luis Adolfo Mendoza Fonseca, 30, of Raleigh, North Carolina, allegedly met the UAC – a then-15-year-old Nicaraguan girl – online in the spring of 2024 and began a romantic relationship with her. Mendoza Fonseca then encouraged and paid for the child to leave her home in Nicaragua and travel to the United States using the identity of another minor, a purported Honduran national. Rosmery Yamibel Castillo Fonseca, 25, of Lawrenceville, Georgia, coached the child to tell immigration authorities that Castillo Fonseca was her cousin. After the UAC crossed into the United States at the Texas border, Castillo Fonseca submitted a sponsorship application to the Department of Health and Human Services (HSS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR), falsely claiming the child was her Honduran cousin. Both Mendoza Fonseca and Castillo Fonseca ultimately admitted to staff of an HHS-funded care provider that the UAC was not the person identified in the sponsorship application, and that Mendoza Fonseca had a romantic online relationship with the UAC.
Mendoza Fonseca and Castillo Fonseca are charged with one count of conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States, one count of aiding and abetting the encouragement and inducement of an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain, and one count of aiding and abetting making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement. If convicted, they face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for conspiracy to encourage and induce an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for aiding and abetting the encouragement and inducement of an alien to come to, enter, and reside in the United States for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain, and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for making a false statement.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and HHS-OIG are investigating the case. HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C., and ORR provided valuable assistance.
Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA) Trial Attorney Aaron Jennen and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leanne Marek for the Northern District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by JTFA, the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean, and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 440 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 390 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and other transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gun Trafficker Sentenced to Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Walter Adonai Rivera Chinchilla, 25, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to seven years in prison followed by two years of supervised release for trafficking firearms, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
“This Administration is committed to completely eliminating transnational criminal cartels,” said U.S. Attorney Ferguson. “A key aspect of that effort is ending the smuggling of firearms abroad, where they end up in the hands of those criminal networks and fuel violence and instability overseas. My office will not tolerate those who exploit our lawful gun market to arm criminals—whether here or abroad.”
According to filed court documents and the sentencing hearing, law enforcement were conducting an investigation into Chinchilla’s gun trafficking activities. Investigators determined that between August 2023 to October 2024, the defendant purchased 115 firearms from federal firearms licensees (FFLs) in North Carolina. On all purchases, Chinchilla represented to the sellers that he was purchasing the firearms for himself. Court records show that on August 1, 2024, law enforcement intercepted six Glock handguns along with 17-round high-capacity magazines hidden in a shipment destined for Honduras. All six firearms had been purchased by Chinchilla in previous months.
Additionally, and according to court documents, Chinchilla agreed to buy a gun for an undercover agent posing as a buyer. On October 2, 2024, Chinchilla met the undercover agent at an FFL. Chinchilla entered the FFL and purchased two firearms which he then sold to the undercover agent. The undercover agent and Chinchilla then discussed shipping firearms to Mexico, and Chinchilla told the undercover agent that he could coordinate that shipment for a fee. On October 16, 2024, Chinchilla met again with the undercover agent at another FFL, where Chinchilla bought three firearms that he then sold to the undercover agent. Chinchilla was arrested on October 31, 2024, after he showed up for a meeting with the undercover agent about smuggling firearms out of the country.
Chinchilla pleaded guilty to gun trafficking. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals until he is transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The ATF conducted the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Glendale Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Darknet Network that Sold and Distributed Narcotics NationwideRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Glendale man was sentenced today to 57 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute various drugs including cocaine, methamphetamine, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), and ketamine on darknet marketplaces in exchange for cryptocurrency.
Davit Avalyan, 36, was sentenced by United States District Judge Percy Anderson.
Avalyan pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, ketamine, and MDMA. He is the last of four defendants to be sentenced in this case.
From September 2018 to February 2025, Avalyan conspired with co-defendants Hrant Gevorgyan, 36, of Glendale, Hayk Grigoryan, 36, a.k.a. “Hayk Greg,” of Glendale, and Gurgen Nersesyan, 44, a.k.a. “Guro Tiko,” of Sherman Oaks, to distribute illegal narcotics.
The conspiracy maintained darknet drug vendor accounts, including JoyInc, LaFarmacia, WhiteDoc, JanesAddiction, DaShop, WhiteRepublic, Tomorowland, PlanetHollywood, DopeValley, and Major2Minor. These accounts operated on several darknet marketplaces and sold methamphetamine, cocaine, MDMA, and ketamine to customers across the United States in exchange for cryptocurrency.
The conspiracy regularly fulfilled multiple small-scale drug orders through darknet vendor accounts by packaging narcotics into parcels and depositing those parcels at post offices and postal mailboxes in Los Angeles County and elsewhere.
JoyInc is believed to have been operating since at least 2018 and is one of the most prolific methamphetamine and cocaine distributors to ever operate on the darknet.
On January 5, Judge Anderson sentenced Grigoryan to 10 years in federal prison. Nersesyan was sentenced on January 12 to 43 months in federal prison. On February 9, Judge Anderson sentenced Gevorgyan to 24 months in federal prison.
The Justice Department established the FBI-led JCODE (Joint Criminal Opioid Darknet Enforcement) team to lead and coordinate government efforts to detect, disrupt, and dismantle major criminal enterprises reliant on the darknet for trafficking opioids and other illicit narcotics, along with identifying and dismantling their supply chains.
This case was worked jointly with the FBI, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Costa Mesa Police Department, and IRS Criminal Investigation, with assistance from the Los Angeles Police Department.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders.
Assistant United States Attorneys James A. Santiago of the Transnational Organized Crime Section and James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section prosecuted this case.
Gainesville Man Sentenced for Carrying Multiple Firearms While Selling DrugsRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kendrick J. Hills Jr., 23, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to over five years in prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “My office is committed to backing up our brave men and woman of law enforcement on the front lines of this battle against drugs and violence in our communities. We will continue to deliver successful prosecutions like this as part of the Department of Justice’s Operation Take Back America to ensure our streets are safe and our communities are drug-free.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant was pulled over for multiple traffic violations. During the traffic stop, law enforcement smelled and observed marijuana in his vehicle. The presence of illegal narcotics was also confirmed by a K9 on scene. During a search of the vehicle, deputies located a stolen 9-millimeter pistol on the driver’s floorboard, a .40-caliber pistol with an extended 22-round magazine under the driver’s seat, and a backpack filled with almost a pound of marijuana and drug-distribution paraphernalia, such as scales and baggies. The defendant later admitted that he possessed the firearms to protect himself, including protecting himself from the risk of drug-related robberies.
“This case is an example of the proactive work our deputies do every day to identify criminal activity before it escalates into something even more dangerous,” said Sheriff Chad D. Scott, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office. “Through strong partnerships with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Attorney’s Office, we are sending a clear message: Alachua County will not tolerate drug distribution and the armed criminal behavior that so often accompanies it.”
“I’m proud of the way our agents and officers from Alachua County Sheriff’s Office came together to bring this criminal to justice,” said DEA Tampa Field Division Special Agent in Charge Daniel Escobar. “We have great relationships with our North Florida law enforcement partners, and I look forward to our continued enforcement efforts together.”
The defendant’s imprisonment will be followed by a seven-year term of supervised release, meaning if he violates any of the conditions of his supervision, he will potentially face additional prison time.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain.
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.
Former Municipal Court Clerk Sentenced on Federal Program Theft ChargesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced for using his role at a local municipal court to pocket thousands of dollars in cash.
Orlando Chappell, 61, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay $37,931.47 in restitution by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams after he pleaded guilty to Federal Program Theft in August 2025.
At various times from 2012 to 2023, Chappell was employed as a deputy clerk with the City of East Cleveland Municipal Court. According to his plea agreement, his role entailed performing various administrative and clerical duties to support court operations, such as collecting fines and fees on behalf of the City of East Cleveland. One of his responsibilities was to assist landlords with rental property evictions and to facilitate the processing of forcible entry and detainer filings. Landlords were required to pay a fee to the municipal court to start the filing process which Chappell would then collect as the deputy clerk. Cash payments were accepted, and it was the deputy clerk’s responsibility to enter a record of the payment into the court’s digital financial management system. However, Chappell admitted to not recording the transactions, and instead embezzled the cash fees he collected from the landlords which totaled $37,931.47. Because the city of East Cleveland was a recipient of federal grants and other assistance during the time of his employment, Chappell was eligible to be charged in a U.S. District Court for defrauding the U.S. government.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward Brydle for the Northern District of Ohio.
Former Mail Carrier Sentenced to Prison for Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Stolen MailRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A former U.S. mail carrier was sentenced to prison today for participating in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud involving mail she stole from her postal route, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Kiara Padgett, 31, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve a six-month active prison sentence followed by six months of home detention.
Padgett’s husband, Dominique Dunlap, was previously sentenced to 70 months in prison and ordered to pay $1,650,921.70 as restitution. A third co-conspirator, Terrell Alexander Hager, Jr., was sentenced to three years in prison in connection with the scheme.
Rodney Hopkins, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) which oversees North Carolina, Kathleen Woodson, Special Agent in Charge, United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General (USPS-OIG) for the Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office (MAAFO), which overseas Charlotte, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
“As I have said before, I am sick and tired of checks being stolen from the mail – which we too often see from employees of the Postal Service,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “We are working tirelessly to catch these thieves and bring them to justice.”
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, from August 2021 to November 2022, Padgett conspired with Dunlap, Hager, and others to execute a scheme involving stolen checks. Padgett used her position as a mail carrier to steal checks of businesses and individuals from her postal route. Acting as an intermediary, Dunlap sold the stolen checks to Hager and other individuals. The stolen checks were then deposited into bank accounts controlled by co-conspirators and quickly withdrawn as cash before the financial institutions or the victims detected the fraud. Court documents show that the total face value of checks stolen from Padgett’s postal routes was over $8.5 million.
On September 15, 2023, Padgett pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the USPIS, USPS-OIG, and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Former Customs and Border Protection Agent Pleads Guilty to Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent pleaded guilty today to receiving child pornography, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The superseding information charges Harry Marvelle Peless, III, 51, of Newport, Michigan, with one count of receipt of child pornography. A violation of this offense carries a sentence of no less than 5 years’ and up to 20 years’ imprisonment, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing has been set for June 1 at 9 am.
According to court records, law enforcement began investigating Peless after Peless sent sexual messages to an undercover officer posing as a minor. Peless began communicating with the undercover in September 2024, and his contacts with the undercover became a near daily occurrence. At the time of the offense, Peless was employed as a Marine Border Protection Agent at the Gibraltar, Michigan, CBP station. Following the filing of charges in this matter, CPB placed Peless on unpaid administrative leave. Evidence recovered during the investigation showed that Peless had reveived child pornography over the internet, and that he was logged into the chat account he used to communicate with the undercover officer while he was at the Gibraltar CBP station.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Eaton Brown.
Former Connecticut Resident Sentenced to 90 Months for Operating $4 Million Investment Fraud Scheme, Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHN A. MASANOTTI, JR., 71, of Bonita Springs, Florida, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 90 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for offenses stemming from an investment fraud scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Masanotti, who formerly resided in Darien, Connecticut, was the owner and managing member of Middlesex Mortgage Group, LLC, also known as Middlesex Group, LLC (“Middlesex”), based in Darien. Through Middlesex and while acting as an investment advisor, Masanotti purported to manage a pooled investment vehicle on behalf of investors. Masanotti claimed to clients and potential clients that invested funds were going to be, and were in fact, pooled together and invested in foreign currency and other investments. Between approximately 2016 and 2023, Masanotti defrauded 14 clients of a total of more than $4 million by using their money for personal expenses, and to pay returns to other clients. Masanotti provided clients with fraudulent monthly account statements from Middlesex that showed fake investment profits.
In addition, for the 2016, 2017, and 2019 through 2022 tax years, Masanotti failed to report to the IRS more than $3 million in income, resulting in a tax loss of nearly $1 million.
Masanotti also made false statements to the FBI during the investigation and filed false records in an attempt to obstruct the investigation.
Masanotti has agreed to pay $4,361,632 in restitution to the victims of his crime, and to cooperate with the IRS to pay all back taxes, penalties, and interest.
Masanotti was arrested on May 9, 2024. On October 1, 2025, he pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of tax evasion. Released on a $100,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on March 19.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; with the assistance of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
Final Defendant in Robbery Crew Pleads Guilty to Robbing Two Convenience Stores with FirearmsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - Jermaine Dawes (33, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to two robberies, conspiracy to commit those robberies, and brandishing a firearm during both robberies. He faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the robbery offenses and a minimum sentence of 7 years, up to life imprisonment, consecutive to any other sentence imposed for the firearm offenses. His sentencing date has not yet been set. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
Dawes’s three co-defendants, Ronald Brown, E’Barous Harris, and Tra-Vontae Watson, each previously pleaded guilty. Their sentencing hearings are pending.
According to court documents and proceedings, in July 2024, Dawes conspired with others to rob two convenience stores in Tampa. Two firearms were used in, and brandished, during both robberies. Law enforcement located the defendants a few days after the robberies at a hotel in Tampa. Surveillance footage from the hotel revealed Dawes getting in and out of the driver’s seat of the vehicle used in the robberies while one of his co-defendants entered the vehicle with a firearm. Search warrants for multiple hotel rooms associated with the defendants were executed and a rifle consistent with one of the firearms used during the robberies was located.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, and the Tampa Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
Fifth Defendant Convicted in Statewide Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy Linked to Sinaloa CartelRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL – Eric Anthony Rodriguez, age 47, was found guilty in U.S. District Court for one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Rodriguez is the fifth defendant convicted as part of the scheme. Defendants Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, 33, Juan Martin Elvira, Jr., 36, Edward Gonzalez, 30, and Bruce Michael Orton, 44, all previously pled guilty.
According to court documents, the defendant conspired with other co-defendants to acquire and distribute large quantities of methamphetamine. Lead and organized by Erick Emilio Diaz-Aguilar, the “Diaz-Aguilar Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO)” operated and distributed methamphetamine throughout Minnesota from April 2024 to March 2025. The Diaz-Aguilar DTO orchestrated large shipments of methamphetamine from outside the state, sometimes hundreds of pounds at a time, and distributed methamphetamine in northern, southern, and central Minnesota. During a nearly year-long investigation, law enforcement seized approximately sixty pounds of methamphetamine, 1,500 fentanyl pills, and more than $20,000 in U.S. Currency from various individuals associated with the Diaz-Aguilar-DTO. Agents also executed search warrants at stash houses in Columbia Heights, Hastings, and Rochester, Minnesota. Officers seized three pounds of methamphetamine from Eric Rodriguez in a coordinated traffic stop in November 2025, and evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Rodriguez received dozens of additional pounds of methamphetamine for distribution. Additional evidence showed that the Diaz-Aguilar DTO was affiliated with the Sinaloa Cartel, a Transnational Criminal Organization (TCO).
Rodriguez was found guilty after a 6-day jury trial before Judge Susan R. Nelson.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Olmsted County Sheriff’s Office, Southeast Minnesota Violent Crime Enforcement Team, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Minnesota State Patrol, Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, Chisago County Sheriff’s Office, East Central Minnesota Drug Task Force, Hastings Police Department, Rochester Police Department, Cannon River Drug Task Force, and the New Prague Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Raphael B. Coburn and William C. Mattessich.
Expelled Mexican national sentenced for role in large-scale international cocaine trafficking offenseRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Mexican national was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for his role in a conspiracy to import approximately 1,900 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
According to court documents, Jose Francisco Mendoza-Gomez, aka Braulio Jelipe, was a member of a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for importing multi-hundred kilogram quantities of cocaine into the United States for years. The DTO, which had operations in New York, Texas, and elsewhere in the United States, sourced its cocaine from suppliers in Colombia and provided logistical and financial support to coordinate the narcotics’ passage through Central America and Mexico and, ultimately, into the United States. During the investigation, law enforcement made several cocaine seizures, including approximately 971 kilograms of cocaine on April 21, 2017, and 500 kilograms of cocaine on May 6, 2017, nearly all of which was attributable to the DTO. The investigation revealed the DTO conspired to import at least 1,900 kilograms of cocaine into the United States.
In addition to cocaine trafficking, the DTO was involved in transporting substantial illicit proceeds earned from its operations back to Mexico and elsewhere. DTO members engaged in bulk money transfers with cocaine suppliers and utilized a Chinese money laundering network to repatriate bulk narcotics proceeds out of the United States.
The DTO engaged in bribery of Mexican officials, including to gain access to information useful to its cocaine trafficking operations, and planned and attempted to execute multiple kidnappings related to rival drug traffickers and in efforts to secure outstanding debts.
Mendoza-Gomez assisted in coordinating and transporting cocaine for distribution in the United States, handled hundreds of thousands worth of narcotics proceeds, provided advice to the DTO’s leader, and participated in the DTO’s efforts to plan kidnappings and obtain information from corrupt Mexican officials.
On Aug. 12, 2025, Mendoza-Gomez, along with 25 other fugitives, were expelled from Mexico to the United States.
Two of Mendoza-Gomez’s co-conspirators, Marisela Flores-Torruco, aka La Dama de Hierro, and Qiyun Chen, have already been convicted for their roles in the DTO, as have several individuals involved in the related Chinese money laundering network. Flores-Torruco pled guilty on Oct. 9, 2018, and was sentenced on Feb. 1, 2019, to 16 years and eight months in prison. Chen pled guilty on Nov. 8, 2017, and was sentenced on Feb. 23, 2018, to 10 years in prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Special Operations Division, Bilateral Investigations Unit, with assistance from DEA’s offices in Cartagena, Colombia; Bogota, Colombia; Panama City, Panamá; Mexico City; and Guatemala City. U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service also provided substantial assistance in the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher M. Carter and Edgardo J. Rodriguez for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Caylee E. Campbell of the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section of the Criminal Division 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.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:17-cr-147.
East Aurora man sentenced for receipt of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Brian O’Brien, 43, of East Aurora, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison and 30 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. O’Brien will also have to register as a sex offender.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who handled the case, stated that between June 2022, and July 19, 2023, O’Brien used Snapchat and WhatsApp to receive, view, and upload visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his cellular telephone. Between June 2022, and March 2023, O’Brien used WhatsApp to communicate with an individual located in Phoenix, Arizona. During these communications, he discussed sexually abusing minor children, and distributed files containing child pornography to the other individual.
Between December 2022, and May 2023, O’Brien communicated by text message with a person he knew as “J.J.” During these communications, he solicited J.J. to find a minor boy for him to sexually abuse. J.J. provided O’Brien with a phone number for a person purported to be a 15-year-old boy. O’Brien then negotiated with the purported 15-year-old boy to perform sex acts. O’Brien then sent a message to J.J. in which he agreed to pay both the purported 15-year-old boy and J.J. for sexual activity with the purported minor and offered to buy drugs for the purported minor.
In July 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at O’Brien’s residence in East Aurora, during which numerous devices were seized, including two cell phones, a hard drive, and a laptop computer. A search of the devices recovered over 2,000 images and videos of child pornography.
“This case highlights the lengths that predators will go in their attempts to abuse children,” stated U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “Thankfully, this defendant was unsuccessful in his attempts but let this serve as a reminder of how important it is for adults and minors to be vigilant online.”
“The FBI has zero tolerance for any adult, like Brian O’Brien, who preys upon the innocence of children. Today’s sentencing reiterates that those who exploit children will be held accountable for their actions,” said Philip Tejera, Special Agent-in-Charge of the FBI’s Buffalo Field Office.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto.
# # # #
Durant Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Billy Ray St. Clair, age 25, of Durant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Ammunition, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment charged St. Clair with knowingly possessing 18 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition on January 14, 2025, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Durant 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.
St. Clair will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Dominican National Previously Convicted of Drug Distribution Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national unlawfully residing in Worcester was sentenced in federal court in Worcester for illegally reentering the United States after deportation. The defendant was previously convicted and sentenced for illegal reentry in 2020 and subsequently removed from the United States.
Jose Luis Urena-Vasquez, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to three years in prison. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In December 2025, Urena-Vasquez pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. He was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.
Urena-Vasquez was encountered by immigration officials in 2008 while serving an 11-month sentence for drug distribution in the Essex County House of Corrections. Upon completion of his sentence, Urena-Vasquez was placed into removal proceedings and was deported to the Dominican Republic on March 25, 2009.
Sometime after his removal, Urena-Vasquez illegally reentered the United States. In 2018, he was charged in Lawrence District Court with armed assault to murder, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and possession of a firearm. He then fled the state and in July 2018, Urena-Vasquez was arrested in Florida and returned to Massachusetts to face the state charges. In October 2018, Urena-Vasquez was indicted by a federal grand jury for unlawful reentry of a deported alien and pleaded guilty to the offense in May 2019. He was subsequently sentenced in April 2020 to eight months in prison and three years of supervised to be served consecutively with his pending state charges. Urena-Vasquez then pleaded guilty to the armed assault to murder and other charges in Essex Superior Court and was sentenced to several years in prison.
Urena-Vasquez was removed from the United States in February 2024 and unlawfully re-entered in or about July 2024. Urena-Vasquez came to the attention of federal authorities in May of 2025 after he was arrested and charged in state court in Worcester for alleged state fraud offenses.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Court Orders EES Coke Battery to Comply with Clean Air Act and Pay $100 Million Civil PenaltyRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan ordered DTE Energy Company and three of its subsidiaries to comply with the Clean Air Act and pay a penalty of $100 million in a decision issued today concerning a coke battery in River Rouge, Michigan.
The EES Coke facility (Facility) is located on Zug Island, between River Rouge and Detroit, in an area that fails to meet federal standards for sulfur dioxide in the air. The Facility uses coal and other raw materials to produce metallurgical coke, an input for making steel. The court found that the Facility increased its sulfur dioxide pollution as a result of changes the company sought to its state air permit in 2014. For example, the Facility emitted over 3,200 tons of sulfur dioxide pollution in 2018, compared to permitted baseline sulfur dioxide levels of under 2,100 tons per year.
In an August 2025 order, the court found that the Facility violated the Clean Air Act. The court then held a two-week trial in September to determine which DTE Energy Company entities were liable and the appropriate relief for the violations.
“This decision demonstrates that the Department of Justice will seek relief against companies that fail to comply with the nation’s environmental laws,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD). “This ensures a level playing field for all businesses and advances the Administration’s initiative to Make America Healthy Again.”
“Our goal in this litigation has been to secure compliance with the clear mandates of the law and stop unlimited emission of a criteria air pollutant. The court’s judgement achieves that,” said Assistant Administrator Jeffrey A. Hall of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s Office of Enforcement and Compliance Assurance. “Even as this Administration grows American industry, we will ensure that uncontrolled pollution does not follow and that Americans have clean air. We will be ready to pursue judicial action from the outset of a case.”
In today’s decision, the court found that emissions from the Facility caused asthma attacks, heart attacks, strokes, increased blood pressure, and increased risk of cancer, asthma, Alzheimer’s disease, and early deaths.
The court found that DTE Energy Company, DTE Energy Resources LLC, and DTE Energy Services Inc. were all liable as operators of the EES Coke facility. The court found each entity “exhibit[ed] a high degree of control over the Facility, including over environmental decision-making and operations.” In addition, the court had previously found that EES Coke Battery LLC was liable as an owner and operator of the Facility.
Turning to civil penalty, the court found that a penalty of $100 million was appropriate for the primary claim. The court found that the evidence showed that defendants saved about $70 million by failing to comply with the Clean Air Act as required, and were thus able to use that money in other ways. The court also found that the DTE Defendants each had a “substantial” ability to pay for relief ordered by the court.
Next the court ordered defendants to seek New Source Review permits from the Michigan Department of the Environment and Great Lakes (EGLE) within 250 days. The required permit applications will include proposals for stringent pollution controls consistent with the lowest achievable emissions rate and best available control technology, as determined by EGLE. The Court noted that the desulfurization technology described at trial for potential use at the Facility was “mature and well-established in the coking industry.”
The EPA investigated the case.
Attorneys Tom Benson, Samantha Ricci, and Sasha Alvarenga of ENRD’s Environmental Enforcement Section handled the case, with assistance from Geoffrey Stewart and Ada Baser of ENRD.
Compton Man Pleads Guilty to Assaulting and Injuring Federal Officer During Anti-Immigration Enforcement Riot Last Year in ParamountRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Compton man pleaded guilty today to assaulting and injuring a federal officer by throwing chunks of concrete at passing government vehicles during an anti-immigration law enforcement riot last year in Paramount.
Elpidio Reyna, 41, pleaded guilty to one felony count of assault on a federal officer by deadly or dangerous weapon resulting in bodily injury.
Reyna has been in federal custody since July 2025.
“This defendant could have easily killed a federal officer or innocent bystander,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “As he found out the hard way, violence against law enforcement is not constitutionally protected and will be met with swift justice. Those who engage in similar violence will be arrested, charged, and eventually convicted in a court of law.”
According to his plea agreement, on June 7, 2025, Reyna forcibly and intentionally assaulted with a deadly and dangerous weapon a federal law enforcement officer engaged in his official duties, resulting in the infliction of bodily injury to the officer.
On that day, federal law enforcement officers were staging a joint enforcement operation in Paramount in the vicinity of a Home Depot. Protestors, including Reyna, began to throw rocks at the officers’ official vehicles, lit objects on fire, and impeded law enforcement activity.
During this time, Reyna knowingly and intentionally lit objects on fire in the middle of the street and threw rocks at a convoy of law enforcement vehicles occupied by United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers, including the victim – identified in court documents as “R.T.” – all of whom were engaged in their official duties as federal officers.
Reyna threw a rock at R.T.’s government vehicle, which caused glass to shatter and injure R.T. by cutting his forehead.
United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled an August 7 sentencing hearing, at which time Reyna will face up to 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Border Patrol investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Brenda N. Galván of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Chilean National Sentenced to 75 Months in Prison for Cross-Country Credit Card Theft SpreeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Cristian M. Stevens on Tuesday sentenced a Chilean national who went on a cross-country crime spree involving stolen credit cards to 75 months in prison.
During the spree, Rene Arviso Velasquez, 51, stole purses or bags containing credit cards and then quickly used the cards to buy gift cards or other items. On Aug. 25, 2024, Velasquez stole one victim’s Lululemon belt bag, which was hanging from her seat at a Cottleville, Missouri restaurant. Less than an hour later, Velasquez used her credit card to purchase five Visa gift cards and a pack of salted nuts for $1,031. Later that day, Velasquez stole a different victim’s purse at a Brentwood restaurant and used her credit card to buy $1,445 worth of gift cards. On Nov. 3, 2024, Velasquez stole a woman’s wallet at a St. Peters restaurant and charge five Visa gift cards and a Pepsi for $1,035.
Velasquez stole at least $40,000 from victims in the St. Louis area and across the country.
Velasquez, who has used the names Miguel Antonio Carrasco-Gomez and Henry Diaz, was living in Tarzana, Calif., but is a Chilean national.
Velasquez pleaded guilty in November in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of access device fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Charlotte Man Sentenced to More Than 32 Years in Prison for String of Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man was sentenced to prison today for a string of armed robberies, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Andrew Marquis Jackson, 33, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 394 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
Jackson was previously convicted at trial of three counts of Hobbs Act robbery; three counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery; two counts of possessing, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; and one count of possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Reid Davis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in North Carolina, and Chief Estella D. Patterson of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents, trial evidence, and witness testimony, Jackson and his co-conspirators, Joshua Jon’tavious Blount and Messiah Lynn Blair, robbed at least three businesses in Charlotte at gunpoint. The first robbery occurred on January 24, 2023. The defendants entered a Dunkin Donuts located on Beatties Ford Road. Jackson approached the counter and demanded cash from the register. He then fired a shot into the ceiling. Blair jumped over the counter and searched the back office for money. Jackson held an employee at gunpoint while taking money from the registers. Blount was the getaway driver.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Dunkin Donuts
The second armed robbery occurred three days later, on January 27, 2023. Evidence presented at trial showed that Jackson entered a 7-Eleven located on Brookshire Blvd.
Upon entering the store, Jackson fired a shot into the ceiling with a handgun. He then pointed a gun at a store employee ordering him to hand over all the money in the register. Jackson took the money and ran out the store. Blount was inside the store pretending to be a customer during the robbery.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at 7-Eleven
The third robbery took place on February 1, 2023. Blount went into the Family Dollar store located on Beatties Ford Road store to survey the number of people present. Jackson and Blair then entered the store, armed with firearms. The men pointed their guns at the employee behind the counter and demanded money from the register and safe. The robbers proceeded to take all the cash from the registers before they fled the scene.
U.S. v. Jackson et al. – Armed Robbery at Family Dollar
Jackson remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
California Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 10, 2026, Joathan Colula (age: 33) was sentenced to 228 months in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and for conspiracy to commit money laundering. A jury had found Colula guilty of both charges on July 17, 2025, following a nine-day trial. After completing his prison sentence, Colula will be on supervised release for an additional 60 months.
According to court documents, Colula was a source of supply for an organization that had distribution hubs throughout the Midwest, including in Milwaukee, Minneapolis/St. Paul, the greater Chicago area, and Northern Indiana. From these hubs, Colula and his fellow conspirators distributed kilogram quantities of cocaine, thousands of fentanyl pills, and pounds of methamphetamine. To disguise his illegal activity, Colula laundered the proceeds of his drug trafficking through various business bank accounts. Colula also coordinated the receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash payments that were flown from the Midwest to California.
On November 29, 2022, case agents arrested fifteen individuals associated with the organization and executed search warrants at locations in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, and California. The search warrants resulted in the seizure of over 10 kilograms of fentanyl, approximately 7.5 kilograms of cocaine, more than a kilogram of methamphetamine, nearly 2 kilograms of heroin, ecstasy, oxycodone, approximately 170 pounds of marijuana, marijuana edibles, over $450,000 in cash, and 19 firearms.
In pronouncing sentence, Chief United States District Judge Pamela Pepper noted this was a large-scale, multi-state, multi-drug operation in which Colula played an integral role. She also noted that Colula was one of the longest running members of the group.
A co-defendant, Michael Williams, also was found guilty at July 2025 trial. Williams operated the organization’s primary stash location in Minneapolis. He and others mixed, tested, and packaged controlled substances, including kilogram quantities of fentanyl. He was sentenced to 240 months’ imprisonment for his role in the conspiracy.
“Virtually everyone knows someone whose life has been utterly destroyed by the extraordinarily dangerous drugs that have inundated our communities of every shape and size,” said U.S. Attorney Schimel. “Modern day drug traffickers have dramatically changed the very nature of our world with the violence, crime and death that follows in their wake. The judge sent the clear message that our community has had enough of the suffering wrought by these criminals.”
"The Milwaukee Police Department (MPD) is proud of the role our officers played in this case and grateful for the dedication and hard work of everyone involved in this investigation. Drug traffickers bring great harm to our community and must be held accountable.” said Milwaukee Police Chief Jeffrey Norman. “MPD values our collaboration with federal, state and local law enforcement partners in criminal cases like this to build a safer city for everyone to live, work and play.”
“This sentence reflects the seriousness of the harm caused by large-scale drug trafficking operations and the meaningful accountability that follows,” said DEA Chicago Field Division Special Agent in Charge Todd Smith. “Through close coordination with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area and our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, we dismantled a multi-state organization responsible for distributing dangerous drugs throughout the Midwest."The case was investigated by agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Milwaukee Police Department, West Allis Police Department, South Milwaukee Police Department, Wisconsin Department of Justice - Division of Criminal Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. The Internal Revenue Service and the Apple Valley Police Department also participated in the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Elizabeth Monfils and Erica Lounsberry prosecuted the case. The investigation was supported by the North Central High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA).
The HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement task forces to disrupt or dismantle local, multi-state and international drug trafficking organizations.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on X
Bryan County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Paul Puentes, age 50, of Durant, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, punishable by up to 40 years in prison and a $5,000,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on July 4, 2023, Puentes knowingly and intentionally possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance, intending to distribute it.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Durant Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.
Puentes will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard J. Lorenz represented the United States.
Bronx Man Charged with Federal Narcotics Offenses Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging TEDDY CACERES, a/k/a “Tito,” with distribution of narcotics resulting in death in connection with the April 13, 2025, fentanyl overdose death of a resident of Yorktown Heights, New York. CACERES was also charged with drug and firearms offenses in connection with the search of his Bronx residence in January 2026, during which law enforcement found a significant quantity of fentanyl and a loaded firearm. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman.
“As alleged, Teddy Caceres sold fentanyl that tragically claimed a life,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “That did not deter him from dealing in death. Nine months later, when law enforcement executed a search warrant at his residence, Caceres was once again allegedly in possession of fentanyl, as well as a loaded firearm. New Yorkers want streets free from those who distribute deadly fentanyl, and together with the NYPD, the FBI, the DEA and our other law enforcement partners, the women and men of the SDNY will hold them accountable.”
“The FBI and our law enforcement partners will do everything in our power to decimate the drug trafficking industry and save American lives,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Teddy Caceres is an example of the problem; he allegedly continued to traffic fentanyl even after he contributed to the fatal overdose of an unsuspecting victim. The FBI remains determined to investigate and charge those who threaten our community’s safety with narcotics and firearms.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:[1]
On or about April 13, 2025, the victim was found unconscious by members of her family at their residence in Yorktown Heights, New York. The victim was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced dead. At the family’s residence, law enforcement recovered several yellow glassines filled with fentanyl, consistent with the yellow glassines that video surveillance captured CACERES had sold to the victim the day before.
Approximately nine months later, on or about January 14, 2026, law enforcement executed a search warrant at CACERES’s apartment in the vicinity of Pelham Parkway South in the Bronx, New York, where they recovered a black .45 caliber Glock 21 with a magazine loaded with 18 .45 caliber live rounds, and 17 cartridges of 9mm ammunition, as well as two large blocks of fentanyl.
* * *
CACERES, 43, of the Bronx, New York, is charged with one count of distribution of narcotics resulting in death, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, crack cocaine base, and methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of firearms use, carrying, and possession, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of possession of a firearm after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, New York City Police Department, and Yorktown Police Department.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations & Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Hoffman is in charge of the prosecution.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Bolivian National Arrested in Tulsa for Child Sexual Abuse Material; Wanted by INTERPOLRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Bolivian national currently residing in Tulsa and wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) was charged by Criminal Complaint for receiving, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Vismar Erick Atahuichi Alanoca, 39, is charged with Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography, and Possession of or Access with Intent to View Child Pornography.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children CyberTipline received three reports from Facebook. Court documents show that Facebook reported that photographs consistent with child sexual abuse material were uploaded and shared by a Facebook user. Agents executed a search warrant and discovered that Alanoca possessed child sexual abuse material, including a prepubescent child being sexually abused. It is further alleged that Alanoca messaged with a Facebook user requesting child sexual abuse material.
Court records show that, during the investigation of Alanoca, agents discovered that he is listed as a wanted fugitive by INTERPOL. The risk factors listed show that Alanoca has violent tendencies, is an escape risk, a sexually violent predator, and is cautioned that he is a sex offender, specifically involving minors.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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.
Blue Hill Man Sentenced to 12 Months and One Day for Making a False Statement During Purchase of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Blue Hill man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for making a false statement during purchase of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Caleb Rhine, 22, to 12 months and one day in prison and 3 years of supervised release.
According to court records, on June 8, 2023, Rhine was indicted in Hancock County Superior Court on one count of aggravated trafficking in scheduled drugs. On May 5, 2024, Rhine, while still under indictment, attempted to purchase a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Ellsworth. To make the purchase, Rhine filled out a Form 4473 required by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). In response to the question, “Are you under indictment or information in any court for a felony, or any other crime for which the judge could imprison you for more than one year . . .?,” Rhine falsely checked the box “No.” Rhine was able to successfully buy the gun a few days later based, in part, on his representations on the ATF form.
ATF and the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
###
Bank Insider Pleads Guilty to Facilitating Fraud Schemes from Inside Two Financial InstitutionsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, NJ – Edward Low, a/k/a “a Mang Wah Low,” a/k/a “Eddie Low”, a former New York-based employee of TD Bank, N.A. and another financial institution, pleaded guilty today to accepting bribes to provide confidential customer information of TD Bank customers and to falsifying bank records to open a bank account at another financial institution, which helped co-conspirators commit more than $500,000 of fraud.
Low, 31, pleaded guilty today before the Honorable Esther Salas in Newark to a two-count Information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution and making false bank entries or reports. He is scheduled to be sentenced on July 14, 2026.
“This defendant chose to sell his access to the banking system from the inside. By accepting bribes at two separate financial institutions, he betrayed the trust placed in him and enabled outside fraudsters to exploit customer accounts and falsify bank records for personal gain. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to root out corruption within our financial institutions and hold accountable those—whether insiders or outsiders—who undermine the integrity of our banking system.”
- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
According to court filings and statements made in court, from January 2021 through May 2021, Low, of Flushing, New York accepted bribes and leveraged his position to obtain confidential TD Bank customer information. He then passed the information to outside co-conspirators, who used it to take over accounts and steal money from customers. Low also processed some of the illicit transactions for co-conspirators. In total, Low received at least $26,700 in bribes and facilitated $484,572.16 of fraud.
Then, from May 2022 through August 2022, Low was an employee at another financial institution. In exchange for a bribe, Low falsified bank records to help a co-conspirator open an account in the name of a shell company. Co-conspirators then used that account to commit at least $47,195 of fraud.
The charge of conspiring to commit wire fraud affecting a financial institution carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater. The charge of making false bank entries carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the amount involved in the offense or lost by a victim of the offense, whichever is greater.
IRS-CI and FDIC-OIG investigated the case. The department also thanks the Morristown Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit for the District of New Jersey and Trial Attorneys D. Zachary Adams and Chelsea Rooney of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section are prosecuting the case.
The Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section’s Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers and employees whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
###
Defense counsel: Michael P. Koribanics, Esq.
low.information.pdfBakersfield Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Explosives and for Manufacturing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Matthew Henry Jacober, 44, of Bakersfield, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jennifer L. Thurston to 5 years in prison for being a felon in possession of explosives and manufacturing crystal methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in July 2025, Jacober possessed 50 pounds of dynamite, which he had hidden in a cave approximately 10 to 15 feet from a travel trailer where Jacober was residing. In 2021, Jacober was convicted in Kern County Superior Court of making a destructive device without a permit, a felony. As a convicted felon, Jacober was thus prohibited from possessing explosives. In addition, Jacober was in the process of manufacturing crystal methamphetamine in his trailer, where he possessed both finished product and methamphetamine in the process of changing from liquid to a crystal form. On Nov. 24, 2025, Jacober pleaded guilty to the charges that gave rise to his sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kern County Sheriff’s Office Bomb Squad, and the Kern County Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Antonio Pataca prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Prison for Selling Glock Switch and Possessing over 6,000 Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – An armed drug trafficker was sentenced to prison today for selling a machinegun conversion device (or “Glock switch”) and possessing over 6,000 fentanyl pills, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Jalein Young, 27, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 138 months 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, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court records, Young sold a firearm fitted with a Glock switch to an undercover law enforcement agent in 2024. The firearm was a Glock model 19 pistol converted from a semiautomatic weapon to one capable of fully automatic fire. In March 2024, Young agreed to sell 5,000 fentanyl pills to an undercover law enforcement agent. Investigators intercepted Young and found over 5,000 pills in his vehicle. A laboratory chemical analysis identified the pills to contain at least 504 grams of fentanyl. An additional 1,532 pills weighing approximately 358 grams were found in Young’s garage. In late March 2024, Young contacted the undercover agent offering to sell 4,000 additional fentanyl pills. In May 2024, Young was arrested while trying to fly to the Dominican Republic on a one-way ticket.
Young pleaded guilty to transfer of a machinegun and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The ATF conducted the investigation.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Todd Philip Wilkerson, age 54, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Chickasaw Lighthorse Police Department, and the Ardmore Police Department.
On July 9, 2025, Wilkerson pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on March 26, 2025, Wilkerson knowingly engaged in sexual contact with a victim who was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct and physically incapable of declining participation or communicating unwillingness to engage in that act. The crime occurred in Carter County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Wilkerson will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Morgan Muzljakovich and Nicole Paladino represented the United States.
Alleged Major Sinaloa Cartel Drug Trafficker Appears in San Diego CourtRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Alleged Sinaloa Cartel member Miguel Angel Valdez Ruiz, aka Flaco, made his initial appearance in federal court today following his arrest on charges that he participated in an international conspiracy to traffic cocaine from Ecuador, Colombia, Panama, and Mexico into the United States.
Valdez was a fugitive following his 2019 indictment in the Southern District of California charging him with International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances.
Prior to his arrest, on February 10, 2022, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Valdez pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 14059 for materially contributing to the illicit activities of major Mexican cartels to traffic cocaine into the United States.
According to the OFAC designation, Valdez worked as an intermediary between major Ecuadorian drug trafficker Wilder Emilio Sanchez Farfan and Ismael Zambada Garcia, aka El Mayo, who at the time was a major leader of the Sinaloa Cartel. OFAC alleges that Valdez used a fleet of private aircraft to transport cocaine from Ecuador to Mexico and coordinated with associates to import the cocaine into the United States.
At today’s hearing, Valdez entered a not guilty plea. A detention hearing is scheduled for February 20, 2026, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael Berg.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Martin, Jordan Arakawa, Ashley Goff and Mary Walters.
DEFENDANT Case Number 19CR1610-GPC
Miguel Angel Valdez Ruiz Age: 36 Sinaloa, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – Title 21, U.S.C., Sections 959, 960, 963
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
U.S. Department of the Treasury
United States Coast Guard
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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).
This case was investigated and prosecuted by the California Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) as part of Operation Take Back America. HSTFs, which were established by President Trump in Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion, are joint operations led by the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security. Operation Take Back America is a nationwide federal initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Drug Trafficking
Edgar Narvaez Vega, 23, from Quito, Ecuador, was sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment with two years of supervised release to follow for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin. According to court documents, on July 5, 2025, a Wyoming Highway Patrol trooper stopped the defendant and his brother on I-80 for speeding. The defendant was a passenger. The trooper smelled marijuana and observed it in plain view, leading to a probable cause search. Inside the vehicle troopers discovered large quantities of narcotics hidden in trash bags and wrapped in multiple layers of plastic wrap and oil to deter detection. Troopers seized 63 packages of methamphetamine (74.17 lbs.), along with cocaine (2.6 lbs.), fentanyl pills (1.3 lbs.), heroin (1.5 lbs.), and smaller amounts of marijuana. The Wyoming Highway Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. The defendant was indicted on Sept. 16, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Feb. 9, 2026, in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00124
Leisa Michelle Reese, 47, with no fixed address, was sentenced to 57 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release to follow for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, on June 11, 2025, law enforcement in Crook County, Wyoming, contacted the defendant in her vehicle which was parked at a hotel, after observing suspicious activity. At first, she provided a false name, but was eventually identified through hotel records, arrested on an active South Dakota warrant, and found with methamphetamine paraphernalia. In the vehicle deputies found a black bag on the passenger-side floorboard containing large quantities of methamphetamine, smaller baggies, cash, and items bearing the defendant’s name. Approximately 517 grams of methamphetamine were seized. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Elmore prosecuted the case. Reese was indicted on Sept. 17, 2025, and pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 10, 2026, in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00136
Dennis Bayless, 65, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment with five years of supervised release to follow for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, in October 2024, the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) began investigating Bayless as a suspected methamphetamine supplier in Goshen County. Law enforcement seized over 500 grams of methamphetamine from Bayless at various locations. DCI investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. Bayless was arrested on Aug. 5, 2025, waived indictment and pleaded guilty on Nov. 20, 2025. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 10 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00154
Illegal Re-Entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Jose Vazquez, 50, of Colima, Mexico, was sentenced to six month’s imprisonment with one year of supervised release for illegal re-entry of a previously deported alien into the U.S. and fraud and misuse of visas, permits, and other entry documents. He will be deported following his sentence. According to court documents, in July 2025, a Hall County, Georgia woman reported identity theft after discovering a fraudulent use of her social security number traced to Jose Vazquez in Kemmerer. Kemmerer Police found that Vazquez had been using the victim’s social security number on employment documents and had another social security card in his possession that belonged to a different individual. HSI determined Vazquez had previously been removed from the U.S. in 2006 and had not applied for permission to reenter. HSI and the Kemmerer Police Department investigated the crime and Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold prosecuted the case. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence on Feb. 9 in Cheyenne. Case No. 25-CR-00167Joaquin Mejia-Andrade, 48, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced to 11 months’ imprisonment with three years of supervised release for illegal re-entry into the U.S. of a previously deported alien. According to court documents, on Oct. 25, 2025, Mejia-Andrade was arrested in Jackson for driving under the influence of alcohol. Based on the defendant’s fingerprints, ICE determined he had previously been removed from the U.S. and had not applied for permission to reenter after being formally removed in October 2016. ICE investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook prosecuted the case. U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Feb. 10, 2026, in Casper. Case No. 25-CR-00157
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Operation Take Back America
Operation Take Back America is a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. It also streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Victim Witness Program
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to ensuring victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime
16 February 2026
District of Arizona Charges 155 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Feb. 7 through Feb. 13, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 155 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 99 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 40 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 13 cases against 16 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), ICE- Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Luis Miguel Salas-Blanco. Salas-Blanco was charged by complaint with Reentry of Removed Alien, Feb. 10, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on Oct. 7, 2021, after being convicted of Possession of a Weapon by a Prohibited Person and Forgery-Possession of a Forged Instrument, both felonies, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Salas-Blanco was sentenced to two and a half years of imprisonment for each count, with the sentences to be served concurrently. 26-9011MJ, Phoenix.
United States v. Fileman Gomez-Casteneda. Gomez-Casteneda was charged by complaint with Bringing an Alien to the United States Unlawfully. A Border Patrol Agent first observed five suspected illegal aliens walking northbound near exit 87 on I-8. Another BPA located the five individuals—one of whom was later identified as Gomez-Casteneda—hiding under a tree and wearing camouflage shirts and pants. Immigration checks confirmed that Gomez-Casteneda and the four others are citizens of Mexico, all unlawfully present in the United States. 26-01114MJ, Phoenix.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-028_February 13 Immigration Enforcement
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
13 February 2026
Zachary Man Sentenced to 175 Months in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Thomas Mills V, age 59, of Zachary, Louisiana, to 175 months in federal prison following his conviction for possession of child pornography. A jury trial had commenced before Mills entered his guilty plea. The Court further sentenced Mills to serve five years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court imposed restitution in the amount of $45,000 and ordered him to register as a sex offender upon his release.
According to admissions made during his plea, on or about October 22, 2018, officers with the Zachary Police Department were dispatched to an area on Highway 19 in reference to a suspicious vehicle. An anonymous caller advised that an unknown male was parked in an alley behind a party store. Upon arrival, officers approached the entrance of the alleyway and encountered Mills, who was the driver and sole occupant of a 2008 Honda Fit. Mills exited the vehicle and initially told officers that he was cleaning his car behind the buildings. He then advised he was using the internet to send emails. Mills presented officers with his Louisiana driver’s license, which indicated that he was a resident of Baton Rouge and a registered sex offender.
Because Mills initially told officers that he lived in Zachary but was registered as a sex offender in Baton Rouge, officers believed that he was possibly in violation of state sex offender registration laws. Mills was observed acting nervously when speaking with the officers. Despite officers requesting him to remain in front of one of the patrol vehicles as they attempted to verify his information, Mills was observed moving towards his vehicle and was ordered to return to the front of the patrol unit on three separate occasions. While officers were questioning him about the address discrepancy, they approached his vehicle and observed a laptop computer in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard and a USB storage device on the front passenger seat.
Officers initiated a criminal history check on Mills, which revealed he had a previous federal felony conviction for possession of child pornography in 2012. After learning this information, Mills was asked if he was on probation. He responded affirmatively, identified his probation officer and provided their contact information. Officers also verified that the 2008 Honda Fit was registered to Mills.
While on scene, officers contacted the probation officer and learned that Mills was in violation of his conditions of supervised release by possessing a computer and computer components such as USB storage devices. The probation officer requested that officers seize the electronic devices in his possession.
After securing Mills inside of the unit, officers recovered approximately nineteen electronic devices from his vehicle. The nineteen devices seized from Mills were sent to a forensic examiner with U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services for forensic analysis. The analysis revealed approximately 1,325 pictures and 6 videos depicting child exploitation images.
In 2013, Mills was sentenced to 62 months of imprisonment for his 2012 conviction for possession of child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Zachary Police Department, and U.S. Probation and Parole, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eli J. Abad.
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 https://www.justice.gov/PSC.
Western District of Texas Federal Prosecutors File 255 New Immigration CasesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 255 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from Feb. 6 to Feb. 12, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against human smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for child sexual assault, violent crimes, DWIs, and multiple prior removals.
Among the new cases, Mexican national Luis Soto-Leyva attempted to enter the United States through the Paso Del Norte Port of Entry (POE) in El Paso on Oct. 1, 2024. That encounter led him to an improper entry conviction. Soto-Leyva was detained again in February 2026, after U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers observed him crossing the U.S.-Mexico border west of the Paso Del Norte POE. A criminal complaint alleges that Soto-Leyva stated he had been an alien smuggler for approximately four years, making an average of $1,000 to $3,000 per week. He is now charged with one count of alien smuggling and one count of illegal re-entry.
Brenda Nina Sanchez-Felix, who maintains a Lawful Permanent Resident Card, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents after agents located her pickup truck pulled over with a flat tire on TX-20. The maroon vehicle allegedly matched what a camera had captured near suspected alien activity eight miles west of the Tornillo POE. A criminal complaint alleges that agents noticed fresh wet mud on the trim of the vehicle door and several muddy footprints leading away from vehicle, leading the agents to discover nine individuals hiding in the brush. Eight of the individuals stated they were in the U.S. illegally, while one stated he was a U.S. citizen. In September 2025, Sanchez-Felix was convicted of alien smuggling and sentenced to two years of probation.
Convicted felon Marco Antonio De La Vega-Macias, a Mexican national, was found approximately half a mile west of the Bridge of the Americas POE in El Paso on Feb. 9. He was removed from the U.S. for the fourth time on Sept. 29, 2023, following his second illegal re-entry conviction. De La Vega-Macias has a prior conviction for engaging in sexual contact with a minor and multiple theft charges.
In San Antonio, Mexican national Abraham Hermilindo Gallegos-Mendez was charged with one count of alien in possession of a firearm. On Feb. 9, Texas Department of Public Safety troopers conducted a traffic stop on a sedan. A criminal complaint alleges Gallegos-Mendez exited the front passenger door of the vehicle and ran. The troopers apprehended him a short distance from the initial stop and conducted a search of the front passenger area where Gallegos-Mendez had allegedly been sitting in the vehicle. The complaint alleges that the troopers located a blue jacket containing a loaded 9mm handgun.
Mexican national Leonel Nazario Ramos-Guerrero was arrested near Maverick on Feb. 7 and charged with illegal re-entry. He was recently deported for the seventh time on Oct. 29, 2025. His criminal record includes illegal re-entry, two convictions for assault causing bodily injury, assault on a law enforcement officer, and resisting an officer.
Zeferino Turrubiates-Ramos, also a Mexican national, was arrested near Val Verde on Feb. 8 and charged with illegal re-entry. He was recently deported on Nov. 17, 2025—also for the seventh time. He was convicted in 2017 for aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and in 2018 for illegal re-entry. In 2021, he was found to have violated previously imposed conditions of probation.
Mexican national Ruben Villela Briones was taken into ICE custody on Feb. 6, after serving two years in the Travis County Jail for a stalking conviction. Briones has been previously removed from the U.S. three times with three additional voluntary returns. His criminal record also includes two assault convictions, resisting arrest, and illegal re-entry.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Washington State Woman Charged with Threatening to Murder a Federal Law Enforcement Officer and Members of the Officer’s FamilyRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury returned a three-count Indictment, charging Brenna Marie Doyle, age 18, with threating to murder a federal law enforcement officer, threatening to murder members of the law enforcement officer’s immediate family, and with interstate transmission of communications threatening to injure the federal agent and their immediate family members, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today.
According to court documents, on January 14, 2026, in response to an immigration enforcement action, a large group of protesters in Minneapolis vandalized and significantly damaged FBI-owned vehicles, stealing weapons and ammunition, and seizing government-owned equipment and documents containing federal employees’ phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, and driver’s license numbers. FBI personnel were on scene to investigate an officer-involved shooting and not for any immigration enforcement. One of the individuals whose personal information was confiscated and broadcast on the Internet was an FBI Special Agent.
On January 16, 2026, the Special Agent received a series of threatening voicemail messages on their government-issued cell phone. Subsequent investigation identified the phone number associated with three of those threatening calls as belonging to Brenna Marie Doyle. The voicemail messages threatened to kill the Special Agent and members of their immediate family.
The investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
Virginia company, owner, and senior employee sentenced for illegally exporting millions of dollars of U.S. technology to RussiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – Eleview International Inc., Oleg Nayandin, 54, of Fairfax, Virginia, and Vitaliy Borisenko, 39, of Vienna, Virginia, were sentenced today for conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act.
According to court records, between approximately February 2022 and June 2023, Eleview International Inc., a Virginia-based company that operated a freight consolidation and forwarding business; Nayandin, the owner, president, and CEO of Eleview; and Borisenko, who oversaw the day-to-day operations of Eleview’s freight forwarding business, conspired to illegally export goods and technology from the United States to Russia by transshipping them through three countries bordering or near Russia.
Eleview, Nayandin, and Borisenko operated an e-commerce website that allowed Russian customers to order U.S. goods and technology directly from U.S. retailers, who shipped the items to Eleview’s warehouse in Chantilly. They then consolidated the packages before shipping them to the Russian customers, often using other freight forwarders as intermediaries. After the Department of Commerce imposed stricter export controls in response to Russia’s further invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Nayandin and Borisenko, on behalf of Eleview, coordinated shipments of items to purported end users in Turkey, Finland, and Kazakhstan that were ultimately destined for end users in Russia. To facilitate these illegal exports, they made numerous false statements to other freight forwarders about the end users and ultimate consignees of the items in these shipments.
In the Turkey scheme, Eleview exported 23 shipments of telecommunications equipment to a false end user in Turkey that was intended for a Russian telecommunications company that supplied the Russian government, including the Federal Security Service. The telecommunications equipment that Eleview exported illegally as part of the Turkey scheme had military applications, including use by the Russian military to create and expand communication networks.
In the Finland scheme, Eleview exported 83 shipments of goods to Russia through Eleview’s e-commerce website to a false end user in Finland that neither purchased nor sold goods. Before consolidating the packages into larger pallets for shipment to Finland, Eleview affixed to each package a label with a Russian postal service tracking number so that the Russian postal service could easily ship the package to the customer in Russia. The goods Eleview exported illegally as part of the Finland scheme included items that the Department of Commerce has identified as particularly significant to Russian weaponry, including the same type of electronic component found on Russian “suicide” drones used to destroy Ukrainian tanks and jets.
In the Kazakhstan scheme, Eleview exported approximately 52 shipments of goods to Russia through an entity in Kazakhstan that advertises its ability to deliver goods to Russia. The goods that Eleview exported illegally as part of the Kazakhstan scheme included controlled, dual-use items.
Eleview was ordered to pay a fine of $125,000 and sentenced to three years of probation that included requirements to submit biannual compliance reports and mandate export-control training for its employees. Nayandin was sentenced to three years in prison. Borisenko was sentenced to a year in prison.
The U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gavin R. Tisdale and Sehar F. Sabir and former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda St. Cyr and Dave Peters for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-46.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 114 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 114 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On February 8, Raul Rodriguez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered 55 packages containing 137 pounds of methamphetamine concealed in the front and rear bumpers of the defendant’s vehicle’s as he tried to cross the border at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On February 11, Gelacio Ortiz-Dominguez, a citizen of Mexico, was arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, Ortiz was intercepted by Customs and Border Protection officers as he ran northbound in the primary vehicle lanes at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry. The defendant was previously removed from the U.S. in 2022, and at least twice before that.
- On February 9, Juan Manuel Estrada Cortez and Manuel Monterrosa Mendoza, citizens of Mexico, were arrested and charged with Transportation of Illegal Aliens. According to a complaint, the defendants were arrested by Border Patrol agents north of the border, about eight miles east of Tecate, after a brief chase. The defendants and three others fled their disabled vehicle after its tires were deflated by the Border Patrol’s Vehicle Immobilization Device was deployed.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Concludes Investigation into Fatal ShootingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia announced today that there is insufficient evidence to pursue federal criminal civil rights or District of Columbia charges against Metropolitan Police Department Officer Epshane Porter for a shooting that occurred on November 17, 2025, and fatally injured a 25-year-old District resident (D.C.) at the side of 1221 47th Place, N.E., Washington, D.C.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the MPD Internal Affairs Division conducted a comprehensive review of the incident, which included a review of law enforcement accounts, crime-camera footage, BWC footage, physical evidence, recorded radio communications, forensic reports, and reports from MPD.
According to the evidence, Porter was patrolling the neighborhood with another officer. The officers observed a group of men standing outside of 4725 Minnesota Avenue, N.E. When the group observed the police, D.C. and another male began to run away in separate directions. Officer Porter chased after D.C. Porter gave commands during the chase for D.C. to display his hands to the officer. The foot chase ended when D.C. entered a small, fenced area alongside 1221 47th Place, N.E. Porter gave several additional commands for D.C. to stop reaching for his hip area. In addition to ignoring the commands, D.C. and Porter had a brief physical encounter. Porter discharged his weapon at this point. The police recovered a .45 caliber Glock from D.C.’s pocket. Despite life-saving measures, D.C. would ultimately succumb to his wounds and be declared dead.
After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer willfully violated the civilian’s rights.
Investigations generally
The U.S. Attorney’s Office reviews all police-involved fatalities to determine whether sufficient evidence exists to conclude that any officers violated either federal criminal civil rights laws or District of Columbia law.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to investigating allegations of excessive force by law enforcement officers and will continue to devote the resources necessary to ensure that all allegations of serious civil rights violations are investigated fully and completely. The Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division investigates all police-involved fatalities in the District of Columbia.
U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of New Mexico Weekly Immigration and Border Crimes ReportRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico announced its immigration enforcement statistics for this week. These cases are prosecuted in partnership with the El Paso Sector of the U.S. Border Patrol, along with Homeland Security Investigations El Paso, and assistance from other federal, state, and county agencies.
In the one-week period ending February 13, 2026, the United States Attorney’s Office brought the following criminal charges in New Mexico:
- 66 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Reentry After Deportation (8 U.S.C. 1326)
- 4 individuals were charged this week with Alien Smuggling (8 U.S.C. 1324)
- 55 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325)
- 33 individuals were charged this week with Illegal Entry (8 U.S.C. 1325), violation of a military security regulation (50 U.S.C. 797) and Entering Military, Naval, or Coast Guard Property (18 U.S.C. 1382), arising from the newly established National Defense Area in New Mexico.
Many of the defendants charged pursuant to 8 U.S.C. 1326 had prior criminal convictions for drug trafficking.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
These statistics represent prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico only. The numbers do not include individuals apprehended by immigration enforcement officials and subjected solely to administrative process.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for the District of New Mexico. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal history, including human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The District of New Mexico consists of 33 counties and shares 180 miles of international border with Mexico. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from Albuquerque and Las Cruces work directly with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to prosecute immigration-related and other federal offenses.
U.S. Attorney's Office Collects $20,238,028.08 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford announced today that the District of Oregon collected more than $20.2 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, nearly $15 million was collected in criminal actions and over $5.2 million was collected in civil actions. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
“The District of Oregon’s Asset Recovery and Money Laundering Unit provides critical support to victims of crime by holding those who profit from criminal conduct accountable and pursuing civil recoveries,” said U.S. Attorney Bradford. “We take seriously our obligation to make victims as financially whole as possible. Our annual collections reflect the dedication, persistence, and resolve of our team in the pursuit of justice.”
For example, to date, the government has recovered over $4.5 million in restitution from Sergey and Galina Lebedenko, who used their ill-gotten gains to purchase fourteen homes and properties, seven vehicles, an ownership interest in a private jet, and countless luxury items. After pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and wire fraud, the Lebedenkos were ordered to pay over $33 million in restitution. The government sought to remit and restore forfeited assets on behalf of the victim, including real properties and nineteen financial accounts.
In another example, the government secured the full restitution payment totaling $1.346 million from Michael James Defrees, who was convicted of wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering. Defrees agreed to satisfy this obligation prior to sentencing, but failed to do so. The United States secured payment through seizing three vehicles, multiple winter sports equipment, a racing boat, and a trailer, and helped facilitate the sale of two parcels of real property to pay his restitution judgment in full and satisfy his forfeiture money judgment.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs.
Two Men Sentenced for Their Roles in Mail Theft and Check Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two men were sentenced this week in federal court in Boston for fraudulently depositing checks stolen from the mail.
Imanol Rios-Franco, 26, of Canton, was sentenced by Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris on Feb. 10, 2026, to 35 months in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release. Rios-Franco was also ordered to pay $12,528 in restitution. In November 2025, Rios-Franco pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail.
Brandon Baez, 23, of North Attleboro, was sentenced by Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris on Feb. 12, 2026, to two years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Baez was also ordered to pay $10,285 in restitution. In November 2025, Baez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to steal and possess stolen mail.
From at least June 2023 until February 2024, the defendants and their co-conspirators stole mail from USPS collection boxes, looking to steal checks. After they stole these checks, they washed the hand-written ink from the checks using commercially available chemicals. The checks were then re-issued to the co-conspirators or other bank accounts that they controlled. After the checks were fraudulently deposited, the defendants and their co-conspirators withdrew money from ATMs or bought money orders with those fraudulently obtained funds. A review of the co-conspirators’ cellphones revealed that they had collaborated to advance this criminal scheme.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Thomas A. Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge for the Boston Office of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Boston and Wellesley Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lucy Sun and Philip C. Cheng of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Twenty-Seven Members and Associates of Tren de Aragua Splinter Faction Anti-Tren Charged with 2024 Double Murder in New York and Sex Trafficking, Kidnapping, Racketeering, and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
A 38-count superseding indictment (S4 indictment) was unsealed today charging 27 members of the Anti-Tren faction of the designated foreign terrorist organization Tren de Aragua (TDA or TdA) with offenses including racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering in connection with an April 15, 2024, double murder in the Bronx, New York, murder-for-hire conspiracy, kidnapping in aid of racketeering, sex trafficking and sex trafficking conspiracy, and other offenses. Twenty-one of the 27 defendants charged in the S4 indictment were previously charged in a 12-count indictment. Of the six newly added defendants, five are now in federal custody.
To date, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York has charged approximately 38 members or associates of TDA and Anti-Tren.
“As alleged, these members of Anti-Tren, a splinter faction of the terrorist organization Tren de Aragua, planned and carried out a series of horrific crimes, including gunpoint robberies, murders, and the exploitation of vulnerable young women through sex trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York (SDNY). “Tren de Aragua is in the business of murder, sex trafficking, and intimidation, and they brought that business to New York while being unlawfully present in the United States. Today’s charges reflect our commitment to bankrupt TDA and bring its members to justice. The gang members charged today exerted ruthless control over sex trafficking victims through intimidation, brutality, and threats of violence against them and their loved ones — leaving lasting trauma in their wake. The women and men of the SDNY are unwavering in their commitment to bankrupt gangs that corrupt our neighborhoods, prey on the vulnerable, and pursue violence as a way of life.”
“Homeland Security Investigations New York continues to stand at the forefront of investigations against vicious criminal enterprises like Tren de Aragua and Anti-Tren,” said Acting Executive Associate Director John A. Condon for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Through their use of ruthless tactics and blatant disregard for human life, TdA and its offshoots are among the fastest emerging transnational criminal organizations to encroach upon American soil. HSI New York, through the Homeland Security Task Force, continues to target these gangs that seek to perpetrate destruction and terror in our communities. Together, alongside our law enforcement partners, we are committed to ensuring that no corners of the TdA and Anti-Tren enterprises are beyond the reach of justice.”
“TdA and its faction Anti-Tren grew from a prison gang to a transnational criminal organization to a foreign terrorist organization. The violence and horrific acts as charged here including the double murder, murder for hire, kidnapping, and sex trafficking will be met with the full weight of our justice system,” said Co-Director Christopher Eason of Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV). “The charges against these TdA associates and Anti-Tren members are directly in line with JTFV’s mission: a collaborative, whole of government effort to destroy TdA and its factions. We are grateful for our partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, and our law enforcement partners who worked tirelessly to investigate and bring these important charges.”
According to the allegations contained in the S4 indictment, Anti-Tren is a criminal organization almost exclusively comprised of former members and associates of TDA. Anti-Tren operated throughout New York City, including the boroughs of the Bronx and Queens, and in New Jersey, and elsewhere around the country, including in Illinois and Washington. The purposes of Anti-Tren included:
- Preserving and protecting the power and territory of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through acts involving murder, assault, other acts of violence, and threats of violence, including acts of violence and threats of violence directed at members and associates of TDA;
- Enriching the members and associates of Anti-Tren through, among other things:
- The unlawful smuggling of individuals, including women and girls from Venezuela, into the United States,
- The sex trafficking of young women or “multadas” who had been unlawfully smuggled into the United States,
- The trafficking of controlled substances, including “tusi,” and
- Armed robberies;
- Keeping victims and potential victims in fear of Anti-Tren and its members and associates through threats and acts of violence;
- Promoting and enhancing Anti-Tren and the reputation and activities of its members and associates;
- Providing assistance to members and associates of Anti-Tren who committed crimes for and on behalf of Anti-Tren, such as lodging and interstate transportation for members and associates of Anti-Tren to flee prosecution, or bail money for members or associates of Anti-Tren who are detained; and
- Protecting Anti-Tren and its members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities through acts of intimidation, threats, and violence against potential witnesses to crimes committed by members of Anti-Tren.
Anti-Tren engaged in human smuggling and sex trafficking of young women or “multadas,” into the United States in exchange for debts that the young women would pay back by engaging in commercial sex work. Like TDA, members of Anti-Tren enforced compliance among these young women by, among other things:
- Threatening to kill the young women and their families,
- Assaulting the young women,
- Shooting or killing the young women, and
- Tracking down and kidnapping the young women who tried to flee.
Members of Anti-Tren also committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit, acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, to protect and to expand Anti-Tren’s criminal operations, resolve disputes within Anti-Tren, to retaliate against rival organizations, including Tren de Aragua itself, and to maintain control over sex trafficking victims. Anti-Tren members and associates also trafficked controlled substances, committed robberies, and obtained, possessed, trafficked, and used firearms and ammunition.
The new charges in the S4 indictment allege, among other things, that:
- On or about April 15, 2024, Yender Mata, Ervin Hernandez, also known as “Coco” and “Coquito,” and Kerlyn Nataliy Perez-Lopez, also known as “Mou,” conspired to murder and caused the murders of Jhombeyker Jose Bisbal Pina and Adrian Mendoza Isturiz, who were shot to death in the Bronx.
- In or about April 2025, Guillermo Enrique Freites-Velazquez and Roiman Noe Bello Ferrer conspired to kill an individual in New York (Intended Victim-1).
- From in or about February 2025 until in or about March 2025, David Valencia-De La Rosa and Johan Carlos Mujica-Urpin, also known as “Sobrino,” conspired to kill another individual in New York (Intended Victim-2).
- In or about April 2025, Roiman Noe Bello Ferrer and others conspired to kill an individual in Florida (Intended Victim-3).
- On or about Oct. 5, 2024, Jesus David Barrios Garcia, also known as “Morocho,” ordered Kellen Jaspe Bustamanate to shoot an Anti-Tren member in the leg as a form of gang punishment. On or about the same day, Barrios Garcia also ordered Enrique Gustavo Boada Yanez, also known as “Chino,” to shoot a different Anti-Tren member in the leg, also as gang punishment.
- In or about January 2025, Keiswuel Orlando Palacios-Milano, also known as “Oturache” and “Inmortalidad,” Anderson Smith Zambrano-Pacheco, and Yeferson Prieto Galviz, also known as “Flacot” and “Flacote,” conspired to commit and did commit a gunpoint home invasion robbery of an individual (Robbery Victim-1) and Robbery Victim-1’s family in Yonkers.
- In or about January 2025, Keiswuel Orlando Palacios-Milano, also known as “Oturache” and “Inmortalidad,” Anderson Zambrano-Pacheco, Mario Pereda, also known as “Cara de Hombre,” Wilfredo Jose Avendaño Carrizalez, also known as “Kabuvy,” and Carlos Gabriel Santos Mogollon, conspired to commit a gunpoint robbery of a drug trafficker (Robbery Victim-2) in the Bronx.
- In or about 2024, Luis Jose Velasquez-Hurtado, also known as “Chito,” engaged in sex trafficking of a young woman from Venezuela (Trafficking Victim-1) whom Velasquez-Hurtado threatened with a gun, caused to be kidnapped, and whose immigration documents Velasquez-Hurtado caused to be seized.
- In or about 2024, Jesus David Barrios Garcia, also known as “Morocho,” Enrique Gustavo Boada Yanez, also known as “Chino,” Jesus Ruben Lopez Gonzalez, also known as “Lopez,” and Danger Leoner Sanchez Alfonzo, also known as “Danger,” engaged in sex trafficking of another young woman from Venezuela (Trafficking Victim-2).
A chart containing the names, charges, and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.
U.S. Attorney Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HSI New York, Seattle, Chicago, and Portland, and the NYPD. He also thanked Joint Task Force Vulcan; the Arapahoe County District Attorney’s Office; the Aurora Police Department in Aurora, Colorado; the New York/New Jersey Regional Fugitive Task Force of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS); the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s National Gang Unit and New York Human Intelligence Division; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s New York and Chicago Enforcement and Removal Operations; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); U.S. Marshals Service-District of Oregon; U.S. Customs and Border Protection-New York; the New York City Crime Analysis Center at the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area; the Computer Crimes Unit at the NYPD; the King County, Washington Sheriff’s Office; and the Seattle Police Department.
This case is a part of JTFV, which was created in 2019 to eradicate MS-13 and is now expanded to target Tren de Aragua. The JTFV is comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the Southern and Eastern Districts of New York; Eastern and Western Districts of North Carolina; Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia; Southern District of Florida; Eastern District of Texas; Western District of Oklahoma; Northern District of Indiana; and the District of Nevada, as well as the Executive Office for U.S. Attorneys, Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI, DEA, HSI, ATF, USMS, and the Federal Bureau of Prisons are essential law enforcement partners with JTFV.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
This case is being handled by JTFV and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jun Xiang, Kathryn Wheelock, Timothy Ly, and Andrew K. Chan for the Southern District of New York are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the indictment are merely accusations. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Twelfth and Final Member of ‘21st and Vietnam’ Crew Sentenced to 101 Months on Narcotics, Weapons CountsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Van Robinson, 44, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 101 months for his participation in the violent, armed gang of drug dealers known as the “21st and Vietnam” crew which distributed an array of narcotics in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“Robinson was a key member of a crew that menaced our community around 21st Street and Maryland Avenue for years with its toxic mix of lethal drugs and random violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “With Robinson’s sentencing today, the 21st and Vietnam crew has definitively been put out of business.”
Robinson, aka “Boogie,” pleaded guilty on March 19, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. In addition to the prison term, Judge Beryl A. Howell ordered Robinson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the 21st and Vietnam crew distributed crack cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, cocaine and other drugs in significant quantities and were involved in two shootings charged in connection with this case: a March 7, 2024, incident in which co-defendant Charles Manson opened fire on a passerby walking his dog near the crew’s open-air drug market; and an April 19, 2024, drive-by shooting, committed by co-defendants Briyon Shuford and Trevon Palmer, which wounded four people and terrorized others.
Robinson was an active member of 21st and Vietnam, which staged a takeover of an apartment complex and used it as a headquarters for the crew’s operations. Robinson was observed by law enforcement on a near daily basis in and around the apartment complex on the 1900 block of I Street NE during the course of the investigation, working with his co-conspirators to sell drugs.
During the execution of a search warrant on May 15, 2024, at Robinson’s residence, investigators recovered a loaded Glock 27 firearm, 14 grams of suspected fentanyl, and an assortment of drug trafficking paraphernalia.
Robinson is the twelfth and final member of the 21st and Vietnam crew to be sentenced in this case.
- Damien Jenkins, aka “Woe,” was sentenced to 151 months
- Trevon Palmer, aka “Rocky,” was sentenced to 192 months
- Charles Manson, aka “Cheese,” was sentenced to 170 months
- Jamiek Bassil, aka “Onion,” was sentenced to 135 months
- Nathaniel Russell, aka “Thump,” was sentenced to 42 months
- Briyon Shuford, aka: “Breezy,” was sentenced to 161 months
- Jason Green was sentenced to 115 months
- Ahmed Mikal Bailey was sentenced to 30 months
- Jerome Powell was sentenced to 27 months
- Lydell Douglas was sentenced to 24 months
- Abrian Walker was sentenced to 12 months with 6 months home confinement
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were DEA Special Agent in Charge Chris Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Washington Division Office, FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The case was investigated by the DEA Washington Division, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the MPD. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
This matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrea Duvall and Solomon Eppel.
24cr226
St. Paul Woman Indicted by a Minnesota Federal Grand Jury for inflicting Bodily Injury on a Federal Law Enforcement Officer in the Performance of His Official DutiesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury has returned a true bill of indictment charging Claire Louise Feng, age 27, with inflicting bodily injury on a Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) special agent on January 24, 2026, United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced today. According to court documents, on January 24, 2026, CBP and HSI officers were attempting to establish and maintain a secure perimeter near Nicollet Avenue, between 27th and 28th St. in Minneapolis, following an officer involved shooting.
While a CBP officer attempted to arrest an individual who threw a chemical canister toward deployed federal law enforcement officers, Feng tackled the CBP officer. In response, a HSI special agent took Feng to the ground. As the HSI special agent gained control of Feng, she forcibly bit his right ring finger, severing the tip of his right ring finger, leaving the bone exposed.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent.
Shelby Township Resident Sentenced for Multi-Million Dollar Pandemic Assistance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A Shelby Township resident was sentenced yesterday for his role in a multi-million-dollar Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan, Federal Bureau of Investigation and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey, Homeland Security Investigations.
Samer Kammo, 46, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison after having pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
"This defendant and his co-conspirators tried to cheat the system by exploiting a federal relief program meant to help Americans in need. Let this case send a clear message: crime does not pay,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “FBI Detroit and HSI Detroit stand shoulder to shoulder in holding fraudsters accountable and protecting taxpayer dollars. If you abuse government programs for personal gain, you will be found, and you will face serious consequences under the law.”
“Although the pandemic is years behind us, HSI and our partners are committed to holding fraudsters accountable for PPP fraud,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “By now the writing on the wall should be crystal clear, if you fraudulently obtained government funds during the pandemic, you will be held accountable.”
According to court records, Kammo and his co-conspirators caused fraudulent PPP applications to be submitted for several business entities. Those applications misrepresented payroll information for the business entities and falsely certified that PPP loan funds would be used for permissible business-related purposes. The defendants also caused fictitious payroll, health insurance, bank, and tax records to be submitted in connection with the PPP loan applications.
Kammo and his family members received nearly $2.5 million in fraudulent PPP loan funds.
The Paycheck Protection Program was created by Congress to provide assistance to businesses harmed by the economic dislocations caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Kammo was sentenced by Judge Jonathan J.C. Grey. His co-defendant, Rita Shaba, was previously sentenced to 27 months’ imprisonment. Kammo’s wife, Christina Anasi, still awaits sentencing.
As part of his sentence, Kammo was also ordered to pay $2,493,348.50 in restitution.
According to court records, the conspirators misappropriated the personal identifying information of several of Kammo’s family members to commit their crime, including that of Kammo’s own mother.
Kammo was previously sentenced to a three-year federal prison sentence for dealing drugs out of his parents’ liquor store.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. The Unemployment Insurance Agency, Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity has also provided valuable assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Yahkind. Related forfeiture and restitution matters are being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Nathan.
Serial Burglar Gets 80 Months in Prison for Multiple Burglaries in 2025Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vernon Daniels, 60, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today, to 80 months in prison, on charges stemming from the burglaries of multiple organizations in Northwest, from February until April 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine F. Pirro.
Daniels pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree burglary and one count of attempted second-degree burglary in Superior Court on August 29, 2025. The Honorable Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Daniels to the prison term to be followed by three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, on April 1, 2025, at approximately 8:21 p.m., Daniels entered through the garage of Monument Advocacy, located at 975 F Street Northwest. After gaining access to the building, Daniels stole three laptops and other property valued at approximately $6,857 before exiting the building. Furthermore, on April 6, 2025, Daniels entered the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, located at 1722 I Street Northwest, at approximately 11:30 a.m. Once inside, the Defendant stole two laptops. Surveillance showed the Defendant fleeing the scene. Police recovered a latent fingerprint that matched the Defendant’s from the scene.
Daniels previously was convicted of burglaries in 1990, 1992, 1994, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2005, 2008, 2016, and 2022.
Daniels was arrested on June 11, 2025, and has been in custody since.
Joining in the announcement was Inspector General Cheryl L. Mason of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Inspector General Mason commended those who investigated the case from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged Assistant United States Attorney Emmanuel Hampton, who prosecuted the case.
2025 CF3 006539; 2025 CF3 006541
Seminole County Resident Pleads Guilty to Failure to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Scott Waldon, age 44, of Bowlegs, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Failure to Register as Sex Offender, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that Waldon was convicted of Rape Second Degree in Seminole County, Oklahoma, on August 29, 2002, and was required to register as a sex offender, and that from October 2, 2025, until December 11, 2025, Waldon failed to register and update his registration despite entering, leaving, or residing in Indian country, within the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the United States Marshal Service Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force and the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, 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.
Waldon will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Wittlinger represented the United States.