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13 February 2026
Savannah Woman Sentenced to 2 Years Imprisonment for Defrauding Local Law FirmRead the Press Release
Savannah, GA: A federal judge has ordered a local woman to be confined for 24 months and to pay back nearly $180,000 in restitution after she spent years stealing from her employer.
Robin Stell, age 55, of Savannah, GA, was charged in August 2025 with one count of Wire Fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343 said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap. On February 13, 2026, following a guilty plea, Stell was sentenced to 24 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, by the Honorable R. Stan Baker, Chief Judge for the Southern District of Georgia.
“This defendant abused the trust placed in her by a local law firm and its clients and betrayed that trust for her own personal benefit,” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “Crimes like this harm not only the direct victims, but also the public’s confidence in the honesty and integrity of the legal profession. We are committed to holding those who commit such breaches of trust accountable.”
According to court documents and in court testimony, Stell was the office manager of a local law firm from 2021 to 2024. During that time, she routinely used company credit cards to make unauthorized purchases for her own use and benefit, to include booking cruises and other vacations, purchasing concert tickets, and spending tens of thousands of dollars on Amazon. In total, Stell defrauded the local firm of nearly $180,000.
“When company insiders abuse the trust that their institutions place in them, they will be held accountable,” said Brad Snider, FBI Georgia Supervisory Senior Special Agent who leads the Savannah Resident Agency. “The FBI remains steadfast in our commitment to root out financial fraud.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.
San Diego Woman Sentenced to 63 Months in Embezzlement and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Ping “Jenny” Gao of Point Loma was sentenced in federal court today to 63 months’ custody after admitting that she embezzled and laundered more than $8.5 million from her employer’s bank accounts.
U.S. District Judge James E. Simmons, Jr. also ordered Gao to pay $3,295,000 in restitution to victims of the offense – Nautical Hero Group, LLC and Vitality International Management, LLC.
According to admissions in her plea agreement, Gao worked for three aviation investment firms – Nautical Hero Group, LLC, Axiom United Holdings, LLC, and Vitality International Management, LLC – based at Montgomery Field airport and owned by the same employer. She funneled company funds into accounts she fraudulently created and then went on a spending spree, buying a $160,000 Porsche and a $2.9 million home with views overlooking San Diego Bay and the downtown skyline.
When her employer discovered the theft and sued in San Diego Superior Court, Gao falsely claimed her actions were authorized by the real owner of the companies in China and the person who sued her was an “imposter.” To support this false defense, Gao paid more than $100,000 of embezzled funds to people in China to fabricate evidence, which she then knowingly filed with the Superior Court to oppose a motion for a preliminary injunction. Gao also committed perjury at her deposition in the civil matter by claiming the funds in the companies’ bank accounts belonged to her.
Though the Superior Court issued multiple orders barring Gao from further spending, transferring, or dissipating the proceeds during the pendency of the civil case, Gao disregarded the orders and continued to make transactions with the embezzled proceeds. Those transactions included wiring $1.6 million overseas to a bank account in Hong Kong, China.
According to the United States’ Sentencing Memorandum, Gao knowingly completed more than 300 financial transactions in violation of court orders and purposefully deceived her own lawyers into unwittingly filing fabricated evidence to the Superior Court to support her false defense.
In September 2023, the civil case went to trial and Gao testified in her defense. Gao committed perjury again by claiming the funds were from her investments in China. She also falsely claimed that one of the managers of the companies was helping to move her funds into the United States using “underground banks” to avoid Chinese laws limiting overseas transfers.
The Superior Court ultimately ruled against Gao and converted the preliminary injunction into a permanent injunction. Despite the permanent injunction, Gao continued to dissipate proceeds in violation of the court order. This included selling the $160,000 Porsche to CarMax for $75,000 and exchanging a $70,000 cashier’s check from proceeds of that transaction with another individual for cash.
According to her plea agreement, Gao admitted that she transferred more than $1 million of the embezzled funds to her personal bank accounts and spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxuries and at high-end fashion stores. There is also more than $3.29 million of embezzled funds that were squandered or remain unaccounted for to date.
“The cover-up is often worse than the crime,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “Those who fabricate evidence and lie under oath to conceal their crimes undermine our judicial system – and they will be held accountable.”
“The lengths that Gao took to hide her criminal activity are appalling in and of themselves, showing a complete disregard for our justice system,” said TJ Holland, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Diego Field Office. “Today’s sentence reflects the magnitude of these types of financial crimes. FBI San Diego is dedicated to using all of its resources to investigate any criminal activity impacting our local industries and ensure a fair and just outcome for the victims.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick C. Swan.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-CR-2380-JES
Ping Gao, aka Jenny Gao, Gao Ping Age: 55 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater
Concealment Money Laundering – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(B)(i)
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and fine of $500,000 or twice the value of the property involved in the transaction, whichever is greater
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Sallisaw Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Andrew Tyler Blankenship, age 39, of Sallisaw, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 24 months in prison for one count of Possession of Ammunition After Conviction of a Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Sallisaw Police Department.
On November 10, 2025, Blankenship pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on July 24, 2024, after being convicted of a misdemeanor crime of Battery (Domestic Violence) in Putnam County, Florida, and knowing of that conviction, Blankenship knowingly possessed eight rounds of ammunition.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Blankenship 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 Jonathan E. Soverly and Lewis Reagan represented the United States.
Registered Sex Offender from Worcester Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON - A Worcester man was sentenced to over a decade in prison on Feb. 4, 2026 in federal court in Boston for possessing hundreds of files depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Andres DeJesus, 66, was sentenced by United States District Judge Richard G. Stearns to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In October 2025, DeJesus pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography.
On Aug. 8, 2025, DeJesus arrived at Logan Airport from the Dominican Republic. DeJesus had been refused entry into the Dominican Republic because of his status as a registered sex offender. Upon his return to Logan Airport, a search was conducted of his luggage, when several articles of children’s clothing and a large amount of chocolate and other sweets were found. A Zip file on DeJesus’ cell phone had three videos containing CSAM. A later forensic examination of the cell phone revealed at least 600 images of CSAM.
In 2010, in the Middlesex County Superior Court, DeJesus was found guilty of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14, possession of child pornography and posing or exhibiting a child in a sexual act. DeJesus was sentenced to eight years to eight years and one day in state prison.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jennifer De La O, Director of Field Operations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office; and Chief Paul B. Saucier of the Worcester Police Department made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Providence Man Arrested for Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Providence man arrested and charged for allegedly transporting child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Mark Huynn, 39, of Providence, R.I., was charged by criminal complaint with one count of transporting child pornography. Huynh was arrested on Feb. 12, 2026, and made an initial appearance in federal court in Boston later that day.
According to the charging documents, in 2025, Huynh was arrested at Boston Logan Airport entering the country with an active arrest warrant out of Rhode Island. Searches of Huynh’s electronic devices at the airport revealed multiple files consistent with CSAM.
The charge of transporting child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of the Homeland Security Investigations New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Boston Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit in Boston is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ponce Man Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On February 12, 2026, United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi Jordan sentenced Melvin E. Rivera-Oliveras to 57 months in prison and five years of supervised release, and restitution for his role in a bank fraud scheme involving fraudulent point of sales (POS) transactions. Rivera-Oliveras utilized a company called Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico, LLC to further the bank fraud scheme. Rossy Sport Bar Panorámico, LLC pleaded guilty and was sentenced on January 15, 2026.
According to court documents, from 2020 to 2025, Melvin E. Rivera-Oliveras executed a scheme and artifice to defraud multiple federally insured financial institutions in Puerto Rico. Rivera-Oliveras attempted to conduct numerous fraudulent refund transactions for more than $7 million using multiple debit cards at various companies that he managed and operated.
After acquiring point of sale (POS) systems, Rivera-Oliveras conducted fraudulent refund transactions and was able to gain temporary access to the funds and to spend a portion of the funds that did not belong to him. In total, Rivera-Oliveras successfully submitted over 20 fraudulent refund transactions and illegally obtained over $680,000 as a result of the fraud scheme. Rivera-Oliveras was previously convicted and served jail time for felony violations involving forgery, larceny, and misappropriation of funds.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Claudia Dubravetz, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation was in charge of the investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy from the Financial Fraud & Public Corruption Section prosecuted the case.
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Plainfield, Vermont Man Sentenced to 2 years of Probation for Social Security Disability FraudRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on February 10, 2026, John Cozza, 64, of Plainfield, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a two-year term of probation and ordered to pay $68,323.20 in restitution to the United States Social Security Administration. Cozza previously pleaded guilty to submitting false information in his application for Social Security Disability Insurance (“SSDI”) benefits.
According to court records, Cozza stated in a March 2021 application for SSDI benefits that he had not been self-employed in 2020 or in 2021, through the date of his application. When Cozza submitted the application, he knew that information was false. In fact, Cozza had been working as a handyman through his businesses, J.C. Handy Man Services and Black Bear Building Services from 2019 through the date of his application (and continuing until at least 2023). There was ample evidence of defendant’s self-employment through his advertising of his businesses and his social media posts for those businesses. As a result of his false statements to the Social Security Administration, Cozza obtained $68,323.20 in SSDI benefits to which he was not entitled.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Office of Investigations (SSA OIG-OI) and the Vermont State Police.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Aliberti and Jason Turner. John Cozza was represented by Michael Shklar, Esq.
Orlando Area Tax Return Preparers Preliminarily Enjoined from Preparing Returns for OthersRead the Press Release
Note: View order here.
Today, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida issued a preliminary injunction against Orlando area tax return preparers Juan Humberto Garcia, Marcos Yariel Figueroa, and Garcia’s tax return preparation business, The Tax Master of BVL Inc. (Defendants).
The court issued the injunction following a hearing where the government presented evidence that showed the Defendants engaged in a pattern of preparing and filing false returns that understated their customers’ federal income tax liabilities and claimed inflated tax refunds by:
- Fabricating medical expenses, charitable donations, and personal property taxes as deductions on Form 1040 Schedule A; and
- Fabricating or inflating business losses on Form 1040 Schedule C.
In granting the government’s motion, the court primarily relied on the deposition testimony from over a dozen of the Defendants’ customers who all testified that they did not know about the fraudulent deductions claimed by the Defendants. In addition to finding strong proof that the Defendants fabricated deductions and losses, the court determined that the government would face irreparable harm absent an injunction. The court noted in this regard that the Defendants continued to prepare fraudulent returns even after they were served with a copy of the government’s complaint.
The injunction bars Garcia, Figueroa, and The Tax Master from preparing and filing tax returns for others, working for or having an ownership stake in any tax return preparation business, and advising anyone about the preparation of a tax return.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation Branch made the announcement.
Attorney Franklin D. Sandrea-Rivero of the Tax Litigation Branch is handling this matter.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers 10 tips to avoid tax season fraud and ways to safeguard their personal information.
In the past decade, the Department of Justice has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Civil Division, Tax Litigation Branch with details.
Garcia et al PI Order_0.pdfNine Illegal Aliens Charged with Immigration Related Criminal Offenses in the Southern District of FloridaRead the Press Release
MIAMI – U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones announced today that a federal grand jury in Miami has separately charged nine illegal aliens with various immigration related criminal offenses.
Lazaro Gaddiel Flores-Arita, 24, of Honduras, was indicted after he was apprehended on Jan. 20 in Monroe County for allegedly possessing a firearm and ammunition as an unlawful alien (Case No. 26-cr-10003). If convicted, Flores-Arita faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Medinel Joseph, 28, of Haiti, was charged by information with attempted illegal entry into the U.S. after coming ashore in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 (Case No. 26-cr-20038). If convicted, Joseph faces a maximum penalty of six months in prison.
According to the indictments, the following defendants are charged with unlawfully reentering or attempting to reenter the U.S. after prior removals:
Wendy Esmeralda Ponce-Hernandez, 30, of El Salvador, was found in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-20046);
Yolander Ceeald Bish, 27, of Jamaica, came ashore in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2025 (Case No. 26-cr-20045);
Jean Woodley Franezy, 25, of Jamaica, came ashore in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2022 (Case No. 26-cr-20044);
Guillermina Carolina Pimentel Lara, 30, of the Dominican Republic, came ashore in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2023 (Case No. 26-cr-20042);
Sandro Boror-Rivera, 51, of Guatemala, was found in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2009 and 2020 (Case No. 26-cr-20034);
Juan Carlos Rafael Avila, 36, of Mexico, was found in Miami-Dade County in January 2026 after being deported in 2011, 2012, 2017, and 2022 (Case No. 26-cr-20032); and
Rafael Corona-Mendez, 46, of Mexico, was found in Miami-Dade County in December 2025 after being deported in 2012 (Case No. 26-cr-20033).
Illegal reentry after deportation carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison. Corona-Mendez faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison based on prior convictions, qualifying him for an increased maximum sentence. Rafael Avila and Boror-Rivera each face a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison based on allegations of prior aggravated convictions, qualifying for an increased maximum sentence.
The cases are being investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO); Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) with assistance from the U.S. Coast Guard, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Highway Patrol.
The cases are being prosecuted by the newly formed Border and Immigration Crimes Enforcement (BICE) Section. BICE was created by U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones to strengthen South Florida’s border security posture, protect maritime and land points of entry, enforce federal immigration law, and dismantle transnational smuggling networks operating through the region. The Section brings together narcotics, immigration, fraud, and violent-crime expertise into a single coordinated unit focused on border-driven threats.
BICE Deputy Chief Yvonne Rodriguez-Schack, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jackson Dering, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melissa Roca Shaw, Tanner Stiehl, Vanessa Terrades, and Jeffrey Pierce are prosecuting the cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov.
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New York Man Who Used TikTok and Snapchat to Prey on Girls Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JAMES PAGLIARO, 27, of Middletown, New York, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to multiple child exploitation offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in approximately October 2024, Pagliaro began messaging a 15-year-girl (“minor victim”) in Connecticut on TikTok. In December 2024, the minor victim told Pagliaro that she was 15 years old, and they began text messaging. In January 2025, Pagliaro traveled to Connecticut at least three times to engage in sexual conduct with the minor victim.
In February 2025, a forensic examination of the minor victim’s iPhone revealed hundreds of sexually explicit images and videos of the minor victim, and more than 11,000 text messages and more than 300 iOS and FaceTime calls between Pagliaro and the minor victim. In the messages, Pagliaro instructed the minor victim to perform specific sex acts, including sadistic and masochistic conduct. Pagliaro also asked the minor victim to recruit another minor to engage in sexual conduct with him.
The investigation further revealed that Pagliaro also exchanged sexually explicit messages, images, and videos with a 15-year-old girl in the United Kingdom, a 15-year-old girl in New Jersey, and a 16-year-old girl in Florida. He also initiated contact with thousands of other minors on TikTok and Snapchat. In March 2025 alone, Pagliaro sent messages, many of which were sexually explicit, to approximately 600 Snapchat users who appeared to be minors, and sent sexually explicit images of himself to at least 68 of those Snapchat users.
Pagliaro, who has been detained since his arrest on March 19, 2025, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life; and traveling to engage in sexual activity with a minor, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for May 8.
This investigation has been conducted by HSI New England, HSI New York, the Orange County (N.Y.) Sheriff’s Office, and the Danbury, Ridgefield, and Watertown Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel P. Gordon
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
New York Man Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Kickback SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former New York operations manager was sentenced in federal court in Boston for conspiring to offer and pay kickbacks to doctors in exchange for ordering medically unnecessary brain scans.
Timothy Doyle, 45, of Selden, N.Y. was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 14 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay $27,225,434 in restitution and $1,102,725 in forfeiture. In January 2025, Doyle pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute.
From at least June 2013 through at least September 2020, Doyle conspired with others, including two managers for a mobile medical diagnostics company that performed transcranial doppler (TCD) scans, to enter into kickback agreements with various doctors. TCD scans are brain scans that measure blood flow in parts of the brain. Doyle and his alleged co-conspirators agreed to offer and pay doctors kickbacks, some in cash and others by check, based on the number of TCD ultrasounds the doctors ordered. Doyle and his alleged co-conspirators created purported rental and administrative service agreements, which on paper made it appear as if doctors were compensated for the TCD company’s use of space and administrative resources of the ordering doctor’s practice based on fair market value and not based on the volume or value of referrals. These agreements were shams that hid the true nature of the arrangement of paying per test.
The scheme resulted in fraudulent bills of approximately $70.6 million to Medicare. Medicare paid approximately $27.2 million to the TCD company for the fraudulent claims.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Kelly M. Lawson, Acting Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Christopher Algieri, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, Northeast Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Queenin, Chief of the Health Care Fraud Unit, prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Castle Man Involved in Puerto Rico-Sourced Cocaine Trafficking Operation Pleads Guilty to Narcotics and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of New Castle, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of violating federal narcotics and firearm laws, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Daniel Feliciano, 49, pleaded guilty to six counts before Senior United States District Judge Arthur J. Schwab on February 12, 2026.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, between October 2022 and March 2024, Feliciano conspired with others to distribute cocaine throughout Western Pennsylvania, specifically in the New Castle area. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Feliciano pleaded guilty to distributing and/or possessing with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine on three different dates, as well as possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
On March 14, 2024, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Feliciano’s New Castle residence, where they seized approximately 150 grams of cocaine and cocaine base in the form commonly known as crack, multiple digital scales that contained or later tested positive for cocaine residue, an assortment of drug packaging materials, nearly $2,000 in cash, three cell phones, three firearms, and various calibers and quantities of ammunition and loaded and unloaded magazines that totaled more than 2,400 rounds. The firearms included two 9mm semi-automatic pistols—one loaded with approximately 10 rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber, and that was accompanied by a similarly loaded second magazine, and the second firearm loaded with a magazine capable of holding approximately 31 rounds of ammunition and containing 14 rounds—and a .40 semi-automatic pistol that contained 13 rounds of ammunition, including one round in the chamber, that was accompanied by three magazines, each loaded with between 12 and 18 rounds.
Investigators determined that Feliciano possessed these firearms to protect his product, his profits, and his person in relation to his drug trafficking crimes. Feliciano was convicted in 2002 of an aggravated assault felony in Puerto Rico, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than five years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
Feliciano was one of 17 defendants from Lawrence County, Pennsylvania; Puerto Rico; and Youngstown, Ohio, indicted in March 2024 in this case, which saw members of the conspiracy transporting drugs from Puerto Rico to Western Pennsylvania, Ohio, and elsewhere for distribution (read the Indictment news release here). Feliciano was the last of the defendants to plead guilty.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Lawrence County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Drug Task Force, and United States Postal Inspection Service led the investigation in this case, with significant assistance from the New Castle Police Department, Ellwood City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and United States Department of Agriculture.
Lawrence County is one of six Western Pennsylvania counties officially designated as a High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area by the White House’s Office of National Drug Control Policy. The county received its HIDTA designation in July 2022, allowing it to receive dedicated federal resources to coordinate federal, state, and local governments in fighting drug trafficking and abuse.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
Mount Vernon Man Sentenced to 160 Months in Prison for Sex Trafficking A MinorRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that RAI THOMAS, a/k/a “Bandz,” was sentenced today to 160 months in prison for sex trafficking of a minor and use of interstate facilities to promote sex trafficking and prostitution. In October 2025, THOMAS was convicted at trial before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Rai Thomas preyed on a child for profit, advertising her to strangers on the internet and selling her for sex again and again so he could enrich himself,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers want child sex traffickers off our streets, never to return. Today’s lengthy prison sentence is indicative of this Office’s commitment to continuing to work tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to remove sex traffickers like Thomas from our streets and communities.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and the evidence at trial:
Between January and February 2022, THOMAS trafficked Minor Victim-1 to engage in commercial sexual activity across multiple hotels within the Bronx and Brooklyn, New York. Minor Victim-1 had been living in a children’s group home at the time that THOMAS trafficked her. THOMAS facilitated and benefited from the scheme in numerous ways, including by enticing Minor Victim-1 to engage in commercial sex; coordinating the transportation of Minor Victim-1 to hotels; reserving the hotel rooms in which she engaged in commercial sex; facilitating the advertisement of Minor Victim-1 on the internet to customers for commercial sex; and profiting from the sex trafficking scheme.
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In addition to the prison term, THOMAS, 31, of Mount Vernon, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, and the New York City Police Department.
The case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Qais Ghafary, Kaiya Arroyo, and Jorja Knauer represented the Government at trial, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Gabriela Salerno, Samantha Olsen, and Shannon Becker.
Miami Man Charged in Connection with Grandparent Scam and Failure to AppearRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on January 23, 2025, a federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Otmane Khalladi, 33, of Miami, Florida, with conspiring to commit wire fraud, conspiring to launder monetary instruments, and failure to appear.
Khalladi entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on Friday, February 13, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Khalladi be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Khalladi is alleged to have participated in a conspiracy involving a “grandparent scam” and is further alleged to have participated in a conspiracy to launder the proceeds of that scam. He was initially arrested in Miami, Florida, in April 2023, and was released on a $100,000 bond. Khalladi failed to appear for a court hearing in December 2024, and was detained in Mexico by Mexican immigration authorities and removed to the United States.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Khalladi is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Khalladi faces up to 60 years of imprisonment if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, as well as Customs and Border Protection, and recognized the contributions of the FBI in assisting with locating Khalladi in Mexico.
The prosecutors are Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nate Burris and Michelle Arra. Khalladi is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Vermont comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Diplomatic Security Services, the Internal Revenue Services-Criminal Investigation, and state and local partner agencies, with prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont.
Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Years for Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Octavio Zamora-Chona, 39, a Mexican citizen living in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on February 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Zamora-Chona to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Zamora-Chona’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On November 21, 2024, DEA agents and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at Zamora-Chona’s residence in Omaha. They recovered more than 30 pounds of methamphetamine, five firearms, and more than $19,000 in cash. One of the firearms was a short-barreled rifle. Review of extracted data from Zamora-Chona’s seized cell phone showed his involvement in methamphetamine dealing.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Agency with assistance from the Omaha Police Department, Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office, and Saunders County Sheriff’s Office.
Mexican National Sentenced to 14 Months in Prison for Using a Vehicle to Assault, Resist, Oppose, Impede, Intimidate, or Interfere with a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Cristian Geovanni Rojas Benitez, 37, a Mexican national who overstayed his visa and remained illegally in the United States, was sentenced today to 14 months’ imprisonment by United States District Judge Gail A. Weilheimer for forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with an officer of the United States, while using a deadly or dangerous weapon — specifically, a motor vehicle — while the officer was engaged in the performance of official duties.
Rojas Benitez was charged by indictment in August of last year and pleaded guilty in October. During his plea hearing, the defendant admitted that he intentionally drove his pickup truck in the direction of a federal agent.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on the morning of June 23, 2025, that Homeland Security Investigations ("HSI") agent and other federal officers were attempting to locate Rojas Benitez and take him into administrative custody after he had violated conditions of his immigration release, including a 2024 conviction in the Lancaster County Court of Common Pleas for false identification to law enforcement, operating a vehicle without ignition interlock, knowing and intentional possession of a controlled substance, and driving an unregistered vehicle.
Based on information they had received, the federal officers surveilled a residence in Downingtown, Pennsylvania. At approximately 8:30 a.m., a man matching the description and photograph of Rojas Benitez exited the residence and got into a pickup truck. When the defendant started to drive away, the federal officers quickly conducted a vehicle stop.
Rojas Benitez did not comply with the federal officers’ commands to get out of the vehicle or roll down his window. During this encounter, the HSI agent moved to the front of the vehicle to maintain visibility of the driver. The law enforcement officers told Rojas Benitez that if he did not comply, his window would be broken, and when Rojas Benitez continued not to comply after multiple warnings, one of the federal officers broke the rear driver’s side window of the truck.
The defendant then put the vehicle in drive and drove over the sidewalk in the direction of the HSI agent, who had to push off the truck with his hand and jump out of way to avoid being struck. The defendant also narrowly avoided hitting a passing school bus.
Rojas Benitez then fled the state and was ultimately located by the U.S. Marshals Service on July 24, 2025, in Washington, D.C.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The case was investigated by HSI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Mexican National Sentenced to 108 Months’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jose Rodrigo Alejandro Muniz, 27, of Mexico City, Mexico, was sentenced on February 13, 2026, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Alejandro Muniz to 108 months’ imprisonment. After his release from prison, he will begin a two-year term of supervised release.
This case involves a Mexican source of supply of methamphetamine who has been supplying the Omaha and Council Bluffs, Iowa, areas through a local network of drug couriers since 2021. Customers will call the source and order the drugs, who will then send a courier to meet them and complete the transaction.
Alejandro Muniz was the main drug courier for the Mexican source of supply starting in June of 2023. On June 15, 2023, law enforcement utilized a cooperating witness who purchased one pound of methamphetamine from the Alejandro Muniz at an Omaha location. Phone messages confirmed he was working for and being directed by the Mexican source of supply.
On September 26, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the Alejandro Muniz’s Council Bluffs apartment and discovered approximately 3.9 pounds of methamphetamine and $2,750 in U.S. currency. During a post-Miranda interview, the defendant admitted to distributing at least 25 pounds of methamphetamine in last six months. The investigation revealed that he distributed most of the methamphetamine in the Omaha area.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States after prior removals.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Isidro Gonzalez-Peleaz, 41, to time served. Gonzalez-Peleaz had been incarcerated since November 11, 2025.
According to court records, in November 2025, a Border Patrol agent encountered Gonzalez-Peleaz and his brother, Alfredo Gonzalez-Peleaz, leaving a jobsite in Calais. The Border Patrol agent conducted a field immigration inspection of the two men and determined that they were Mexican citizens and did not have any documentation to be in the U.S. legally. A review of immigration records confirmed Gonzalez-Peleaz had been removed from the country in November 2006, at Brownsville, Texas; December 2012, at Calexico, California; March 2013, at Calexico, California; and August 2018, at San Luis, Arizona.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. Alfredo Gonzalez-Peleaz also received a sentence of time served, which was imposed by Judge Woodcock earlier today.
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.
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Mexican National Sentenced for Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Mexican national was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for entering the United States after a prior removal.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. sentenced Alfredo Gonzalez-Peleaz, 43, to time served. Gonzalez-Peleaz had been incarcerated since November 11, 2025.
According to court records, in November 2025, a Border Patrol agent encountered Gonzalez-Peleaz and his brother, Isidro Gonzalez-Peleaz, leaving a jobsite in Calais. The Border Patrol agent conducted a field immigration inspection of the two men and determined that they were Mexican citizens and did not have any documentation to be in the U.S. legally. A review of immigration records confirmed Gonzalez-Peleaz had been removed from the country in January 2012, at Calexico, California.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection investigated the case. Isidro Gonzalez-Peleaz also received a sentence of time served, which Judge Woodcock imposed earlier today.
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.
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Mansfield Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges of Child Exploitation After Producing Explicit VideosRead the Press Release
A Mansfield woman who produced sexually explicit videos of a child pled guilty to four counts of sexual exploitation of children this week, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Marisa Witkop, 31, was indicted on the charges by a federal grand jury in October last year. For each count, she faces a minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 30 years in federal prison, for a total maximum sentence of 120 years’ imprisonment. According to court documents, Witkop produced four videos of a nine-year-old child, some of which she distributed using a social media application. Sentencing is scheduled for June 9, 2026, in Fort Worth before Senior United States District Judge Terry R. Means.
The U.S. Secret Service and Mansfield Police Department handled the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, is prosecuting the case.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative, which was launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Man Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for 2020 Shooting of Girlfriend’s Former FriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daniel Cary, 31, of Fort Washington, Maryland, was sentenced today to nine years in prison for charges stemming from the shooting of his then-girlfriend Chantel Stewart’s former friend in July 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Cary pleaded guilty to aggravated assault while armed and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence on November 20, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Today, Judge Rainey Brandt sentenced Cary to serve nine years of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Co-defendant Chantel Stewart, 34, also pleaded guilty to accessory after the fact and received a one-year suspended sentence.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 22, 2020, as the victim was driving near 108 Atlantic Street SE, Stewart pulled her car up to the victim’s car and warned the victim, “he’s about to shoot you.” Cary, Stewart’s boyfriend, then pulled a mask over his face, got out of the passenger seat of Stewart’s car, and fired a semi-automatic weapon 5 times at the victim’s car. One shot went through the victim’s car door and struck her in the back. Stewart then drove Cary away from the scene.
The victim, through sheer force of will, drove herself to the hospital, where she underwent multiple surgeries and survived.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Pirro and Interim Chief Carroll commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miles Janssen, who investigated the case; former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathaniel Brower and Ella Gladman, who prosecuted the case; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Claire Hoover, who handled the case.
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Macomb County Man Sentenced to 10 Months for Threatening to Assassinate Michigan Governor and Shareholders of DTE EnergyRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A 40-year-old male from Center Line, Michigan, was sentenced to 10 months in prison for posting online threats to assassinate Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer and making calls threatening shareholders of the DTE Energy Corporation, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon, Jr. announced today.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office.
In January 2025, Steven Conway called a DTE Energy call center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and threatened to “hunt down” and “target for assassination” the shareholders and members of the energy company.
A few days later, Conway posted threats to kill Governor Whitmer on an online dating website, claiming the governor was on a list “marked for assassination.” Conway has a prior conviction for threatening to kill a judge and police officers in Macomb County, Michigan.
U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. White imposed the sentence following Conway’s guilty plea to two counts of communicating threats in interstate commerce and included a two-year term of supervised release for Conway.
“Threats of political violence and retribution are an attack on the rule of law. We will protect our public servants and the regular citizens who make our country free and prosperous,” U.S. Attorney Gorgon said.
“Threats of violence of this nature, whether directed at a public officials, private citizens, or company shareholders, are serious crimes and will be treated as such," said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. "The FBI will not tolerate any attempt to intimidate, endanger, or coerce individuals through online platforms. We will continue to aggressively investigate these offenses and work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office to pursue those who make such threats, so they are held fully accountable under the law.”
This case was investigated by the FBI’s joint terrorism taskforce with the assistance of Task Force Officers from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Office,West Bloomfield Police Department and the Centerline Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Carr and Catherine Morris.
Leader of Tijuana-based Fentanyl Trafficking Organization SentencedRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Alejandro Salinas of Tijuana, Mexico, was sentenced in federal court today to 240 months in prison for leading an organization that trafficked large amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine into the United States from Mexico.
Salinas previously pleaded guilty to participating in an international conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
The case is part of an investigation of a drug trafficking organization referred to as “The Office,” which operated a convenience store for illegal drugs in Tijuana, open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, for mostly American buyers. The Office sold a variety of narcotics at its Tijuana store, including fentanyl and methamphetamine. At the same time, The Office sent drugs into the United States, acting as a drug wholesale and delivery service for users and distributors in San Diego County and elsewhere. The organization employed “runners,” typically U.S. citizens, who smuggled drugs across the international border to fill orders.
Investigators estimate The Office operated for at least five years and made several million dollars during that time, moving hundreds of kilograms of fentanyl and other controlled substances into the United States. Salinas held a leadership role in the organization from approximately 2020 to 2022, a time period during which he and his co-conspirators took advantage of the rise in demand for fentanyl during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Following the indictment of Salinas and his co-conspirators in April 2023 and coordination with Mexican authorities, the Attorney General of Mexico seized and closed The Office’s Tijuana storefront in January 2024.
“The Office operated as a 24-hour storefront for spreading addiction and death,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “We showed them it was closing time.”
“The leader of this organization was responsible for the smuggling of deadly narcotics, including fentanyl into our community and throughout the United States for years,” said Kevin a Murphy, HSI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge. “HSI San Diego remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting our community and our nation by identifying, disrupting, and dismantling these criminal organizations.”
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Mexico to secure the arrest and extradition of Salinas.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23cr618
Alejandro Salinas Age: 48 Tijuana, MX
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
International Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 959, 960, 963
Maximum penalty: Life in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation
Drug Enforcement Administration
San Diego Sheriff’s Department
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 San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
Kansas City Man Charged with Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was charged with child pornography offenses in a now-unsealed federal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Missouri.
Luis Leony Valentin, 34, was charged by federal criminal complaint with production of child pornography, receipt of child pornography over the internet, and possession of child pornography. Following his arrest today, Valentin had his first appearance in court.
An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Valentin communicated over the internet with a 14-year-old to obtain depictions of the minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Valentin possessed numerous videos of child pornography of minor females.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Maureen A. Brackett. It was investigated by the Kansas City Missouri Police Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the "resources” tab.
Justice Department Sues Harvard University for Withholding Race-Related Admissions DocumentsRead the Press Release
Note: View complaint here. The release has been updated to reflect that the action took place today, February 13.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division (DOJ) filed a lawsuit today against Harvard University (Harvard), accusing Harvard of unlawfully withholding from the United States admissions data information necessary to determine whether Harvard is continuing to discriminate in its admissions process, even after the Supreme Court’s 2023 ruling in Students for Fair Admissions v. President and Fellows of Harvard College.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice is demanding better from our nation’s educational institutions,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Harvard has failed to disclose the data we need to ensure that its admissions are free of discrimination — we will continue fighting to put merit over DEI across America.”
“The Justice Department will not allow universities to flout our nation’s federal civil rights laws by refusing to provide the information required for our review,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Providing requested data is a basic expectation of any credible compliance process, and refusal to cooperate creates concerns about university practices. If Harvard has stopped discriminating, it should happily share the data necessary to prove it.”
The lawsuit alleges that Harvard repeatedly slow-walked the pace of production and refused to produce pertinent data and documents requested by the DOJ, including individualized applicant admissions data, admissions policies, and correspondence related to race; ethnicity; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and Students for Fair Admissions. The suit alleges that Harvard — a recipient of DOJ funding — violated Title VI by failing to comply with the DOJ’s request for sufficient document production for compliance review. The suit also notes that by failing to make timely and complete document productions or otherwise permitting the DOJ to access Harvard’s applicant-level admissions data, Harvard breached a material term of DOJ federal financial assistance.
The lawsuit seeks only to compel Harvard to produce documents related to any consideration of race in admissions and does not accuse Harvard of racial discrimination.
2026.2.13 Harvard Access Complaint-v.pdfJustice Department Opens Investigation into Lincoln Memorial University for Discrimination Against Jewish StudentsRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, launched an investigation into Lincoln Memorial University to determine whether the university is engaged in discrimination against its Jewish students. Among other concerns, the investigation will determine whether the university’s DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine is intentionally preventing Jewish students from completing their exams during the Spring semester.
“This Department of Justice is fiercely committed to shutting down the concerning outbreak of antisemitism that has been spreading on college campuses since the Hamas attacks on Israel on October 7, 2023,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “When colleges and universities single Jewish students out for adverse treatment, they are in clear violation of our civil rights laws and of this nation’s promise of equal opportunity for all Americans.”
“All students should be free to learn and train in environments free from discrimination,” said Paula M. Stannard, Director of the Department of Human Services’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR). “Antisemitism has no place in our nation’s educational or medical training institutions, and OCR will work to ensure that federal civil rights laws are fully enforced.”
This investigation will be conducted pursuant to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act. Lincoln Memorial University receives substantial federal financial assistance and is therefore subject to Title VI of the Civil Rights Act and Section 1557. Title VI and Section 1557 prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. Antisemitism can be a form of discrimination on the basis of race or national origin, according to federal precedent. Lincoln Memorial University is based in Harrogate, Tennessee, and its DeBusk College of Osteopathic Medicine has campuses in Knoxville, Harrogate, and Orange Park, Tennessee.
Neither the Civil Rights Division nor the Office for Civil Rights has reached any conclusions about the subject matter of the investigations.
Jury Convicts Tuba City Man of Second Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault, and RobberyRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – On Feb. 5, 2026, a federal jury found Derick Lee Myron, 45, of Tuba City, Arizona, guilty of one count of Second-Degree Murder, three counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon, two counts of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, four counts of Discharging a Firearm During and In Relation to a Crime of Violence, and one count of Robbery. The guilty verdict followed an eight-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Michael T. Liburdi. Sentencing is scheduled for May 19, 2026.
On April 29, 2024, Myron shot and killed an unarmed victim and shot and seriously injured two others, on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation. Myron then stole a truck, ran over the victim he had killed, and fled the crime scene. He later disposed of the truck in a canyon in Cameron, Arizona. Over the next two days, Myron hid the firearm he used to shoot the victims, and evaded arrest by hiding in the Moenkopi Wash.
A conviction for Second Degree Murder carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $250,000, and not more than five years of supervised release. The remaining convictions include additional penalties that could amount to more than 10 years in prison.
The FBI Phoenix Division’s Flagstaff office and Navajo Nation Police Department jointly conducted the investigation in this case, with assistance from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, Flagstaff Police Department, and Coconino County Sherrif’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Genevieve A. Ozark (Phoenix) and Dimitra H. Sampson (Flagstaff), District of Arizona, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-08050-PCT-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026- 026_Myron
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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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Jonathan D. Frost Pleads Guilty to Three Felony Charges Related to $70 Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. On February 11, 2026, Jonathan D. Frost, 42, of Soddy Daisy, Tennessee, entered pleas of guilty to three felonies at the federal courthouse in downtown Chattanooga.
Appearing before United States Magistrate Judge Christopher H. Steger, Frost waived his right to indictment by a grand jury and entered guilty pleas to all counts in the charging document. The specific charges include Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, and Conspiracy to Defraud the United States.
According to the facts laid out in the written plea agreement, Frost participated in a scheme in which investments were solicited for the purpose of building and operating a facility that would use solar power to extract hydrogen gas from water. However, the funds that were raised were never used for building a hydrogen plant but were instead converted to the personal use of Frost and his co-conspirators. In the plea agreement, Frost agreed to a monetary judgment being taken against him of not less than $70,000,000.
The plea agreement filed with the court indicates there is no agreement regarding the sentence to be imposed. It will be determined by the judge at the time of sentencing. A sentencing hearing before Chief United States District Judge Travis R. McDonough is currently set for August 7, 2026. Frost faces up to a combined 45 years in federal prison.
This case is prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Dale, Christopher Poole, and Frank Clark represent the United States.
The Eastern District of Tennessee Victim Witness Program has established the following website to provide victims of the scam with important notifications and updates concerning the case: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edtn/victim-witness-assistance. The FBI encourages anyone who invested money as part of this scheme to contact [email protected].
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Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Fentanyl Sale that Resulted in a DeathRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A Charles Town, West Virginia man was sentenced for selling fentanyl that resulted in an overdose death, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Clark Grove Corbin, 50, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Corbin sold fentanyl to an individual who later died from ingesting the fentanyl. During a search of Corbin’s home, investigators seized more than 9 grams of fentanyl and 2 grams of cocaine. Corbin has prior convictions, including involuntary manslaughter/DUI that resulted in death.
“Those who are selling poison in our neighborhoods and putting profits over life will face severe consequences,” said U.S Attorney Harvey.
Corbin will serve five years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lara Omps-Botteicher prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Eastern Panhandle Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
Fentanyl has been designated by President Donald Trump as a weapon of mass destruction due to its extreme lethality which poses a grave threat to public safety, even in trace amounts. This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
Jamaican citizen pleads guilty to wire fraud for sweepstake scam that defrauded elderly victim of more than $550,000Read the Press Release
Tacoma – A Jamaican citizen pleaded guilty this week in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud for his lottery scheme that cost an elderly victim more than $550,000, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Roshard Andrew Carty, 34, was arrested in Jamaica on August 21, 2025, and arrived in the Western District of Washington for arraignment on October 23, 2025. Carty will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright on May 14, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, Carty first contacted the 73-year-old Vancouver, Washington victim in 2020. He posed as an employee of Publisher’s Clearinghouse and claimed the victim won $22 million and a car in the lottery, but that she needed to pay taxes and fees to access her winnings. He convinced the victim that the FBI was recording the call and told her she was not to tell anyone about the big win. Between August 2020 and February 2024, he convinced the victim to send more than $550,000 to various money couriers throughout the United States, who ultimately sent the money to Carty in Jamaica.
Carty’s requests for cash started small and grew over time. He had the victim remove small amounts of cash from her accounts and send them to a U.S. location via FedEx. Carty told the victim the money was lost or stolen and demanded more. Carty told the victim to borrow against her home so she could send more money. Carty convinced the victim to sell her home to cover additional “costs and fees” to claim her prize. In all, Carty stole more than $550,000 from the victim by having her mail the money to various couriers in the U.S.
Carty was relentless in contacting the victim using various phone numbers and texting programs. He contacted her thousands of times throughout the fraud. When she tried to cut off contact, he tried sending tow trucks, and pizza deliveries, and asked her landlord for a welfare check to try to get back in touch with the victim.
Carty was indicted in November 2024. Following his August 2025 arrest in Jamaica, Carty consented to extradition to the United States.
The U.S. Embassy in Jamaica has a page devoted to lottery scams based in that country. Find it here. The bottom line: You never should pay to receive a prize and any request for advance fees is a scam.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 41 months in prison and the defense is free to recommend any sentence. Judge Cartwright is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Watts Staniar and David T. Martin. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Jamaica to secure the arrest and extradition of Carty.
Indian National Pleads Guilty to Plotting to Assassinate U.S. Citizen in New York CityRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Director of the Counterintelligence and Espionage Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Roman Rozhavsky, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance C. Cole, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), James C. Barnacle, Jr., announced that NIKHIL GUPTA, a/k/a “Nick,” an Indian national, pled guilty to all three counts contained in the Second Superseding Indictment, charging him with murder-for-hire, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, in connection with his efforts to murder a U.S. citizen in New York City. GUPTA pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah Netburn and is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero on May 29, 2026.
“Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a U.S. citizen in New York City,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He thought that from outside this country he could kill someone in it without consequence, simply for exercising their American right to free speech. But he was wrong, and he will face justice. Our message to all nefarious foreign actors should be clear: steer clear of the United States and our people.”
“Nikhil Gupta was a key participant in a murder-for-hire plot against a U.S. citizen, a murder that was prevented thanks to the actions of U.S. law enforcement,” said FBI Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky. “The U.S. citizen became a target of transnational repression solely for exercising their freedom of speech. The message from the FBI should be clear—no matter where you are located if you try to harm our citizens we will not stop until you are brought to justice.”
“It is often a slippery and dangerous slope from drug trafficking to deadly violence, as demonstrated by the murder-for-hire plot orchestrated by international narcotics and weapons trafficker Nikhil Gupta,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “This case is a stark reminder of the ruthless lengths criminals will go to in order to further their illegal enterprises. I commend the men and women of DEA’s New York Task Force Division for their outstanding investigative work successfully foiling Gupta’s assassination plot. Let there be no doubt: DEA remains steadfast in its mission to protect America. We will continue to leverage our superior investigative expertise and unmatched intelligence capabilities to dismantle the drug trafficking networks that threaten our safety and well-being of our communities.”
“At the direction and coordination of an Indian government employee, Nikhil Gupta plotted to assassinate a United States citizen on American soil, facilitating a foreign adversary’s unlawful effort to silence a vocal critic of the Indian government,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “The FBI will continue to aggressively defend the homeland against any foreign adversaries who target our citizens for exercising their constitutionally protected rights.”
According to the allegations contained in the Second Superseding Indictment, other public court documents, and statements made in court:
In or about 2023, GUPTA worked together with others in India and elsewhere, including, as alleged in the Second Superseding Indictment, co-defendant VIKASH YADAV, who was at relevant times an Indian government employee, to plot the assassination of an attorney and political activist (the “Victim”) on U.S. soil.[1] The Victim, who is a U.S. citizen of Indian origin, is a vocal critic of the Indian government and leads a U.S.-based organization that advocates for the secession of Punjab, a state in northern India that is home to a large population of Sikhs, an ethnoreligious minority group in India. The Victim has publicly called for some or all of Punjab to secede from India and establish a Sikh sovereign state called Khalistan, and the Indian government has banned the Victim and his separatist organization from India.
GUPTA is a citizen and was a resident of India, and he has described himself as an international narcotics and weapons trafficker in electronic communications with YADAV and others. YADAV was employed by the Government of India’s Cabinet Secretariat, which houses India’s foreign intelligence service, the Research and Analysis Wing.
In or about May 2023, YADAV recruited GUPTA to orchestrate the assassination of the Victim in the United States. At YADAV’s direction, GUPTA contacted an individual whom GUPTA believed to be a criminal associate, but who was in fact a confidential source working with the DEA (the “CS”), for assistance in contracting a hitman to murder the Victim in New York City. The CS introduced GUPTA to a purported hitman, who was in fact a DEA undercover officer (the “UC”). YADAV subsequently agreed, in dealings brokered by GUPTA, to pay the UC $100,000 to murder the Victim. On or about June 9, 2023, YADAV and GUPTA arranged for an associate to deliver $15,000 in cash to the UC as an advance payment for the murder.
In or about June 2023, in furtherance of the assassination plot, YADAV provided GUPTA with personal information about the Victim, including the Victim’s home address in New York City, phone numbers associated with the Victim, and details about the Victim’s day-to-day conduct, which GUPTA then passed to the UC. GUPTA thereafter provided YADAV with regular updates on the assassination plot, including surveillance photographs of the Victim. GUPTA directed the UC to carry out the murder as soon as possible, but GUPTA also specifically instructed the UC not to commit the murder around the time of the Indian Prime Minister’s official state visit to the United States, which was scheduled to begin on or about June 20, 2023.
On or about June 18, 2023, approximately two days before the Indian Prime Minister’s state visit to the United States, masked gunmen murdered Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Sikh temple in British Columbia, Canada. Nijjar was an associate of the Victim, and, like the Victim, was a leader of the Sikh separatist movement and an outspoken critic of the Indian government. On or about June 19, 2023, the day after the Nijjar murder, GUPTA told the UC that Nijjar “was also the target” and “we have so many targets.” GUPTA also added that, in light of Nijjar’s murder, there was “now no need to wait” on killing the Victim.
On June 30, 2023, GUPTA was arrested in the Czech Republic and subsequently extradited to the United States.
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GUPTA, 54 of India, pled guilty to murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA’s New York Drug Enforcement Task Force and the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office. Mr. Clayton also thanked the DEA’s Special Operations Division, the DEA’s Vienna Country Office, the FBI’s Prague Country Office, the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, and the Czech Republic’s National Drug Headquarters for their assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Czech authorities to secure the arrest and June 2024 extradition of Gupta.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit, Violent Organizations and Crime Unit, and Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Camille L. Fletcher, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexander Li are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and A.J. Dixon of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
[1] YADAV has been charged in the Second Superseding Indictment but has not yet been arrested in connection with those charges.
Illinois Man Charged with Interstate Transmission of Text and Voicemail Threats to Injure Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minnesota Federal Grand Jury returned a one-count Indictment, charging Jose Alberto Ramirez, age 29, with interstate transmission of threats to injure a federal law enforcement officer on January 15, 2026, 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, seizing government-owned equipment, and taking 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 had been compromised and broadcast on the Internet was an FBI Special Agent, who began receiving a series of threatening texts and voicemails on their government-issued cell phone on January 15, 2026, and for several days thereafter.
A subsequent investigation identified the phone number associated with one particular voicemail and two particular threatening text messages sent to the Special Agent as belonging to Jose Alberto Ramirez. The messages asserted that the caller/sender knew where the Special Agent’s parents and children lived and advised the Special Agent to “get home safe and fast.”
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.
Honduran Man Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DENIS EDGARDO BUEZO-ZELAYA (“BUEZO”), age 33, was sentenced on February 3, 2026 after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced United States Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, BUEZO was removed from the United States on August 13, 2014, and was later found in the Eastern District of Louisiana on February 3, 2024, and had not received permission from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to reenter.
BUEZO was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Darrel James Papillion to time-served, to be followed by one year of supervised release and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Healthcare executives guilty in multimillion-dollar healthcare fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
SHERMAN, Texas – Two healthcare executives have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a multimillion-dollar fraud conspiracy in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Mouzon Bass, III, 60, of Highland Park, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Lance Wilson, 57, of Allen, pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The guilty pleas were heard by U.S. Magistrate Judge Aileen Goldman Durrett this week.
According to information presented in court, Bass, the sole owner and president of Vivature, a healthcare billing company, and Wilson, a senior executive at Vivature, were involved in conspiracies to defraud others in connection with COVID-19 testing and an athletic training billing scheme.
The maximum statutory sentence prescribed by Congress is up to 20 years in federal prison, a potential fine, and restitution at sentencing. The maximum statutory sentence is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is being investigated by FBI, Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, and Department of Defense Office of the Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anand Varadarajan and Adrian Garcia.
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Georgia Resident Sentenced for Scheme to Steal from Federal Employees’ Retirement AccountsRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Today, Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson announced the sentencing of a LaGrange, Georgia woman for her role in a scheme to steal funds from federal employees’ Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) retirement accounts.
On February 11, 2026, a federal judge sentenced 31-year-old Tekia Sade Peay to 51 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Peay previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and aggravated identity theft. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This scheme targeted the retirement savings of hardworking employees, including accounts belonging to elderly and deceased individuals,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “Exploiting the identity of someone who has passed away is not a victimless crime. Families should be focused on grieving for their loved one, not discovering that their loved one’s identity has been stolen and their retirement savings depleted. These sentences reflect the seriousness of this conduct and our commitment to protecting employees and their families from financial exploitation.”
“The sentencing in this case holds the defendant accountable for orchestrating an account takeover scheme that targeted elderly and deceased Thrift Savings Plan annuitants,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason J. Scalzo, of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC OIG), Electronic Crimes Unit. “The FDIC OIG will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who target our Nation’s most vulnerable, and threaten to undermine the integrity of our Nation’s financial system.”
“This sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to holding accountable those who use their positions of trust to steal other people’s hard-earned money to line their own pockets,” said Daniel Wierzbicki, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterintelligence and Cyber Division. “We work with our partner agencies every day to identify and bring to justice those who fraudulently access government systems.”
According to court records, in August 2023, the FBI received information regarding fraudulent TSP transactions conducted by an individual identified as Tekia Peay, who was employed by a company that provided recordkeeping services for the TSP.
An investigation revealed that Tekia Peay exploited her knowledge of TSP call center procedures to gain unauthorized access to victims’ online TSP accounts. Using account holders’ personal identifying information, Tekia Peay established online access to accounts without the owner’s knowledge or consent, including accounts belonging to elderly and deceased individuals.
After establishing and verifying online access using the victims’ personal identifying information, Tekia and a co-conspirator made unauthorized changes to the accounts and requested disbursements. The fraudulently obtained funds were deposited into bank accounts controlled by Peay.
Throughout the course of the scheme, Peay attempted to steal a total of $76,544.03 from TSP account holders but ultimately succeeded in obtaining $21,508.32. In addition to her term of imprisonment, the court ordered Peay to pay $21,508.32 in restitution to the recordkeeping company that formerly employed her, as the company had previously reimbursed the TSP account holders for their losses.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General’s Electronic Crimes Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Michelle R. Turner and Megan A. Kirkpatrick prosecuted the case.
Gulf Breeze Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Meth and Fentanyl with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Logan Schoonmaker, 40, of Gulf Breeze, Florida, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the excellent investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners, this defendant was stopped before he could peddle more deadly drugs in our community. My office continues to back up the hard work of our law enforcement partners on the front lines with successful prosecutions to ensure drug dealers like this defendant are kept off our streets. Through Operation Take Back America, President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi made a promise to put an end to the criminal enterprises that have plagued our communities for far too long, and my office will continue to deliver on that promise.”
Court documents reflect that on April 25, 2025, Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Gulf Breeze Police Department executed a search warrant at a residence in Gulf Breeze, Florida. Inside the residence, police located approximately 40 grams of crystal methamphetamine and approximately 12.5 grams of fentanyl. Schoonmaker was present at the residence. Electronic devices located at the residence were searched and a video showing Schoonmaker distributing suspected narcotics was uncovered.
Schoonmaker faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment and up to forty years’ imprisonment. If Schoonmaker is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, such term could be followed by up to a five-year term of supervised release. Thus, if Schoonmaker were to violate any conditions of his release, he could potentially face an additional period of incarceration related to violating his supervision.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Gulf Breeze Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Christopher C. Patterson is prosecuting the case.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 14, 2026, at 10:30 a.m. at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
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 available 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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Georgia Woman Sentenced to an Additional Twelve Months in Federal Prison After Failing to Surrender for Service of SentenceRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that U.S. District Court Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Thanh Hoa Thi Bui, also known as Xena Bui, age 43, formerly of Valdosta, Georgia, to serve an additional twelve months in federal prison following her conviction for failing to surrender for service of a previously-imposed federal sentence. The Court further sentenced Bui to serve three years of supervised release following her term of imprisonment.
Bui was previously convicted in 2024 of wire fraud and making unlawful monetary transactions. In that case, she was found to have embezzled more than $1.6 million from her employer, a small business located on North Sherwood Forest Drive in Baton Rouge, where she worked as a bookkeeper. Over a three-year period from September 2017 through November 2020, Bui used her access to the company’s bank account to make hundreds of fraudulent transactions, which she used (among other things) to pay the electricity and gas for a large chicken farm that she maintained in Mississippi and to make payments to a company in Covington, Louisiana, to which she owed money for real estate that she had purchased. Bui took extensive steps to conceal her scheme, and as she obtained proceeds from the scheme, she would quickly move the funds through her bank accounts, withdraw the funds in cash, and make other transactions, including at local casinos. The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service, with valuable assistance from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana State Police.
U.S. District Judge Brian A. Jackson sentenced Bui in November 2024 to serve 63 months in federal prison and to pay restitution of approximately $1.69 million to her victim. At the time of her sentencing, she was not in custody. Based on representations made by Bui to the Court regarding her health, the Court allowed her to remain released, subject to the existing conditions, but ordered her to surrender to the United States Bureau of Prisons to begin serving her sentence before 2:00 p.m. on February 10, 2025.
When Bui did not report to prison as ordered, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) immediately initiated an investigation into her whereabouts. On February 26, 2025, she was charged in a criminal complaint with failing to surrender for service of her sentence. On March 20, 2025, the USMS located Bui at a casino and hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, and arrested her. A few days later, she was charged in an indictment with failure to surrender. In September 2025, Bui pled guilty to the new charge, and the sentence imposed today, by law, will run consecutive to the existing 63-month federal prison sentence from the previous case.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel.
Fruitland man sentenced for assaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland man was sentenced to 15 months in prison for an assault that left the victim with severe injuries.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records, on May 6, 2025, Kyle Kee, 34, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, intentionally struck the victim with his fists. As a result, the victim suffered an orbital floor fracture, nasal bone fractures, and facial disfigurement.
Kee pleaded guilty to one count of assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Upon his release from prison, Kee will be subject to three years of supervised release.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Jordan is prosecuting the case.
Former Hulbert Schools Encumbrance Clerk Sentenced for Theft of Federal FundsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rebecca Deanne Morehead, age 55, of Locust Grove, Oklahoma, was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison for one count of Theft or Bribery Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds. The Court also ordered Morehead to pay $178,758.16 in restitution.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Education – Office of Inspector General (OIG).
On November 21, 2024, Morehead pleaded guilty to the charge in federal district court. According to investigators, between June of 2019 and October 26, 2021, while serving as the Encumbrance Clerk and Activities Coordinator for the Hulbert Public School District, Morehead issued herself payroll and miscellaneous payments to in excess of her contracted and authorized salary with no legitimate purpose. Morehead issued these payments with the assistance of then-Treasurer Leslie Shannon Mack. Together, their combined actions resulted in an ultimate loss to the Hulbert Public School District exceeding a half million dollars. On December 11, 2024, Mack was sentenced to twelve months and one day in prison and ordered to pay $372,808.09 in restitution.
“I’m proud of the work of OIG Special Agents and our law enforcement partners for holding Ms. Morehead accountable for her criminal actions,” said John Woolley, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Central Regional Office. “This sentence should serve as a warning to anyone who intentionally steals or misappropriates Federal education funds: you will be caught and held accountable for your unlawful actions.”
“The OSBI appreciates the great work conducted by the United States Department of Education, as well as our local law enforcement partners, who assisted us throughout this investigation. Protecting our school districts against these type of crimes is critical across all of Oklahoma. We want to thank everyone who stepped up and helped obtain justice in this case,” said Hunter McKee, Public Information Manager with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
“The defendants’ misappropriation of public funding stole opportunity out of the pockets of students and families of the Hulbert Public School District,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “This sentence and restitution stand as a warning that crimes against the public trust will be investigated and prosecuted.”
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Morehead will self-report on March 13, 2026, to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kara Traster and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Staubus represented the United States.
Final Two Gang Members Convicted by Jury in Brazen Racketeering MurderRead the Press Release
Following a one-week trial, a federal jury in Memphis convicted two members of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) – a violent Memphis street gang – yesterday for murdering by gunshot a fellow gang member who they suspected of betraying the gang.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edward Allen, also known as E-Money, 42, and Deandre Rodgers, also known as Dre, 29, both of Memphis, were high-ranking members of a criminal enterprise that controlled territory throughout the entire city of Memphis and extended beyond to Arkansas and Mississippi. Members of UVL committed murders, robberies, assaults, human trafficking, and drug trafficking on behalf of the enterprise. When the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief, the leader for the entire state of Tennessee, was murdered, the gang sought retaliation against anyone thought to be involved.
“Members of this gang carried out a calculated and merciless killing, leaving the victim in public to send a chilling message about the consequences of disloyalty,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their repeated acts of violence, including shootings in broad daylight and in residential neighborhoods, demonstrate a profound indifference to human life and pose a clear danger to our communities. We will continue to stand with our law enforcement partners and relentlessly pursue those who bring violence into our communities - street-level violence has no place in this country, and those who engage in it will be identified, arrested, prosecuted.”
“This successful federal prosecution has significantly disrupted the leadership of the UVL street gang here in Memphis, and E-Money, Dre, and V-Slash are no longer unknown,” said U.S. Attorney D, Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “If you are a member of a criminal gang committed to a lifestyle of lawlessness, no matter your role or nickname — your days are numbered — there will be a reckoning."
“Violent street gangs such as these that show a blatant disregard for public safety must be held accountable”, said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Through aggressive investigation, coordinated enforcement, and sustained collaboration, we will relentlessly continue to pursue, disrupt, and dismantle these violent criminal networks. The ATF, along with our local, state, and federal partners, will not rest until the safety and security of our communities are restored.”
As shown at trial, on Jan. 10, 2019, the Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend were murdered in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood. The gang immediately sought retaliation that same night against a rival gang, the Traveling Vice Lords, who they initially believed may have been responsible. Multiple Unknown Vice Lord members drove to a known Traveling Vice Lord hangout and committed a drive-by shooting where at least one person was shot. During the next few days, UVL conducted its own internal investigation and came to believe that a fellow UVL member was responsible for their Chief’s murder.
Five days after the Chief was murdered, on Jan. 15, 2019, the implicated Unknown Vice Lord member, the victim for this trial, was murdered at the hands of Allen, Rodgers, and other UVL members. On Jan. 14, 2019, co-defendant Vincent Grant, also known as V-Slash, a keeper of guns for the gang, provided guns to multiple gang members for the purpose of going on a “demo” which is their term for committing violent acts. Early the next morning around 1:00 a.m., Allen, Rodgers, Grant, and another gang member drove the victim to the back of a rundown apartment complex, where Allen and Rodgers took the victim behind one of buildings and executed him with guns provided by Grant.
The jury convicted Allen and Rodgers of causing death by use of a firearm during a racketeering murder. Sentencing is scheduled to be held on May 11. Allen and Rodgers face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Grant was previously convicted at trial for his involvement in the murder and sentenced to more than 24 years in prison.
The ATF investigated the case, with significant assistance from The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, The FBI, Memphis Police Department, and U.S. Secret Service.
Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
Final Two Gang Members Convicted by Jury in Brazen Racketeering MurderRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Following a one-week trial, a federal jury in Memphis convicted two members of the Unknown Vice Lords (UVL) – a violent Memphis street gang – yesterday for murdering by gunshot a fellow gang member who they suspected of betraying the gang.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Edward Allen, also known as E-Money, 42, and Deandre Rodgers, a.k.a. Dre, 29, both of Memphis, were high-ranking members of a criminal enterprise that controlled territory throughout the entire city of Memphis and extended beyond to Arkansas and Mississippi. Members of UVL committed murders, robberies, assaults, human trafficking, and drug trafficking on behalf of the enterprise. When the gang’s Supreme Elite Chief, the leader for the entire state of Tennessee, was murdered, the gang sought retaliation against anyone thought to be involved.
“Members of this gang carried out a calculated and merciless killing, leaving the victim in public to send a chilling message about the consequences of disloyalty,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Their repeated acts of violence, including shootings in broad daylight and in residential neighborhoods, demonstrate a profound indifference to human life and pose a clear danger to our communities. We will continue to stand with our law enforcement partners and relentlessly pursue those who bring violence into our communities - street-level violence has no place in this country, and those who engage in it will be identified, arrested, prosecuted.”
“This successful federal prosecution has significantly disrupted the leadership of the UVL street gang here in Memphis, and E-Money, Dre, and V-Slash are no longer unknown,” said U.S. Attorney D, Michael Dunavant. “If you are a member of a criminal gang committed to a lifestyle of lawlessness, no matter your role or nickname - your days are numbered - there will be a reckoning."
“Violent street gangs such as these that show a blatant disregard for public safety must be held accountable”, said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Through aggressive investigation, coordinated enforcement, and sustained collaboration, we will relentlessly continue to pursue, disrupt, and dismantle these violent criminal networks. The ATF, along with our local, state, and federal partners, will not rest until the safety and security of our communities are restored.”
As shown at trial, on Jan. 10, 2019, the Supreme Elite Chief and his girlfriend were murdered in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood. The gang immediately sought retaliation that same night against a rival gang, the Traveling Vice Lords, who they initially believed may have been responsible. Multiple Unknown Vice Lord members drove to a known Traveling Vice Lord hangout and committed a drive-by shooting where at least one person was shot. During the next few days, UVL conducted its own internal investigation and came to believe that a fellow UVL member was responsible for their Chief’s murder.
Five days after the Chief was murdered, on Jan. 15, 2019, the implicated Unknown Vice Lord member, the victim for this trial, was murdered at the hands of Allen, Rodgers, and other UVL members. On Jan. 14, 2019, co-defendant Vincent Grant, also known as V-Slash, a keeper of guns for the gang, provided guns to multiple gang members for the purpose of going on a “demo” which is their term for committing violent acts. Early the next morning around 1 a.m., Allen, Rodgers, Grant, and another gang member drove the victim to the back of a rundown apartment complex, where Allen and Rodgers took the victim behind one of buildings and executed him with guns provided by Grant.
The jury convicted Allen and Rodgers of causing death by use of a firearm during a racketeering murder. Sentencing is scheduled to be held on May 11, and Allen and Rodgers face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Grant was previously convicted at trial for his involvement in the murder and sentenced to more than 24 years in prison.
The ATF investigated the case, with significant assistance from The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, The FBI, Memphis Police Department, and U.S. Secret Service.
Trial Attorneys Lisa M. Thelwell and Sarah J. Rasalam of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case with substantial assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative to prosecute violent crimes in Memphis, Tennessee. The Criminal Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee have partnered, along with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, to confront violent crimes committed by gang members and associates through the enforcement of federal laws and use of federal resources to prosecute the violent offenders and prevent further violence.
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If you have questions, please use the contacts in the message or call the Office of Public Affairs at 202-514-2007.
Former Labor Union Treasurer Indicted for Bank Fraud, Embezzlement, and Falsification of Union Financial ReportsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Clarence Penny, 40, of Pace, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with eight counts of bank fraud, one count of embezzlement of labor union funds, and three counts of falsification of labor union reports. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Penny appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon on February 12, 2026, in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for April 6, 2026, before District Court Judge M. Casey Rodgers.
If convicted, Penny faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment for each count of bank fraud; up to five years’ imprisonment for the embezzlement count; and up to one year imprisonment for each count of falsification of labor union reports.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards. Assistant United States Attorneys Brooke DiSalvo and Walter Narramore are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
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 available 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.
Erie Man Charged with Bank Fraud and Money Laundering in Relation to Falsified Applications for Pandemic Relief FundsRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A resident of Erie, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Erie on charges of bank fraud and money laundering, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The 16-count Indictment named Aaron B. Collins, 50, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Collins falsified applications for Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act funds under the Paycheck Protection Program, which was designed to authorize forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Indictment further alleges that Collins engaged in a series of monetary transactions involving the funds he fraudulently obtained through his falsified applications.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1,250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Paul S. Sellers is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service—Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 14 Years Imprisonment for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A Toombs County resident with two prior drug trafficking convictions has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl.
Frank Jamal Rashad Curry, age 36, of Toombs County, GA, was charged in May 2025 with three counts of distribution of a fentanyl in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), said U.S Attorney Margaret E. Heap. On February 4, 2026, following a guilty plea, Curry was sentenced to 155 months of imprisonment by the Honorable J. Randal Hall, District Court Judge for the Southern District of Georgia. Curry was sentenced to an additional, consecutive 18 months for committing the crimes while on supervised release.
“Fentanyl is a horrific and deadly drug. Holding those who distribute it accountable is profoundly important to keeping our community safe.” said U.S. Attorney Heap. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Georgia will continue to prosecute those who profit from this deadly substance.”
According to court documents and in court testimony, Curry, who was being supervised by the United States Probation Office for a prior drug-trafficking conviction, distributed pressed fentanyl pills over the course of several months in 2024.
“This investigation targeted a repeat drug trafficker who continued distributing fentanyl despite prior convictions and federal supervision,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “By holding Frank Jamal Rashad Curry accountable, we are reinforcing our commitment to stopping the flow of fentanyl into Georgia communities. The GBI will continue working alongside our local, state, and federal partners to investigate and dismantle fentanyl distribution networks.”
This case was investigated by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dearay Wilson, 30, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty today to second-degree murder while armed for his role in the shooting death of 50-year-old D.C. resident Jeremy Black on the evening of June 29, 2021, in Northwest D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Wilson entered a guilty plea before Superior Court Judge Neal E. Kravitz, on February 13, 2026. Judge Kravitz ordered that Wilson remain held without bond pending sentencing. Wilson will next appear before Judge Kravitz for sentencing on April 10, 2026.
According to court documents, Wilson and three others armed themselves with firearms before driving a vehicle to Johnson Avenue Northwest. Once in the area, they fired multiple shots at a group of people outside an apartment building in the 1400 block of R Street Northwest. Black, the victim, was an innocent bystander walking through the area with his wife and two friends following dinner at a local restaurant. Black and a friend were crossing Johnson Avenue when Wilson and his co-conspirators indiscriminately fired over 45 rounds on a busy public street. Black was struck and killed by a single gunshot wound to his left torso. After the shooting, Wilson and his co-conspirators fled the scene in the stolen vehicle.
Joining the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Merikas, Kathleen Gibbons, and Sarah Santiago. The case was indicted by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Sitara Witanachchi.
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DEA Supervisor Arrested and Charged in Bribery Conspiracy and Visa FraudRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Meliton Cordero, a Supervisory Special Agent with the Drug Enforcement Administration, was arrested yesterday in Washington D.C. and charged in a complaint unsealed today in U.S. District Court in connection with his role in a bribery and U.S. visa fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
“This individual was entrusted by the American people to faithfully execute his duties and represent the American Government abroad as a leader within the DEA,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro. “Instead, he is alleged to have broken the law, squandered this special trust and undercut the President’s immigration priorities. This behavior by any government official is unacceptable and will not be tolerated.”
Cordero, 47, has been assigned for six years to the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic. He is charged with conspiracy to commit bribery and visa fraud. According to the charging documents, Cordero allegedly accepted thousands of dollars in exchange for assisting foreign nationals with securing a nonimmigrant visa which would allow them to visit the U.S. for a temporary period.
“The alleged actions do not reflect the thousands of DEA professionals who serve honorably every day dismantling transnational criminal organizations and protecting communities at home and abroad,” said DEA Administrator Terrance Cole. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to professionalism, transparency, and the rule of law.”
In one instance described in the charging documents, Cordero met with a foreign national and provided them with a passport and visa allowing travel to the United States in exchange for cash. During his assignment at the U.S. Embassy in the Dominican Republic, Cordero expedited at least 119 visa applications, at least one of which is alleged to have been fraudulent, often coaching individuals in preparation for their visa interview with U.S. Consular Officers.
A complaint is a document that explains the charges against a defendant. The complaint is not evidence of a crime. All defendants in criminal cases are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations - Newark Field Office and Homeland Security Investigations – Santo Domingo, the Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Colombian Transnational Robbery Crew Member Pleads Guilty to $5 Million Dollar Organized Jewelry Theft Ring in MiamiRead the Press Release
The last member of a transnational Colombian robbery crew in Miami pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a series of robberies of and thefts from jewelry couriers that targeted high-end retailers and resulted in losses exceeding $5 million dollars. Defendant Leroy Ortega, also known as “El Enano,” 43, of Miami, was the last of 11 defendants indicted as part of an operation against South American theft groups operating in the Southern District of Florida.
The 11 defendants were each convicted as part of Operation Boujee Bandits, an investigation of a Colombian South American Theft Group targeting jewelry salespersons in South Florida and elsewhere. The investigation resulted in three indictments and an information that charged robberies and money laundering activity from September 2019 to July 2021.
“This transnational theft crew came to the United States to steal from American businesses and preyed upon unsuspecting, hard-working citizens who were just trying to do their jobs as jewelry couriers,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Leroy Ortega played an integral role with other already convicted defendants to execute sophisticated, high-value robberies that caused millions of dollars in losses. The Criminal Division will investigate and prosecute organized theft networks and hold to account those individuals who participated in them at all levels.”
“These defendants operated as part of a coordinated South American theft group that targeted hardworking jewelry couriers and sales professionals transporting high-value diamonds, watches, and other merchandise,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “They followed their victims from jewelry exchanges, used fraudulent identification to rent vehicles, and relied on force and violence to steal valuable inventory. Those who commit organized robberies in South Florida will face federal prosecution and significant prison time. We will continue dismantling theft crews that threaten the safety of our community and the integrity of our marketplace.”
“Eliminating these brazen South American Theft Groups reinforces the FBI’s mission of ensuring public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “With our hardworking special agents, analysts, and professional staff triaging leads and sharing threat intelligence with law enforcement partners around the world, we’ve been able to efficiently and effectively disrupt these criminal groups.”
According to court documents, Ortega was part of a group that forcefully took jewelry and other property from victims they believed were in the business of buying and selling jewelry throughout South Florida. To commit the robberies, defendants rented vehicles using false identification documents to follow jewelry salespersons from the International Jewelry Exchanges or the Seybold Jewelry Building. They would then rob victims of the jewelry that they were transporting, sometimes brandishing a knife-like weapon to ensure victims’ compliance.
Ortega admitted that he committed two robberies. On Oct. 16, 2019, Ortega and his co-defendants identified a person they believed was carrying a case of jewelry. In fact, the victim was not a jewelry courier but rather a professional photographer who had been photographing jewelry. Following the victim to a shopping center, co-defendant Allan Lucas, 33, of Miami, pushed the photographer and Ortega grabbed the photographer’s case, which contained photography equipment and a computer. The photographer chased Ortega and Lucas to their get-away car. When the photographer tried to open the car door to get his case back, Ortega reversed the car, causing injury as the photographer was thrown to the ground.
Then, on Nov. 7, 2019, Ortega and his co-conspirators, including defendants Andres Barahona Poveda, 51, a national of Colombia, and Edwin Castillo, 45, of Pembroke Pines, robbed a jewelry salesman of approximately $125,000 of assorted jewelry. Ortega and his co-conspirators followed the salesman to his business in Miami Beach. As the salesman sat in the vehicle, Ortega approached and smashed the salesman’s windows while another co-conspirator took the salesman’s backpack containing the jewelry. When the salesman tried to exit the vehicle, Ortega held the salesman’s door shut trapping him inside the vehicle. To conduct the robbery, defendant Carlos Morales, 47, of Miami rented a vehicle using a fraudulent Venezuelan driver’s license.
Ortega pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery conspiracy and two counts of Hobbs Act robbery. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Defendants convicted under this Operation, in addition to Ortega, include:
Allan Lucas, who was sentenced to 168 months in prison;
Diana Grisales Basto, 41, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 97 months in prison;
Carlos Morales, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison;
Giovanni Cardenas, also known as“El Mono,” 40, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 110 months in prison;
Andres Barahona Poveda, who was sentenced to 87 months in prison;
Edwin Castillo, who was sentenced to 108 months in prison;
Demian Gonzalez Contreras, 30, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 74 months in prison;
Victor Fabian Valenzuela, 39, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 57 months in prison;
Hernando Rodriguez Mahecha, also known as “Nando,” 42, a national of Colombia, who was sentenced to 60 months in prison; and
Mark Simon, 57, of New York, was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
The FBI Tampa Field Office is leading the investigation of the case with valuable assistance from the FBI Miami Field Office, Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office, Miami-Dade Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Tampa Police Department, Boca Raton Police Department, Palm Beach Sherriff’s Office, Boynton Beach Police Department, Fort Pierce Police Department, and the Jewelry Security Alliance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Office of Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia, provided significant assistance.
Trial Attorneys Lakeita F. Rox-Love and Christopher D. Usher II of the Justice Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Dobbins for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Colchester Man Sentenced to 240 Months for Involvement in Swanton HomicideRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on February 13, 2026, Dominique Troupe, 39, of Colchester, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford to a term of 240 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release. Troupe previously was convicted by a jury on May 7, 2024, of conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, aiding and abetting the use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking offense wherein the firearm was discharged, conspiracy to commit robbery, and possession of cocaine base with intent to distribute after a six-day trial. Eric Raymond and Jesse Sweet were previously sentenced to twelve and six years, respectively, for their roles in the case following guilty pleas.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, by at least July of 2021, Troupe was a source of cocaine base (also known as “crack cocaine”) to residents of Swanton, Vermont, with whom he conspired to distribute the drug. During the second half of 2021, Troupe maintained a consistent cocaine base distribution operation in the Swanton area that was trafficking multiple ounces of cocaine base each week. In January 2022, however, a rival distributor of cocaine base moved into the residence at 45 First Street in Swanton, resulting in a significant diminution in Troupe’s sales. To address this problem, two of Troupe’s Swanton-based re-distributors, Eric Raymond and Jesse Sweet, came up with the idea to rob the rival drug dealer of his drugs and money. When Troupe learned of this idea, he turned it into reality. Trial evidence showed that during the early morning of February 2, 2022, Troupe employed Eric Raymond, as well as another unidentified associate of Troupe, to attempt the armed robbery at 45 First Street. Troupe supplied a firearm to Eric Raymond to use during the crime and drove the men to and from the robbery. Tragically, during the attempted armed robbery, Elijah Oliver, 22, of Massachusetts was shot twice and killed. Following the murder of Oliver, Troupe left Vermont for a period of time and instructed a co-conspirator to cancel the cell phone account he had been using. After a couple of months, Troupe returned to Vermont and continued distributing cocaine base, including to a law enforcement confidential source. When Troupe was arrested on September 7, 2022, he was in possession of 188.9 grams of cocaine base.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Vermont State Police, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Swanton Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Turner and recently retired Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Drescher. Troupe was represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.
Chester man sentenced to four years in prison for federal firearms violationRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Chester man was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
According to court documents, on May 9, 2025, law enforcement searched the vehicle and residence of Christopher Michael Collius, 53, in connection with an investigation relating to firearms trafficking. During the search, law enforcement recovered dozens of firearms and hundreds of pieces of other evidence. Among other items, investigators found numerous privately made firearms, together with parts and kits; two short-barreled rifles, including one without a serial number and another equipped with a silencer; six additional silencers, including one attached to a shotgun; two converted lower receivers modified to install machinegun conversion devices, qualifying them as machineguns; a destructive device; and numerous rounds of ammunition of various calibers.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and the Chesterfield County Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Podlesni prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-139.
Career Offender Sentenced to Federal Prison for Trafficking MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man with an extensive criminal history who conspired to distribute methamphetamine was sentenced February 12, 2026, to 19 years in federal prison.
Otis Lamont Foy, Jr., age 29, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 17, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine after having been convicted of a serious drug felony.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that between February and April 2025, Foy and others distributed over three pounds of methamphetamine in the Fort Dodge area. An individual cooperating with law enforcement made multiple methamphetamine purchases from Foy. Law enforcement officers searched Foy’s residence and found marijuana, cash, and drug paraphernalia. Foy was a career offender, who had previously been convicted in 2016 of felony domestic abuse assault impeding normal breathing or circulation of blood, and in 2020 of felony possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Foy was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Foy was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment. He must also serve a ten-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Foy is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and the Webster County Sheriff’s Office. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 25-CR-03016.
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