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11 February 2026
Man Sentenced to over 2 Years in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier, has sentenced a man from South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on January 26, 2026.
Darrell Chase In Winter, 33, was sentenced to two years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Chase In Winter was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in October 2025. He pleaded guilty on December 22, 2025.
Chase In Winter was previously convicted of a federal sex offense. Because of his prior conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender. Chase In Winter was aware of his obligation to register and to keep his registration current with officials within the county in which he resided. Nonetheless, from early August through November 2025, Chase In Winter knowingly failed to register and update his registration.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Connie Larson prosecuted the case.
Chase In Winter was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service to serve his federal sentence.
This case was brought as a 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. Attorney’s 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.
Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Prison for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – U.S. District Court Judge Camille Vélez-Rivé sentenced Byron Andújar-Ramos to 17 years and six months in prison and 10 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a female minor, who is deaf and mute, when she was 12 to 14 years old, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. Andújar-Ramos was indicted on November 25, 2024, arrested on December 9, 2024, and plead guilty on November 10, 2025.
According to court documents, in or about June 2022 to in or about August 2024, Byron Andújar-Ramos used a cellular phone, as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a female minor between the ages of 12 and 14 years old to engage in sexual activity.
According to the facts admitted during the change of plea hearing, from June 2022 to August 2024 Andújar-Ramos engaged in a sexual act with the female minor victim. In a cellular phone used by the victim, HSI special agents found a WhatsApp chat between the minor and defendant Andújar-Ramos. The communications were sexually explicit. In the communications, the defendant persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced the female minor victim to engage in sexual activity. Andújar-Ramos wrote that he wanted to make love to her, told her he was in love with her, requested to engage in sexually explicit video calls with the female minor, asked her to call him through video camera, asked the victim if she wanted to have sexual activity with him, and asked her if she wanted to see his privates.
“The Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our law enforcement partners will aggressively investigate and prosecute those criminals who exploit and harm children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I thank the dedicated HSI agents and prosecutors who investigated and charged this case for their tireless efforts to protect the most vulnerable in our community. Exploitation of our children has no place in civilized society.”
HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos said: “The court’s decision to impose a significantly higher sentence than initially agreed upon underscores the seriousness of these crimes and the unwavering commitment of our justice system to protect vulnerable victims. This outcome sends a clear message: those who commit such heinous acts will face severe consequences. HSI San Juan remains steadfast in our pursuit of justice and in supporting survivors every step of the way.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daynelle Álvarez-Lora of the Crimes Against Children, Human Trafficking and Immigration Unit, prosecuted the case. The Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Task Force led by HSI was in charge of the investigation, with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Department. To report suspicious activities, call 787-729-6969.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Marianna Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Conspiracy and Illegal Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Michael Termaine Bell, 43, of Marianna, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and marijuana, two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and two counts of possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This defendant is precisely the kind of violent, drug trafficking offender that Operation Take Back America was launched to capture and remove from our communities. My office remains committed to delivering more successful prosecutions like this until our streets are safe and drug-free.”
Court documents reflect that beginning in 2023, investigators identified the defendant as a significant distributor of narcotics in the Jackson County, Florida, area. This investigation ultimately led to the execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s residence and surrounding family property on April 18, 2024. Investigators recovered over 1,000 grams of cocaine, over 3,400 grams of marijuana, five firearms, and over $10,000 in U.S. currency. The defendant was later located and arrested in Panama City, Florida, and was found to be in possession of cocaine, marijuana, and a loaded firearm. The defendant is a multi-time convicted felon.
Bell faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment on the drug charges, a minimum mandatory sentence of five years’ imprisonment on each of the possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes charges, and a maximum of life imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica Etherton and Eric Welch.
Sentencing for Bell is scheduled for April 23, 2026, at 1:00 pm, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida before United States District Judge Mark E. Walker.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Luzerne County Brothers Sentenced on Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON, The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Akilees Kadeem Hobson, age 27, of Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, and Armand Kierran Hobson, age 28, of Plymouth, Pennsylvania, were sentenced on February 10, 2026, by Senior United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Akilees Hobson was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment and Armand Hobson was sentenced to time served after being incarcerated since September 25, 2024.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, in August and September 2024, the brothers conspired to distribute fentanyl. On fourteen occasions, Akilees Hobson sold drugs, which included fentanyl and crack cocaine, to a confidential informant. At the time, Akilees Hobson was on federal supervised release for previous conviction charging him with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking in 2017. On one occasion, Armand Hobson sold fentanyl to a confidential informant. On September 25, 2024, search warrants were executed at their residences and additional drugs were seized. In total, Akilees Hobson was responsible for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute 27 grams of fentanyl and 39 grams of crack cocaine. Armand Hobson was responsible for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute at least 4 grams but less than 8 grams of fentanyl and less than a kilogram of marijuana.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kingston Police Department and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Lexington Man Sentenced for Money Laundering and Wire Fraud Involving COVID Relief LoansRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, John A. Hopkins, 48, was sentenced on Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove to 24 months, for money laundering and wire fraud arising out of fraudulently obtained Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans.
According to his plea agreement, from April 14, 2020, through October 19, 2021, Hopkins devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain funding from federal pandemic relief programs. He did this by making false statements about various companies, including Blurock LLC, John A Hopkins, Jahopm, and Hopkins Drywall, named in loan applications submitted to the United States Small Business Administration and other lenders. During this time, Hopkins submitted 10 fraudulent EIDL applications, one fraudulent EIDL modification application, and one fraudulent PPP application.
For example, on July 3, 2020, Hopkins submitted an EIDL application stating he was an independent contractor named John A. Hopkins. This application falsely and grossly inflated his revenues serving as a pastor for the 12 months prior to the start of the pandemic. As a result of this fraudulent application, the SBA approved the Hopkins’s EIDL application and issued a loan in the amount of $44,000 and a $1,000 EID advance. As to another EIDL loan, Hopkins fraudulently obtained an EIDL increase in the amount of $352,000, after sending an email containing falsehoods to two members of Congress seeking Congressional assistance in obtaining the loan increase. Through further misrepresentations, Hopkins also obtained a PPP loan in the amount of $120,000 for a business entity called Blurock LLC.
In total, Hopkins attempted to fraudulently obtain $1,729,257 in COVID relief funds, of which $517,000 was approved. After receiving the fraudulently obtained SBA funds, Hopkins engaged in numerous transactions over $10,000, using the proceeds of his deceptive conduct to pay off non-business debt, pay for his personal rent, gift money to friends, invest in cryptocurrency, and engage in gambling activities, among other things.
Under federal law, Hopkins must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years.
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Kelly K. Moening, Special Agent in Charge, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Great Lakes Field Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, IRS-Criminal Investigations, Detroit Field Division, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and the IRS-CI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Last Defendant in Akron Meth Trafficking Case Sentenced to 10 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – The last defendant in a drug trafficking conspiracy has been sentenced to prison for his role as an illegal supplier of a schedule II controlled substance throughout Summit County and the surrounding areas.
Maurice A. Stewart, 31, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months (10 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge David A. Ruiz after pleading guilty in October of the following charges:
- Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Distribution of Methamphetamine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl
He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment.
According to court documents, in October 2022, special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) opened an investigation into suspected drug and firearms trafficking in the Akron area. Investigators learned that three individuals, including Stewart, were conspiring with one another to obtain large amounts of methamphetamine for the purpose of sale and distribution throughout Northeast Ohio. A search warrant was subsequently executed at Stewart’s residence on West Long Street in Akron. There, agents seized 379.1 grams of methamphetamine, 87.5 grams of fentanyl, four cellphones, and a Glock, Model 19 Gen 5, semiautomatic pistol. Two residences located at East Archwood Avenue and Tonawanda Avenue, and connected to his co-conspirators, were also searched and resulted in additional seizures of methamphetamine, a firearm, drug scales and paraphernalia, and cellphones.
The following co-defendants in the case, also of Akron, are currently serving sentences in federal prison after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Distribution of Methamphetamine:
- Kevin R. McQuain, age 46, was sentenced to 100 months; additionally pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Kenneth L. Pitman, age 54, was sentenced to 90 months; additionally pleaded guilty to being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Portage County Sheriff’s Office Drug and Violent Crime Unit.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph P. Dangelo for the Northern District of Ohio led the prosecution.
Las Vegas Woman Pleads Guilty to Making and Selling Counterfeit CouponsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to manufacturing and selling counterfeit store coupons with inflated values, then selling those coupons online and via social media to co-conspirators.
According to court documents, from August 23, 2017, to September 17, 2019, Serena Reamy Hedden manufactured nearly 3.5 million counterfeit coupons at her residence. The counterfeit coupon values were often created with inflated values, far in excess of what an authentic coupon would offer, in order to receive items from retail stores for free or for a greatly reduced price. As part of the scheme, she sold the counterfeit coupons to co-conspirators via social media and online and would mail the counterfeit coupons through the United States Postal Service. Hedden sold the merchandise she unlawfully obtained by using the counterfeit coupons she manufactured from shelves in her garage.
On September 17, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Hedden’s residence. During that search, agents found electronic equipment she used to manufactured counterfeit coupons, along with large quantities of specialized paper, specialized printers, a large number of counterfeit coupons, unused packing boxes, and binders containing spreadsheet ledger pages. Analysis of bar codes show that Hedden’s scheme produced nearly 3.5 million counterfeit coupons that caused losses of at least $20,833,517.
“This case demonstrates the serious impact of large-scale counterfeit coupon schemes on retailers and consumers alike,” said Special Agent in Charge Eddy Wang. “Serena Hedden’s actions not only defrauded businesses out of millions of dollars, but also undermined the integrity of the marketplace. We remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who engage in such fraudulent activity.”
Hedden pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud. The maximum statutory penalty is 20 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for May 7, 2026. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Wang for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
This case was investigated by HSI. Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly Frayn is prosecuting the case.
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Lackawanna County Man Sentenced to 120 Months’ Imprisonment for Conspiracy and Theft of Major ArtworkRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nicholas Dombek, age 55, of Thornhurst Township, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on February 10, 2026, to 120 months’ imprisonment, a term of supervised release, and to pay restitution in the amount of $2,753,266.3, by Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for conspiracy, theft of major artwork, concealment/disposal of major artwork, and the interstate transportation of stolen property.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, a jury found Dombek guilty of eight counts following a nearly month-long trial earlier this year. The jury found that, along with his co-defendants and other co-conspirators, Dombek was responsible for stealing or concealing/disposing the following:
- “Le Grande Passion” by Andy Warhol and “Springs Winter” purportedly by Jackson Pollock stolen in 2005 from the Everhart Museum in Scranton, Pennsylvania;
- Six championship belts, including four belonging to Carmen Basillio and two belonging to Tony Zale stolen in 2015 from the International Boxing Hall of Fame in Canastota, New York;
- The Hickok Belt and MVP Trophy belonging to Roger Maris, stolen in 2016 from the Roger Maris Museum in Fargo, North Dakota;
- Nine World Series Rings, seven championship rings, and two MVP plaques belonging to Yogi Berra, stolen in 2014 from the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center in Little Falls, New Jersey;
- The U.S. Amateur Trophy and a Hickok Belt awarded to Ben Hogan, stolen in 2012 from the USGA Golf Museum & Library;
- Fourteen trophies and other awards worth approximately $300,000 stolen in 2012 from the Harness Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Goshen, New York;
- Five trophies worth over $350,000, including the 1903 Belmont Stakes Trophy, stolen in 2013 from the National Racing Museum & Hall of Fame in Saratoga Springs, New York;
- Three antique firearms stolen in 2006 from Space Farms: Zoo & Museum in Wantage, New Jersey;
- “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, worth approximately $120,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey; and
- Antique firearms worth over $150,000, stolen in 2011 from Ringwood Manor in Ringwood, New Jersey
- Numerous trophies, including the Milwaukee Open Trophy, Eastern Open Trophy, and Pennsylvania Amateur Cup belonging to Art Wall, Jr., stolen in 2011 from the Scranton Country Club, located in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania;
- Gold nuggets and other precious metals worth over $100,000, stolen in 2011 from a safe in the Sterling Hill Mining Museum, in Ogdensburg, New Jersey;
- Gems and other minerals stolen in 2017 from the Franklin Mineral Museum, in Franklin, New Jersey;
- Jewelry, coins, and other valuables stolen between 2018 from the Antique’s Exchange in Hawley, Pennsylvania, Cade’s Coins, in Exeter, Pennsylvania, Basic Irish Luxury, in Newport, Rhode Island, and the Bertoni Galler, located in Chester, New York.
Dombek acted as a leader in the eight-person conspiracy to commit the above thefts. After a month-long trial held in 2025, co-conspirators Damien Boland, age 49, of Covington Township, Pennsylvania and Joseph Atsus, age 51, of Roaring Brook, Pennsylvania were convicted alongside Dombek of conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property, as well as multiple related substantive offenses. In December of 2025, Judge Mannion sentenced Damien Boland to 108 months’ imprisonment, as well as a term of supervised release and restitution. In January of 2026, Judge Mannion sentenced Joseph Atsus to 48 months’ imprisonment, as well as a term of supervised release and restitution.
Additional co-conspirators pled guilty pursuant to felony informations and were sentenced by Judge Mannion earlier in 2025. They include:
- Thomas Trotta, age 50, of Dunmore Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment for theft of major artwork;
- Dawn Trotta, age 53, of Dunmore, Pennsylvania who was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property;
- Frank Tassiello, age 52, of Taylor, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to six months’ imprisonment for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property; and
- Ralph Parry, age 47, of Springbrook Township, Pennsylvania, who was sentenced to three years of probation as well as a period of home-confinement for conspiracy to commit theft of major artwork, concealment and disposal of major artwork, and interstate transportation of stolen property.
After stealing the above-described items, the conspirators would transport the stolen goods back to Northeastern Pennsylvania, often to the residence of Dombek, and melt the memorabilia down into easily transportable metal discs or bars. The conspirators would then sell the raw metal to fences in the New York City area for hundreds or a few thousands of dollars, significantly less than the sports memorabilia would be worth at fair market value.
Dombek burnt the painting “Upper Hudson” by Jasper Crospey, valued at approximately $125,000, to avoid the painting being recovered by investigators and used as evidence against the members of the conspiracy. The whereabouts of many of the other paintings and stolen objects are currently unknown, however, several antique firearms stolen from the Space Farms: Zoo and Museum and the Ringwood Manor Museum, both in New Jersey, were recovered by investigators, including an antique gun which Damien Boland had earlier hidden at a relative’s house in a different state.
After a search warrant was conducted at Dombek’s house in the summer of 2019, he travelled to the homes of two of his fellow co-conspirators and threatened them if they cooperated with the police. In the summer of 2023, after being indicted on the instant federal case, Dombek fled from FBI agents trying to place him under arrest and he remained a fugitive for nearly six months before turning himself into the Lackawanna County Jail on New Years Day, 2024.
"Investigating art crime demands skill and persistence as these cases often cross jurisdictions and may span many years" said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI Philadelphia. "This sentence sends a clear message: those who steal art or cultural property will be held accountable. Working across our local, state, federal law enforcement partnerships, alongside cultural institutions which play a critical role in these investigations, the FBI will continue to diligently investigate these crimes, identify offenders, recover stolen works, and ensure those responsible face justice."
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Pennsylvania State Police, the New Jersey State Police, the New York State Police, the New Jersey State Park Police, the Newport Police Department (Rhode Island), the Fargo Police Department (North Dakota), the Chester Police Department (New York), the Exeter Borough Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Scranton Police Department, the Franklin Police Department (New Jersey), the Village of Goshen Police Department (New York), the Metropolitan Police Department (Washington, D.C.), the West Milord Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Montclair Police Department (New Jersey), the Saratoga Springs Police Department (New York), the Canastota Police Department (New York), the South Abington Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Bernards Township Police Department (New Jersey), the Salisbury Township Police Department (Pennsylvania), the Montclair State University Police Department (New Jersey) the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office (Pennsylvania), the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office (New Jersey), the Orange County District Attorney’s Office (New York), and multiple other local law enforcement agencies from across the country. Assistant United States Attorneys James M. Buchanan and Jenny Roberts prosecuted the case.
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Kanawha County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Donald Renard Taylor, 50, of Dunbar, was sentenced today to nine years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 31, 2023, Taylor sold 104.63 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant for $850. Taylor admitted to the transaction and further admitted to selling 27.71 grams of methamphetamine for $240 on June 14, 2023, and 55.75 grams of methamphetamine for $440 on July 13, 3023, to the confidential informant. All three transactions occurred in Dunbar.
On August 2, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Taylor’s Dunbar residence and seized 139.7 grams of methamphetamine, over 200 grams of fentanyl, 544.8 grams of cocaine and $19,479. Officers also seized six firearms: a Highpoint 9mm pistol, a Bearman .38-caliber pistol, a F.I.E. Corp .25-caliber pistol, a Glock L9 9mm pistol, a Taurus GX4 9mm pistol, and a Davis Industries .25-caliber pistol.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department, and the assistance provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-44.
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Justice Department Secures Agreement Reforming Alabama’s System for Educating Students with Disabilities in Foster CareRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department announced that it reached a landmark agreement with the State of Alabama to address allegations of discrimination against children in foster care with disabilities, in violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). This first-of-its-kind agreement ensures that young Alabamians in or transitioning out of the foster care system have the tools they need to be successful as adults and advances the commitment of this Administration to foster children and families set forth in President Donald J. Trump’s Executive Order 14359, entitled, “Fostering the Future for American Children and Families.”
“Children in foster care should not be treated differently because of their circumstances,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We applaud Alabama for reaching this agreement so that all students may benefit from an education that equips them for a promising future.”
The settlement agreement requires that students with disabilities in foster care who are placed in psychiatric residential treatment facilities (PRTFs) attend school in the most integrated setting appropriate to their needs and that students educated on site at PRTFs are provided with equal educational opportunities.
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section’s work to combat disability discrimination is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section.
Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
Jury convicts Laredo man for human smugglingRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 61-year-old man has been found guilty for his role in a conspiracy to transport illegal aliens, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before convicting Gonzalo Chavez following a three-day trial.
On Oct. 27, 2025, law enforcement observed a Dodge Durango enter a golf course near the Rio Grande in Laredo before leaving shortly thereafter. Authorities noted the vehicle’s rear suspension appeared lower than when it entered.
During a subsequent traffic stop, law enforcement observed four individuals lying down in plain view and attempting to conceal themselves. Authorities determined all four were illegal aliens without legal authorization to be present in the United States.
At trial, the jury heard evidence that Chavez coordinated with human smugglers in Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, to provide immediate transportation to the illegal aliens after they crossed the Rio Grande. Chavez admitted his role was to transport these aliens to their next destination.
The jury also heard evidence regarding Chavez’ prior alien smuggling conviction.
U.S. District Judge John Kazen presided over the trial and set sentencing for March 30. At that time, Chavez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Chavez has been held in custody pending trial and remain so pending sentencing.
United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Manuel Cardenas and Michael Poyfair are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Jury Convicts Three Men of Methamphetamine and Cocaine Conspiracies Across Multiple StatesRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—A federal jury has convicted three men involved in methamphetamine and cocaine conspiracies that spanned from California to Texas to Arkansas and involved multiple pounds and kilograms of drugs. The trial, which spanned six days, ended Tuesday evening with guilty verdicts for Bruce McArthur Smith, 54, of Hesperia, Calif., Kevin Langel, 54, of Pine Bluff, and Larry Rogers, 71, of Benton. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the verdicts.
The three men were initially indicted in November 2022. A federal grand jury returned a Superseding Indictment on January 6, 2026, charging Smith with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of methamphetamine. Langel and Rogers were charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, with Langel’s charge involving more than five kilograms of cocaine and Rogers’ charge involving more than 500 grams, but less than five kilograms of cocaine.
The evidence at trial proved that the controlled substances the three men were selling were ultimately being purchased, and redistributed, by Roderick Toney, 58, of Little Rock. Toney pleaded guilty on February 7, 2025, to conspiracy to possess with intent to deliver methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm and is awaiting sentencing.
At trial, the United States played phone calls between Smith and Toney that detailed multiple methamphetamine transactions. The investigation, led by the Drug Enforcement Administration and North Little Rock Police Department, revealed that Smith knew individuals in Pine Bluff and came to Arkansas several times during the conspiracy period of 2020 through 2022. Toney received multiple pounds of methamphetamine directly from Smith at an apartment complex in Little Rock several times during that period.
In June and July 2022, at the same time Smith was selling methamphetamine to Toney, Toney was purchasing kilograms of cocaine from Rogers. Evidence at trial detailed Toney and Rogers’ movements on July 14, 2022, when Rogers obtained money from a relative of Toney’s at a car wash and then traveled to a business off Geyer Springs Road in Little Rock where he met with Langel and obtained a kilogram of cocaine. Rogers then returned to the same car wash and distributed the cocaine to Toney. Evidence at trial showed that Rogers and Toney were involved in multiple cocaine transactions.
In addition to the evidence that Langel was the source of supply of cocaine that Rogers obtained for Toney in June and July 2022, the United States presented evidence that Langel was engaged in numerous multiple-kilogram transactions of cocaine sourced out of Houston and Dallas in late 2022 and early 2023.
All three men were detained following the jury’s verdict and will be sentenced at a later date. Smith and Langel’s conspiracy charges carry a minimum sentence of 10 years, with a maximum sentence of life in prison, and a minimum of five years’ supervised release to follow. Rogers’ charge exposes him to a minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years, and four years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The defendants who were convicted at trial were the last of 18 individuals involved in the case, which began in North Little Rock before expanding to California. All 18 defendants have now been convicted, with sentencing hearings for several defendants still pending.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, New Orleans Field Division, North Little Rock Police Department, and the Sherwood Police Department, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and North Little Rock Police Department, with assistance from the Sherwood Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Chris Givens and Amanda Fields.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Jury Convicts Mexican National of Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Linked to Murders of Couple and their Unborn ChildRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – A federal jury today convicted Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas, a Mexican national in the country illegally, of drug and firearms crimes.
Orizaba was working for the drug trafficking organization implicated in the fatal shootings of a husband and his pregnant wife, who were also members of the same drug trafficking organization but wanted out and had spoken to federal agents.
After six hours of deliberation, the jury found Orizaba guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine, Fentanyl and Cocaine, and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
According to evidence presented at trial, Orizaba was working as a drug dealer and enforcer for a drug-trafficking organization based in Yakima, Washington, which sourced its drugs from Mexico and moved them through ports-of-entry in the Southern District of California.
The cell’s activities were centered at a remote desert ranch outside of Yakima, where they stored drugs, firearms, and stolen vehicles. Orizaba worked for cell leader Benjamin (“Tony”) Madrigal-Birrueta, selling drugs sourced by Madrigal, collecting debts owed to the organization, protecting the organization’s property, and protecting Madrigal’s leadership of the organization.
On February 8, 2023, agents arrested Orizaba and executed a search warrant at his home. They seized 11 bags of fentanyl pills and three bags of heroin, along with an AR-15 rifle with a scope, large amounts of cash, a drum magazine with ammunition, other magazines for rifles and handguns, various caliber ammunition, body armor, a scale, and an electronic money counter – all from Orizaba’s bedroom.
The evidence showed that the case began with a traffic stop of Orizaba’s brother and Madrigal’s brother, which led to the discovery of 150,000 fentanyl pills in the car registered to one of the eventual murder victims, Maira Hernandez. The subsequent investigation led authorities to Hernandez and her husband, Cesar Murillo, both of whom had been involved in the drug trafficking cell with Madrigal and Orizaba.
On August 23, 2022, agents approached Hernandez --by this time visibly pregnant-- at her home, questioning her about load vehicles registered to her and money transfers she sent to load drivers. Hernandez admitted to sending the money, consented to an inspection of her phone, and agreed to ask her husband to speak to the agents. The next day, Murillo voluntarily met with agents and surrendered a stolen vehicle connected to the conspiracy.
At the trial, a witness testified that Madrigal was at the couple’s home when federal agents arrived and was aware that the agents later spoke with Hernandez and Murillo. The trial witness said this visit led to an argument, during which Hernandez and Murillo told Madrigal they wanted to quit the drug business and cooperate with the investigation. Madrigal grew angry, saying something to the effect of, “You are not leaving me alone with this.”
The following weekend, Madrigal asked Murillo to accompany him to the Yakima Ranch; it was the last time Murillo was seen alive. After Murillo failed to return home or contact her, Hernandez grew anxious. A few days later, Madrigal contacted Hernandez and told her to come to the Yakima Ranch to reunite with her husband.
On September 2, 2022, Hernandez was dropped off at a parking lot near Yakima. She left in a car with Madrigal, never to be seen again.
Six days later, agents in Yakima executed search warrants at the couple’s residence and the Yakima Ranch. While they found evidence of drug distribution in both locations, and seized approximately 37 firearms from the Yakima Ranch, they did not find Hernandez or Murillo.
What followed was an exhaustive, years’ long investigation that employed geophysicists, ground penetrating radar, aircraft, laser imaging, chemical testing of the soil, numerous cadaver dogs, and other law enforcement techniques to search for the victims’ remains. More than a year after their deaths, HSI Special Agents successfully recovered the remains on September 13, 2023, aided by a Washington State Police Crime Scene Investigations team.
Madrigal pleaded guilty in September 2025, admitting that he and coconspirators fatally shot 44-year-old Murillo multiple times in the back of the head and the torso on August 28, 2022, during an argument at the remote Yakima ranch. He also admitted that on September 2, 2022, Madrigal persuaded Hernandez, 33, who was unaware of her husband’s death, to come to the ranch by claiming her husband was waiting for her there. Madrigal admitted that when Hernandez arrived at the ranch, his co-conspirators shot her multiple times in the head. The child died in utero when Hernandez was shot, killed and buried.
Orizaba is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dana Sabraw on May 29, 2026, at 9 a.m.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Wong and Alexandra Foster.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23cr1684-DMS
Ricardo Orizaba-Zendejas Age: 23 Yakima, WA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Distribute Controlled Substances – 21 U.S.C. §§ 841 and 846
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum sentence of twenty years and up to life, or death
Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime – 18 U.S.C. § 924(c)
Maximum penalty: Mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Drug Enforcement Administration
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
Washington State Police
California Highway Patrol
Yakima Police Department
Tulare County Sheriff’s Office
Visalia Police Department
Fresno Sheriff’s Office
Fresno Police 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.
Jefferson County Businessman Admits Failing to Pay Taxes on Behalf of EmployeesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Jefferson County, Missouri businessman on Wednesday admitted failing to pay 10 years of employment taxes totaling $774,081.
Danny L. Nickelson Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to two counts of failure to pay over trust fund taxes.
Employers are required to withhold Social Security and Medicare taxes and federal income taxes. These “trust fund taxes” are held in trust by employers until paid over to the United States on a quarterly basis. Employers are also required to match the Social Security and Medicare taxes and pay that to the IRS. Nickelson owned General Physiotherapy, a manufacturer and distributor of massage and percussion devices used in medicine and physical therapy. For tax years 2013 through 2022, Nickelson withheld money from employees’ pay but did not pay that to the IRS. He also did not pay the employer’s share. Instead, he used the money for the business’ operational expenses and personal expenditures including food, travel, retail purchases and credit card bills.
Nickelson did the same thing for tax years 2013-2015 for Tomichi Industries, a small plastic distributor and supplier for General Physiotherapy. Nickelson was sole shareholder of Tomichi.
Nickelson admitted failing to pay 40 quarterly employment tax payments, resulting in a tax loss of $774,081. He has agreed to repay the money to the IRS.
Nickelson is scheduled to be sentenced May 12. The charges carry a penalty of up to five years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both prison and a fine.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
Jamestown woman pleads guilty to narcotics conspiracy and firearms chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Sabrina Flores a/k/a Notorious Marie, 25, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and being a user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that Flores was an associate of Zaid Mendoza, a Jamestown-based drug trafficker, distributing heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine on Mendoza’s behalf. She utilized Facebook to conduct her drug trafficking activities. On December 7, 2022, investigators executed a search warrant at Mendoza’s West main Street residence, seizing $1,800 in cash, 34 grams of fentanyl, 14 grams of methamphetamine, a gram of a combination of fentanyl, cocaine, para-fluorofentanyl, acetyl fentanyl, 4-anilino-N-phenethyl-4-piperidine (ANPP), and methamphetamine, a semi-automatic pistol, and a large capacity magazine. Flores admits that at the time of her possession of the firearm, she was an unlawful and habitual user of fentanyl.
Charges remain pending against Zaid Mendoza.
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 Buffalo/Rochester comprises agents and officers from HSI and the FBI with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The plea is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 11, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Jamestown sex offender going to prison for 20 years on child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Timothy Douglas, 65, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography by a person having a prior conviction related to aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse, and abusive sexual conduct involving a minor, was sentenced to serve 240 months in prison and lifetime supervised release by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo. Douglas must also register as a sex offender.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Maeve E. Huggins, who handled the case, stated that in August 2023, employees at a local grocery store found an unattended cell phone by the checkout area. When they opened the phone to look for the owner’s information, they found sexually explicit images of young girls and immediately called Jamestown Police. Jamestown Police notified the FBI who helped identify the children in the images. A forensic examination of the cellphone located images depicting prepubescent minors or minors under 12-years-old. The investigation determined that between July 2022 and August 2023, Douglas produced images of three minor children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. One of the children was five years old and the other two children were approximately 10 years old. Some of the images sadistic in nature. In 2003, Douglas was convicted in New York State of Possessing an Obscene Sexual Performance by a Child less than 16 years old, Sexual Abuse in the First Degree, and Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the 2nd Degree.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera.
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Jamaican National Charged with Offenses Stemming from Sweepstakes Scheme Targeting Elderly VictimsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division, today announced that RICHARD MURRAY, 31, a citizen of Jamaica, has been charged with fraud and money laundering offenses stemming from his alleged participation in a sweepstakes scam that defrauded primarily elderly victims across the country of millions of dollars.
The indictment alleges that, since at least 2018, Murray and others used a sweepstakes scheme to induce primarily elderly victims to provide them with money. As part of this scheme, scammers notified victims, typically by telephone, that they won a Publishers Clearing House sweepstakes. The victims were told that in order to collect their winnings, they must pay fees and taxes. Following the initial phone call, Murray and others mailed the victims fake documents, including a “winning notification” letter from Publishers Clearing House and a letter from the Internal Revenue Service stating that the victims were required by law to pay taxes on their winnings. Victims sent cash, money orders or checks through the mail to various addresses in Connecticut and throughout the U.S.
The indictment also alleges that Murray and others used a network of “money mules” to receive funds obtained from victims and transfer them to Murray and other members of the conspiracy. Some of the money mules were themselves victims of the scam who had also been deceived into accepting and transferring funds on behalf of members of the conspiracy. Murray and his co-conspirators also recruited people to provide accounts that count be used to launder money, moved money received from victims through various accounts in different companies’ names, and provided co-conspirators in Jamaica with ATM cards for U.S. bank accounts that allowed them to withdraw funds generated through the scam.
On April 16, 2024, a federal grand jury in New Haven returned an indictment charging Murray with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, three counts of mail fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Each of these offenses carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
Murray was located and arrested in Hampton, Georgia, on January 22, 2026. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and pleaded not guilty. He has been detained since his arrest.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with the assistance of U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Forces in Connecticut and Georgia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Escaping Halfway HouseRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Trashad Laron Roberts, 35, of Tallahassee, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury of escape from federal custody. The guilty verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “The terms of supervision at a residential reentry center are not suggestions, they are mandatory conditions of an inmate’s prison sentence that are designed to keep our communities safe. My office will aggressively prosecute any offenders who attempt to abscond from justice.”
In September 2020, the defendant was convicted of possession and distribution of methamphetamine in the Northern District of Florida. The defendant was required to serve four years on supervised release following his multi-year federal prison sentence. The defendant was scheduled to serve the final year of his prison term at a residential reentry center in Tallahassee. Evidence at trial demonstrated that on September 2, 2025, the defendant left the residential reentry center without authorization. Law enforcement immediately acted to locate the defendant. Four hours later, the United States Marshals Service and the Tallahassee Police Department found the defendant hiding inside a residence.
Sentencing is scheduled for April 20, 2026, in Tallahassee, Florida before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
The United States Marshals Service and the Tallahassee Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph A. Ravelo and Meredith L. Steer prosecuted the case.
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.
Independence Man Indicted for Bank Robbery, Attempted Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted bank robbery and bank robbery.
Ernest A. Wilcox, 66, of Independence, Mo. was charged in a three-count indictment returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. on Nov. 21, 2025.
The indictment was unsealed and made public following Wilcox’s arrest.
The indictment alleges Wilcox attempted to rob a bank in Kansas City, Mo. on May 8, 2024. The indictment also alleges that on June 11, 2024, Wilcox robbed a bank in Independence, Mo., and attempted to rob the same bank on July 3, 2024.
The charges contained in this indictment 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.
Under federal statutes, each count of bank robbery, or attempted bank robbery carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Jennings. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Missouri Police Department, and the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department.
Imperial Resident Pleads Guilty to Possessing MachinegunRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Imperial, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating a federal firearms law, United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
Ja’Shon Spencer, 22, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, on or about June 16, 2025, Spencer possessed a Glock semiautomatic pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD) or “Glock switch.” A MCD is a device that converts a semiautomatic firearm into a fully automatic firearm. Under federal law, both the MCD itself as well as the firearm equipped with it are considered machineguns and are illegal.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2026. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, Spencer will remain in federal custody.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Spencer.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Illegal alien sentenced for third narcotics violationRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 50-year-old Mexican national has been ordered to federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute approximately 11 kilograms of cocaine found in his vehicle, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Delber Turrubiates-Garcia pleaded guilty April 25, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Drew B. Tipton has now ordered Turrubiates-Garcia to serve 120 months in federal prison, to run concurrently with a 24-month sentence imposed for violating the terms of his supervised release. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court noted this conviction marks his second federal narcotics offense.
On Aug. 15, 2024, authorities conducted a traffic stop on a 2019 Ford pickup truck in McAllen. Turrubiates-Garcia was the driver. A search of the vehicle revealed two boxes containing 10 packages of cocaine in the rear passenger seat.
The packages weighed approximately 11.6 kilograms and field tested positive for cocaine.
Turrubiates-Garcia admitted he knew the boxes contained narcotics and said he was to be paid to pick up and distribute them. He also claimed he had retrieved similar packages from the same location in the past and had been paid between $500-$1,000 on each occasion.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of Hidalgo County Constable's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case.
Illegal Venezuelan Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Bank Larceny OffensesRead the Press Release
Paducah, KY – Two men from Venezuela were sentenced to federal prison for their roles in an attempted theft from a Calvert City, Kentucky ATM.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Police Chief Mike Canon of the Calvert City Police Department made the announcement.
Jhoandiris Jimenez-Barrio, 27, illegally entered the United States in September 2022. He was apprehended at the border but released into the United States. Yirvel Yonaiker Rios-Castro, 21, illegally entered the United States in November 2024. He was also apprehended at the border and also released into the United States.
On January 31, 2025, Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro, both citizens of Venezuela and illegal aliens in the United States, attempted to steal money from an ATM located in Calvert City, Kentucky. That day, the Calvert City Police Department responded to an ATM alarm, and the men fled the scene traveling between 70 and 80 mph in a vehicle driven by Jimenez-Barrio. The men struck another vehicle and fled the wreck on foot. The Calvert City Police Department apprehended the men at a nearby service station. A search of their vehicle yielded a cordless drill, drill bits, latex gloves, a mask, and duct tape.
Jimenez-Barrio was sentenced yesterday to 32 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny. On November 17, 2025, Rios-Castro, 21, was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 2 years of supervised release for conspiracy to commit bank larceny and attempted bank larceny. Jimenez-Barrio and Rios-Castro were ordered to pay $67,039.67 in restitution.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “This case is a prime example of the damage catch-and-release of illegal aliens has done to the United States. Both of these men illegally entered the United States and committed a serious felony crime resulting in a substantial loss to the victim of their crime. Moreover, American taxpayers are now saddled with the cost of incarcerating criminals who should not have been in the United States in the first place. Kentucky’s citizens lost because these criminals were released into our community.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI Paducah Satellite Office, HSI, and the Calvert City Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Seth Hancock and Raymond McGee, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
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Hudsonville Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing and Transferring a MachinegunRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Ethan Carter, 19, of Hudsonville, pleaded guilty to possession and transfer of a machinegun. Carter is scheduled to be sentenced on June 9, 2026, at 3:00PM and faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “People living in our at-risk neighborhoods already know how machinegun conversion devices have made gun violence much worse. We are doing all we can to find and stop the people who possess and sell this equipment. I applaud the ATF agents for the work they did to bring this case to us for prosecution.”
In June 2025, Carter gave a machinegun conversion device to another person. When installed on a semiautomatic gun, a machinegun conversion device allows the weapon to shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single pull of the trigger. ATF executed a search warrant at Carter’s home several weeks later and found approximately six additional machinegun conversion devices, as well as a Glock pistol with a machinegun conversion device installed.
“Machinegun conversion devices (MCDs) can transform legal firearms into machineguns capable of shooting at an extremely deadly rate. Possessing or transferring these types of illegal devices is a serious federal crime,” said ATF Detroit Field Division Acting Special Agent in Charge Keith Krolczyk. “Working alongside our federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement partners, ATF will aggressively pursue and hold accountable anyone who criminally possesses or distributes MCDs to protect our communities from violent crime.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Honolulu Woman Sentenced to Seven Months for Threatening to Kill Presidents Biden and TrumpRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Rebecca Ann Folley, aka Becca Waters, 49, of Honolulu, Hawaii was sentenced yesterday to seven months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release for threatening to kill Presidents Biden and Trump. Folley, who was incarcerated since her arrest on April 3, 2025 until November 6, 2025, received time served for her sentence. Her supervised release conditions include mandatory mental health and drug treatment. Folley pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in October 2025.
According to court records and statements made in court, on March 2, 2024, Folley threatened President Biden on her “Becca Waters” Facebook page by posting “Going to kill the president […].” On January 30, 2025, using that same account, Folley threatened President Trump by tagging a post on Honolulu City and County Councilman Tommy Waters’s Facebook wall stating, “LETS SEE IF THIS WILL TRIGGER THE GOVERNMENTAL RED FLAGS, AS TO REACH FEDERAL OFFICE’S OUTSIDE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII. 1/30/2025…” Folley attached screenshots stating, “I AM GOING TO BLOW UP THE WHITEHOUSE AND KILL THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.” On February 3, 2025, using the same account, Folley posted, “YUP, EVERYONE, PLEASE LOOK AT MY BEAUTIFUL PUBLIC PRESIDENTIAL DEATH THREATS AND PUBLIC THREATS TO BLOW UP The White House BECAUSE I CAN LEGALLY GET AWAY WITH IT…”
United States Secret Service investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darren W.K. Ching prosecuted the case.
Honolulu Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Devan Caulk, 21, of Honolulu, Hawaii, was sentenced today to fifteen years in federal prison followed by ten years of supervised release for producing child pornography. He must also register as a sex offender. Caulk pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in October 2025.
As part of his guilty plea, Caulk admitted that he began an online interaction with a child and coerced the child into producing and sending him sexually explicit content. Caulk falsely told the child that he was fifteen years old and instructed her in a video transmission over Instagram to take off her clothes and engage in specific sexual acts. When the child refused to engage in the sexual acts, Caulk threatened to post a screenshot of the child naked online to others.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeannette Graviss 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 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Honduran Citizen Indicted on Illegal Re-Entry ChargeRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury indicted a citizen and national of Honduras. Samuel Rios-Rodriguez, 33, is charged with illegal re-entry into the United States.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office.
According to the indictment, Rios-Rodriguez was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2017. Law enforcement found Rios-Rodrigeuz in the District of Maryland again after he was arrested in December 2022 and then convicted of first-degree attempted murder and use of a firearm in the Circuit Court for Montgomery County in October 2023.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
Rios-Rodriguez faces a maximum sentence of two years in federal prison for illegal re-entry.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes commended ICE-ERO for its work in the investigation. U.S. Attorney Hayes also thanked Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Mills who is prosecuting the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Honduran and El Salvadorian Nationals Charged with Possession with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt L. Wall announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Jostin Antonio Orellana-Romero, age 22, a citizen and national of Honduras, and Edenilson Alexander Castaneda-Del Valle, age 18, a citizen and national of El Salvador, both aliens removable from the United States, with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to the Indictment, on or about February 7, 2026, deputies with the Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office initiated a traffic stop along Interstate 12 of a vehicle being operated by Orellana-Romero and Castaneda-Del Valle. During a search of the vehicle, a hidden compartment was located, along with two digital scales, numerous rubber bands, plastic baggies, approximately $7,100 in U.S. currency, and approximately 164 kilograms, or over 361 pounds, of a mixture containing methamphetamine.
If convicted, Orellana-Romero and Castaneda-Del Valle each face a minimum of ten years and up to life imprisonment, a significant period of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. They are also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completion of their sentences.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations and Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lyman E. Thornton III.
An indictment is an accusation by a grand jury. The defendants are presumed innocent until and unless adjudicated guilty at trial or through a guilty plea.
Guatemalan National Sentenced in Illegal Reentry CaseRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Domingo Aguilar, age 38, a citizen of Guatemala, who has been living illegally in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Malachy Mannion to time served (approximately six months) and possible deportation based upon his guilty plea to Illegal Reentry.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Domingo Aguilar illegally reentered the United States and was found in Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on September 23, 2025, after being charged and pleading guilty to one count of Driving Under the Influence (DUI), one count of DUI (Blood Alcohol Content +0.16), two summary counts of driving with a suspended license, and one summary count of disregard for traffic laws. Those DUI related charges were filed by the Chambersburg Police Department in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania. Domingo-Aguilar was previously removed three times from the United States, most recently through Texas in 2015, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw prosecuted the case.
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Grand jury indicts 4 men in case involving freight shipment of hundreds of pounds of cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine & marijuanaRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has indicted four defendants for a federal crime related to the seizure of 119 kilograms of suspected cocaine and fentanyl, 170 pounds of suspected methamphetamine and 80 pounds of suspected marijuana.
According to charging documents, on Feb. 2, DEA agents executed a federal search warrant on a freight package delivered to a distribution center in Dayton where agents discovered and seized the large quantity of suspected controlled substances.
Those charged today include Jason Heath, 40, of Dayton; Roderic Searcy, 60, of Los Angeles; Craig Worthen, 40, of Los Angeles; and Mark Lane, 33, of Cincinnati.
An affidavit details that Lane and Searcy drove a white Mercedes van to the distribution center on Feb. 3 to retrieve the shipment. Lane and Searcy then allegedly took possession of the freight and loaded two pallets into the van before leaving the distribution center.
From the distribution center, Heath and Worthen followed the van in a Honda Civic to an address in Dayton. The defendants discovered the suspected controlled substances had been removed when they started to unwrap the package inside the van, and all four defendants immediately attempted to leave the residence unsuccessfully. All four individuals were stopped and arrested by federal agents.
The defendants are all charged with conspiring to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, a crime punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Detroit, announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth A. McCormick is representing the United States in this case.
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Georgia Man Pleads Guilty in Multi-State Fraud Scheme Targeting SeniorsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Georgia man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to charges related to his role in a wide-ranging lottery and sweepstakes scam that defrauded senior citizens in Rhode Island and several other states out of at least one million dollars, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Patrick Dallas, 38, of Atlanta, GA, pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026, to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Dallas is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2026. A federal judge will determine the sentence after considering U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Dallas, of Cumming, GA, and two co- conspirators defrauded elderly individuals through a bogus “Publishers Clearing House” (PCH) or similar sweepstakes scam and laundered the proceeds through entities and bank accounts they controlled.
Victims were told they had won large sums of money, often millions of dollars, in a PCH lottery or sweepstakes. They were told that in order to collect their winnings, they were required to provide personal identifying information for prize verification purposes, and that they had to pay upfront fees or taxes. Some of the victims were directed to send money, gift cards, and/or high value items such as Rolex watches and iPhones, purportedly to cover these fees, to various addresses controlled by the defendants.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Warwick Police Department.
Homeland Security Investigations in Atlanta, Georgia State Patrol, Forsyth County Sherriff’s Office, Fulton Count Sherriff’s office, the U.S. Marshalls Service, and the East Providence Police Department also assisted in the investigation.
Four East Alabama Residents Sentenced for Gun Store Theft in GeorgiaRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Four defendants guilty of smashing a stolen truck into a Harris County, Georgia, gun shop and stealing 31 firearms, then attempting to sell them, were sentenced for their crimes in federal court this week.
“Stealing and selling firearms online poses a serious threat to community safety and will not be tolerated by our office and law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Thanks to local and federal collaboration, these defendants are being held accountable for trafficking illegal firearms into our community.”
“Criminals who engage in the theft and illegal sale of firearms are not only violating the law; they are endangering the safety of our communities. The ATF is committed to pursuing these individuals relentlessly,” said ATF Atlanta Assistant Special Agent in Charge Beau Kolodka.
“Harris County Sheriff’s Office was proud to partner up with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and ATF to obtain a successful outcome to this type of investigation and prosecution. It is gratifying to take criminals off the street and place them behind bars,” said Harris County Sheriff Mike Jolley.
The following defendants were sentenced to prison on Feb. 10:
Jareco Green, 27, of Eufala, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee on July 23, 2025;
Darious McCall, 22, of Eufala, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee on Oct. 27, 2025;
Zyrion Fryer, 23, of Eufala, was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee on July 23, 2025; and
Shamonica Davis, 25, of Phenix City, Alabama, was sentenced to serve five years of probation after she pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a stolen firearm on Nov. 18, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Clay Land presided over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and statements in court, a stolen truck smashed through the front door of Alan’s Armory, a federal firearms licensee, in Harris County, in the early morning of Sept. 16, 2022. Co-defendants Green, McCall and Fryer, all wearing ski masks, were filmed by security cameras emerging from the truck and stealing 31 pistols and rifles from the gun store. Harris County Sheriff’s Office investigators recovered evidence at the scene and confirmed the stolen truck. Using the Flock camera system, police in Troy, Alabama, alerted the stolen truck in their jurisdiction on Sept. 22, 2022. Law enforcement found the vehicle parked near the Family Firearms gun shop, then observed the truck drive to a nearby apartment complex, where Green then ran from the truck into the woods.
Inside the truck, officers found a black sweatshirt, two camouflage gloves, a pack of cigarettes, a black ski mask and a red Apple iPhone directly behind the truck. They seized a gym bag matching the description of a bag carried by one of the Alan’s Armory burglars. Inside was a semi-automatic pistol stolen from Alan 's Armory. A search warrant executed on the iPhone, belonging to McCall, found a plethora of evidence, including searches for pawn shops; pistols; gun shops; directions to Alan’s Armory 20 minutes before the burglary; missed calls from Green’s girlfriend, codefendant Davis, during the burglary; photos of McCall brandishing a stolen firearm the day after the burglary; and more. Green’s DNA was found on the black ski mask found outside the stolen truck. Law enforcement discovered the defendants were selling the guns online, with codefendant Davis referring to them as “shoes” and sharing photos of the stolen firearms when asked for images of the “shoes.”
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, the Eufala, Alabama, Police Department and the Troy, Alabama, Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Jarrett prosecuted the case for the Government.
Founder of Beverage Company Sentenced to 51 Months in Prison for Defrauding Investors of Millions of DollarsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The founder and executive chairman of a now-defunct beverage company was sentenced yesterday for lying to solicit investments, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Todd O’Gara, 46, of Austin, Texas and Reno, Nevada previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud before U.S. District Court Judge Stanley R. Chesler in Newark federal court. Judge Chesler sentenced O’Gara to serve 51 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
O’Gara, who founded and managed a beverage company, Wanu Water, Inc., raised over $6.6 million dollars from individual victim investors. O’Gara repeatedly lied to solicit those investments and to encourage investors to maintain their investments. Among other things, O’Gara lied about the size of purchase orders from retailers and about major investments from private equity firms. As part of this fraudulent scheme, O’Gara sent investors fake documents including doctored emails and forged term sheets.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy, Newark Field Division, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron L. Webman, Deputy Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: John Yauch and Shaiba Rather, Newark, New Jersey
Former Tupelo Neurologist Sentenced for Downloading & Distributing Thousands of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, Miss. – A Pakistani national and former neurologist was sentenced today to 12 years in prison for distributing and possessing child sexual abuse materials.
According to court documents, Ali Ahmad, 38, of Tupelo, Mississippi plead guilty to using applications and the internet to download and distribute images of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children identified Ahmad, a Neurologist at the North Mississippi Medical Center prior to this charge, as a perpetrator on at least one application. The Lee County Sheriff’s Department led the investigation and secured search warrants for Ahmad’s profile on the application, as well as his residence. Investigators encountered extensive child pornography on Ahmad’s application profile, as well as “selfie” style images depicting Ahmad in various sexual poses.
Chief Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Ahmad to 144 months of incarceration, 5 years supervision and ordered to pay $112,000.00 in restitution to the victims of his offense. This is $4,000 rewarded to each identified minor child that requested restitution and provided documentation to support that request.
Because of his arrest on state charges, Ali Ahmad’s work visa has been revoked, therefore, he will be deported after serving his sentence. Ahmad’s state charges are also still pending.
“Silence in the face of evil allows evil to flourish,” states US Attorney Scott F. Leary. “Some argue there is no such thing as evil, that it is simply a human construct. They are wrong. Child exploitation to satisfy distorted adult appetites is evil. Child pornography is evil. There is a moral responsibility to take action when a society, or person, confronts evil. Good men and women stepped forward in this case and confronted the evil of child pornography. I want to first applaud the Lee County Sheriff’s Office. They stepped forward and their professional response to this crime was invaluable. I also want to commend prosecutor Parker King. We are blessed in the Northern District of Mississippi to have the most capable Project Safe Childhood [PSC] prosecutors in the nation, and Parker King is one of them. I hope the citizens of the Northern District of Mississippi understand that we work for them. The PSC initiative is an important component of our service to you. PSC is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, PSC marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims.”
“The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting our community’s most vulnerable members,” said Lee County Sheriff Jim H. Johnson. “We are pleased to announce that Mr. Ahmad has been brought to justice in federal court. Cases involving child victims are of utmost importance to our agency, and we remain steadfast in our efforts to ensure their safety and well-being. We would like to express our sincere appreciation to the Mississippi Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Northern District of Mississippi Assistant United States Attorney Parker King for her invaluable collaboration and dedication throughout this case. As the matter now proceeds at the state level, we look forward to its resolution and reaffirm our pledge to pursue justice for victims of child exploitation. We hope this case stands as a clear message to the public: the exploitation of children will not be tolerated in Lee County, and we will employ every legal resource available to hold offenders accountable.”
Former Teacher Admits to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former teacher admitted to possessing child pornography, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.
Matthew Ozol, 40, of Jersey City, New Jersey pleaded guilty before Judge Evelyn Padin to an Information charging him with one count of possession of child pornography.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In August 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ozol’s home. Ozol’s text messages showed that since 2022, Ozol had sent and received messages on encrypted applications expressing a desire to sexually abuse children, including in a chat group titled “Baby Rapist.” Law enforcement found more than 100 images and 75 videos on Ozol’s electronic devices depicting child pornography, including many involving sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
The charge of possession of child pornography carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing has been scheduled for August 2026.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.
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Defense Counsel:
Eric R. Breslin, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey
Sarah Fehn Stewart, Esq., Florham Park, New Jersey
ozol.information.pdfFormer Stratford Resident Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing NarcoticsRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that TERRON AMADO, also known as “Littles,” 41, formerly of Stratford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to 72 months of imprisonment and five years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl laced with xylazine, and cocaine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Amado’s criminal history includes felony convictions in Connecticut for robbery, firearm, and narcotics offenses. An investigation revealed that Amado, who had moved to Georgia in 2017, regularly traveled from Georgia to Connecticut for drug transactions, using rental cars and staying at Airbnb residences. In July 2023, law enforcement made a controlled purchase of approximately 20 grams of fentanyl from Amado in Stratford.
Amado was arrested on July 28, 2023. At the time of his arrest, he possessed approximately 220 grams of fentanyl mixed with xylazine, 370 grams of powder cocaine, 30 grams of crack cocaine, and drug paraphernalia.
On September 25, 2025, Amado pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
This matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, including personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Danbury, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, and Milford Police Departments. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck.
Former San Leandro City Council Member Pleads Guilty to Accepting Bribes in Exchange for Actions to Benefit Housing CompanyRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Former San Leandro City Council Member Bryan Azevedo pleaded guilty in federal court today to engaging in a conspiracy to accept bribes in exchange for using his official position to obtain favorable treatment and city contracts for a housing company, and to lying to federal investigators.
Azevedo, 49, of San Leandro, Calif., was charged by information on Oct. 20, 2025, with one count of conspiracy to commit honest services fraud and one count of making a false statement to federal investigators. He pleaded guilty to both counts.
In connection with his plea, Azevedo admitted that in the summer of 2023, he attended a delegation trip to Vietnam sponsored by a business association controlled by the family of an individual identified in the information as Co-Conspirator 1. The business association paid all of Azevedo’s expenses for that trip, including business class airfare, hotel, and meals for approximately 10 days.
After the Vietnam trip, Azevedo agreed with Co-Conspirator 1 and an individual identified as Co-Conspirator 2 that Azevedo would use his official position to advocate on behalf of their modular housing company with other members of San Leandro City government, to take city council votes that would benefit their modular housing company, and to ensure that the City of San Leandro purchased housing units from the modular housing company. In exchange, Co-Conspirator 1 and Co-Conspirator 2 agreed that Azevedo would receive a percentage of the sales price from all modular housing company units the City of San Leandro ultimately purchased.
To help conceal the expected future payments, Co-Conspirator 1 and Co-Conspirator 2 instructed Azevedo to open an LLC and bank account in his wife’s name for the purpose of receiving the kickback payments and avoiding detection. Co-Conspirator 1 indicated that he had concealed payments in this way with other politicians. While San Leandro never purchased housing units from the modular housing company, Co-Conspirator 1 paid Azevedo $2,000 in cash to fund the bank account set up in Azevedo’s wife’s name.
Azevedo admitted that he took several steps in his official capacity to benefit the modular housing company between August 2023 and June 2024 in exchange for the payment received and the promise of future payments. Specifically, during a city council meeting on June 17, 2024, Azevedo voted in favor of an emergency shelter ordinance, as instructed by Co-Conspirator 1. In addition, Azevedo advocated for the emergency shelter ordinance with members of San Leandro City government, took members of San Leandro City government to tour model units, and advocated for the purchase of the modular housing company’s units by the City of San Leandro.
In January 2025, federal agents executed a search warrant at Azevedo’s residence in San Leandro, during which Azevedo sat for a voluntary interview. During that interview, Azevedo falsely told agents that Co-Conspirator 1 never provided him with cash and said that Co-Conspirator 1’s family did not have any business interests before the City of San Leandro.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Oakland Field Office Special Agent in Charge Linda Nguyen, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood made the announcement.
Azevedo is next scheduled to appear in district court on December 3, 2026, for a status hearing before District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers.
Azevedo faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the honest services fraud count and a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the false statement count. Any sentence will be imposed by the court after consideration of the United States Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Assistant United States Attorneys Abraham Fine, Molly Priedeman, and Lloyd Farnham are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kevin Costello and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI, IRS-CI, and USPIS.
Foreign National Residing in Chicago Suburb Indicted for Allegedly Bringing Illegal Aliens into United States and Forcing Them to WorkRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A foreign national residing in a Chicago suburb has been indicted in federal court for allegedly bringing illegal aliens into the United States for private financial gain.
FREDY HERNANDEZ knowingly brought four illegal aliens from Honduras into the United States in 2022 and 2023, according to an indictment returned on Feb. 2, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Once in the United States, Hernandez forced the victims to work for his private financial gain, the indictment states. Hernandez threatened the victims and made them believe that if they did not perform the work, they or others would suffer serious harm, the indictment states.
Hernandez, 46, is a citizen of Honduras who resided in Waukegan, Ill. The indictment charges him with four counts of bringing illegal aliens to the United States for commercial advantage, four counts of harboring illegal aliens, and four counts of forced labor. Each count of bringing in and harboring aliens is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison, while each forced labor count is punishable by up to 20 years. Arraignment in federal court in Chicago has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elie Zenner.
hernandez_indictment.pdfFive-Time Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition as a Restricted PersonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man and convicted felon who was squatting on federal lands was sentenced today to 31 months’ imprisonment after he possessed firearms and ammunition as a restricted person.
Bureau of Land Management (BLM)Michael Lee Rasmussen, 49, of West Jordan, Utah, pleaded guilty on December 5, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. In addition to his sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby sentenced Rasmussen to three years of supervised release and imposed a three-year ban from federal public lands in the District of Utah as a condition of his supervision.
According to court documents and statements made at Rasmussen’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning in late 2024, Mr. Rasmussen, a five-time felon, along with others, constructed a makeshift compound on federal public lands near Manning Canyon, Utah. At its peak, the compound had vehicles, trailers, tents, appliances, and extensive amounts of litter. Rangers with the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) also documented raw waste being disposed of on the public land. Despite multiple warnings to move the camp, Mr. Rasmussen’s squatting continued, eventually prompting complaints from locals about gunshots, audible threats, stolen property, and unusual nighttime traffic to and from the camp.
On September 22, 2025, BLM law enforcement rangers, working with state and federal partners, launched an operation to arrest Mr. Rasmussen on his open state warrants and dismantle the camp. During the operation, law enforcement officers safely arrested Mr. Rasmussen, who later admitted to purchasing and shooting firearms and possessing ammunition despite knowing he was prohibited from doing so as a convicted felon. Throughout the camp, officers found small amounts of narcotics, drug paraphernalia, firearms, associated ammunition, and spent brass casings. After the operation, trash and vehicles were removed and the area was thoroughly cleaned.
“Ensuring the safety of those who visit Utah’s federal lands is a priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “We appreciate the brave work of BLM rangers, the U.S. Forest Service, and our critical state partners, who put a stop to Mr. Rasmussen’s dangerous activities and restored the public’s access to the area.”
“BLM law enforcement worked with federal, state, and county partners to safely dismantle the encampment and remove hazards,” said Camm Stephenson, BLM Utah West Desert District Chief Ranger. “Unauthorized occupation and firearms violations on public lands pose serious risks, and the Bureau is committed to protecting people and resources."
“Our natural resource officers are committed to protecting Utah’s lands and ensuring the safety of all who recreate on them,” said Todd Royce, Director of the DNR Division of Law Enforcement. “Illegal activities like those seen in this case not only threaten public safety but also cause significant damage to our shared natural resources. We value the strong partnerships with the Bureau of Land Management and our local sheriff's offices that allow us to effectively address these complex issues and protect our public lands.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Bureau of Land Management, Utah Division of Natural Resources and Tooele County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Luisa Gough and Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Manderson Man of First Degree Murder and Arson ChargesRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a federal jury has convicted Reno Rondeau, age 52, of Manderson, South Dakota, of First Degree Felony Murder, Assault With Intent to Commit Arson, Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury, and Arson, following a 3-day jury trial in federal district court in Rapid City, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on February 5, 2026.
The charges carry a mandatory sentence of life in prison and/or a $250,000 fine and a $400 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Rondeau was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024.
In October 2024, Rondeau intentionally set fire to his brother’s residence near Manderson, South Dakota. When he set the fire, Rondeau knew the home was occupied by his brother and his brother’s friend, Tanya White Butterfly. Sadly, Ms. White Butterfly, a former correctional officer with the Oglala Sioux Tribe, perished in the fire. While Rondeau’s brother, John Rondeau, Sr., ultimately escaped the fire, he sustained burn injuries while trying to save White Butterfly’s life. The residence was completely destroyed in the fire.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case along with Assistant U.S. Attorney Paige Petersen.
A presentence investigation was ordered and a sentencing date was set for May 18, 2026. The defendant was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Fake Music Producer Sentenced to Prison for Stealing PPP Loans in Nationwide SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Federal Judge sentenced Larico D. Steele, 53, to 1 year in federal prison, 3 years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay over $150,000.00 restitution to the Small Business Administration. Steele pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering. Steele participated in a nationwide multimillion-dollar Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme. The EDNC United States Attorney’s Office has obtained over thirty prison sentences over the course of the investigation.
“Congress enacted this program to assist real American businesses who suffered when the governments forced the economy to close related to perceived COVID health scares. Greedy grifters descended like crabs to pick away these funds for illicit gain. Do what your mamma taught you, don’t steal. Cheaters never win.” said U.S. Attorney W. Ellis Boyle.
“Today’s sentencing reflects our commitment to holding individuals accountable for defrauding the government," said Donald "Trey" Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Charlotte Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation. “Our special agents, alongside the U.S. Attorney’s Office and other partners, will continue to target those who exploit federal relief programs for personal gain.”
According to evidence presented in court, Steele worked with Edward Whitaker to obtain a fraudulent PPP loan based on bogus payroll information related to Steele’s purported music business, Steele Entertainment, LLC. Steele lied, grossly inflating both the number of purported employees and their salaries. After obtaining the loan, Steele then laundered 25% of the PPP proceeds back to Whitaker through cashier’s checks through a shell bank account. Last December, a federal judge in the EDNC sentenced Whitaker to 10 years in federal prison for his role as a ringleader in the scheme.
Other defendants that have been sentenced in the broader “Loanstarters” PPP scheme include:
Albert Eugene Miller, Jr. [Case No. 5-22-CR-00290-D]
Jonathan Fleming [Case No. 5-22-CR-00337-D]
Nekita Hooks [Case No. 5-23-CR-00025-D]
Denise Coit Alston [Case No. 5-23-CR-00077-D]
Monica Faye Barnes [Case No. 5:23-CR-00094-D]
Dontrell Barnes [Case No. 5-23-CR-00094-D]
Isaac Lamont Dawson [Case No. 5:23-CR-0097-D]
Irene Edwards [Case No. 5-23-CR-00098-D]
Natosia Jerome Jenkins [Case No. 5:23-CR-00167-D]
Ronald L. Jones [Case No. 5:23-CR-00339-D]
Delvin Dashavone Felder [Case No. 5:23-CR-00198]
Shun Lamont Gibbs [Case No. 5:23-CR-00346-D]
Teresa Ann McRae [Case No. 5:23-CR-00313-D]
Dontae Antonio Murphy [Case No. 5:24-CR-00072]
Jackson Ndoyo [Case No. 5-23-CR-00118-D]
Terron Cortez Parker [Case No. 5-23-CR-00081-D]
Ayyub Abdur Rasheed [Case No. 5:23-CR-00314-D]
Karim Aziz Razzak [Case No. 5:23-CR-00324]
Toni A. Smith [Case No. 5:23-CR-00312-D]
Darian Casteele Tyler [Case No. 5:23-CR-00338-D]
Shakeerah Kaneisha Yvette Vinson [Case No. 5-23-CR-00027-D]
Anthony S. Whitaker [Case No. 5:23-CR-00311-D]
James Elton Watson Case No. 5:23-CR-00323-D]
Shara Monique Wells [Case No. 5:23-CR-00323-D]
Kami D. Woodard [Case No. 5-23-CR-00095-D]
Lenille Woodard [Case No. 5-23-CR-00138-D]
Quentin Jackson [Case No. 5-22-CR-180-D]
Everett M. McBride [Case No. 5:24-CR-00036-D]
Hanif Abdul-Hakim [Case No. 5:24-CR-00109-D]
Schunda Coleman [Case No. 5-22-CR-00257-D]
Edward Whitaker [Case No. 5-22-CR-00257-D]
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were economically suffering from the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act and additional appropriations authorized up to $649 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses through the Paycheck Protection Program. Financial institutions issued the PPP loans, which were guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA).
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III announced the sentence. IRS Criminal Investigations investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Beraka prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-00123-D.
Essex County Man Found Guilty of Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and Ammunition Following TrialRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, N.J., man with a felony criminal record has been convicted by a federal jury for carrying two loaded semi-automatic pistols, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Ken Anderson, 33, of Newark, was convicted of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition following a trial that began on February 3 before United States District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court. Sentencing is scheduled for June 23, 2026.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
Detectives with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office responded to a tip from a confidential informant in the early evening of July 22, 2025, about a man with a firearm in the area of the Wynona Lipman Gardens housing development located in Newark’s Central Ward. Detectives located Anderson sitting in a vehicle, double-parked within the housing development. When the detectives approached with their sirens and lights, Anderson fled. He drove recklessly through the housing development, reached a dead-end street, and rolled out of his moving vehicle. Before the vehicle crashed into a handicapped sign, he grabbed a backpack, and ran away through the housing development. He jumped over fences, then ran across Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and onto Interstate 280, where officers arrested him. Detectives found two loaded firearms from the backpack and a bullet from one of Anderson’s pant pockets.
The charge of being a felon in possession carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Roddy, and the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Amir D. Jones, with the investigation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Rachelle M. Navarro of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney Sean Nadel of the International Narcotics and Trafficking Unit in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Tyler Newman, Esq. and Mallory Olwig, Esq.
anderson.indictment.pdfEl Paso Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Deadly Fentanyl DealRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – An El Paso man was sentenced in federal court to 188 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl causing death, announced U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Texas, Justin R. Simmons.
According to court documents, on July 16, 2021, Isaiah Rene Acosta, 28, sold three counterfeit M-30 pills containing fentanyl to an individual, who purchased the pills on behalf of herself and another person. The pill recipients used the counterfeit M-30 pills the next day and shortly thereafter, one of the individuals died of fentanyl poisoning. Further analysis determined that the deceased “would not have died but for acute intoxication of fentanyl.” An investigation revealed that Acosta sold fentanyl pills and marijuana to both of the individuals on more than one occasion.
Acosta was indicted on Feb. 5, 2025, and arrested Feb. 21, 2025. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 18. U.S. District Judge Leon Schydlower presided over the case.
“Substance abuse in our communities—particularly fentanyl abuse—has been a persistent problem that has affected so many Americans. It’s important that we stay engaged and continue to find and prosecute dealers like this to curtail the flow of illegal and harmful substances on our streets,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “Many thanks to our law enforcement partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration, for their work on this case and so many cases like it. The DEA works tirelessly to use every tool at their disposal to stop fentanyl from coming into the U.S., but, when it does, they then work to ensure those responsible for the distribution of this terrible drug are held to account. The investigation and successful prosecution of these cases lets the American people know that their government is working to make this country a place where Americans cannot just survive but thrive.”
“This case serves as a stern warning to other drug dealers,” said Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s El Paso Division. “If the drugs you sell kill someone, the DEA will investigate, build a case against you, and see that you face the consequences. As part of Fentanyl Free America, the men and women of the DEA are committed to protecting and supporting the communities we serve.”
The DEA investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip Countryman prosecuted the case.
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Eagle Pass Man Sentenced to over 17 Years for Role in Alien Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – An Eagle Pass man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 212 months in prison for conspiracy to harbor illegal aliens causing serious bodily injury and placing lives in jeopardy.
According to court documents, Juan Antonio Flores, 36, coordinated smuggling trips for an alien smuggling organization (ASO), making $4,000 per alien smuggled from Mexico to San Antonio. The aliens were often transported to Austin, where co-conspirator Pedro Ruiz Gonzalez would receive them. Flores and Gonzalez worked together on 15-20 illegal alien smuggling events. Another co-conspirator, Armando Garcia-Martinez aka “Leche,” had been a driver for Flores and Gonzalez, undertaking an average of two to three smuggling trips per week.
As part of one smuggling event, the ASO took a family of illegal aliens hostage and continuously demanded payments from their relatives in the form of electronic wire transfers. The family consisted of a man, a pregnant woman, and their seven-year-old child. On July 9, 2023, a relative paid at least $1,000 to the ASO due to the threats made toward the family. Still, the ASO continued to demand payment to different accounts as a condition for the release of the aliens.
Flores was named in a six-count indictment on April 24, 2024, and arrested on June 12, 2024. He pleaded guilty on Oct. 7, 2024.
Co-defendants Edwin Alredo Barrientos-Mateo aka “Waches” and Nelson Abilio Castro-Zelaya were sentenced to 360 months and 180 months, respectively. All other co-defendants have pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing. Chief U.S. District Judge Alia Moses presides over the case.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Texas Department of Public Safety investigated the case with assistance from the Eagle Pass Police Department, Austin Police Department, Houston Police Department and the Comal County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brett Miner prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Dominican National Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Dominican national, living unlawfully in the United States, pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island to unlawful possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Luis Alberto De Los Santos, 23, pleaded guilty on February 5, 2026, to possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. He will be sentenced on April 27, 2026, and faces possible deportation. The sentence will be determined by a federal judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to information presented to the court, De Los Santos is a citizen of the Dominican Republic who entered the country on a travel visa in 2021 and was required to depart the U.S. in 2022.
On April 25, 2025, Providence Police observed De Los Santos with a group of individuals in the Hartford neighborhood. De Los Santos, who was wearing a ski mask, fled from police with the firearm before discarding the weapon behind a building and continuing to flee. Through their investigation, law enforcement discovered the defendant had been in possession of a .22 caliber pistol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney G. Michael Seaman.
The matter was investigated Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Providence Police Department.
This investigation 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.
Dansville woman pleads guilty to bilking elderly victim out of tens of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Nahtahna Castner, 46, of Dansville, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. The charges carry a minimum penalty of two years in prison, a maximum of 22 years and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2020, and February 2023, Castner and another individual (co-conspirator) conspired to defraud an elderly victim. In July 2020, Castner had the trust of an elderly and vulnerable neighbor, who was over 90 years old. Using Castner’s position of trust, the co-conspirator gained access to the victim banking information. Castner and the co-conspirator then began withdrawing large sums of cash from ATMs, initiating wire transfers to Castner’s personal bank account, and making purchases using the victim’s debit card. Castner and the co-conspirator executed approximately $252,672.97 worth of unauthorized transactions. Most transactions executed by Castner and the co-conspirator were not authorized by the victim. Over the course of the fraud, the victim bank account savings went from approximately $283,954.95 to $99.59. In addition, Castner and the co-conspirator also used the victim’s personal identifying information to apply for three credit cards in the victim’s name. They then used the credit cards to make purchases resulting in fraud against three financial institutions in the amount of $2,039.04, $819.33, and $809.74.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera and the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Kaitlin Asrow.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 9, 2026, before Judge Siragusa.
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Customs and Border Protection supervisor arrested for harboring illegal alienRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 52-year-old Customs and Border Protection supervisor has been charged with harboring an illegal alien, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Andres Wilkinson has made his initial appearance and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing tomorrow before U.S. Magistrate Judge Brian C. Bajew.
Wilkinson has served with CBP since 2001 and was promoted to a supervisory position in 2021. In that role, his duties included overseeing the enforcement of customs and immigration laws.
According to the criminal complaint, law enforcement learned that an illegal alien was residing at Wilkinson’s residence without legal authorization. The complaint further alleges that Wilkinson was aware of her unlawful immigration status yet maintained a romantic relationship with her.
Court records allege the illegal alien initially entered the United States on a nonimmigrant visa in August 2023 and later overstayed authorized travel.
From June through November 2025, law enforcement conducted surveillance at Wilkinson’s residence and observed the illegal alien living there with Wilkinson and her minor child, according to the charges. Investigators also observed the alien using vehicles registered to Wilkinson, court documents allege.
In February 2026, investigators interviewed the illegal alien, according to court records. The criminal complaint alleges she had been residing with Wilkinson since August 2024. Court documents further allege Wilkinson provided financial support, including housing, credit cards, assistance with financial obligations and access to vehicle registered in his name. The complaint also alleges Wilkinson knowingly transported the illegal alien through U.S. Border Patrol checkpoints.
The complaint further alleges Wilkinson traveled with the illegal alien to San Antonio and that messages indicated she and her child resided with him.
If convicted, Wilkinson faces up to 10 years in federal prison as well as a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
CBP - Office of Professional Responsibility – Laredo conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Manuel Cardenas is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Convicted Bloods Gang Member on Federal Supervised Release Sentenced to Prison for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A previously-convicted Bloods gang member on federal supervised release was sentenced today to 51 months in prison for illegal gun possession, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Christopher O’Brien Moore, 30, of Shelby, N.C., was also ordered to serve three years under court supervision upon completion of his prison sentence.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Alan Norman of the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making today’s announcement.
According to court records, in January 2019, Moore was convicted of RICO conspiracy in the Western District of North Carolina and sentenced to prison and a term of supervised release. Court documents show that, on June 6, 2024, while Moore was under court supervision, Cleveland County Sheriff’s deputies attempted to initiate a traffic top of his vehicle after Moore picked up another individual who ran from deputies earlier that day. Moore initially refused to stop, but after a short pursuit he pulled over his vehicle. Deputies detained Moore. During a search of Moore, deputies retrieved a hidden .40 caliber magazine loaded with 10 rounds of Winchester, .40 S&W caliber ammunition and five rounds of CCI, .40 S&W caliber ammunition from his crotch area. Inside the vehicle, deputies located a Glock, model 22, .40 caliber pistol with a loaded extended magazine under the driver’s side floormat. The magazine from the .40 caliber pistol had 21 rounds of ammunition. Deputies also discovered 14 rounds of New Republic, .357 magnum ammunition in the driver’s side door. As a convicted felon, Moore is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On November 26, 2025, Moore pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and the Cleveland County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
City Man Sentenced to Eight and a Half Years in Prison for Armed Carjacking in West PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kristian Jackson, 20, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 102 months’ imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release, and restitution of $7,400 by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for committing an armed carjacking in West Philadelphia in September 2024.
Jackson and co-defendants Legend Hall, 20, also of Philadelphia, and Jalaal Claitt, 20, of Atlanta, Georgia, were charged by superseding indictment in April of last year.[1] Jackson pleaded guilty in October to one count of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on September 17, 2024, Victim #1 parked on the 300 block of 62nd Street in Philadelphia and reported being immediately approached by three males, later identified by investigators as Hall, Jackson, and Claitt.
One of the defendants asked Victim #1 to drive them somewhere. When Victim #1 refused, two of the males took out handguns and told Victim #1 to get out of the car. The three males then got into Victim #1’s black Chevy Malibu and drove off with Victim #1’s iPhone 14 and approximately $500 that was in the car.
Last week, Claitt pleaded guilty to two counts of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; Hall pleaded guilty to the same counts last July. They will be sentenced at a later date, and both face a maximum possible sentence of life in prison, with a mandatory minimum term of seven years’ imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the FBI Philadelphia Violent Crimes Task Force and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney Samantha A. Arena.
[1] In addition, Claitt and Hall were charged with an October 2024 carjacking in Upper Darby, Pa.
Chinese Graduate Student Charged with Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced today that Chinese national, JIAXIN TIAN (“TIAN”), age 29, of New Orleans, was indicted on February 6, 2026, for Receipt of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(2) and (b)(1). If convicted, TIAN faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
The case against TIAN began with an undercover online investigation initiated by the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office (“PRCSO”) that was searching for individuals who were sharing Child Sex Abuse Material (“CSAM”) on the internet. The PRCSO investigation led them to a subject in New Orleans resulting in the PRCSO notifying the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation (“LBI”) of their findings.
According to court documents, on December 12, 2025, agents with the LBI and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (“HSI”) executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in New Orleans. During the search, agents recovered an MSI laptop computer, Apple I-Phone, Huawei cell phone, and various other electronic storage devices, in TIAN’s bedroom. TIAN admitted to the agents that he had downloaded images and videos of prepubescent CSAM. Thereafter, LBI and HSI located images and videos depicting the victimization of children on TIAN’s computer. Although TIAN was initially arrested on state child pornography charges, through a partnership between state and federal authorities, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is now prosecuting TIAN federally.
U.S. Attorney Courcelle praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and the Pearl River County Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Chicago Area Tax Return Preparer Enjoined from Preparing Returns for OthersRead the Press Release
On Monday, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois issued a permanent injunction against Chicago area tax return preparer Stacy Thomas, formerly known as Stacy Sorrel, both individually and doing business as Rapid Tax Refunds LLC, Rapid Tax Refund Pros LLC, and Rapid Refunds Income Tax Service Inc. The injunction bars Thomas from preparing tax returns for others, working for or having any ownership stake in any tax preparation business, and advising anyone about the preparation of a tax return or setting up business as a preparer. Thomas agreed to the terms of the injunction.
According to the complaint, Thomas prepared and filed tax returns that falsely understated her customers’ federal income tax liabilities by fabricating, among other things:
- Fictitious residential energy credits;
- Fictitious or inflated Schedule C business expenses; and
- Exaggerated or completely fabricated charitable deductions.
As a result of the court’s order, Thomas must post a copy of the injunction at all locations where she conducts business and post a link to the injunction on her business’s website.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation Branch made the announcement. Tax Litigation Branch attorney Kimberly Parke handled 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.