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11 February 2026
California Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief U.S. Judge Roberto A. Lange has sentenced a Thermal, California, man convicted of Attempted Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on February 9, 2026.
Juan Pedro Gobea, age 34, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. Once released from federal prison, Gobea must register as a sex offender.
Gobea was indicted by a federal grand jury in December 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025.
The conviction stemmed from an undercover chat operation in March 2024, when Gobea attempted to persuade someone he believed to be a 15-year-old girl to send him sexually explicit images. Gobea used his online Reddit account with username “saviourtaste” to ask the persona for nude pictures. Gobea was actually conversing with an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 15-year-old girl from South Dakota.
This case was investigated by the SD ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Ebert-Webb prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Gobea was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Bronx Gang Member Convicted of 2013 MurderRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that a jury found LAMAR WILLIAMS, a/k/a “Black,” a/k/a “Little Black,” a/k/a “Chase Money Marz,” guilty today of murder in aid of racketeering, murder through use of a firearm, and racketeering conspiracy. The convictions relate to WILLIAMS’ murder of 28-year-old Rasheed Barton on August 11, 2013, in the Bronx, New York, and WILLIAMS’ leadership of the Mac Ballers gang. WILLIAMS was convicted following a seven-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska, who will impose sentence on May 19, 2026.
“Moments ago, a unanimous Manhattan jury rightly found that Lamar Williams, a leader of the violent Mac Ballers set of the Bloods gang, gunned down Rasheed Barton in cold blood,” U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said. “New Yorkers want violent gang members off our streets. Our office, together with our law enforcement partners—including the NYPD, FBI, DEA and HSI—is committed to that mission. In this important case, I commend the women and men of this Office for closely partnering with New York’s finest in bringing a leader of a gang whose stock and trade is murder, violence, and intimidation.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment, public court filings, and evidence presented at jury trial:
From at least 2013 to 2022, WILLIAMS was a member and leader of the Mac Ballers, which is associated with the national Bloods gang. The Mac Ballers operated primarily in the northeast United States, including in the Bronx, and in jails and prisons of New York City and the State of New York.
Members of the Mac Ballers committed acts of violence, including murder, to protect and expand the gang’s territory, to retaliate against rival gang members, to keep victims and potential victims in fear of the gang, and to otherwise promote the gang’s reputation. They also distributed controlled substances in order to enrich themselves. Mac Ballers members promoted and celebrated the gang’s criminal conduct, including acts of violence, drug distribution, and firearm usage.
On August 11, 2013, WILLIAMS shot and killed Rasheed Barton in the vicinity of East 174th Street and Bronx River Avenue in the Bronx, New York. WILLIAMS murdered Barton in connection with WILLIAMS’ membership in the Mac Ballers gang and his conspiring to sell crack cocaine.
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WILLIAMS, 35, of the Bronx, New York, was convicted of one count of murder in aid of racketeering, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison; one count of murder through use of a firearm, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison; and one count of racketeering conspiracy with special sentencing factors, which carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentence will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the New York City Police Department and the investigators at the United States Attorney’s Office.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Violent Organizations and Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan W. Allison and Patrick R. Moroney are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Chanel Foster and Sophie Keegan.
Baltimore Man Sentenced in Connection with Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar sentenced a Baltimore man to prison today, in connection with a federal investigation that led to law enforcement seizing more than 100 kilograms of cocaine.
Marvin Miller, 38, received an eight-year sentence for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. Miller’s sentence also covers a possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division; Chief Robert McCullough, Baltimore County Police Department (BCPD); Commissioner Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Department (BPD); and Secretary Carolyn J. Scruggs, Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services (DPSCS).
According to the guilty plea, in 2023, the DEA began investigating a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Baltimore Metropolitan area. Starting in April 2023, law enforcement ran surveillance on one of the DTO’s stash houses Miller operated in Baltimore.
Investigators maintained surveillance on Miller and his stash house via a covert camera and electronic surveillance. Surveillance revealed that Miller frequented his stash house daily and met with co-conspirators at the stash house. Then on December 19, Miller met with a customer, Elroy Johnson, inside his stash house. After meeting with Miller, Johnson left the stash house concealing an item inside his clothing and drove away in his vehicle.
Law enforcement then stopped Johnson’s vehicle for a traffic infraction, searched the vehicle, and recovered one kilogram of cocaine underneath the driver’s seat. With evidence of Miller’s drug trafficking, investigators applied for a warrant to search his stash house and vehicle.
Later, law enforcement attempted to approach Miller as he walked out of the stash house to his vehicle. Then Miller spotted law enforcement, so he attempted to flee but they quickly appended him. Miller then admitted to possessing cocaine and bulk cash inside his stash house. In the stash house, investigators uncovered one kilogram of cocaine and approximately $671,685 stored in two suitcases.
Authorities also recovered three cell phones from Miller’s vehicle. A search of his phones revealed additional evidence of Miller’s drug trafficking in a WhatsApp message exchange. Based on the WhatsApp exchange, investigators believe that Miller arranged to purchase approximately 60 kilograms of cocaine with the approximately $671,685 they found stored in his suitcases.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, BCPD, BPD, and DPSCS for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Calvin Miner and Stanton Lawyer who are prosecuting this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Asphalt companies agree to pay $30 million to settle False Claims Act allegationsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Two asphalt companies have agreed to pay $30 million total to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they submitted fraudulent test results to the Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) for federally funded asphalt projects in Ohio.
Specifically, Kokosing Materials, Inc. will pay $17.5 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false or fraudulent asphalt test results from 2012 through 2024.
Barrett Paving Materials, Inc. will pay $12.5 million to resolve allegations that it submitted false or fraudulent asphalt test results from 2013 through 2025.
Ohio’s Construction and Materials Specifications require that companies performing asphalt projects must conduct certain mix design testing of their asphalt mixtures, known as Job Mix Formulas (JMFs). Companies are then required to submit the test results for ODOT to approve their proposed JMFs prior to beginning their asphalt work on federally funded projects. The companies are also required to conduct regular quality control tests as asphalt is being laid on Ohio roadways.
The settlements resolve allegations that, rather than performing these required mix design tests, the companies repeatedly submitted JMFs to ODOT containing data copied from prior JMFs. The settlements also resolve allegations that the companies submitted false quality control test results.
“The settlements announced today underscore our unwavering commitment to keeping federally funded transportation projects in Ohio and across the nation free from fraud, waste, and abuse,” said Elise Chawaga, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General. “Through sustained coordination with our federal, state, law enforcement, and prosecutorial partners, we will continue to investigate misconduct and ensure that those responsible are held accountable.”
“I applaud our federal partners for holding companies accountable and protecting the integrity of State contracts,” said Inspector General of Ohio Randall Meyer.
“The Trump Administration is rooting out fraud at all levels of government,” said FHWA Administrator Sean McMaster. “I commend Department of Justice attorneys, USDOT’s Inspector General and the Ohio Inspector General’s Office for going after bad actors, ensuring the integrity of the Federal-aid highway program, and protecting taxpayer dollars.”
The civil settlements include the resolution of claims brought by individuals under the qui tam provisions of the False Claims Act. These provisions allow a private party, known as a relator, to file an action on behalf of the United States.
This matter was investigated jointly by agents from the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and investigators from the Office of the Ohio Inspector General.
Civil Chief Matthew J. Horwitz and Assistant United States Attorneys Linda Mindrutiu and Brandi Stewart are representing the United States in these matters.
Vipal J. Patel, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elise Chawaga, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General; Randall Meyer, Inspector General of Ohio; and Sean McMaster, Administrator, U.S. Department of Transportation Federal Highway Administration; announced the settlements.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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10 February 2026
Williston Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. --Demetrius McIlwain, 51, of Williston, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed deputies with the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office responded to a location looking for a suspect alleged to have committed domestic violence. During their investigation, deputies found McIlwain in the driver’s seat of a running vehicle and a female in the passenger seat. The deputy attempted to identify McIlwain to determine if he was involved in the incident, but McIlwain refused to cooperate. When deputies asked McIlwain to step out of the vehicle, he told them that there was a shotgun in the vehicle, then he immediately drove away. After McIlwain tried to evade the deputies, he wrecked his truck and ran.
During a search of the vehicle, deputies found an AR style pistol in the front seat, a shotgun in the back seat, and a third firearm in a toolbox in the vehicle. Deputies also found a small amount of fentanyl in the driver’s side cupholder. The passenger later identified McIlwain as the driver, and deputies further connected him to the vehicle from paperwork found inside of the truck. McIlwain was later arrested and admitted he was the driver of the vehicle.
McIlwain is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition based upon prior criminal convictions for grand larceny, burglary 2nd non-violent, criminal sexual conduct 2nd degree, burglary 1st, burglary 2nd degree, malicious injury to personal property, and assault and battery with intent to kill.
McIlwain faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis accepted the guilty plea and will sentence McIlwain after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kershaw County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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West Haven Man Convicted of Drug Dealing in 2019 Sentenced to Additional Prison Time for Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DEVELL CONLEY, 39, recently residing in West Haven, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall in New Haven to 21 months of imprisonment for violating the conditions of his supervised release that followed a prior conviction for distributing narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in May 2019, Judge Hall sentenced Conley to 78 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for distributing fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine. The investigation revealed that Conley had provided drugs to an adult female shortly before her death from an overdose. Conley was released from prison in January 2023.
In August 2023, while on supervised release, Conley was arrested by New Haven Police for possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. In November 2024, he was arrested by West Haven Police for sale of a narcotic substance. He subsequently pleaded guilty in Connecticut Superior Court in both cases, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment for the West Haven offense, and is awaiting sentencing for the New Haven offense. While on supervised release, Conley also repeatedly tested positive for controlled substances, was found in possession of a device used to defeat a drug test, failed to notify his federal probation officer about his change of residence, and provided fake paystubs to his federal probation officer in an attempt to show proof of employment, all in violation of the terms and conditions of his supervised release.
After Conley admitted to the violations in court yesterday, Judge Hall revoked his supervised release and sentenced him to 21 months of imprisonment with no supervised release to follow. Conley has been detained in federal custody since January 29, 2026.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Neeraj N. Patel.
Wallingford Man Charged with Trafficking 16 Kilograms of Fentanyl into ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, today announced that JOSEPH MONTANEZ, also known as “Jose” and “Max,” 44, of Wallingford, has been charged by indictment with a fentanyl trafficking offense.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on January 13, 2026, law enforcement stopped a car on I-80 in Nebraska that contained approximately 16 kilograms of fentanyl. The investigation revealed that Montanez had rented the car in Connecticut and arranged to pay a courier $20,000 to drive to California, pick up the fentanyl, and drive it back to Connecticut. Thereafter, investigators arranged a controlled delivery of the drug shipment to Montanez using approximately 40 grams of fentanyl and 16 kilograms of fake fentanyl.
It is further alleged that, on January 15, 2026, investigators observed Montanez as he traveled to meet a vehicle carrying the fentanyl, exit his vehicle, enter the vehicle carrying the fentanyl, and direct the driver to go to a service plaza on Route 15. Montanez’ first vehicle then traveled a short distance away to the area of Exit 58 in Wallingford. Investigators stopped the first vehicle, detained the driver, and seized approximately $23,000 in cash. Montanez was then taken into custody at the service plaza. He has been detained since his arrest.
On January 28, 2026, a grand jury in Hartford returned an indictment charging Montanez with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, an offense that carries mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Montanez appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and entered a plea of not guilty.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the DEA New Haven District Office (NHDO) Task Force, DEA Omaha, and the Seward County (Neb.) Sheriff’s Office. The Task Force includes participants from the U.S. Marshals Service, the Connecticut State Police, and the New Haven, Waterbury, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, Middletown, and Shelton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan J. Keefe.
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.
Violent Sex Trafficker Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been sentenced to 28 years in federal prison for violently sex trafficking five young victims, including a 15-year-old girl, and kidnapping two of them.
DENNIS WILLIAMS used threats, violence, drugs, and other coercive means to force five victims to engage in commercial sex. Williams often restrained or assaulted the victims to force them to comply and turn over the proceeds to him. Williams also caused a 17-year-old girl, whom he also assaulted repeatedly, to assist him in trafficking the victims. Williams ran his sex trafficking operation out of his Chicago residence and motels in Lansing, Ill., in 2022 and 2023.
Last year, a jury in U.S. District Court in Chicago convicted Williams, 33, on all seven sex trafficking and kidnapping counts against him. All five of Williams’ victims, including both of the kidnapping victims, bravely testified about their ordeals at trial.
U.S. District Judge Mary M. Rowland imposed the 28-year prison sentence during a hearing on Feb. 4, 2026, in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lansing, Ill. Police Department, Chicago Police Department, Evergreen Park, Ill. Police Department, Joliet, Ill. Police Department, Manhattan, Ill. Police Department, Orland Park, Ill. Police Department, Palos Heights, Ill. Police Department, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Illinois State Police, and Illinois Attorney General’s Office.
“Williams’ crimes were violent, exploitative, and incredibly serious,” Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sushma Raju and Michelle Parthum argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Although the young women and girls that he victimized are now free of defendant’s grasp, the harm that he inflicted on them is likely to reverberate throughout the rest of their lives in the form of increased risk of mental illness and other struggles.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
USP Atwater Inmate Sentenced to 10 Additional Years in Prison for Threatening to Kill Prosecutor’s FamilyRead the Press Release
On Feb. 9, 2026, U.S. District Judge Kirk E. Sheriff sentenced Stanislav Yelizarov, 36, to 10 years in prison for threatening to kill the family of the prosecutor who previously secured his conviction in another case, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
On Oct. 31, 2025, a federal jury in Fresno found Yelizarov, an inmate at the U.S. Penitentiary at Atwater, guilty of this offense. Today’s sentence will run consecutively to his existing sentences.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on a recorded prison telephone line, Yelizarov threatened to kill the “whole family” of an Assistant U.S. Attorney who had previously prosecuted him in the District of Maryland. Yelizarov had previously sent threatening letters to the prosecutor and several judges.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons conducted the investigation with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland and the Eastern District of Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Veneman-Hughes and Joshua Banister prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, and HSI Announce creation of Regional Homeland Security Task Force to Combat Violent Crime and Transnational Organized CrimeRead the Press Release
New Orleans - Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) New Orleans Field Office, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New Orleans, announced the outcome of a major violent crime abatement operation leading up to the Mardi Gras Season, Operation NOLA Safe. Additionally, the FBI and HSI introduced the creation of the new Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF). The HSTF, whose reach is both national and regional, is purposed with interrupting the illegal trafficking of dangerous drugs and human beings, eliminating Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs), and stopping firearms trafficking, all of which pose clear and present threats to the homeland.
Operation NOLA Safe is a comprehensive, multi-pronged, and data driven law enforcement initiative designed to reduce violent crime in the Greater New Orleans area. This initiative brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to strategically align efforts and deploy targeted enforcement resources where they are most needed and effective. To date Operation NOLA Safe has resulted in 175 arrests, and the seizure of 114 firearms, 20.367 kg of cocaine, 1.063 kg of fentanyl, 102.006 kg of marijuana, 41,909 tapentadol pills and other quantities of illegal narcotics and prescription medications. We anticipate the operation will result in long-term, follow-on investigations.
The HSTF's mission is to eliminate criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and TCOs throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with particular focus on offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully enforce the laws of the United States.
HSTF establishes permanent multi-agency teams, comprised of federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement resources, that work collectively on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to identify, investigate, and prosecute transnational organizations and individuals engaged in violations of federal law. The specific assignment of the HSTF Districts of Louisiana Group is to identify and target Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) and Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) involved in cross border crime including drug trafficking, money laundering, human trafficking, alien smuggling, weapons trafficking, and/or other related violations of federal investigative interest within Louisiana.
“Today’s law enforcement operation announcements are, at their core, about one thing … public safety,” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “Safety for all of us, as we work to support and protect our families, as well as to celebrate the uniquely rich culture we enjoy in Southeast Louisiana, of which Mardi Gras is an integral part. The mission of all of us behind this microphone today is the same; to enforce the laws of the land and to protect the public that we are proud to serve.”
“We’re getting the job done with intelligence – surveillance – and leads that we’re getting from the community,” said FBI New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp. “Our agents and task force officers are using their collective knowledge and expertise to stop criminal activity in its tracks. These aren’t just investigations or statistics for us. We eat, sleep, and breathe violent crime. We are committed to making New Orleans one of the safest places in the country.”
“HSI is proud to co-lead the new Homeland Security Task Force and Operation NOLA Safe with the FBI, partnering with our state, local, and federal partners to help ensure public safety. We are committed to combating transnational crime, crimes of exploitation, and other crimes impacting our communities. As part of our overall commitment, through partnerships and specialized expertise, HSI dismantles criminal networks, ensuring that offenders are brought to justice and victims receive the support they deserve”, said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Wright.
“ATF’s core mission and purpose are to have impact in preventing, reducing, and solving violent crime to support public safety,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “This operation represents a new level of coordination, focus, and determination in our collective fight against violent crime.”
“The safety and security of Postal Service employees is core to the mission of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and we will work aggressively to bring to justice those who commit violent crimes against our employees,” said Shameka Jackson, Inspector in Charge of the Houston Division. “Today’s press conference is the culmination of exceptional teamwork between postal inspectors and all our state, local, and federal partners. We extend our appreciation to all involved in making this initiative a success.”
“It’s no secret that the Kenner Police Department fosters and is enriched by our relationships on the local, state and federal levels”, said Chief Keith Conley. “By working collaboratively, we can cross multiple jurisdictions and truly amplify our ability to reduce and solve violent crime”.
Operation NOLA SAFE Participating Agencies
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- U.S. Homeland Security Investigations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- U.S. Marshals Service
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- USAO, EDLA
- Louisiana National Guard
- Louisiana State Police
- Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office
- Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office
- Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office
- St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office
- St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office
- New Orleans Police Department
- Kenner Police Department
- Gretna Police Department
- Slidell Police Department
HSTF New Orleans Participating Agencies
- U.S. Homeland Security Investigations
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Drug Enforcement Administration
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection-Office of Field Operations
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection-U.S. Border Patrol
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection-Air and Marine Operations
- U.S. Marshals Service
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
- Internal Revenue Service
- U.S. Coast Guard
- United States Postal Inspection Service
- United States Secret Service
- Immigration and Customs Enforcement-Enforcement and Removal Operations
On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an Executive Order entitled "Protecting the American People Against Invasion," which included the creation of the Homeland Security Task Force. This “Task Force” which is co-led by the FBI and ICE-HSI, consists of intelligence-driven, multi-agency teams that coordinate law enforcement efforts to identify, investigate and prosecute threats to our homeland. These threats include illegal drug and firearm trafficking, sex trafficking, human smuggling, and criminal activity by dangerous Cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations.
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Two plead guilty in multi-state ATM bank robbery schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two Texas men pleaded guilty over the last few weeks to four counts of bank robbery and two counts of attempted bank robbery for their scheme to steal from banks by assaulting and threatening ATM technicians, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
Ahmon Hogg, 22, of Humble, Texas, and Seth Coles-Body, 23, of Houston, were identified as part of a robbery ring operating across the country. The men would disable ATM machines, and when the technician showed up to fix the machine, they would threaten or assault the technician to steal the cash containers, called cassettes, from the ATM. Both men are scheduled for sentencing by U.S. District Judge James L. Robart in April.
According to the plea agreements, in December 2024, the pair worked together to disable ATMs on December 23 and 24, when the machines would be loaded with cash for the Christmas holiday. The coconspirators disabled a Bank of America ATM in Renton, Washington. After the technician arrived and began repairing the machine, he was forcibly confronted by Hogg and Coles-Body who brandished a screwdriver and demanded he open the machine and provide them with the cash cassettes. The technician did not open the machine, and after a scuffle, the technician was able to escape.
The next day in Vancouver, Washington, a technician was sent to repair a Bank of America ATM on SE Mill Plain Boulevard. As the technician started repairs, Hogg and Coles-Body ran up and intimidated the victim and grabbed five cash cassettes filled with currency. The men fled in a car that matched one seen the previous day in connection with the attempted robbery in Renton.
The defendants also admitted they had disabled a Bank of America ATM in Battle Ground, Washington, that same day.
While the investigations were ongoing in Washington, Hogg and Coles-Body were identified in connection with ATM tampering cases on January 3, 2025, in the Phoenix, Arizona area. ATMs for Bank of America and Wells Fargo had been tampered with like the Washington ATMs. Hogg and Coles-Body were stopped by Phoenix law enforcement while attempting to rob one of the ATMs they had disabled.
On March 7, 2025, the defendants committed another robbery at Bank of America in Redmond, Washington. An ATM repair technician was working on the machine that had been disabled by Hogg and Coles-Body. Once the machine was open, two robbers ran up and stole cash canisters filled with money from the machine. Five of the canisters were later recovered, damaged, on the shoulder of highway 520. A few days later, Coles-Body was stopped by U.S. Border Patrol with approximately $209,000 in cash. The cash was seized, and Coles-Body was released.
In May 2025, Hogg and Coles-Body were back in Houston, where they reside, and committed another robbery of a Wells Fargo. A repair technician had the machine open to make repairs, and Coles-Body rushed the technician and caused injuries. The men stole about $117,000 from the machine and abandoned their car a short distance away.
In June 2025, the men traveled to Oregon and disabled ATMs in Tigard and Hillsboro. While in the area, the men robbed an ATM customer who had just used a different machine.
Hogg and Coles-Body then drove from Oregon to Maine and on June 30, 2025, they disabled a Bank of America ATM in South Portland, Maine. While the technician was making repairs the men rushed and beat the technician, stealing $47,000 from the Bank of America.
The men left Maine and drove across the country to Jackson, Mississippi where they were arrested in a traffic stop. They had stolen firearms and significant amounts of cash in the car.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, prosecutors will recommend a sentence of 121 months, or the high end of the sentencing guidelines range – whatever is higher. The defense agrees to request a sentence within the guidelines range calculated by Judge Robart at the time of sentencing.
Both men have agreed to pay restitution to the victims currently determined to be $768,900. They also agreed to pay damages including medical expenses for the victim technicians.
The plea agreements resolve all the cases in Washington, Oregon, Arizona, Texas, Maine, and Mississippi. Judge Robart will consider all relevant conduct in determining the appropriate sentence.
Bank Robbery and Attempted Bank Robbery are punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Vancouver, Phoenix, and Houston offices of the FBI and state law enforcement, the Columbia River Organized Crime Task Force, and state law enforcement partners in Hillsboro Oregon, Battleground, Washington, and Jackson, Mississippi. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda McDowell, with assistance from the United States Attorney’s Offices in Phoenix and Houston.
Two Charged After Seizure of 44 Pounds of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Two southwest Missouri residents were charged federally for possession with intent to distribute over 40 pounds of methamphetamine.
Michael Wilson, 49, of Lamar, Mo., and Amber Beck, 34, of Eagle Rock, Mo., were charged by federal criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. Wilson and Beck had their first appearances in court today, following their arrests on Feb. 9, 2026.
According to court documents, on Feb. 7, 2026, following a traffic stop on I-44 in Jasper County, Mo., an officer with the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) discovered Wilson and Beck were in possession of approximately 44 pounds of suspected methamphetamine.
An affidavit filed with the complaint alleges that Wilson and Beck have regularly been making trips to the Pheonix, Ariz., area to purchase methamphetamine for distribution.
The charges contained in this complaint are simply accusations, and are not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Hannah Lucas. It was investigated by the Ozarks Drug Enforcement Team, Missouri State Highway Patrol, the DEA, and the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Office.
Operation Take Back America
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Texas university pays to resolve claims it defrauded grant programRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The University of Texas at San Antonio has agreed to pay nearly $130,000 to resolve allegations it defrauded the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
The settlement stems from a NASA cooperative agreement intended to establish a Center for Advanced Measurements in Extreme Environments.
Federal law prohibits NASA from using its funds, including through grants or cooperative agreements, with any institutions or individuals that collaborate or partner with China or Chinese-owned companies. UTSA agreed to comply with those restrictions during both the application and award process.
The settlement resolves allegations that Dr. Hongjie Xie, the initial principal investigator, maintained close ties with researchers in China and contributed to multiple academic papers published by Chinese universities.
The agreement also required UTSA to submit accurate semiannual and annual reports identifying publications supported by NASA funding. The settlement also resolves claims that UTSA falsely listed multiple publications as funded under the cooperative agreement in those reports.
“Truthful disclosures by research universities are critical when making decisions about federal awards,” said U.S. Attorney Ganjei. “Universities that provide false information unfairly skew the award process in their favor and place our technological and scientific superiority at risk. Prof. Hongjie Xie’s close relationship with Chinese researchers, universities, and publications was in direct violation of UTSA’s agreement with NASA. Now, UTSA will pay for its lack of candor.”
“When universities fail to disclose affiliations with foreign entities, it compromises scientific integrity and takes advantage of NASA’s valuable resources,” said Robert Steinau, Senior Official at the NASA Office of Inspector General. “Institutions entrusted with taxpayer-funded awards have a responsibility to provide accurate information and adhere to all program requirements.”
NASA - Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Green handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Ten Op Sweet Silence Defendants Sentenced in Armed Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – Ten defendants have now been sentenced for their roles in a large-scale armed drug trafficking organization resulting from Operation Sweet Silence, a multi-agency investigation resulting in the removal of firearms, methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana from the streets of Columbus.
“This case represents the comprehensive efforts being deployed to target and dismantle the most dangerous criminal organizations and hold their members accountable in Columbus and across the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “Prosecutors and law enforcement at every level are working together to combat armed trafficking organizations that threaten our community.”
“These defendants operated an armed drug trafficking network that distributed large quantities of highly addictive drugs in Columbus, Georgia,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Methamphetamine and cocaine destroy lives, fracture families, fuel violence and are a scourge in our communities. The Justice Department will continue holding those who engage in the armed drug trade to account and ensure safety for our law-abiding citizens and families.”
“These ten defendants were key players in an armed drug trafficking organization that poisoned our community with dangerous substances like methamphetamine and cocaine,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Georgia. “The sentences imposed reflect the severe consequences for those who choose to fuel this deadly trade. The FBI remains committed to holding accountable those who engage in these violent criminal activities and ensuring the safety of our communities.”
“Drug trafficking organizations don’t just deal drugs—they bring guns, violence and instability into our neighborhoods,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “The significant prison sentences imposed today reflect the serious danger these defendants posed and the harm caused by flooding our communities with methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illicit drugs.”
"We won't stop until the criminal activity stops. We will continue to place pressure on criminal enterprises to put them out of business,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. “By working together through our law enforcement partnerships and the federal justice system, we have ensured that Tommy Mullins will be out of business for a long time."
According to court documents and statements in court, the drug organization was led by defendant Tommie Mullins, Jr., who was part of the violent Zohannon criminal street gang. Over the course of the conspiracy, Mullins and the drug trafficking organization distributed vast amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine and marijuana.
The court sentenced the defendants, all of Columbus, to the following terms of imprisonment:
Tommie Mullins, Jr., aka “TJ,” aka “Bo,” aka “Mini,” 31, of Columbus, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Feb. 10, 2026;
Trenton Clemons, 48, was sentenced to 25 years on Oct. 7, 2025;
Anthony Champion, 46, was sentenced to seven years and three months on Aug. 6, 2025;
Corey Turner, aka “Lito Red,” 33, was sentenced to 20 years on Oct. 7, 2025;
Adrian Palmer, aka “AP,” 25, was sentenced to 14 years on Oct. 7, 2025;
Trenton Thomas, aka “Bubble,” 25, was sentenced to 11 years and three months on Oct. 7, 2025;
Javonta Paden, 25, was sentenced to five years and 11 months on Aug. 6, 2025;
Christopher Hill, 36, was sentenced to two years on Dec. 17, 2025;
Adrian Pleasants, 29, was sentenced to one year and eight months on Aug. 6, 2025; and
Darius Jenkins, 24, was sentenced to one year and six months on Oct. 7, 2025.
The federal investigation into the Zohannon gang included court authorized wiretaps on Tommie Mullins’ and other defendants’ phones. Physical surveillance and other investigative techniques confirmed that Mullins, Champion, Turner, Palmer, Hill, Thomas and others all dealt drugs out of Mullin’s Cove Circle residence.
On March 18, 2023, FBI intercepted wiretap calls in which Turner arranged for the sale of a “30 sack,” which law enforcement understood meant narcotics. Surveillance captured Turner briefly stopping by the Cove Circle residence before heading to the location where the drugs were sold.
The defendants persistently repeated this pattern of briefly going to the Cove Circle house before heading to a drug sale, sometimes with Turner and Mullins directing other defendants to conduct drug deals on their behalf. In intercepted calls made between March 6 and March 7, 2023, Mullins and Turner directed Hill to conduct a half-kilogram drug sale to Champion.
In another deal, law enforcement saw Turner leave the Cove Circle house, enter Champion’s vehicle sitting outside the house, and almost immediately exit the vehicle. Champion then drove off. A short time later, a wiretap call captured Champion calling Turner to complain “this ain’t even a whole it’s a half. I’m fixing to bring it back to you and show you.”
Wiretapped calls and physical surveillance also captured defendants Thomas, Paden, Pleasants and Palmer arranging to fly to Seattle, Washington to purchase and transport 300 pounds of marijuana back to Columbus. Before leaving for Seattle, surveillance showed Thomas meeting with leader Mullins and phone records showed that Mullins spoke to the drug supplier in Seattle only hours after this meeting. Knowing about the planned drug purchase from the wiretap, law enforcement arranged for a law enforcement K9 to be waiting at the airport when Thomas, Palmer, Peasants and Paden flew back from Seattle. After the dog alerted to the odor of narcotics on the luggage belonging to these defendants, law enforcement seized 232 pounds of marijuana from the luggage. Later, intercepted calls showed Thomas and Palmer setting up deals for ten pounds of methamphetamine at a time in hopes of recouping some of the money they lost after the marijuana seizure.
A separate airport search netted over $29,000 in cash, which was seized from Mullins as suspected drug proceeds. The investigation further revealed that both Thomas and Palmer used Jenkins to distribute narcotics in street-level quantities. In one call, Jenkins told Palmer “I passed the sample around the hood” and asked whether this was “your price per pound?” A police search of Palmer’s vehicle revealed approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine packaged in 33 separate baggies.
Clemons also sold drugs for and with Mullins. On April 15, 2024, Mullins and Clemons traveled in Mullins’ vehicle from Columbus to a music studio in Atlanta. There, Mullins and Clemons met with a co-conspirator who gave them a bag, the contents of which Clemons emptied into a blue suitcase. Later that day, a traffic stop revealed four pounds of almost pure methamphetamine.
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 FBI; the DEA; and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office; with critical assistance from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office; the Russell County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Office; the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office; the Sacramento, California, Sheriff’s Office; and the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office.
Deputy Criminal Chief Veronica Hansis for the Middle District of Georgia and Trial Attorney Matthew Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section are prosecuting the case.
Ten Defendants Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Columbus, GeorgiaRead the Press Release
Ten men have now been sentenced for their roles in a large-scale armed drug trafficking organization based in Columbus, Georgia. The prosecution stemmed from Operation Sweet Silence, a multi-agency investigation into drug trafficking in the Columbus area. As part of the investigation, law enforcement recovered firearms, multiple pounds of methamphetamine, cocaine, 232 pounds of marijuana, and $29,000 in cash. Collectively, the sentencings imposed by the court between Aug. 6, 2025, and Jan. 14, 2026, equated to more than 108 years in prison.
“These defendants operated an armed drug trafficking network that distributed large quantities of highly addictive drugs in Columbus, Georgia,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Methamphetamine and cocaine destroy lives, fracture families, fuel violence and are a scourge in our communities. The Justice Department will continue holding those who engage in the armed drug trade to account and ensure safety for our law abiding citizens and families.”
“This case represents the comprehensive efforts being deployed to target and dismantle the most dangerous criminal organizations and hold their members accountable in Columbus and across the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes for the Middle District of Georgia. “Prosecutors and law enforcement at every level are working together to combat armed trafficking organizations that threaten our community.”
“These ten defendants were key players in an armed drug trafficking organization that poisoned our community with dangerous substances like methamphetamine and cocaine,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Peter Ellis of the FBI Atlanta Field Office. “The sentences imposed reflect the severe consequences for those who choose to fuel this deadly trade. The FBI remains committed to holding accountable those who engage in these violent criminal activities and ensuring the safety of our communities.”
“Drug trafficking organizations don’t just deal drugs — they bring guns, violence, and instability into our neighborhoods,” said Special Agent in Charge Jae W. Chung of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “The significant prison sentence imposed today reflects the serious danger these defendants posed and the harm caused by flooding our communities with methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illicit drugs.”
According to public documents and statements in court, the drug organization was led by defendant Tommie Mullins, Jr., who was part of the violent Zohannon criminal street gang. Over the course of the conspiracy, Mullins and the drug trafficking organization distributed vast amounts of methamphetamine, cocaine, and marijuana. The court sentenced the defendants to the following penalties in prison:
Tommie Mullins Jr., also known as “TJ,” “Bo,” and “Mini,” 31, of Columbus, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Feb. 10, 2026;
Trenton Clemons, 48, was sentenced to 25 years in prison on Oct. 7, 2025;
Anthony Champion, 46, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison on Aug. 6, 2025;
Corey Turner, also known as “Lito Red,” 33, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on Oct. 7, 2025;
Adrian Palmer, also known as “AP,” 25, was sentenced to 14 years in prison on Oct. 7, 2025;
Trenton Thomas, also known as “Bubble,” 25, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in prison on Oct. 7, 2025;
Javonta Paden, 25, was sentenced to five years and 11 months in prison on Aug. 6, 2025;
Christopher Hill, 36, was sentenced to two years in prison on Dec. 17, 2025;
Adrian Pleasants, 29, was sentenced to one year and eight months in prison on Aug. 6, 2025; and
Darius Jenkins, 24, was sentenced to one year and six months in prison on Oct. 7, 2025.
The federal investigation into the Zohannon gang included court authorized wiretaps on Tommie Mullins’ and other defendants’ phones. Physical surveillance and other investigative techniques confirmed that Mullins, Champion, Turner, Palmer, Hill, Thomas and others all dealt drugs out of Mullin’s Cove Circle residence.
On March 18, 2023, FBI intercepted wiretap calls in which Turner arranged for the sale of a “30 sack,” which law enforcement understood meant narcotics. Surveillance captured Turner briefly stopping by the Cove Circle residence before heading to the location where the drugs were sold.
The defendants persistently repeated this pattern of briefly going to the Cove Circle house before heading to a drug sale, sometimes with Turner and Mullins directing other defendants to conduct drug deals on their behalf. In intercepted calls made between March 6 and March 7, 2023, Mullins and Turner directed Hill to conduct a half-kilogram drug sale to Champion.
In another deal, law enforcement saw Turner leave the Cove Circle house, enter Champion’s vehicle sitting outside the house, and almost immediately exit the vehicle. Champion then drove off. A short time later, a wiretap call captured Champion calling Turner to complain “this ain’t even a whole it’s a half. I’m fixing to bring it back to you and show you.”
Wiretapped calls and physical surveillance also captured defendants Thomas, Paden, Pleasants, and Palmer arranging to fly to Seattle, Washington to purchase and transport 300 pounds of marijuana back to Columbus. Before leaving for Seattle, surveillance showed Thomas meeting with leader Mullins and phone records showed that Mullins spoke to the drug supplier in Seattle only hours after this meeting. Knowing about the planned drug purchase from the wiretap, law enforcement arranged for a law enforcement K9 to be waiting at the airport when Thomas, Palmer, Peasants and Paden flew back from Seattle. After the dog alerted to the odor of narcotics on the luggage belonging to these defendants, law enforcement seized 232 pounds of marijuana. Later, intercepted calls showed Thomas and Palmer setting up deals for 10 pounds of methamphetamine at a time in hopes of recouping some of the money they lost after the marijuana seizure.
A separate airport search netted over $29,000 in cash, which was seized from Mullins as suspected drug proceeds. The investigation further revealed that both Thomas and Palmer used Jenkins to distribute narcotics in street-level quantities. In one call, Jenkins told Palmer “I passed the sample around the hood” and asked whether this was “your price per pound?” A police search of Palmer’s vehicle revealed approximately one kilogram of methamphetamine packaged in 33 separate baggies.
Clemons also sold drugs for and with Mullins. On April 15, 2024, Mullins and Clemons traveled in Mullins’ vehicle from Columbus, Georgia to a music studio in Atlanta. There, Mullins and Clemons met with a co-conspirator who gave them a bag, the contents of which Clemons emptied into a blue suitcase. Later that day, a traffic stop revealed over 4-pounds of almost pure methamphetamine.
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 FBI, DEA, and the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office, with critical assistance from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office; the Russell County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office; the Coweta County Sheriff’s Office; the Sacramento, California Sheriff’s Office; and the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office.
Trial Attorney Matthew Mattis of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Hansis for the Middle District of Georgia prosecuted the case.
Tampa Jury Convicts Leader of Colombian Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – A federal jury has found Celso Navarro Diaz (65, Colombia) guilty of conspiring to traffic more than five kilograms of cocaine on vessels subject to the jurisdiction of the United States and conspiring to import more than five kilograms of cocaine into the United States. Navarro Diaz faces a minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison for each count. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for April 22, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Navarro Diaz was the head of an organization in Colombia that transported cocaine and marijuana from the Pacific coast of Colombia to Costa Rica. Over a two-year period, Panamanian, Colombian, and U.S. Coast Guard authorities interdicted four of his organization’s vessels. The investigation revealed that Navarro Diaz discussed the smuggling operations in heavily coded language and talked about the seizures in coded language after three of the events. The cocaine was intended to be smuggled from Costa Rica through Central America and Mexico prior to importation into the United States. Navarro Diaz was previously convicted of conspiring to import cocaine into the United States and pleaded guilty to that offense in 2010 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.
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 Region 20 (Tampa) comprises agents and officers from multiple law enforcement agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Coast Guard, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Colombian National Police. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá worked with the Government of Colombia to secure the arrest and September 2024 extradition from Colombia of Navarro Diaz. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Baeza.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cody Lee Pritchett, age 34, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to thirty-seven months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On July 9, 2025, Pritchett pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on February 4, 2025, law enforcement discovered Pritchett in possession of a .22 caliber Derringer, a semi-automatic rifle, a short-barreled rifle, two hundred rounds of assorted ammunition, 40 rounds of .22 caliber ammunition, one round of Winchester 12-gauge ammunition, and 24 rounds of 9mm ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
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 Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Pritchett will self-report on March 12, 2026, to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Tallahassee Man Charged with Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Tabias K. Bryant, 37, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of attempted enticement of a minor. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge.
Bryant appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Martin A. Fitzpatrick for his initial appearance at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida. Trial is scheduled for March 23, 2026, before District Court Judge Mark E. Walker.
If convicted, Bryant, faces up to Life imprisonment.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Tallahassee Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case 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 and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it 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.
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.
Suburban Chicago Tax Preparer Indicted for Allegedly Preparing More Than 25 Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A woman has been indicted in federal court for allegedly preparing more than 25 fraudulent tax returns for clients of her suburban Chicago tax preparation business.
From 2020 to 2024, JAYDINE BROWN prepared and assisted in the preparation of 26 false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of clients of her business, Hall Tax & Services Corp. of Flossmoor, Ill., according to an indictment returned in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Brown helped prepare federal tax returns that fraudulently overstated and misrepresented tax credits, deductions, income, and expenses in order to fraudulently reduce the taxpayers’ tax liability and claim refund amounts to which they were not entitled, the indictment states. Brown also filed an individual tax return for herself in 2021 that substantially underreported her income, the indictment states. She also failed to file a corporate tax return for her business for the tax year 2022, the indictment alleges.
Brown, 43, of Chicago Heights, Ill., is charged with 26 counts of willfully aiding and assisting in the preparation of false or fraudulent tax returns, one count of making false or fraudulent statements on a tax return, and one count of willful failure to file a tax return. Brown pleaded not guilty to the charges during her arraignment on Friday in federal court in Chicago. A status hearing is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Asheeka Desai.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
brown_indictment_filed.pdfSouth Bend Man Sentenced to 72 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Jaron Williams, 44 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl, a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine, and a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Williams was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, Williams sold fentanyl to another person on two occasions in the fall of 2024. In December 2024, officers executed a search warrant at his home and recovered cocaine, fentanyl powder, and methamphetamine. Officers also recovered four handguns, a shotgun, and over $64,000 in cash.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the St. Joseph County Police Department, the South Bend Police Department, the Michigan City Police Department, and the Indiana State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.
Saratoga County Felon Sentenced to 84 Months in Prison for Drug Distribution and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jason Brundige, age 51, of Ballston Spa, was sentenced on February 5, 2026 to 84 months’ imprisonment for distributing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and using a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Sheriff Jeffrey R. Brown of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO) made the announcement.
Brundige previously admitted to distributing cocaine on multiple occasions and, during one of those drug sales, displaying a loaded firearm to his drug customer. Brundige also admitted to possessing cocaine with intent to distribute it from a hotel in Malta, New York.
First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “This sentence reflects the seriousness of combining drug trafficking with firearms. Individuals who distribute dangerous drugs while armed put entire communities at risk, and our Office will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold such offenders fully accountable.”
Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo stated: “Firearms in the hands of drug traffickers escalate violence and endanger the public. This case demonstrates ATF’s continued commitment to working with our federal, state, and local partners to aggressively target armed drug traffickers and remove them from our communities.”
Sheriff Jeffrey Brown stated: “This sentence sends a clear message that drug trafficking and gun violence will not be tolerated in Saratoga County. I commend the collaborative efforts of the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office, ATF, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in bringing this case to a successful resolution.”
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced Brundige to serve a 4-year term of supervised release to begin after Brundige is released from prison.
The case was investigated by the ATF and SCSO and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashlyn Miranda.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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Rochester woman sentenced for entering restricted area at Rochester airportRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Takesha Rogers, 40, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of entering an airport area in violation of security requirements, was sentenced to serve 12 months in prison by U.S. Magistrate Judge Colleen D. Holland.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that on November 27, 2024, just after 11:30 p.m., Rogers climbed the perimeter fence of the Greater Rochester International Airport and entered the secured Aircraft Operations Area (a.k.a. the tarmac). She entered the secure area of the airport willfully, in violation of established security measures.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter.
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Rochester man pleads guilty to possessing child pornographyRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Zachary Guthrie, 32, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that in October 2024, the New York State Police (NYSP) executed a search warrant at Guthrie’s residence after receiving CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that Guthrie uploaded child pornography to Instagram and Discord. During the search, investigators seized his cell phone. A forensic review of the phone recovered more than 200 videos, and more than 320 images of child pornography. Some of the images depicted the sexual exploitation of children as well as violence against children.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 18, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Siragusa.
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Rensselaer Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Mark Tremblay, 35, of Rensselaer, New York, was sentenced on February 6, 2026 to 10 years in federal prison for distribution of child pornography. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
As part of his guilty plea, Tremblay admitted that on or about November 13, 2024, he produced and sent two child pornography videos involving a child to another person with whom he was corresponding on the internet.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “Offenders who prey on children will face swift, aggressive prosecution and severe consequences. This office, alongside HSI and all our federal and state law enforcement partners, will use the full weight of federal law to protect every child in this District.”
HSI Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan said: “The disturbing nature of these crimes underscores the urgent need to protect our most vulnerable community members. HSI Albany is unwavering in our commitment to uncovering these heinous acts and ensuring those responsible are held fully accountable. Together with our partners, we are leveraging every investigative resource and partnership available to shine a light on these crimes and pursue justice for victims.”
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced Tremblay to serve a 15-year term of supervised release to begin after he is released from prison. Tremblay will also be required to register as a sex offender upon his release.
HSI investigated the case with assistance from the New York State Police (NYSP) and the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney A.J. Vickey prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Portland Man Found Guilty of Failing to Obey a Lawful Order and Creating a Disturbance at the ICE Building in South PortlandRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland, Oregon, man was found guilty today for failing to obey a lawful order and creating a disturbance at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
David Pearl, 35, was found guilty on two counts following a bench trial today – count one for failing to obey a lawful order and count two for creating a disturbance.
According to court documents, on the evening of June 21, 2025, law enforcement vehicles were prevented from leaving the ICE facility by a line of people. While most of the crowd dispersed, Pearl and others refused to move and were taken into custody.
Eight days later, on June 29, 2025, Pearl returned to the facility. As federal law enforcement officers attempted to arrest another individual, Pearl interfered by attempting to physically separate the individual from the officers. Pearl was taken into custody and cited for impeding or disrupting the performance of official duties by a government employee.
On June 30, 2025, Pearl was charged with two counts by information for failing to obey a lawful order and creating a disturbance.
The Federal Protective Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leah Bolstad and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Bodell prosecuted the case.
Political Operative Sentenced to 48 Months in Federal Prison for Acting as Covert Agent of People’s Republic of ChinaRead the Press Release
Yesterday, a San Bernardino County man, Yaoning “Mike” Sun, 65, of Chino Hills, California, was sentenced by United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner for the Central District of California to 48 months in federal prison for acting as an illegal agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), including while serving as the campaign advisor for a political candidate who was elected to the city council of a Southern California city. Sun pleaded guilty in October 2025 to one count of acting as an illegal agent of a foreign government.
“For years, Sun received and executed taskings from Chinese government officials, distorted our public discourse by disseminating Chinese propaganda, and surveilled groups in the United States that China viewed as threatening its interests as part of a campaign of intimidation,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “His conduct represents a brazen violation of our national sovereignty. This sentence reflects our commitment to prosecuting those who would extend the authoritarian reach of the Chinese government on U.S. soil."
“When Americans vote for elected officials, they expect them to represent the interests of their constituents – not those of a foreign adversary like the Chinese government,” said Assistant Director Roman Rozhavsky of the FBI’s Counterintelligence and Espionage Division. “By exploiting his position as a campaign advisor, Yaoning Sun attempted to undermine our political processes and democratic institutions for the benefit of the Chinese Communist Party. This sentencing underscores the unwavering commitment of the FBI and our partners to defending the homeland and holding accountable anyone who tries to subvert the will of American voters at the behest of our adversaries.”
“Federal law enforcement will not allow hostile foreign nations to infiltrate the governance of our nation’s political bodies,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The relentlessness of PRC intelligence operations in our country must be met by equal relentlessness on our part to secure, protect, and defend the United States.”
According to court documents, from at least 2022 to January 2024, Sun knowingly acted within the United States as an agent of the PRC and officials of its government – without notifying the Attorney General, as required by U.S. law.
At the direction and control of PRC government officials, Sun coordinated with U.S.-based individuals to promote the PRC’s interests by, among other things, “orchestrat[ing]” a team to help elect a politician identified in court documents as “Individual 1” to political office and promoting pro-PRC propaganda in the United States.
Sun also closely surveilled the then-President of Taiwan during her April 2023 visit to Southern California, reporting directly to PRC officials on her movements.
At the direction of PRC officials, from 2020 through 2023, Sun and Individual 1 worked together to operate a purported news website for the local Chinese American community. Sun and Individual 1 received and executed directives from PRC government officials to post pro-PRC content.
Throughout 2022, Sun also worked as the campaign advisor for Individual 1 who was running for a city council seat in a Southern California city. Individual 1 was elected to that city council in November 2022.
In December 2022, Sun attended a meeting in Southern California with a group of other people, including Individual 1, whom PRC officials were told was a “team dedicated” to PRC interests, according to Sun’s plea agreement.
In February 2023, Sun drafted a report for PRC officials to solicit additional money and taskings from the PRC government. Sun’s report summarized his personal experience, including his past service in the People’s Liberation Army, China’s military. In the report, Sun stated that he had worked in the United States to lead “delegations of U.S. dignitaries and cultural workers to China,” “persist in resisting any hostile forces that undermine the friendship of U.S.-China relations, and Chinese secessionist forces,” and, “most of all, during the 2022 U.S. midterm elections, I orchestrated and organized my team to win the election for city council” for Individual 1, whom Sun called a “new political star,” Sun’s plea agreement states.
Sun’s report described various issues concerning “anti-China forces” overseas, including opposition to independence for Taiwan, Tibet, and Xinjiang as well as issues involving Falun Gong, a spiritual movement banned in China. The report further proposed “using part of our Los Angeles organization’s professional core team,” to seek to counteract those forces, according to court documents. To that end, Sun’s report requested $80,000 from the PRC government to fund a pro-PRC demonstration at a Fourth of July parade in Washington, D.C.
Throughout 2023 and 2024, Sun communicated with an official at the consulate general of the People’s Republic of China in Los Angeles regarding activities in Southern California related to Taiwan.
In April 2023, President Tsai Ing-Wen of Taiwan visited Southern California. Sun sent real-time updates on President Tsai’s movements to a Los Angeles-based PRC consular official and sought approval from this official to publish an article about President Tsai’s visit on the website he operated with Individual 1. Sun also took photographs of individuals protesting in support of and opposition to President Tsai and sent those photographs to the consular official.
“As an agent for the PRC, [Sun] worked covertly in the United States with his primary co-conspirator John Chen, a/k/a ‘Chen Jun,’” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “Chen was a high-level member of the PRC intelligence apparatus, who regularly attended elite [Chinese Communist Party] functions, including military parades…[and] met personally with PRC President Xi Jinping . . . . Per his own report, and other communications between Chen and PRC officials, [Sun] served as Chen’s right-hand man in the United States for decades.”
Chen was sentenced in November 2024 to 20 months in federal prison after pleading guilty in the Southern District of New York to acting as an illegal agent of the PRC and conspiracy to bribe a public official.
The FBI investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Amanda B. Elbogen of the National Security Division prosecuted this case with assistance from Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 180 Months’ Imprisonment for Receiving Child Pornography and Transferring Obscene Images to MinorRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, man was sentenced today to 180 months’ imprisonment for having a minor victim create and send him sexually explicit images and videos, and sending the victim obscene images of himself, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Francisco Andres-Medina, 35, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to two counts of an indictment charging him with receipt of child pornography and transfer of obscene material to a minor.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In March and April 2020, Medina communicated over the internet with a 15-year-old victim located in Camden County, New Jersey. After learning the victim was 15, Medina sent her obscene photographs. Medina also had the victim produce videos and images of her engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Medina then caused the victim to send him the sexually explicit images and videos. Medina also directed the victim to send him a video of the victim having sex with another individual.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy, and the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crimes and Special Victims Units, under the direction of Prosecutor Grace C. MacAulay, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Josephine Park of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
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Defense counsel: Ikram Ally, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender
Philadelphia Man Sentenced for Possession with the Intent to Distribute over 50 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Philadelphia man was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney J.E. Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi, and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
According to court documents, Billy Thomas Pike, Jr., 67, possessed with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine.
In July of 2025, a federal grand jury indicted Pike for his role in the distribution of methamphetamine. On October 15, 2025, Pike entered a plea of guilty to the charge of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
The conviction was a result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Trails Task Force which is comprised of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Choctaw Police Department, Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, and various state and local law enforcement agencies.
United States Attorney Kruger commended the work of the Safe Trails Task Force, the Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, and the Choctaw Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin J. Payne, Brian K. Burns, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Kalleigh McCoy.
Pennsylvania Woman Sentenced to 90 Months for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamie Greer Spies, 24, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 90 months in prison in connection with distributing multiple videos of child sexual abuse material to an undercover FBI agent, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Spies pleaded guilty July 22, 2025, before Judge Timothy J. Kelly to one count of distribution of child pornography. In addition to the prison term, Judge Kelly ordered Spies to serve ten years of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.
According to court documents, an undercover officer working with the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force was monitoring an online group where people meet to discuss and trade original images and videos of underage children. While in the group, an individual calling themselves “babygirl484” and later identified as Spies messaged the undercover officer indicating that she was interested in images that portrayed the sexual abuse of young children.
Spies, who was the mother of a then 16-month-old son, subsequently distributed multiple images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including the abuse of infants and toddlers.
Following her arrest on May 2, 2025, investigators discovered 43 videos and 51 images of child sexual abuse materials on her phone.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the MPD-FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office, Allentown Resident Agency. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Shinskie.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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North Texas men receive lengthy federal prison sentences for trafficking fentanylRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas –Two North Texas men have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentences for trafficking fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Nathan Jesse Garcia, 24, of Dallas, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on February 9, 2026.
Lino Hernandez, 25, of Arlington, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to manufacture and distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 156 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on February 9, 2026.
According to information presented in court, from at least 2022, Garcia and Hernandez conspired with others to distribute fentanyl in the Eastern District of Texas.
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.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Dallas Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather H. Rattan.
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North Carolina Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Justin Isiah Hawkins, 35, and Emmanuel Lee Baldwin, 35, both of Gastonia, North Carolina have been sentenced to more than three years in federal prison for a money laundering conspiracy involving theft from the United States Treasury.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Hawkins and Baldwin conspired with each other to fraudulently alter a legitimate U.S. Treasury check intended for a business based in New Hampshire. Hawkins and Baldwin altered the $191,456.30 check by making it payable to Baldwin. Baldwin previously opened a bank account in Rock Hill using a forged check from another institution. The pair deposited the Treasury check into Baldwin’s account and then laundered the money by sending it to a New York-based LLC controlled by Hawkins. The pair used the money for personal expenses, including a vehicle Baldwin purchased with the stolen funds.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Hawkins to 37 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Lydon sentenced Baldwin to 41 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Although a potential fine was waived, they were ordered to pay $194,075.01 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury and Bank of America. Hawkins and Baldwin are joint and severally liable for the restitution.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Rock Hill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews prosecuted the case.
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Nicaraguan national sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
An illegal alien from Nicaragua, living in Laramie, Wyoming, was sentenced on Feb. 6 for producing child pornography.
Maycon Stiven Molina Perez, 23, of Nueva Segovia, Nicaragua, was sentenced to 360 months’ imprisonment with 10 years of supervised release to follow. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence in Cheyenne and ordered the defendant to pay restitution of no less than $3,000 per requesting victim, held open for 90 days.
According to court documents, on July 8, 2025, the mother of a victim found a video of the defendant sexually assaulting a child on his phone. She immediately called the Laramie County Police Department and gave officers Perez’s Samsung Galaxy phone. They obtained a search warrant and seized the child’s clothing and other devices. Law enforcement attempted to locate the defendant but learned he had fled to Colorado. He was subsequently located in Colorado later that same day. When he was located, he had an iPhone in his possession, which was also seized. Agents with the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children task force located over 1,400 files of child pornography on the Samsung Galaxy phone including bestiality, infant/toddler sexual assault and sadomasochistic files. They also found the video of the assault on the child which took place in the defendant’s home. Over 1,280 image files and several videos, including two additional videos involving the victim, were located on the iPhone. Additionally, the defendant was sharing files of child pornography though multiple apps including Telegram and Whatsapp.
“The pain caused by these crimes is immeasurable, and no sentence can undo the trauma inflicted on the victim and their family. Today’s judgment sends a clear message that no matter where you are from, if you commit the heinous crimes of sexually abusing children, you will be held fully accountable. We are deeply grateful to the victim’s family for their courage and to law enforcement for their relentless work in pursuing justice,” said U.S. Attorney Darin Smith.
Laramie County Police Department and DCI-ICAC Task Force investigated the crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison prosecuted the crime.
Case No. CR-25-0031
New York Resident Sentenced for Child Exploitation OffenseRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that SASHA MAY, formerly known as Owen May, 24, of Pelham, New York, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to one day of imprisonment and 10 years of supervised release, the first nine months of which May must serve in home detention with electronic monitoring, for a child exploitation offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between December 2023 and May 2024, May engaged in online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer on the messaging platforms Kik and Whisper. In those conversations, May detailed her sexual interest in children and distributed child pornography.
May was arrested on August 26, 2024. On July 24, 2025, she pleaded guilty to possession and access with intent to view child pornography.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force, the Greenwich Police Department, and the Pelham (N.Y.) Police Department. The Task Force includes federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Lembo.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Mexican National Unlawfully Residing in the United States Charged with Illegal Reentry After DeportationRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Mexican national unlawfully residing in the United States made his first appearance in federal court last Thursday after being removed to Mexico in June 2018.
Manuel Cruz-Ramirez, 38, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegal reentry. He was detained in this federal case, pending further court proceedings.
Cruz-Ramirez was released on bail after being charged in Marion County, Oregon, in an amended indictment that includes rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, and purchasing sex with a minor.
According to court documents, on February 3, 2026, Cruz-Ramirez was apprehended when a Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officer encountered him at a Portland International Airport terminal checkpoint. Cruz-Ramirez presented a Mexico passport in the name of an alias. The TSA officer notified Customs and Border Protection after the passport did not return full data. Customs and Border Protection used fingerprints to identify Cruz-Ramirez. A review of his immigration file and relevant electronic databases indicated that Cruz-Ramirez entered the United States on June 25, 2018, was placed in expedited removal proceedings on June 26, 2018, and was removed to Mexico on June 28, 2018.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Members of Conspiracy to Steal More Than $2.5 Million from DoorDash Sentenced to A Combined Total of over Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – All five members of a conspiracy to steal more than $2,500,000 from DoorDash, Inc., by placing phantom delivery orders have been sentenced in federal court for their roles in the fraud scheme, with the final defendant sentenced today. U.S. District Judge Beth Labson Freeman handed down all five sentences.
According to court documents, from November 2020 to February 2021, Matheus Duarte, 30, a Brazilian national residing in Hayward, Calif.; Hari Vamsi Anne, 31, of Cypress, Texas; Sayee Chaitanya Reddy Devagiri, 31, of Newport Beach, Calif.; Manaswi Mandadapu, 31, of Irvine, Calif.; and Tyler Thomas Bottenhorn, 30, of Dixon, Calif., worked together to cause DoorDash to pay for deliveries that never occurred.
DoorDash’s business includes providing delivery services to customers in response to orders placed using the entity’s platform, which would then be fulfilled by drivers. In furtherance of the scheme, defendants created fraudulent customer accounts and driver accounts on DoorDash’s platform and used the fictitious customer accounts to place orders for delivery. Using insider access to DoorDash’s computer systems, defendants assigned those orders to fraudulent driver accounts, then manipulated DoorDash’s computer systems to cause DoorDash to pay the fraudulent driver accounts as if individual orders had been delivered hundreds of times.
The scheme resulted in fraudulent payments exceeding $2,500,000.
All five defendants pleaded guilty and admitted to their involvement in the scheme to defraud, and have been sentenced as follows:
- Duarte was sentenced to 25 months in prison and a three-year period of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,590,195 in restitution, and to forfeit $336,712. Duarte will begin serving the sentence on March 4, 2026;
- Anne was sentenced to 22 months in prison and a three-year period of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,590,195 in restitution. Anne will begin serving the sentence on March 4, 2026;
- Devagiri was sentenced to 21 months in prison and a three-year period of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,590,195 in restitution, and to forfeit $356,732. Devagiri will begin serving the sentence on March 17, 2026;
- Mandadapu was sentenced to 12 months in prison and a three-year period of supervised release, and ordered to pay $2,590,195 in restitution. Mandadapu will begin serving the sentence on March 26, 2026; and
- Bottenhorn received a time-served sentence with a three-year period of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $2,127,216 in restitution, and to forfeit $244,247.
United States Attorney Craig H. Missakian and FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael G. Pitman prosecuted this case with assistance from Sahib Kaur. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Enticing Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A Clinton, Maryland, man is headed to federal prison for nearly three decades in connection with child sex abuse crimes.
U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Juan Carlos Puente, 48, of Clinton, Maryland, to more than 27 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for producing and possessing child sexual abuse material. Additionally, as part of his plea agreement, Puente must register as a sex offender in places where he resides, is an employee, and is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva, Department of Justice (DOJ) – Criminal Division, and Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office.
As detailed in court documents, between approximately October 1, 2021, and April 22, 2022, Puente enticed a minor victim, who resided in the Dominican Republic, to engage in unlawful sexual activity and produce child pornography. Specifically, through Facebook messages, Puente enticed the minor victim to perform sexual acts on herself and to send videos of her engaging in the requested sexually explicit conduct in exchange for money. The messages also show Puente sending money transfer ID numbers to the minor victim and saying he sent money to her on multiple occasions.
On January 9, 2024, the FBI executed a federal search warrant at Puente’s Clinton residence. Law enforcement seized electronic devices and other evidence from his residence pursuant to the search warrant. Forensic review of the devices uncovered visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI – Baltimore, FBI – Santo Domingo, and Dominican National Police for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan S. McKoy and Trial Attorney Jessica L. Urban, Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, who prosecuted 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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Man Who Drove from Columbus to Toledo to Sexually Exploit a Child Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A 27-year-old man who drove from Columbus to Toledo to engage in the sexual exploitation of a child has been sentenced to federal prison.
Jermaine Taylor, Jr., of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has been sentenced to 168 months (14 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge James R. Knepp after pleading guilty in October to Coercion and Enticement. He was also ordered to serve 20 years of supervised release after imprisonment and pay a $3,000 fine.
According to court documents, from about May 19 to June 6, 2025, Taylor communicated with an individual, namely, an undercover agent with a purported 9-year-old daughter, through a social media application. Throughout his communications, he expressed his interest in committing sexual acts with children and provided explicit examples of his desires. Taylor arranged to meet with the purported 9-year-old in Toledo and proceeded to drive there from Columbus where he was located at the time. Upon arrival at the pre-arranged location to sexually exploit the girl, he was promptly arrested by FBI agents and taken into custody.
This case was investigated by the FBI Toledo Resident Agency’s Violent Crimes Against Children Taskforce.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Alissa M. Sterling for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. The initiative is led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country and 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 justice.gov/PSC.
To report child exploitation, please visit cybertipline.org, or call 1-800-843-5678, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Man Charged with Murder, Racketeering in Drugging and Robbing SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Task Force Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Christopher Roberts, and the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced today the unsealing of a Superseding Indictment charging JALEN TEAGUE, a/k/a “Bizzle,” a/k/a “Too Official,” and CHELEIA COUNCIL SANDERS, a/k/a “Mercedes,” with racketeering conspiracy and TEAGUE with murder in aid of racketeering in connection with the August 16, 2023, poisoning death of a robbery victim in midtown Manhattan (“Victim-1”). The Superseding Indictment also charges TEAGUE, SANDERS, and MEGAN STERNGAST, a/k/a “Megan - E Village,” with conspiring to distribute Gamma-Hydroxybutyric acid (“GHB”), resulting in death, in connection with Victim-1’s murder. The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick.
“As alleged, Jalen Teague directed a group of workers to locate, drug, and then rob men in New York City and across the country,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “These defendants displayed a startling indifference for New Yorkers, resulting in the death of an innocent man. We deeply appreciate our agency partners at DEA and NYPD for ensuring these charges and ending this deadly scheme.”
“The charges filed today against Jalen Teague for allegedly masterminding a scheme to target, rob, and poison unsuspecting victims, including one which resulted in death, reflect the devastating consequences when individuals use controlled substances as weapons,” said DEA New York Task Force Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Roberts. “GHB is a powerful and dangerous illicit drug, and in this case its misuse proved fatal. These crimes represent a profound violation of trust and a complete disregard for human life. The DEA remains committed to protecting the public and working with our law enforcement partners to ensure justice is delivered for the victims and their families.”
As alleged in the Superseding Indictment, other court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:[1]
From at least in or about November 2022 through at least in or about June 2024, JALEN TEAGUE led a criminal enterprise and provided female workers with GHB, a rape drug that can cause users to lose consciousness. The women then went to bars, restaurants, and clubs in several locations around the United States, including New York City, carrying GHB, often hidden inside small energy drink bottles. There, at TEAGUE’s direction, the female workers looked for men wearing expensive watches or displaying other signs of wealth. After identifying victims, the women would travel with the victims to their homes or hotel rooms. Once alone with their victims, the women dosed—or “dropped”—the men by putting GHB into the victims’ drinks without the victims’ knowledge. The victims would often lose consciousness or otherwise become vulnerable to robbery. At TEAGUE’s direction, the women then frequently stole whatever they could, including luxury watches, wallets, credit cards, smartphones, gaming consoles, and identification documents for TEAGUE’s benefit.
After the robberies, TEAGUE typically retrieved the women and would often attempt to use the stolen credit cards and cellphones to enrich themselves by transferring money using banking applications and buying gift cards and expensive electronics, among other things, before the owner of the credit cards woke up and could begin freezing accounts. Between at least in or about November 2022 and in or about June 2024, the Teague Enterprise perpetrated approximately more than 100 GHB-assisted robberies in various locations around the United States.
Several victims of the Teague Enterprise’s GHB distribution scheme were hospitalized, and on August 16, 2023, TEAGUE caused the death of Victim-1 through this scheme.
If you believe you are a victim of the Teague Enterprise, please contact the Victim & Witness Services at the United States Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of New York at 866-874-8900.
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A chart containing the names, ages, charges, and minimum and maximum penalties for the defendants is set forth below.
The statutory minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the DEA, the NYPD and Southern District of New York Digital Forensic Unit, the Complex Analytics and Social Media Enhancement Team at the New York/ New jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area. Mr. Clayton also thanked the New York County District Attorney’s Office for their invaluable assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca R. Delfiner and Joseph H. Rosenberg are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Count
Defendant(s)
Min. and Max. Penalties
1Racketeering ConspiracyJALEN TEAGUE (32), and
CHELEIA COUNCIL SANDERS (31)
Maximum sentence of life in prison.2Murder in Aid of RacketeeringJALEN TEAGUE (32)Mandatory minimum sentence of life in prison or death.3Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance Resulting in DeathJALEN TEAGUE (32),
CHELEIA COUNCIL SANDERS (31), and
MEGAN STERNGAST (42)
Mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison; maximum sentence of life in prison.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the Superseding Indictment, and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein, constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Milton Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Darin Leroy Vanness, 32, of Milton, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge today.
Vanness appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for March 16, 2026 at 8:30 am, before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
If convicted, Vanness faces up to ten years’ imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Milton Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Las Cruces man charged in federal drug trafficking and firearms caseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man has been federally charged following an FBI led drug trafficking investigation that resulted in the seizure of cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and multiple firearms.
According to court documents, beginning in late 2025, the FBI Safe Streets Gang Task Force and the Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency began investigating David De La Paz, 59, and other members of a drug trafficking organization involved in narcotics distribution, illegal firearm possession, and related criminal activity in Las Cruces. On February 3, 2026, investigators obtained a federal search warrant for De La Paz’s residence in Las Cruces. The warrant was executed on February 5, 2026, with assistance from the FBI Albuquerque SWAT team. During the initial entry, De La Paz was observed standing in his bedroom next to a loaded AR-15 style rifle on the bed.
During the search, agents recovered multiple loaded firearms, most of which were located in De La Paz’s bedroom. Agents also recovered drug paraphernalia and suspected fentanyl, methamphetamine, and 30 grams cocaine, all of which field tested presumptively positive.
Firearms and drugs seized from De La Paz's home.De La Paz is charged with possession of a firearm by an unlawful user of a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He will remain detained pending a detention hearing, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, De La Paz faces 25 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today on behalf of the Homeland Security Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon Aragon Martinez is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Region II CORE 7 is comprised of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Customs and Border Protection – Office of Field Operations (OFO), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP) and Air and Marine (AMO), Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), United States Department of the Interior – Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Joint Task Force North (JTF-N), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Department of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security (DSS), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS), El Paso Police Department (EPPD), New Mexico State Police (NMSP), West Texas / New Mexico High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA), Albuquerque Police Department, New Mexico Sixth Judicial District, Las Cruces/Dona Ana County Metro Narcotics Agency, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Districts of Western Texas and New Mexico.
View the Criminal complaint (de la Paz).pdfAn indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Kenduskeag Man Sentenced to 27 Years for Producing and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Kenduskeag man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for two counts of producing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Stacy D. Neumann sentenced Justin Leonard, 24, to 27 years in prison and 10 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $20,000 each to the two minor victims.
According to court records, in February 2024, investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Leonard’s home based on a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Leonard was home during the warrant’s execution and provided the password and Face ID to a hidden folder on his cellular telephone. In this hidden folder, investigators located multiple sexually explicit images and videos of two very young children. Leonard admitted that he had taken these images and videos. The parents of the children confirmed Leonard’s statements and identified their children in the images and videos. A subsequent forensic review of Leonard’s phone uncovered Facebook chats where he expressed an interest in children and a desire to acquire children. In addition, in the Safari history of Leonard’s phone, artifacts were found indicating an interest in Rohypnol or “roofies,” a powerful sedative. His queries included, “youngest age you can safely give a roofie” and “Is there any drug that can make a person unconscious for 2 hours?”
In imposing sentence, Judge Neumann observed that Leonard’s conduct constituted the “most heinous offense than can be committed,” noting that “not only did [Leonard] commit the act, [he] documented it.”
HSI and the Maine State Police Computer Crimes Unit investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child sexual abuse material: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: 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 Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Miami Gardens-Based Return Preparer and BusinessRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the Justice Department filed a complaint seeking to bar a Miami Gardens-based return preparer, Christopher Brown, and his business, Superior Taxes LLC, from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing tax returns for others.
The United States filed its civil complaint against Brown and Superior Taxes in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. The complaint alleges that Brown and Superior Taxes prepare federal income tax returns on which he claims fraudulent credits and deductions to purposely underreport the tax his customers owe and claim inflated refunds. Specifically, the complaint alleges that Brown prepared returns that claimed incorrect “head of household” filing status, false or inflated business expenses and losses, as well as false residential energy credits and education credits. Brown also, according to the complaint, claimed the false filing status, expenses, and credits to maximize his customers’ earned income tax credit (EITC), and he failed to follow the IRS’s EITC due diligence requirements.
The government alleges in the complaint that Brown and Superior Taxes caused a tax loss of more than $5 million in 2022, 2023, and 2024.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General Joshua Wu of the Civil Division’s Tax Litigation made the announcement. Tax Litigation Branch attorneys Elizabeth Duncan and Rachel Iacangelo are handling the case.
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.
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.
Justice Department Files Action to Protect National Security by Enforcing President’s Order of Chinese Company’s Divestment from U.S. CompanyRead the Press Release
Yesterday, the United States filed a complaint under section 721 of the Defense Production Act of 1950 to enforce a presidential order prohibiting Suirui Group’s acquisition, through Suirui International, of California-based Jupiter Systems and compelling Suirui to divest from Jupiter Systems. On July 8, 2025, the President issued the Order based on his findings that the transaction “threatens to impair the national security of the United States.” This is the first such action ever filed in federal district court.
While foreign direct investment is important to the United States’ economy, foreign investment in certain companies and certain industries, particularly those involved in defense or critical infrastructure, can pose national security concerns. To address these concerns, the President has the authority to take such action for such time as the President considers appropriate to suspend or prohibit such a transaction that threatens to impair the national security of the United States. The Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) is empowered to review and investigate such transactions.
According to the Complaint, in 2020, Suirui Group, a Chinese company, through its Hong Kong subsidiary Suirui International, acquired all of Jupiter Systems, which provides video communications hardware and software to commercial and U.S. Government customers. On July 8, 2025, the President issued an Order prohibiting the transaction and, among other things, requiring Suirui to divest all its interests in Jupiter Systems within 120 days. According to the Complaint, despite CFIUS granting two extensions of the divestment deadline, to Feb. 3, Suirui and Jupiter Systems have failed to comply with the Order. The United States thus filed this action to protect the country’s national security interests.
The Justice Department’s Civil Division, Federal Programs Branch is handling the matter. The case is captioned United States v. Suirui Group Co., Ltd., et al., No. 26-cv-00369 (D.D.C.).
This case is being handled by Trial Attorney Sam Bean of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
The claims asserted in the complaint are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Illinois Man Convicted in Burger King Armed Robbery that Sparked Multi-County Vehicle ChaseRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- A federal jury has convicted Cameron Love, 28, of Rockford, Illinois, of interference with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Evidence presented at trial showed that on January 16, 2025, Love robbed the Burger King located at 7620 North Shadeland Avenue in Indianapolis. Armed with a 9mm Smith & Wesson handgun, Love entered the restaurant and paced in front of the counter. When an employee approached to assist him, Love drew the firearm from his coat pocket, pointed it at her, and demanded she open the register. The employee fled to the kitchen. Love then vaulted over the counter, pointing the gun at additional employees and customers, threatening to kill anyone who resisted, and demanding money. He stole $459 and fled in a Chevy Cruze driven by Michael Scott.
The employee immediately called 911. IMPD officers attempted a traffic stop on the Cruze near 86th Street and Keystone Avenue, but the vehicle fled, initiating a high‑speed pursuit across multiple counties. Dash‑camera footage captured Love throwing both the stolen cash and the handgun out of the vehicle during the chase. The pursuit ended in Carmel. Four days later, IMPD officers recovered the loaded firearm—frozen in ice and protruding from the snow—near a bike path on 106th Street.
Love is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions for aggravated robbery and armed robbery in Illinois.
U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon presided over the trial and will sentence Love at a later date. Love’s co-defendant, Michael Scott, was sentenced in October 2025 to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release after pleading guilty to acting as an accessory after the fact.
The FBI and IMPD investigated this case. U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Pamela Domash and Brendan J. Sullivan, who are prosecuting this case, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist, Shané Penney, Systems Manager Kathy Wells, Victim Witness Specialist Stephanie Lloyd and Victim Witness Contractor, Maurine Bwambok.
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Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful ReentryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Gustavo Olivares-Ramirez, a/k/a Rogelio Madrigal, a/k/a Gustavo Olivares, Gustavo Ramirez Olivares, a Mexican national unlawfully present in LeFlore County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to eight months in prison for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Heavener Police Department.
On September 4, 2025, Olivares-Ramirez pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on June 3, 2025, Olivares-Ramirez, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on November 12, 1997.
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 Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Olivares-Ramirez will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Cornell represented the United States at sentencing.
Illegal Alien Sentenced for Unlawful EntryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Rodolfo Guardado Palma, a/k/a Rodolfo Guardado-Palma, a/k/a Rodolfo Guardado, a Mexican national unlawfully present/residing in Bryan County, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served for one count of Unlawful Reentry of Removed Alien.
The charge arose from an investigation by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement Division and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol.
On December 15, 2025, Guardado-Palma pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on November 17, 2025, Guardado Palma, an alien, was found in the United States without obtaining the express consent of the Secretary of Homeland Security to reapply for admission to the United States after having been previously removed on September 12, 2019, and December 12, 2019.
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 Honorable Ronald A. White, Senior U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Illegal Re-Entry ChargeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – An El Salvadorian citizen pled guilty to an illegal re-entry charge in federal court. Willians Elenilson Beltran-Quintanilla, 39, is charged with illegally re-entering the United States after removal.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Acting Field Office Director Vernon Liggins, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE-ERO) – Baltimore Field Office.According to court documents, in December 2023, law enforcement found Beltran-Quintanilla in Prince George’s County, Maryland, after he was previously removed from the U.S.
On June 13, 2005, Beltran-Quintanilla illegally entered the United States near Eagle Pass, Texas. Then on September 16, 2005, after United States Border Patrol (“USBP”) apprehended him, an immigration judge ordered his removal from the U.S. to El Salvador. On April 10, 2007, Beltran-Quintanilla was then removed from the United States.
Beltran-Quintanilla re-entered the U.S. at an unknown place, date, and time. On June 16, 2007, law enforcement encountered Beltran-Quintanilla, resulting in removal orders for a second time from the U.S.
Then, Beltran-Quintanilla again re-entered the U.S. at an unknown place, date, and time. On December 21, 2023, law enforcement arrested Beltran-Quintanilla in Prince George’s County, Maryland, charging him with multiple drug-related offenses.
Before his arrest, Beltran-Quintanilla did not obtain consent from the Attorney General of the United States or the Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security for readmission into the country at any time.
Beltran-Quintanilla faces a maximum sentence of two years in federal prison for illegal re-entry. Sentencing is set for Friday, May 29, at 9:30 a.m.
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.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended ICE-ERO for its work in this matter. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Oki who is prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty to Assaulting Federal Agent Making Arrest Under Laken Riley ActRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Michel Manuel Garcia Rojas, age 39, a citizen of Nicaragua, pled guilty yesterday to an indictment charging him with resisting, impeding, and assaulting a federal officer engaged in official duties and inflicting bodily injury. First Assistant United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
According to the plea and documents previously filed in the case, Garcia Rojas entered the United States illegally in 2023 and had been engaged in removal proceedings since that date while living freely in the United States. In March 2025, HSI learned that Garcia Rojas and another illegal alien had been charged with the New York State misdemeanor offenses of Petit Larceny and Endangering the Welfare of a Child. Given the nature of the state charges, both aliens were subject to immediate detention under the then-newly enacted Laken Riley Act. HSI promptly went to effectuate the arrests before the subjects were released on the state charges.
Upon his arrest by federal authorities, Garcia Rojas was handcuffed and placed inside the backseat of a federal law enforcement vehicle. He then got out of the vehicle and attempted to walk away. An HSI Special Agent confronted Garcia Rojas and attempted to place him back under arrest. Garcia Rojas fought back, striking the agent in the face and throwing him into a door as the Special Agent wrestled to subdue Garcia Rojas. It ultimately took numerous law enforcement officers and the use of a taser to subdue and rearrest Garcia Rojas. Garcia Rojas inflicted numerous injuries on the agent, including numerous abrasions and bruises, including to the agent’s jaw, and a back injury that kept the agent out of work for months.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarcone said: “Thanks to the Laken Riley Act, we have taken a violent illegal alien off the streets here in the Northern District of New York. Garcia Rojas’ assault on a federal agent faithfully doing his job should be a stark reminder to everyone of the danger these criminals pose. I commend my prosecutors and HSI for their exceptional work in bringing swift justice to this defendant.”
Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “The brazen and violent actions of Michel Manuel Garcia Rojas, a Nicaraguan national with a prior criminal history, represent a direct threat to the safety of our agents, officers and the communities we serve, and reflect the danger law enforcement face each day. Assaulting a federal agent in the line of duty is an egregious and unacceptable crime that will not be tolerated. This case underscores the critical importance of strong enforcement measures like the Laken Riley Act, which empower law enforcement to protect our nation from those who disregard our laws. HSI remains steadfast in pursuing justice for those who endanger our personnel, our partners, and the public alike.”
Garcia Rojas is scheduled for sentencing before U.S. District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino on June 16, 2026. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, a term of supervised release of up to three years, and deportation following any term of imprisonment. Garcia Rojas will also be ordered to pay restitution to the victim of his offense. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute(s) the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
HSI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Tyron Charles Kimbro, also known as “T-Mow,” 42, of Huntington, was sentenced on Monday, February 9, 2026, to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 28, 2025, Kimbro sold approximately 55.6 grams of crack to a confidential informant. As part of his guilty plea, Kimbo admitted to the transaction, to arranging it beforehand, and to conducting it at his Huntington residence.
Kimbo also admitted to additional criminal conduct. On April 8, 2025, Kimbro sold approximately 27.4 grams of crack to a confidential informant. Kimbro admitted to the transaction and to conducting it at his residence.
On April 22, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Kimbro’s residence and seized approximately 36 grams of crack, a quantity of fentanyl, five firearms, and approximately $2,200. Kimbro admitted that the seized cash was drug proceeds.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor 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. 3:25-cr-102.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Matthew Robert Hudson, 40, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on Monday, February 9, 2026, to distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 23, 2025, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Hudson in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle and seized approximately 120 grams of methamphetamine found in the handbag of Hudson’s passenger. As part of his guilty plea, Hudson admitted that he possessed the seized methamphetamine, asked his passenger to hold the methamphetamine for him, and intended to sell the methamphetamine in exchange for money.
Hudson is scheduled to be sentenced on May 27, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-195.
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