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18 September 2026
“Protecting Houses of Worship” Safety and Grant Training in Macon Next MonthRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – Federal, state, and local law enforcement will join members of the faith-based community in Macon for a “Protecting Houses of Worship” safety training along with information on related grants on Oct. 8, 2026.
“This specialized training is designed for the leadership teams of the more than 400 houses of worship in Macon and its surrounding communities, with the goal of enhancing safety and preparedness,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “We strongly encourage faith-based leaders to participate and gain valuable insights into best practices for security, as well as information about available grants to help ensure houses of worship remain safe.”
“The Protecting Houses of Worship symposium will offer insightful information to equip faith leaders to navigate the complexities of our current social climate,” said Paul Little II, Pastor, Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church.
"Everyone who attends a service deserves the right to do so in peace,” said Marlo Graham, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “One of the best ways to secure our houses of worship is to ensure that our faith-based leaders have the information and resources they need to help protect their properties and congregants.”
“Keeping our communities safe is a team effort and a top priority of the GBI,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey. “Through safety training and collaboration with faith-based, nonprofit, and community organizations, we can strengthen our communities and help ensure leaders are prepared to recognize and respond to potential threats.”
“Our houses of worship should always be places where people can gather in faith, fellowship, and peace without fear for their safety,” said Bibb County Sheriff David Davis. “Protecting these sacred spaces requires preparation, awareness, and strong partnerships between law enforcement and the faith community. This training gives our religious and community leaders practical tools to help keep their places of worship safe and their congregations informed. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office is proud to support our federal, state, and local partners in this important effort.”
The half-day seminar will be held at Bibb Mount Zion Baptist Church on Avondale Mill Road in Macon on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. Registration begins at 8 a.m., and the event will finish at approximately 12:30 p.m., with presentations from federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.
The event is available to registered leaders and/or their designees from houses of worship, nonprofits, and community organizations. To register, please visit:
https://bibbmtzion.elexiochms.com/external/form/49c608ca-682a-45e8-b9e3-955c6779ecc5.
For more information, please contact Dion Lyons, Law Enforcement Coordinator with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, at [email protected] or call (478) 733-9659. There is no deadline to register, although seating is limited for this training. There is no cost to attend.
Since 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has organized this training that brings faith-based leaders and all those involved with security at churches, synagogues, mosques, and places of worship together to provide education and a forum for discussion around topics including safety, security, emergency action plan preparedness, hate crimes, and the growth and management of threats.
This training is offered as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
U.S. to Collect over $1.3 Million after Judgment Ordered in Bribery Case Involving Millions in DOW Contracts in AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – The United States has secured more than $1.3 million in civil damages and penalties following a judgment in a False Claims Act case involving a bribery scheme that targeted U.S. Department of War construction contracts at Eielson Air Force Base and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson (JBER).
According to court documents, Brian Lowell Nash II, a former Air Force Contracting Officer, agreed to accept more than $400,000 in bribe payments in 2019 from a government contractor, Ryan Dalbec, who, along with his wife, Raihana Nadem, owned a construction company called Best Choice Construction, LLC. In return, Nash provided Dalbec and Nadem with confidential bidding information on over $8,250,000 in U.S. Department of War contracts at Eielson AFB and JBER, helping the company secure multiple awards, including work tied to the F‑35 program at Eielson AFB and other projects at JBER.
All three individuals were previously convicted in federal court—Nash was sentenced to serve 30 months imprisonment, Dalbec was sentenced to serve 42 months imprisonment.
Now, in a separate civil action, the United States has been awarded over $1.3 million in civil damages and penalties under the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act (FCA) creates a civil cause of action for the recovery of damages and penalties from those who submit false or fraudulent claims to the United States. The U.S. affirmatively sought and was granted treble damages, as well as penalties against Nash, Dalbec, Nadem, and Best Choice Construction.
“We will hold accountable any defense contractor who attempts to undermine fair competition and defraud the American taxpayer through bribery and corrupt practices,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Heyman for the District of Alaska. “To protect the integrity of our procurement system, we will marshal every enforcement tool available — from criminal prosecution to civil remedies under the False Claims Act — to ensure that corruption is exposed, taxpayers are safeguarded, and justice is fully served.”
“The Defense Criminal Investigative Service remains steadfast in our commitment to protecting the integrity of the Department of Defense’s procurement process. This settlement sends a clear message: those who engage in bribery and kickback schemes will be held fully accountable for their actions,” said John Helsing, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office. “Efforts to corrupt or manipulate federal contracting—no matter how carefully concealed—undermine the public trust placed in our institutions and the missions they support. Today’s outcome reflects the determination of DCIS and our partners at the Department of Justice to uncover wrongdoing, enforce consequences, and safeguard taxpayer resources.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (AFOSI) conducted the investigation leading to the criminal indictments. The civil case was investigated by Defense Criminal Investigative Services and handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Civil Chief, Jackie Traini.
Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about fraud against the government may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. Whistleblower awards can range from 15 to 30 percent of the money collected. Those with information regarding fraud committed on government programs are encouraged to visit https://www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office Teams with Yolo County District Attorney’s Office to sentence West Sacramento Career criminal to 20 years in prison for drug distribution conspiracy as part of part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiativeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — James L. Kenney, 45, of West Sacramento, was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley to 20 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, James Kenney was an organizer, broker, and known leader in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in West Sacramento. Kenney’s DTO distributed various controlled substances but primarily sold fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine. Kenney’s DTO primarily distributed controlled substances into the community out of multiple rooms of a motel located in West Sacramento. At the time of the DTO’s operations, Kenney was on probation for previous convictions for selling controlled substances.
On May 2, 2025, a Confidential Source (CS) met Kenney at one of Kenney’s appointments with Yolo County Probation. Despite having been only recently released from prison for drug-dealing, Kenney almost immediately offered to sell the CS marijuana and also let the CS know that he could sell fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. That same day, Kenney sold the CS 2 ounces of fentanyl at a motel in West Sacramento.
On May 13, 2025, the CS bought more drugs from Kenney. Kenney directed the CS to the same motel they had met for the prior drug deal. The CS bought another 2 ounces of fentanyl at a price set by Kenney. After the fentanyl deal, the CS asked Kenney to buy 4 ounces of methamphetamine, which Kenney directed a co-defendant to measure out and take payment for.
On May 23, 2025, the CS again bought drugs from Kenney. This time, the CS and Kenney arranged for the purchase of a pound of methamphetamine. Once again, the CS arranged the purchase and price with Kenney, but the same co-defendant handled the payment and handoff of the drugs.
Later, on Aug. 28, 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the motel where the DTO operated and all three transactions with the CS occurred. The co-defendant was found in one room of the motel with three handguns, 3.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 2 kilograms of cocaine, 283 grams of methamphetamine, and various other drugs. Kenney and two other individuals were in an adjoining room that also contained drugs, including methamphetamine, and heroin. Law enforcement also found more than $12,000 in cash during their search, with more than $1,000 in cash on Kenney’s person. Kenney’s room included a monitor linked to a camera observing another room in the same motel, and when agents searched the room, they found it unoccupied, but the room had more drugs, including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. The unoccupied room with the camera also contained an assault rifle and multiple magazines.
Throughout the conspiracy, Kenney acted as the broker and managed the supply, setting prices and procuring the drugs the CS sought to purchase.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation with assistance from the West Sacramento Police Department and the Yolo County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Douglas Harman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew De Moura prosecuted the case.
This case is also part of the Special Assistant U.S. Attorney program, a partnership between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and local District Attorney’s Offices. These attorneys remain employed by the District Attorney’s Offices but work on federal investigations and can prosecute cases in both state and federal court, strengthening efforts to combat transnational organized crime and violent crime in the region. Currently, the District Attorney’s Offices of Fresno, Sacramento, Stanislaus, and Yolo Counties are participating. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt De Moura serves as a Deputy District Attorney in Yolo County.
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 Sacramento is composed of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 132 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 132 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On September 15, Jose Camarillo De La Torre, a Mexican citizen and border crosser card holder, was arrested and charged with Importation of Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered over 122 pounds of fentanyl concealed in the bed of the Dodge Ram he was driving as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On September 16, Jocelyn Felix, a United States citizen, was arrested and charged with Importation of Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered nearly 86 pounds of cocaine concealed inside the Nissan Versa the defendant was driving as she applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
- On September 15, Antonio Jimenez-Reyez, a U.S. citizen, was arrested and charged with Bringing in an Alien for Financial Gain. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers found an undocumented person from China hiding inside the rear spare tire wheel well of Jimenez-Reyez’ Jeep Cherokee when he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry. The undocumented person was paying nearly $60,000 to be smuggled into the U.S.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
- On September 15, Jose Camarillo De La Torre, a Mexican citizen and border crosser card holder, was arrested and charged with Importation of Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers discovered over 122 pounds of fentanyl concealed in the bed of the Dodge Ram he was driving as he applied for entry to the U.S. at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana to Host Louisiana Law Enforcement Gun Crime Summit in Shreveport and LafayetteRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE-On September 21, 2026, and September 24, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Louisiana will host the 2026 Louisiana Law Enforcement Gun Crime Summit in both Shreveport and Lafayette. The event is designed to strengthen collaboration and effectiveness among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in the critical effort to combat illegal gun possession and gun crime throughout Louisiana.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller will address attendees with remarks addressing the “Benefits of Federal Prosecution: What to Expect from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.” His remarks will highlight how federal investigative and prosecutorial tools can support and enhance local and state efforts to reduce gun violence.
The summit will also feature addresses by Assistant U.S. Attorneys and law enforcement leaders addressing prosecution challenges and remedies. Attendees will participate in workshops and focus groups discussing investigative protocols, best practices, information‑sharing strategies, and coordinated approaches in the quest to keep Louisiana communities safe.
Training seminars will include “Drafting Affidavits and Inclusive Report Writing,” “Fourth Amendment Refresher: Traffic Stops & Seizure of Evidence,” “Suppression Hearings & Trial Testimony,” “Highway Interdiction,” and “Investigation, Evidence Handling, Documentation, and Testimony in Firearms Cases.”
Shreveport: Date: Monday, September 21, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: LSUS Shreveport Auditorium
One University Place
Shreveport, LA 71115Lafayette: Date: Thursday, September 24, 2026
Time: 9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
Location: Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office
Public Safety Complex, Building 2
1825 W. Willow Street
Lafayette, LA 70583###
CONTACT: Public Affairs: [email protected]
United States Attorney’s Office: www.justice.gov/usao-wdla
X: @USAO_WDLA
Facebook: USAO_WDLA
(337) 262-6704Two Men Admit Roles in Success Village Apartments Embezzlement ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two men pleaded guilty this week to offenses stemming from their participation in an embezzlement conspiracy involving Success Village Apartments, Inc., located in Bridgeport and Stratford.
The announcement was made by David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; P.J. O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the FBI; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England; and Justin Page, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Success Village Apartments, Inc. (“SVA”) is a residential cooperative located in Bridgeport and Stratford. SVA comprises 96 separate buildings containing 924 residential units. CHARLES A. PITCHER served as the general manager of Success Village Apartments, Inc. (“SVA”) and also owned and controlled Real Estate Company of New England LLC and Pitcher Enterprises LLC. CARMINE GENTILE is a part owner of Umbrella Mechanical LLC (“Umbrella”), a New Jersey-registered company that provided commercial and residential plumbing, heating, and air conditioning services. In May 2022, Pitcher was appointed as the general manager of SVA for an annual fee of $250,000. In approximately June 2022, Umbrella began providing plumbing services to SVA, including work on the piping and boilers that provided heat and hot water to SVA residents.
Between approximately June 2022 and September 2024, Pitcher, Gentile, and others, including an individual identified as “Person-1” in the Criminal Information charging Pitcher, engaged in an embezzlement conspiracy through which vendors, including Umbrella, would submit fraudulent invoices and requests for payment to SVA, either for work that was not performed or at artificially inflated prices that overstated the amount of money owed by SVA. Pitcher and Person-1 agreed that, in exchange for the vendors’ receipt of work and payments from SVA, the vendors would divert between approximately 10 to 30 percent of the payments received from SVA to Pitcher and Person-1. Gentile and others prepared and caused to be prepared fraudulent invoices and requests for payment to SVA that were not the result of a competitive bidding process, contained objectively unreasonable markups for certain goods and services, contained charges for goods and services that were not rendered, contained amounts to be billed to SVA that were chosen by Pitcher and Person-1, and were otherwise fraudulently inflated, including by not accounting for the money that was remitted to Pitcher and Person-1.
In addition to the $250,000 Pitcher received annually from SVA, he also received purported “consulting fees” from SVA even though he provided no services to SVA in exchange for the fees. Pitcher typically provided a portion of these fees to Person-1.
Umbrella received approximately $2,631,769.71 in payments from SVA, more than $526,000 of which was diverted to Pitcher and Person-1. In total, Pitcher received more than $403,150 in diverted SVA funds, which were associated with over $3,664,000 in payments made by Umbrella and other vendors, and at least $232,479.35 in fraudulent “consulting fees.”
On September 14, 2026, Gentile, 37, of Freehold, New Jersey, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon D. Oliver in Hartford to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. As part of his plea agreement, Gentile has agreed to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of at least $750,000 and agreed to pay restitution in the amount of at least $1,500,000. He is released on a $100,000 bond pending sentencing.
On September 15, 2026, Pitcher, 58, of Trumbull, pleaded guilty before Judge Oliver to the same charge, and he has agreed to a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of at least $635,629.35 and agreed to pay restitution in the amount of at least $2,500,000. He is released on a $250,000 bond pending sentencing.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul A. Riley.
Three Aliens Charged with Voting in Federal ElectionsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Three aliens from Mexico, Venezuela, and Antigua and Barbuda face federal charges for allegedly voting illegally in recent federal elections.
“Voting in federal elections is a sacred right reserved to U.S. citizens, and every vote illegally cast by an alien cancels out a legal vote,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Maintaining the integrity of our elections and protecting the voting rights of citizens are among the highest priorities of my office. We will work with federal law enforcement and our state partners to vigorously safeguard those rights through the prosecutions brought to date and more that may soon follow.”
“Protecting the integrity of U.S. elections requires enforcing the laws that govern who may lawfully participate,” said Ryan McSeveney, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service Miami Field Office, which oversees the Southeastern United States. “DSS is committed to working closely with our law enforcement partners to investigate allegations of unlawful voting and related document and identity fraud.”
“When a foreign national votes in U.S. elections, it violates federal law and undermines public trust in our election system,” said Ellen Johnson, Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI in Georgia and Alabama. “HSI will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate illegal voting and protect the integrity of America’s immigration and election systems.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Since September 1, 2026, three foreign nationals have been charged with voting in federal elections in the Northern District of Georgia.
Pauline Lewis, 65, an alien residing in Dawsonville, Georgia, is alleged to have voted by absentee ballot in the November 5, 2024, January 5, 2021, and November 3, 2020 federal elections. Lewis is allegedly a citizen of Antigua and Barbuda who entered the United States on a student visa in 1979 and remained in the country but never applied to become a U.S. citizen. Today, she appeared in federal court following her arrest on a criminal complaint charging her with voting as a non-citizen in a federal election.
Gabriel Covarrubias, 44, an alien residing in Lawrenceville, Georgia, is alleged to have voted in person using a false name in the November 5, 2024 federal election. Covarrubias is allegedly a citizen of Mexico who falsely claimed in a U.S. passport application submitted in March 2023 that he had a different name and was born in Puerto Rico. On September 1, 2026, he waived indictment and was charged by criminal information with making a false statement in a U.S. passport application and voting as a non-citizen in a federal election.
Analiea Milliscent Eccles, 43, an alien residing in Morrow, Georgia, is alleged to have voted nine times between 2008 and 2024. Eccles is allegedly a citizen of Venezuela who entered the United States on a temporary visitor visa in 1991 and remained in the country, applying for and receiving Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status in 2013. Although she allegedly sought to renew that status earlier this year, she has never applied to become a U.S. citizen. On September 14, 2026, she appeared in federal court following her arrest on a criminal complaint charging her with voting as a non-citizen in a federal election and making a false claim of U.S. citizenship to vote in an election.
Members of the public are reminded that the complaints and information only contain charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The cases are being investigated by the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, with valuable assistance from the Office of the Georgia Secretary of State.
These prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF comprises agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6185. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Texas Man Sentenced for Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Big Springs, Texas, man, Mark Coulter, 35, was sentenced on Friday to 25 years in prison by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell for online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual conduct.
In January 2025, Coulter "friended" a minor victim on Facebook and began an online “relationship,” consisting of communicating via online messaging platforms, such as Snapchat and Facebook. During the course of the conversations, Coulter admitted to knowingly enticing the minor victim to engage in sexual acts with him. In June 2025, Coulter traveled from his home in Texas to Kentucky to visit family and meet the victim to engage in sexual activity, in which some of the sexual acts were recorded using a cellphone.
"Predators should understand this: the internet is not anonymous, and a screen will not shield you from law enforcement or the consequences of your actions. This defendant used the internet to target a child and then traveled across state lines to engage in sexual activity with the child," said U.S. Attorney Jason Parman. "A 25-year federal prison sentence demonstrates the seriousness in which we treat these crimes."
Jason Parman, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky, and Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Roth prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Tangipahoa Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act and Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – SHYHIEM PINES, age 31, a resident of Tangipahoa Parish, pled guilty on September 17, 2026, before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier to a three-count superseding bill of information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine and forty (40) grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A) and 841(b)(1)(B), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
According to court documents, in January 2024, law enforcement officers learned that PINES sold heroin and fentanyl from his residence in Ponchatoula, Louisiana and that his mother Kawaiishh Brown sold heroin and fentanyl from her residence also in Ponchatoula on behalf of PINES.
On March 26, 2024, agents obtained and executed search warrants at PINES and Brown’s residences. At PINES’ residence, agents found a black book sack containing 312.1 grams of methamphetamine, 1.61 grams of cocaine, and 57 grams of tramadol, fentanyl and heroin. Also in the book sack with the drugs was a Glock Model 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol.
At the residence, where Brown resides, law enforcement seized 57.1 grams of methamphetamine, 5.523 grams of fentanyl, 11.73 grams of cocaine and .995 grams of cocaine base. Also found in the residence, were a Ruger LSP .380 caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Radical Firearm Model RF-15 semi-automatic rifle. PINES acknowledged ownership of the drugs and firearms found at Brown’s residence and admitted that he provided the drugs to Brown for resale.
For the conspiracy count, PINES faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. For the possession with intent to distribute count, PINES faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years, a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. For the firearm count, PINES faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life, to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed, up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
The case was investigated by the Southeastern Louisiana University Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), which is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hammond Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office, and the 21st Judicial District Court. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys André Jones and Lauren Sarver.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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Tallahassee Felon Indicted for Federal Drug & Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Tallahassee, Florida – Marcello Hinojosa, 53, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been indicted in federal court on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking offense. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges.
Hinojosa 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 September 28, 2026, in Tallahassee before Chief United States District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
If convicted, Hinojosa faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and up to life imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute count; up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the possession of a firearm by a convicted felon count; and no less than 5 years consecutive to any other sentence on the possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking offense count.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration 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 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 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.
Sumter County Man Arrested for Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Gerquon Lavares Thomas (32, Wildwood), a/k/a “Q-Baby,” has been charged by indictment with three counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted, Thomas faces an enhanced minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life, in federal prison on each count due to having a prior qualifying conviction for a serious felony drug offense. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on June 5, June 24, and October 10, 2025, Thomas distributed and possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Thomas is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
South Texas man sentenced after traveling with minor while in possession of over 2,000 images of child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 33-year-old Brownsville man has been ordered to federal prison for possession of child pornography.
Jose Jaime Baeza Jr. pleaded guilty Aug. 5, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera ordered Baeza to serve 180 months in federal prison at a hearing Sept. 9, to be immediately followed by life on supervised release.
During that time, Baeza will be subject to numerous requirements restricting his access to children and the internet and will be required to register as a sex offender. The court further ordered Baeza to pay $30,000 in restitution to the victims.
On Jan. 17, 2024, Baeza attempted to enter the United States through the Brownsville & Matamoros International Bridge with a female child. He claimed she was his sister but did not have the proper documentation to support that statement.
Authorities referred Baeza to secondary inspection after a records check flagged him as a registered sex offender.
Law enforcement located two cell phones and discovered a video of an 8-year-old child engaging in sex acts.
A forensic analysis of one of the phones uncovered approximately 2,177 images and 487 videos of child sexual abuse material.
Baeza will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with assistance from Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.
South Bend Man Found Guilty After 4-Day Jury Trial for Controlled Substance and Firearm Offenses Through the efforts of the Homeland Security Task ForceRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – DeCarlos L. Smallwood, 51 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was convicted of eight felony counts after a four-day jury trial before United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Smallwood was found guilty of drug and firearm offenses, including conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, distribution and possession with intent to distribute over 50 grams of methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and discharging a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 26, 2027.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Postal Inspection Service, Indiana State Police, DEA North Central Laboratory, South Bend Police Department, St. Joseph County Police Department, and Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius and Joel Gabrielse.
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 Indianapolis comprises agents and officers from FBI, HSI, DEA, ATF, IRS, Indiana State Police, and other partners, with the prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Northern and Southern Districts of Indiana.
Shelton Man Charged with Stealing Government Funds Through Altered U.S. Treasury Tax Refund ChecksRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging JUAVEEL WRIGHT, 34, of Shelton, with five counts of theft of government property related to the depositing of altered federal tax refund checks with a combined value of more than $520,000.
The indictment was returned on September 2, 2026. Wright appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge S. Dave Vatti in Bridgeport, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $200,000 bond.
As alleged in the indictment, between February and July 2024, Wright obtained U.S. Treasury tax refund checks that were issued to other persons or organizations. Wright altered, or caused the alteration of, five tax refund checks so that he was listed as the payee with his address in Shelton. He deposited the five checks into his brokerage account and received more than $440,000 for the first four checks. The brokerage firm did not issue funds for the fifth check after determining it had been altered. Wright transferred most of the funds to two bank accounts and withdrew the money primarily as cash. He also used some funds to purchase stocks in his brokerage account.
Theft of government property carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Sex offender admits to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
GALVESTON, Texas – A 59-year-old Hitchcock resident has pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child pornography.
Peter Michael Ryan IV admitted he received, possessed, and shared child sexual abuse material through multiple online platforms, including the Verizon Cloud, Snapchat, Google, and Telegram. Ryan distributed the material from at least April 2021 until law enforcement searched his home in April 2023. Investigators found that Ryan possessed more than 7,500 videos and images of child sexual abuse material in his possession.
U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown will impose sentencing on Dec. 1. At that time, Ryan faces up to 40 years in federal prison for receipt of child pornography and 20 years for possession of child pornography. He also faces a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Ryan has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Hitchcock Police Department and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Lu is prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
September term of the Federal Grand Jury returns indictments for kidnapping, firearms, drugs, and immigration chargesRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, Georgia: Multiple defendants have been indicted by the September term of the federal Grand Jury in the Southern District of Georgia for various charges, including kidnapping, firearms offenses, drug charges, and immigration violations.
Margaret E. “Meg” Heap, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, announced the indictments. Those facing federal charges include:
- Eshon Grant, 34, of Savannah, indicted for two counts of Interference with Commerce by Robbery, two counts of Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence, and Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Brandon L. Graddy, 41, of Savannah, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and for Possession of a Firearm during and in relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime.
- Tommy Browner Jr., 40, of Rayle, Georgia, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Terrick Barice Griggs, 37, of Savannah, indicted for Kidnapping.
- Raheem Kirkland, 30, of Savannah, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Calvin C. Britt, 59, of Hephzibah, Georgia, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Damien Deshawn Stubbs, 36, of Augusta, indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
- Anthony Torres, 35, a citizen of Mexico, indicted for Possession of Fraudulent Immigration Documents and Aggravated Identity Theft.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The cases listed above have been investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Chatham County Sheriff’s Office, Richmond County Sheriff’s Office, Savannah Police Department and local law enforcement agencies. These cases are being prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew A. Breedon, Tara M. Lyons, Steven T. Poland, Bradley R. Thompson, Joshua Kyle Davis, Henry W. Syms Jr., Marcela Mateo, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Karl I. Knoche.
Rochester Man Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Jaythien Guillermo, age 25, of Rochester, New Hampshire was indicted this week by a federal grand jury for one count of Production of Child Pornography and one count of Distribution of Child Pornography, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces. He will appear in federal court in Concord on September 24, 2026.
If convicted, Guillermo faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 15 years and a maximum prison term of 30 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Concord Police Department led the investigation. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles V. DeJoie III is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Schools: Federal grand jury returns 7-count indictment against elementary school teacher and former principal for conspiracy scheme that endangered childrenRead the Press Release
DALLAS — United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould announced that on Sept. 16, a federal grand jury indicted Michael Raymond Roell, also known as “Johnathan Michael,” and Wendy Bailey, former principal of Crosby Elementary School in Forney ISD, for orchestrating a scheme that concealed Roell’s prior history of alleged abuse and misconduct, and enabled him to obtain a position as a special‑education teacher within the district.
The duo is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and six counts of wire fraud for their alleged roles in facilitating Roell’s fraudulent entry into the school district.
“The allegations in this indictment represent a profound violation of trust,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “A school is supposed to be a place where children are safe and protected, not a place where an educator with a known history of misconduct can walk back into a classroom because someone in a position of authority helped him hide who he really was – a predator that targets special needs children. This office will use every tool available to aggressively prosecute anyone who compromises the safety of children or undermines the integrity of our public institutions. These individuals did not just conspire to break the law, they actively and maliciously put children at risk.”
“This indictment demonstrates the lengths these two defendants went to circumvent a hiring process meant to keep our schools and students safe,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that students not only receive a good education, but that education is provided in a safe environment.”
According to the indictment, on or about June 6, 2016, Roell was arrested and charged in Dallas County, with one count of indecency with a child – sexual conduct after accusations he touched at least one student in the groin area and observed the student as they used the restroom. Roell was terminated from his position with Garland ISD. These prior allegations, which were known to Bailey, were concealed during the hiring process, and were red flags that would have impacted his eligibility for employment if adequately disclosed.
The indictment alleges that to circumvent hiring safeguards, Roell, encouraged by Bailey, legally changed his name from Michael Raymond Roell to Johnathan Michael, then submitted an employment application to Forney ISD that concealed his prior identity, criminal charges, and misconduct and disciplinary history. Prosecutors allege that Bailey used her position as principal to promote Roell’s candidacy, participate in hiring communications and help move his falsified application forward.
The indictment details numerous electronic communications between Roell and Bailey — including emails, text messages, and application documents — that prosecutors say demonstrate explicit coordination to hide Roell’s prior criminal charges and ensure his hiring. In October 2025, Roell, using his new legal name, was successfully hired as a special‑education teacher at Crosby Elementary, earning approximately $67,700 annually.
Roell remained employed by Forney ISD until May 2026, when the Texas Rangers arrested him on state charges of felony child abuse and grooming. That arrest led to the federal investigation now culminating in these felony indictments.
As alleged in the indictment, the charges are related to Roell’s prior alleged wrongdoing and the alleged efforts by Roell and Bailey to conceal that information.
Roell has been in federal custody since Aug. 27. If convicted, both defendants face a federal prison sentence of up to twenty years and forfeiture of any proceeds derived from the offense.
The FBI’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations Dallas and the Texas Rangers. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ted Parran and Claire Demers are prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Schools is a federal initiative aimed at protecting students, enforcing accountability and restoring transparency in public schools across North Texas. Project Safe Schools directly targets failures in mandatory reporting of educator misconduct and combats the practice known as “passing the trash,” where educators with known misconduct issues move between schools without disclosure of their prior wrongdoing. Project Safe Schools’ goals are to:
- Enforce mandatory reporting requirements tied to federal education programs.
- Hold school districts, administrators and teachers accountable through civil and criminal enforcement.
- Increase transparency in educator misconduct investigations.
- Strengthen student safety across schools in North Texas.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and both defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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roell_bailey_-_indictment.pdfPlainfield Man with Prior Federal Conviction Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, announced that WILLIAM LAVIMONIERE, 66, of Plainfield, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 10, 2012, Lavimoniere was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 33 months of imprisonment for fraud and tax offenses stemming from his embezzlement of more than $348,000 from a non-profit corporation that served Connecticut adults and students who have disabilities. In November 2012, Lavimoniere divorced his wife to transfer assets, including their residence, to her to avoid collection by the IRS. Lavimoniere was released from federal prison in April 2015.
For the 2008 through 2011 tax years, Lavimoniere had an outstanding tax assessment balance of $213,267, not including penalties and interest. Lavimoniere only paid approximately $7,007 toward the assessment. In December 2023, the IRS ceased civil collection of the outstanding assessment because the collection statute expired.
After Lavimoniere was released from prison, he operated a trucking and furniture installation business named WJL Handling LLC (“WJL”). For the 2016, 2017, 2018, 2023, and 2024 tax years, Lavimoniere earned substantial income from WJL but willfully failed to file federal tax returns. For the 2019 through 2022 tax years, Lavimoniere filed tax returns that underreported income from WJL. Lavimoniere made significant structured cash withdrawals to avoid financial reporting thresholds, paid his employees “under the table,” and used his business bank account to pay personal expenses. He also continued to live in his former residence with his ex-wife and deposited cash into her bank account, which she then used to pay the mortgage and other household expenses.
The government has calculated that Lavimoniere owes $246,417 in restitution to the IRS, and Lavimoniere has agreed to cooperate with the IRS to pay all outstanding taxes, interest, and penalties.
Tax evasion carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
Lavimoniere is released on a $75,000 bond pending sentencing, which is scheduled for December 9.
This matter is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather L. Cherry.
On April 7, the Department of Justice announced the creation of the National Fraud Enforcement Division (“Fraud Division”). The Fraud Division is laser-focused on investigating and prosecuting those who commit fraud against the American people. The Department’s work to combat fraud supports President Trump’s Task Force to Eliminate Fraud, a whole-of-government effort chaired by Vice President J.D. Vance to eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse within Federal benefit programs.
Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Drug Diversion from National Pharmacy ChainRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Pittsfield pharmacist pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to diverting Adderall and Dextroamp-amphetamin (generic Adderall) from a national pharmacy chain.
Joshua Bradley, 30, of Pittsfield, pleaded guilty to five counts of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deception and subterfuge. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Dec. 15, 2026. Bradley was charged in July 2026.
While working as a licensed pharmacist at a national pharmacy chain, Bradley diverted various quantities of Dextroamp-amphetamin for his own use on four occasions in August, September and November 2024. Additionally, on Nov. 10, 2024, Bradley also diverted Adderall. These controlled substances originally were intended for customers.
The charge of acquiring a controlled substance by fraud, deception, and subterfuge provides for a sentence of up to four years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police, the Barnstable County Sheriff’s Department and the Barnstable, Harwich, Bourne, Brewster, Sandwich, Falmouth, Mashpee, Yarmouth and Dennis Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Meghan Cleary of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Non-Citizen Charged with Unlawful Voting in Del RioRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national was arrested Wednesday in Del Rio on criminal charges related to alleged illegal voting, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas.
According to court documents, Monica Ivette Carzoli Carillo, 46, became a Legal Permanent Resident on Dec. 5, 2023. On Oct. 26, 2024, Carzoli Carillo allegedly cast an early voting ballot at the Del Rio Civic Center in the November 2024 presidential election.
A criminal complaint alleges that U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers obtained a sworn statement from Carzoli Carillo on Nov. 19, 2025, in which Carzoli Carillo admitted to registering to vote and then voting in the November 2024 election.
Carzoli Carillo is charged with one count of 18 USC 611 voting by aliens and one count of 18 USC 1015(f). If convicted, she faces up to five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“Federal law in the United States clearly states that it is unlawful for a noncitizen to vote in federal elections,” said U.S. Attorney Simmons. “If you don’t have integrity in your elections, you don’t have a country. Rest assured, my office will work with our partners at the state and federal levels to investigate cases of alleged illegal voting and we will prosecute them accordingly.”
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case with assistance from the Office of the Texas Attorney General.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carli Tuttle is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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More than 260 New Federal Immigration Cases Filed in Western District of TexasRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – Federal prosecutors in the Western District of Texas filed 264 new immigration and immigration-related criminal cases from September 11 through September 17, announced U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons. Charges were brought against alien smugglers and illegal aliens with past convictions for child sex crimes, numerous DWIs, violent crimes, thefts, and numerous prior removals.
Among the new cases, Jose Ramiro Ramirez Nunez, an illegal alien from Mexico, is charged with illegal alien in possession of a firearm. Ramirez Nunez was pulled over by a Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) Texas Highway Patrol trooper in Guadalupe County on Monday, September 14. A criminal complaint alleges he was the driver and sole occupant in the vehicle and presented a Mexican Consulate ID card as he did not possess a driver’s license. An officer from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) determined Ramirez Nunez was an illegal alien from Mexico and took him into custody. During an inventory search of Ramirez Nunez’s vehicle, the DPS trooper allegedly located a .40 caliber pistol in the center console, unloaded and holstered. The complaint further alleges that the trooper also located two magazines loaded with .40 caliber ammunition inside the glove box.
An illegal alien and convicted sex offender was arrested in El Indio and charged with illegal re-entry. Jose Enrique Vasquez-Nicolas, of Mexico, was deported on June 28, 2025 after serving a five-year sentence in prison for two counts of sexual assault of a child.
Yoni Donay Hernandez-Orellana, an illegal alien from Honduras, was arrested by U.S. Border Patrol agents near Eagle Pass. Hernandez-Orellana was deported in October 2025 after being convicted of common law robbery in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hernandez-Orellana was also convicted of Robbery with a dangerous weapon in July 2024. He now faces his first illegal re-entry charge.
U.S. citizen Pedro Damian Torres, who was arrested in July on a human smuggling state charge, is now federally charged with alien smuggling following a smuggling incident near Paisano Drive in El Paso. A USBP agent discovered a breach in the border fence and observed five sets of muddy footprints leading toward Paisano Drive. Video surveillance confirmed five individuals crossed the Rio Grande, breached the fence, and entered a silver sedan which then fled at a high rate of speed. An investigation led agents to a location on Viscount Boulevard, where they observed that the interior of the vehicle parked there was covered in mud. The vehicle was determined to be registered to Torres and also had a history of crossing the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. Due to the investigation and prior derogatory alerts pertaining to Torres, agents arrested him as he exited the building on Viscount Boulevard. A criminal complaint alleges Torres admitted to picking up five illegal aliens along Paisano Drive and that he was paid $600 per illegal alien, a total of $3,000. The complaint also alleges Torres admitted to three prior smuggling events for which he was paid $500 per subject.
U.S. citizen Lawrence Joshua Lucero was also arrested and charged with alien smuggling. Lucero allegedly arranged to pick up two illegal aliens near the intersection of Porfirio Diaz Street and West Missouri Avenue. Lucero was previously convicted of human smuggling in June 2025. He was also convicted of drug trafficking in 2023 and child abuse in 2016.
In Fort Hancock, Jose Luis Saldana-Barrios, an illegal alien from Mexico with two active warrants, was arrested and charged with illegal re-entry. Saldana-Barrios was previously removed from the U.S. in November 2017. He was convicted of his fourth DWI in November 2016. He was also convicted in 2015 of aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including ICE, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas comprises 68 counties located in the central and western areas of Texas, encompasses nearly 93,000 square miles and an estimated population of 7.6 million people. The district includes three of the five largest cities in Texas—San Antonio, Austin and El Paso—and shares 660 miles of common border with the Republic of Mexico.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Moncks Corner Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Selling Fentanyl and a GunRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Miquan Xavier Fennick, 27, of Moncks Corner, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for selling drugs, including fentanyl, and a pistol with an obliterated serial number. Fennick pleaded guilty to distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl, possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Evidence presented in court showed that Fennick sold methamphetamine and fentanyl to a confidential source on three separate occasions in Summerville between March 28 and April 13, 2023. During one of those transactions, Fennick also sold the source a .380-caliber pistol with its serial number removed. His prior felony convictions prohibited him from possessing firearms. Across the three distributions, Fennick sold more than 226 grams of methamphetamine and nearly 9 grams of fentanyl.
Then, on April 16, 2023, Fennick ran from Myrtle Beach Police Officers and dropped a shoulder bag with 189 grams of methamphetamine, 20 grams of crack cocaine, and 15 grams of powder cocaine.
Fennick previously served a state prison sentence for offenses involving methamphetamine, heroin, and a pistol.
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.
United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Fennick to 15 years in federal prison, to be followed by five years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Dorchester County Sheriff’s Office, and the Myrtle Beach Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Lietzow prosecuted the case.###
Mississippi Man Pled Guilty to Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – KEVIN DEAN, age 34, a resident of Mississippi, pled guilty on September 10, 2026, to two counts of distribution of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), announced U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle.
DEAN faces up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine up to $1,000,000.00, a 3-year term of supervised release after his term of imprisonment, and a mandatory assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. District Judge Susie Morgan will sentence DEAN on December 10, 2026.
According to court documents, on December 1, 2025, DEAN sold fentanyl to an individual he believed to be a legitimate buyer during a controlled buy that was orchestrated by Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearm and Explosive (ATF) agents. Later, on December 8, 2025, DEAN again sold fentanyl to an individual he believed to be a legitimate buyer during a controlled buy that was orchestrated by ATF agents.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell, I.V. of the Narcotics Unit.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the Department of Justice’s nationwide initiative that brings federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, and other public safety partners together to coordinate efforts to combat violent crime and make communities safe. Coordinated by U.S. Attorneys’ offices in each of the 94 federal districts, PSN is tailored to particular communities to strategically address specific violent crime and public safety challenges. As a key component of Operation Take Back America, PSN serves a central role in the Department’s commitment to make our country safe. PSN emphasizes three core principles: rapid federal response to violent crime and criminal offenders; strong, strategic partnerships among law enforcement at all levels; and accountability and deterrence through the prosecution of the most serious, readily provable offenses and other strategies. These efforts complement and strengthen President Trump’s Homeland Security Task Forces, ensuring a comprehensive federal response to the most pressing public safety issues facing communities.
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Minnesota Man Sentenced for Assaulting Representative Ilhan Omar During Minneapolis Town Hall on January 27, 2026Read the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen announced that Anthony James Kazmierczak, 56, was sentenced to 14 months in prison for assaulting United States Representative Ilhan Omar during a Town Hall meeting in January 2026. Kazmierczak was sentenced before U.S. District Judge Joan N. Ericksen on September 17, 2026.
Kazmierczak previously pleaded guilty on May 7, 2026 to a one-count indictment charging him with assaulting a United States Officer in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a). Kazmierczak had originally been charged by complaint on January 28, 2026, one day after the assault.
According to court documents, Kazmierczak attended an official Town Hall meeting in north Minneapolis, hosted by United States Representative Ilhan Omar. During the meeting, Representative Omar called for the then-Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary to resign. The defendant, seated in the front row of the audience, suddenly stood up and aggressively approached Representative Omar in the front of the room and sprayed her with liquid from a syringe, shouting, “She’s not resigning. You’re splitting Minnesotans apart.” The liquid from the syringe landed on Representative Omar’s jacket. The FBI interviewed a security guard who saw droplets of the liquid on Representative Omar’s face, and Representative Omar told the FBI that she also felt the liquid on her hand. Lab analysis determined the liquid contained acetic acid and identified it as a mixture of water and apple cider vinegar.
After spraying the liquid, Kazmierczak gestured at Representative Omar while backing away and was tackled to the floor by a security officer from her security detail. The defendant was then escorted out of the room by security officers, and the Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) responded to the scene. As an MPD officer approached the defendant, the defendant spontaneously stated, “I squirted vinegar.” The Town Hall meeting was briefly interrupted, but Representative Omar continued the meeting and her remarks.
An FBI investigation determined that the defendant had planned the assault on Representative Omar for weeks, and he anticipated that his conduct at the meeting would likely result in an arrest. The defendant had ordered a ticket to the Town Hall meeting weeks in advance. Prior to attending the Town Hall meeting, Kazmierczak sent messages to associates with vague indicators that he planned to do something at the meeting, and he arranged for dog care and contact with a bail bond company.
During the sentencing hearing, Judge Ericksen noted that the defendant’s crime was premeditated and planned, but it was “misguided planning.” She stated that Kazmierczak’s act was “misguided, selfish, and inconsistent with a free and democratic society.”
“Political violence is unacceptable. This defendant chose to assault a Member of Congress instead of resorting to the ballot box. My office will not tolerate these types of attacks,” said United States Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
“The planning and intent that went into this crime of political violence is shocking,” said FBI Minneapolis Field Office Special Agent in Charge Christopher D. Dotson. “The use of any form of violence to assault, resist, or impede officials carrying out their constitutionally appointed duties cannot be tolerated. Today’s sentence shows that there are serious consequences for choosing violence over civil discourse.”
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI with assistance from the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to Decade in PrisonRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – An Ohio man will spend the next 10 years in federal prison for selling methamphetamine in Wetzel County, announced United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Tyree D’Sean Jefferys, 34, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced to 120 months in prison. Jefferys, also known as “Ty,” sold more than a half a pound of methamphetamine to confidential informants in New Martinsville, West Virginia. Jefferys has prior burglary and firearms convictions.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, and repel the invasion of illegal immigration.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Member of the Tulalip Tribes sentenced to 17 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm in a crime of violenceRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 40-year-old member of the Tulalip Tribes was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 17 years in prison for voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm in a crime of violence, announced First Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Abdul Qasim Ray Zahir shot and killed a friend who had been helping him work on a car in a detached garage at his home on the Tulalip reservation. Zahir shot the victim during a sudden quarrel over noise from the auto work. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Ricardo S. Martinez said, “This is a sad case in so many different ways… The taking of a life – it doesn’t get more serious than that…. This was a senseless act.”
“This was a completely senseless crime – Mr. Zahir used a homemade firearm to shoot the victim in the back of the head, the heart and shoulder during nothing more than a verbal altercation,” said First Assistant Neil Floyd. “The defendant’s lengthy criminal history – including firing a gun during a robbery at a Costco warehouse and a prior ten-year federal sentence for drug trafficking, mandate significant prison time to protect the community.”
According to records filed in the case, on May 28, 2022, the victim, Zahir and others were in the detached garage, when Zahir’s cousin complained about the noise the victim was making. As the victim walked towards Zahir’s cousin, Zahir pulled out a gun and fired three shots killing the victim. Zahir refused to try to aid the victim or call 9-1-1 for aid. The victim was unarmed.
Despite prior felony convictions, Zahir possessed firearms and ammunition – the guns all self-manufactured “ghost guns.” As prosecutors noted in their sentencing memo, “From Zahir’s garage, where the homicide occurred, agents also recovered three additional ‘ghost gun’ firearms with no serial numbers, including two AR-15 style assault rifles and one modified .22 caliber pistol. Other items recovered from Zahir’s residence made clear that he was directly involved in the manufacture of ghost guns.” Zahir was also actively selling fentanyl pills.
At the time of the shooting, Zahir was facing charges in King County Superior Court: attempted robbery, illegal possession of a firearm, and possession of a stolen vehicle. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Zahir will plead guilty to those charges, and the state prosecutor will recommend that the sentence in state court will run concurrent to Zahir’s sentence in federal custody.
Judge Martinez imposed five years of supervised release to follow the prison sentence. Restitution for the victim’s family will be determined at a later date.
“Mr. Zahir ruthlessly killed an unarmed victim by shooting him multiple times at close range, all because of an argument,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “No sentence can ever bring back the life Zahir so needlessly took. However, it is our hope this sentence sends a message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners take violent crime seriously, both on tribal lands and throughout Washington state, especially those who have failed to learn their lesson from prior offenses.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Tulalip Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.
Mason City Man Sentenced to More Than 25 Years in Federal Prison for Meth and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Willie York, 47, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced on September 18, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City. York pled guilty on May 11, 2026, to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. York was previously convicted in Cerro Gordo County of the following crimes which prohibit a person from possessing a firearm or ammunition: Terrorism – Intent to Injure or Provoke Fear or Anger, and Robbery-2nd, both in 2000; and Delivery of Methamphetamine in 2015.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from August 2024 through October 2024, York and others conspired to distribute more than two pounds of mixed methamphetamine which contained 50 grams or more of pure methamphetamine. On October 1, 2024, York was a passenger in a vehicle with two others, traffic stopped south of Sioux City, Iowa. Law enforcement found over one pound of pure methamphetamine broken down in various packages, along with two firearms in the vehicle including a fully loaded Beretta 9mm pistol with York. York admitted that he and another transported the methamphetamine from Des Moines, Iowa to Pierre, South Dakota for distribution during two round trips over the course of several days, and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand sentenced York to 322 months’ imprisonment and ordered he serve a 10-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. York remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4080. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Drug Distribution Charges in Connection with Death of Teenage GirlRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal judge sentenced a Gaithersburg, Maryland, man for a drug-trafficking offense that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old girl.
U.S. District Judge Deborah L. Boardman sentenced Kelvin Reyes, 27, to 14 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of controlled substances after selling narcotics to the minor victim who contacted him on a social media platform.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Acting Special Agent in Charge Frank Saldana, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) – Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Acting Chief Darren Francke, Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD).
According to court documents, on January 14, 2023, Reyes distributed fentanyl to the teenaged victim. The victim later used the substance and subsequently died.
Evidence shows that late in the evening of January 13, the victim contacted Reyes on Instagram about purchasing fentanyl. Reyes agreed to sell fentanyl to the victim, so he requested an address for delivery. The victim then instructed Reyes to meet her at an elementary school near her residence in Montgomery County.
The investigation revealed that Reyes’s phone was located at the school where he agreed to meet the victim in the early morning hours of January 14. Ring camera footage from the victim’s residence also confirms she left her residence around the same timeframe and returned home approximately three minutes later. Reyes then posted an Instagram story advertising he was driving around in his car selling fentanyl after he met the victim.
The victim’s mother reported that around 7 a.m., she found her daughter in her room in a fetal position with fluid coming out of her mouth and nose area. She also saw a burnt piece of aluminum foil with fentanyl residue next to the victim. An autopsy later revealed that the victim’s cause of death was fentanyl and despropionyl fentanyl intoxication.
On January 24, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Reyes’s residence where they found a digital scale; clear plastic bags; a plastic zip-top bag containing $5.13 in U.S. coins; and numerous orange zip-top bags, foil, and straws with residue.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DEA, FBI, and MCPD for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle A. Li and Kenneth S. Clark, who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md.
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Maryland Man Convicted of Child Sex-Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced, today, that after a four-day trial, a federal jury convicted a Maryland man of several child sex-abuse crimes.
The jury found James Edward Howeth, 43, of East New Market, guilty of two counts of sexually exploiting a minor, one count of distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), and three counts of possessing CSAM. Howeth faces a mandatory minimum 15 years, and a maximum of 140 years, in federal prison.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty verdict with Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, FBI Baltimore Field Office, and Colonel Michael A. Jackson, Superintendent, Maryland State Police (MSP).
During the trial, evidence showed that Howeth enticed and coerced a minor female to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing CSAM. The government also proved that Howeth used a cell phone to distribute CSAM.
According to court documents, between April 2021 and April 2022, Howeth produced sexually explicit depictions of the minor victim who was 4 and 5 years old at the time. Law enforcement discovered that Howeth possessed more than CSAM files and that in September 2023, Howeth sent a text message to another person with a CSAM file attached.
Then as part of the investigation, on March 14, 2024, law-enforcement officers executed a search warrant on Howeth’s East New Market home. During the search, law enforcement seized several of Howeth’s electronic devices including two cellphones, a laptop, and a desktop. A search of the cellphones revealed a text conversation in which Howeth discussed his sexual attraction to the minor victim and other children in addition to CSAM images of the minor victim that Howeth produced on two separate occasions.
Law enforcement also located more than 200 CSAM files on the cellphones and more than 100 CSAM files on the laptop.
Howeth is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison for each count of sexually exploiting a minor. He also faces a minimum of five years and a maximum of 20 years for distributing CSAM, along with a maximum of 20 years for each count of possessing CSAM.
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.
Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the FBI and MSP for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Reema Sood who are 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.
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Marion County Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Jimmy Deon Lofton (46, Ocala) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to eight years and one month in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Lofton pleaded guilty plea on May 28, 2026. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on July 1, 2025, the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team (UDEST) executed a search warrant at Lofton’s residence. Agents recovered numerous controlled substances, including approximately 173 grams of fentanyl, 31 grams of methamphetamine, 260 grams of MDMA, and over 1,000 grams of cocaine. Some of the substances were buried in an ammunition can in the backyard. Agents also obtained a search warrant for a home security DVR system Lofton had installed. That DVR system revealed numerous videos of Lofton packaging and selling controlled substances at his residence.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Marion County Man Arrested for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Chan Dara Mean (42, Belleview) has been charged by indictment with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Mean faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to the indictment, on August 25, 2026, Mean was in possession of material which contained visual depictions involving the sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12. Mean was arrested on September 16, 2026. He is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Man Charged with Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A federal grand jury in Charlotte has returned a criminal indictment charging Sha Bahadur Ghaley, 42, a naturalized citizen from Bhutan, with naturalization fraud, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
“It is a proud day for most people when they become a naturalized citizen of this great country,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “Those who commit fraud to cheat their way into American citizenship take that opportunity from someone else. That is a federal crime, and we will hold them accountable.”
“Naturalization fraud threatens the integrity of our immigration system and the trust placed in those who seek U.S. citizenship lawfully,” said Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Atlanta Field Office Director LaDeon Francis. “Through initiatives such as Operation False Haven, ERO will continue working with our federal partners to identify fraud, support criminal prosecutions, and uphold the rule of law.”
According to allegations in the indictment, between 2010 and 2014, Ghaley committed sexual crimes against a child in Charlotte. He later pleaded guilty to three counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with a Child as a result of those actions. The indictment alleges that, after committing those crimes, Ghaley obtained his U.S. citizenship fraudulently by lying during the naturalization process about having committed a crime or offense for which he had not been arrested (at that time) and failed to admit that, prior to applying for citizenship, he had knowingly committed sexual acts with a child.
According to the indictment, on December 4, 2017, Ghaley submitted an application for naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (CIS). The indictment alleges that Ghaley lied on the citizenship application form by responding “No” to questions like “Were you ever involved in any way with … [f]orcing, or trying to force someone to have any kind of sexual contact or relations?” and “Have you ever committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense for which you were not arrested?” Ghaley signed the form under penalty of perjury, and certified that his answers were true and correct. On January 10, 2018, Ghaley appeared at the CIS office in Charlotte for a naturalization interview. During the interview, Ghaley swore under oath that his responses on the naturalization application were true and that he had never committed a crime for which he had not been arrested. Ghaley was then granted U.S. citizenship in July 2018.
In February 2024, Ghaley pleaded guilty to three counts of Taking Indecent Liberties with Children in state court. As part of that conviction, Ghaley was sentenced to serve between 32 and 58 months in prison and was ordered to register as a sex offender for 30 years. Immigration officials were not aware of his criminal actions until after he had gone through the naturalization process.
Ghaley is currently in state custody and will be ordered to appear in federal court in Charlotte. The maximum penalty for naturalization fraud is 10 years in prison.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) Division for their investigation of the case and credited Operation False Haven, which led to the charges against Ghaley. False Haven is an ongoing ERO initiative purpose-built to identify individuals who fraudulently obtained U.S. citizenship.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is in charge of the prosecution.
Civil Denaturalization Actions
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has also filed civil denaturalization actions against three individuals for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act and unlawfully and fraudulently becoming naturalized citizens of the United States. The civil complaints were filed between June and August 2026.
“For the first time, the United States is comparing fingerprints to identify people who changed their identity to fraudulently obtain citizenship—sometimes decades ago and sometimes after being ordered deported,” said U.S. Attorney Russ Ferguson. “These people take the place of honest people who deserve to be citizens of this great country, and we will continue to work to identify them and file actions to have a court of law denaturalize them.”
“Under the Trump administration, individuals who unlawfully obtain U.S. citizenship will face serious consequences,” said USCIS Director Joseph B. Edlow. “Through strong interagency partnerships, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services is helping ensure that those who violate the law are held responsible.”
Under the Immigration and Nationality Act, a naturalized U.S. citizen’s citizenship may be revoked, and certificate of naturalization canceled, if the naturalization was illegally procured or procured by concealment of a material fact or by willful misrepresentation.
U.S. v. Benjamin Hernandez – The U.S. Attorney’s Office filed a civil complaint in August against Benjamin Hernandez, a/k/a Luis Elder Alvarado, a Honduran national residing in the Charlotte area, for allegedly committing immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. The complaint alleges that Hernandez illegally entered the United States using the alias Lius Elder Alvarado and was subsequently ordered removed in 1999. Hernandez later used the name Bejamin Hernandez in separate immigration proceedings, eventually becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen through marriage to a U.S. citizen in 2008. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Hernandez’s naturalization because he illegally procured naturalization while he was subject to an outstanding order of removal under the name Luis Elder Alvarado when he applied for adjustment of status; misrepresented his identity and immigration history; committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character; and procured his naturalization through willful misrepresentation and concealment of material facts. (3:26-cv-683)
U.S. v. Han Xiong Chen – A civil complaint was filed in June against Chen, a Chinese national residing in Asheville, seeking his denaturalization for allegedly committing immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. It is alleged that Chen illegally entered the United States in 1996, and, after submitting a fraudulent Chinese passport, he was deported six months later. Chen then entered the United States illegally in 1999, using a different date of birth. Chen later obtained permanent resident status and naturalization, continuing to rely on false statements in written applications and during interviews. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Chen’s naturalization because he procured his naturalized citizenship illegally since he was not a lawfully admitted permanent resident; he procured immigration benefits, permanent residence, and naturalization through fraud and willful misrepresentation; he sought admission into the United States less than 10 years after departing while subject to a final order of removal; he committed unlawful acts that were crimes of moral turpitude and gave false testimony which rendered him ineligible for naturalization. (1:26-cv-189)
U.S. v. Kevin Yun-Sang Kim – A civil complaint was filed in June against Kim, a Korean national residing in Charlotte, seeking his denaturalization for allegedly committing immigration fraud in his naturalization proceedings. It is alleged that Kim illegally entered the United States and was ordered removed in 1996. The order allowed Kim to voluntarily depart the United States and included an alternate order of deportation to Korea. Kim agreed to depart voluntarily but failed to do so, which transformed his voluntary departure order into a deportation order. The complaint alleges that the deportation order rendered him ineligible for legal status, yet Kim concealed the outstanding deportation order during his naturalization proceedings. The United States alleges that the court should issue an order revoking Kim’s naturalization because he was not a lawful permanent resident when he procured his naturalization; he was not a lawfully admitted permanent resident and not eligible to receive an immigrant visa at the time he filed for a status adjustment; he committed fraud or willfully misrepresented material facts when he sought this status adjustment; he procured immigration benefits, permanent residence, and naturalization through fraud and willful misrepresentation; he gave false testimony and committed unlawful acts that adversely reflected on his moral character; a final deportation order remained in effect when he applied for naturalization; and he procured his naturalization by concealment of material facts and willful misrepresentations. (3:26-cv-434)
These cases are being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Civil Litigation Division, with assistance from the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
The claims made in the complaints are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Lowell Man Sentenced to Nearly Seven Years in Prison for Drug Distribution and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A previously convicted felon from Lowell was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing cocaine base (crack cocaine) and illegally possessing two firearms.
Marc Sanchez, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to 81 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In June 2026, Sanchez pleaded guilty to two counts of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and to being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Sanchez was arrested and charged in October 2025 and has remained in federal custody since.
Sanchez was identified as a drug distributor selling crack cocaine out of his apartment in Lowell. Specifically, on Sept. 17, 2025, a cooperating witness arranged to meet Sanchez at his apartment to purchase an ounce and a half of crack cocaine. At the time of the meeting, Sanchez was observed meeting with an unknown drug supplier in a car outside his apartment building to acquire powder cocaine. Sanchez then returned to his apartment with the cooperating witness, where Sanchez “cooked” the powder cocaine into crack cocaine, separated and weighed the substance, and then sold it to the cooperating witness. In addition, Sanchez used phone numbers and cars registered in other people’s names to deal crack cocaine.
On Sept. 25, 2025, Sanchez again produced and distributed an ounce-and-a-half of crack cocaine to the cooperating witness at this apartment. During a search of Sanchez’s apartment approximately one week later, on Oct. 1, 2025, more cocaine, drug-coated cookware and drug packaging materials were recovered as well as over $3,000 cash and two loaded 9mm handguns from inside a safe.
According to court documents, there were at least four outstanding arrest warrants for Sanchez in connection with open criminal cases in Derry District Court in New Hampshire and in Boston, Lawrence and Lowell District Courts in Massachusetts. Sanchez has multiple felony convictions and he served over two years in a Massachusetts state prison in 2018 and 2019.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Greg C. Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Billerica, Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover, Salem (Mass.) and Manchester (N.H.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak, III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Long Beach Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Role in Gun Murder of Victim Shot and Killed During Inglewood Marijuana DealRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man was sentenced today to 30 years in federal prison for his primary role in the March 2021 murder of a victim who was shot to death in Inglewood during a marijuana deal.
Mateo Paul, 24, a.k.a. “Infant Bix,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha, who also ordered him to pay $1,842,927 in restitution.
Paul pleaded guilty in February 2025 to one count of interference with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act) and one count of brandishing and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He has been in custody since November 2023.
According to court documents, in March 2021, Paul and co-defendants Leandrew Raglin, 24, of Lancaster, and Iysis Elanore Smith, 24, of Inglewood, agreed to rob a marijuana dealer at gunpoint. They devised a plan to lure the dealer via a social media application to a meeting location, where they would ambush him at gunpoint and steal his marijuana.
On March 15, 2021, Smith approached the vehicle occupied by the victim. While Smith distracted the victim, Paul and Raglin parked behind the victim’s vehicle. Raglin then exited the vehicle Paul was driving, approached the passenger side of the victim’s car and opened fire, repeatedly wounding the victim in the passenger seat. Raglin then walked around to the driver’s side of the vehicle and opened fire, fatally wounding the victim in the driver’s seat of the vehicle.
Paul admitted in his plea agreement that Raglin’s brandishing and discharge of the firearm fell within the scope of Paul’s criminal agreement and could reasonably have been foreseen to be a necessary or natural consequence of the unlawful agreement.
“[Paul] played a vital role in this senseless and selfish crime,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “He proposed the robbery to his co-conspirators, chose the target, asked his co-conspirator to set up the ruse luring the victims to the scene, told his other co-conspirator they would use a gun if necessary to complete the robbery, and drove the getaway car. Simply put, [the victim] would be alive today, if not for…Paul.”
Relatedly, at the conclusion of an eight-day trial, a jury in September 2025 found Raglin guilty of one count of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act), one count of Hobbs Act robbery, and one count of possessing, using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm in furtherance of, and one count of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, resulting in death constituting murder.
Raglin’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for January 8, 2027, at which time he will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
Smith has pleaded guilty to felony robbery charges in this case and awaits sentencing.
The FBI and the Inglewood Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea Norell of the Major Crimes Section prosecuted this case.
Lockport man pleads guilty to lying about hazardous waste dumped in Niagara FallsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael J. Hale, 65, of Lockport, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to making a materially false statement, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
In December 2023, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) executed a search warrant at 3800 Highland Avenue in Niagara Falls, involving an investigation into the improper storage and disposal of hand sanitizer. The investigation began following a tip from a community member in October 2023 that a large quantity of hand sanitizer had been dumped outside. During the search, the EPA documented the presence of expired hand sanitizer that had been dumped on the property outside in a pile measuring 73 feet long, by 24 feet wide, by five feet high. Samples were taken of the hand sanitizer and determined to be ignitable according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), meaning, the hand sanitizer was considered a hazardous waste.
At the time, Hale was Vice President of Regional Logistics Group LLC, a warehousing business that was a tenant at 3800 Highland Avenue. Investigators called Hale during the search and asked how the hand sanitizer got on the property, to which he replied that he had no idea and didn’t know when the hand sanitizer had been brought to Highland Avenue. However, Hale knew and was aware that the hand sanitizer had been dumped outside 3800 Highland Avenue and had been originally brought to Highland Avenue between January and May of 2022.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango. The plea is the result of an investigation by the Environmental Protect Agency, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Charles Carfagno, and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, under the direction of Commissioner Amanda Lefton.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 22, 2026, before Judge Arcara.
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Litchfield Man Charged with Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Anthony DiMascio, age 35, of Litchfield, New Hampshire was indicted this week by a federal grand jury for one count of Receipt of Child Pornography, United States Attorney Erin Creegan announces. He will appear in federal court in Concord on September 24, 2026.
If convicted, DiMascio faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of 5 years and a maximum prison term of 20 years. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes that govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Hudson Police Department led the investigation. The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles V. DeJoie III is prosecuting the case.
Leesburg Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Paul Richardson (56, Leesburg) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to three years in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute five grams or more of methamphetamine. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, law enforcement conducted four controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Richardson in May and June 2025, in Lake County, Florida. The total weight of the methamphetamine sold by Richardson was over 50 grams.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives and the Leesburg Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk Watson and Anthony C. Marek.
Lawrence Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Manufacture and Distribute Counterfeit PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a drug manufacturing ring. Over two kilograms of suspected controlled substances and a pill press were recovered during related search warrants.
Aris Arvelo Gonzalez, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute and manufacture controlled substances. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for Jan. 13, 2027. Gonzalez was arrested and charged in November 2026.
According to the charging documents, Gonzalez and La Culebra controlled a large drug manufacturing location inside an apartment in Methuen. During a search of the Methuen apartment in August 2025, over 18 kilograms of controlled substances and a pill press were recovered.
While on pretrial release following a January 2025 arrest for drug offenses in Salem District Court in New Hampshire, Gonzalez sold over 1,500 grams of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl to a confidential informant and an undercover agent on four occasions between July 2025 and November 2025.
At the time of Gonzalez’s arrest, he was found in possession of thousands of counterfeit pills bundled into smaller bags as well as a large quantity of cash:
Following his arrest, search warrants were executed at three locations in Lawrence that were tied to Gonzalez and the La Culebra drug trafficking organization. During those searches, various items and materials used in the manufacturing of counterfeit Percocet containing fentanyl were recovered – including a pill press and a 25-kilogram bag of pill binding agent.
The charge of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute and possess with intent to distribute or manufacture provides for sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of manufacturing and possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute or manufacture provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Kinston Meth Trafficker Gets More Than a Decade Behind Federal Prison BarsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Kenji Chiba Jerkins, 31, to over 10 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute and possessing with intent to distribute large quantities of meth in Lenoir County. Jerkins pled guilty to these crimes on June 18, 2026.
“Once again we have caught and federally prosecuted a Big Shark Bad Boy who will no longer push his poisonous product in Eastern North Carolina to pad his pockets,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “Despite trying to outrun and dump his illegal drugs, he soon discovered the long arm of the law always wins. He will now sit behind the cold bars of steel for over a decade. Simple Lesson: Drugs Kill, Prison Awaits – Do Right.”
During a joint narcotics investigation, the DEA and the Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office identified Jerkins as a major meth dealer in Lenoir County. On August 11, 2025, law enforcement tried to stop a vehicle in which he was a passenger, but the driver refused to pull over. A high‑speed chase ensued. Officers saw Jerkins throw large amounts of meth out the passenger window before the vehicle crashed into a tree in a local citizen’s yard. Jerkins tried to run from the scene, but officers quickly caught him. After searching the vehicle and the chase path, officers recovered 292 grams of crystal meth, two torn bags containing meth, and 1 gram of marijuana. Jerkins has a long record of criminal convictions and repeatedly violated the terms of his probation and supervised release from prior state convictions.
“This defendant was held accountable for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute significant quantities of methamphetamine,” said Michael J. Connolly, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “That outcome would not have been possible without the commitment and cooperation of our law enforcement partners. Together, we followed the evidence, built the case, and ensured this dangerous drug trafficker faced the consequences of his actions.”
“This case is a great example of what can happen when law enforcement agencies work together. The Lenoir County Sheriff Office and our federal partners will continue to go after those who bring dangerous drugs into our community,” said Lenoir County Sheriff, Jackie Rogers. “This defendant made the choice to sell poison, and now he will spend more than a decade paying the price for that choice. Drugs destroy lives, and if you choose to sell them in Lenoir County, we will find you.”
W. Ellis Boyle, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The DEA and Lenoir County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:26-CR-00003-FL-RN.
Justice Department Expands Tribal Access Program to Improve the Exchange of Critical Data with Federally Recognized TribesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has selected seven additional federally recognized Tribes to participate in the continued expansion of the Tribal Access Program for National Crime Information (TAP), a program that provides Tribal governments with means to access, enter, and exchange data with national crime information systems, including those maintained by the FBI Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) Division.
“The Justice Department is pleased to continue its expansion of the Tribal Access Program, which equips Tribal governments with federal crime data to solve crimes, conduct background checks, and identify wanted predators,” said Acting Deputy Attorney General Trent McCotter. “These are the tools Tribal governments need to protect and serve their communities, which in turn strengthens the rule of law and public safety for families and children in Indian Country.”
TAP provides training as well as software and biometric/biographic workstations to process fingerprints, take mugshots, and submit information to FBI CJIS systems.
The Justice Department began TAP in 2015 in response to concerns raised by Tribal leaders about the need to have direct access to federal systems. Using TAP, Tribes have shared information about missing persons; registered convicted sex offenders; entered domestic violence orders of protection for nationwide enforcement; entered orders that prevent dangerous prohibited persons from obtaining firearms; run criminal histories; identified and arrested fugitives; entered bookings and convictions; and completed fingerprint-based record checks for non-criminal justice purposes such as screening employees or volunteers who work with children.
“The Tribal Access Program has been an immense support to our work serving the members of the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community,” said Adrienne Haines, Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, Social Services Program Manager. “It has allowed us to efficiently process fingerprints and obtain important background information regarding potential caregivers in a timely manner, which helps us provide safe and responsive services to our families. The system is easy to use, reliable, and fits well into our daily work processes. Having minimal delays in receiving background information has greatly improved our department’s efficiency and ability to make informed decisions quickly. Overall, the Tribal Access Program has been a valuable resource for our team and has positively impacted the work we do for our community.”
The following additional Tribes have been selected for participation in TAP:
- Cahuilla Band of Indians (California)
- Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians (Maine)
- Kickapoo Tribe of Oklahoma (Oklahoma)
- Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe (Minnesota)
- Pechanga Band of Indians (California)
- Shoshone-Paiute Tribes of the Duck Valley Reservation (Nevada & Idaho)
- Twenty-Nine Palms Band of Mission Indians of California (California)
TAP is managed by the Justice Department’s Office of the Chief Information Officer and the Office of Tribal Justice. It is funded by the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking (SMART), the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), and the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW).
For more information on TAP, visit www.justice.gov/tribal/tribal-access-program-tap.
Justice Department Concludes Federal Ban on Handgun Sales to 18 to 20-Year-Olds is Unconstitutional and Cannot Be Criminally EnforcedRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel released a legal opinion concluding that the federal prohibition may not be enforced against licensed dealers selling handguns to otherwise law-abiding adults ages 18 to 20 consistent with the Second Amendment.
The Office of Legal Counsel’s new opinion explains that federal statutes 18 U.S.C. § 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) are inconsistent with the Second Amendment as interpreted by the Supreme Court in District of Columbia v. Heller, New York State Rifle & Pistol Ass’n v. Bruen, and subsequent decisions including Wolford v. Lopez. These statutes generally prohibit federally licensed dealers from selling handguns or handgun ammunition to individuals under 21.
The Office of Legal Counsel determined that 18 to 20-year-olds are among “the people” protected by the Second Amendment. “Eighteen-year-olds may vote, serve on juries, be drafted, and face adult criminal penalties, including capital punishment,” said Assistant Attorney General T. Elliot Gaiser for the Department of Justice’s Office of Legal Counsel. "The Constitution protects the people’s right to keep and bear arms. The Department of Justice may not constitutionally seek to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.”
Because the restrictions burden the ability of members of “the people” to acquire commonly used arms, they fall within the Amendment’s plain text and are presumptively unconstitutional. The Office of Legal Counsel found no Founding era history or tradition of precluding legal adults from purchasing firearms to protect public safety. To the contrary, at the Founding, militia statutes overwhelmingly required service beginning at 18 and required enrollees to furnish their own arms.
The Office of Legal Counsel concludes that Section 922(b)(1) and (c)(1) may not be enforced to impose criminal penalties on dealers who sell handguns to a class of law-abiding adults who, in nearly every other relevant respect, are members of the political community.
Read the full opinion here.
Jury convicts Missouri man of sex trafficking minorsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Missouri man of forcing and coercing minors to commit sexual acts with adults in exchange for money.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Calvin Johnson, 31, of Kansas City, Missouri, was found guilty on:
• two counts of sex trafficking accomplished by force, fraud, or coercion; • two counts of sex trafficking of a child; and
• two counts of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity.Between February 2022 and January 2023, Johnson transported two minors within Kansas as well as other states including Missouri and Nebraska, while using force and coercion to compel the vulnerable victims to engage in commercial sex acts.
On April 20, 2022, the Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) spoke to a minor after a traffic stop. Law enforcement learned the victim was a runaway from the juvenile care system and performing commercial sex acts at the behest of Johnson. The victim indicated Johnson booked motel rooms, posted solicitations for clients on websites, rented cars, and transported the victim to hotels for commercial sex acts.
On January 17, 2023, law enforcement encountered the second minor inside a motel room. The second victim was also a runaway.
A forensic search of the victims’ cellphones and social media accounts showed communications with Johnson clearly indicating he was selling the victims for sexual services. Johnson directed the victims to have clients send him money on digital payment apps then he kept all payments. Investigators obtained booking information from various hotels across multiple states in the region and found evidence of rooms booked and paid for by Johnson.
“Human traffickers are known to prey on underage runaways because these minors have multiple vulnerabilities that increase the likelihood they will become targets of exploitation and abuse,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “We at the Department of Justice are relentless in advocating for the rights of human trafficking victims and seeking justice on their behalf.”
The Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Faiza Alhambra and Audrey McCormick are prosecuting the case.
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 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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Justice Department Awards over $20 Million to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement to Assist Crime VictimsRead the Press Release
The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs, Office for Victims of Crime, has awarded a combined $20,036,461 to the Louisiana Commission on Law Enforcement (“LCLE”) to provide resources to Louisiana agencies to specifically assist victims of crimes, said U.S. Attorney Kurt L. Wall.
$17,419,461 will provide subgrants to local community-based organizations and public agencies that provide services directly to crime victims, such as crisis counseling, telephone and onsite information and referrals, criminal justice support and advocacy, shelter, therapy, and additional assistance.
$2,617,000 will provide funds from the Crime Victims Fund to enhance State Victim Compensation payments to eligible federal and state crime victims.
LCLE is a foundation located in Baton Rouge dedicated to improving the operations of the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems and to promoting public safety by providing progressive leadership and coordination within the criminal justice community.
For more information about this award, please contact the OJP Office of Communications at 202-307-0703 or [email protected].
Inland Empire Man Sentenced to Nearly 22 Years in Federal Prison for Sex Trafficking Minors, Including on L.A.’s Figueroa CorridorRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man was sentenced today to 262 months in federal prison for sex trafficking two minors throughout Los Angeles County, including on the Figueroa Corridor in South Los Angeles, an area of the city notorious for sex trafficking, including of minors.
Christian Brandon O’Neal Scurlock, 23, of Moreno Valley, was sentenced by United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu, who also ordered him to pay $159,246 in restitution and placed him on lifetime supervised release.
Scurlock has been in federal custody since August 2024. He pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of sex trafficking of a minor.
According to his plea agreement, Scurlock recruited two minor victims (ages 13 and 16) to engage in commercial sex work, including on the Figueroa Corridor in South Los Angeles – a 3.5-mile stretch of Figueroa Street spanning from Gage Avenue down to Imperial Highway, which Scurlock knew was patronized by commercial sex workers and customers.
Among other steps taken to maintain the victims in commercial sex work, Scurlock told them how much to charge for commercial sex acts, bought them clothes to wear when soliciting customers, brought the minor victims to popular areas for soliciting customers, collected and controlled the victims’ money, and provided the victims with smartphones to communicate with him. Scurlock exerted undue influence over his victims by controlling their finances, housing, transportation, and food and by supplying them with marijuana and alcohol.
Scurlock recruited one of the minor victims when she was 13 years old after she ran away from a group home. In addition to maintaining her for commercial sex work, Scurlock also admitted to having illicit sexual intercourse with her.
In April 2024, Scurlock transported the minor victims from Los Angeles County to a motel in Las Vegas so that they could engage in commercial sex work. He was found and arrested by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department with the two minor victims in his car, as well as $985 in cash and condoms.
The FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kelsey A. Stimson of the General Crimes Section and Danbee C. Kim of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section prosecuted this case.
Indictment Unsealed Charging Colombian Citizen with Illegally Registering to Vote and Voting in the 2022 ElectionRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Julieta Engelstad, 53, a citizen of Colombia living in Hudson, Wisconsin, is charged with falsely claiming to be a US citizen when registering to vote and unlawful voting by an alien. The indictment alleges that on July 2, 2022, Engelstad falsely claimed to be a US citizen when registering to vote and that she unlawfully voted in the November 2022 federal election.
A two-count indictment returned on September 16, 2026, by a federal grand jury sitting in Madison, was unsealed today following Engelstad’s initial appearance in federal court.
If convicted, Engelstad faces up to five years in prison on the illegally registering to vote count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison on the illegal voting count.
The charges against her are the result of an investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins is handling the case.
A criminal Indictment merely contains accusations. Engelstad is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Indian national sentenced for his role in international drug trafficking ring involving pharmaceuticals following Homeland Security Task Force investigationRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Leeladhar H. Tandel, 45, a native of India living of Mobile, AL, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, controlled substances, was sentenced to time served (approximately 14 months) by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Tandel was then turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Between July 2024 March 2025, Tandel conspired with others to sell Tapentadol, Alprazolam, Clonazepam, Carisoprodol, and Zolpidem. During the conspiracy, MEDDZONLINE.COM, PHARMACYSTORESONLINE.com, and related websites were part of a larger organized drug trafficking organization operating domestically and internationally using similar versions of the same website under different domain names. After orders were received, the organization sent bulk shipments of drugs via international mail to a US based bulk re-shipper. The drugs were then sent to smaller re-shippers, who were paid for each package they mailed out to customers.
Tandel was a smaller re-shipper. In June 2024, the DEA Buffalo District Office became aware of Tandel operating in the Mobile, Alabama region. On June 6, 2024, DEA Buffalo conducted an undercover purchase of 60 Zolpidem pills at a cost of $489.60 on PHARMACYSTORESONLINE.com. In May 2025, law enforcement recovered 40 packages that had originated in Summerdale, AL, which had previously been mailed out by Tandel. The packages included nine parcels containing 1,620 suspected Tramadol pills; 14 parcels containing 2,100 suspected Zolpidem pills; 13 parcels containing 2,100 suspected Alprazolam pills; and four parcels containing 1,080 suspected Tapentadol pills. The packaging was indicative of shipments being mailed out to customers of the online websites. Labels showed the scope of customers spanning the entire country and individuals such as Tandel played a key role in aiding the online websites to provide controlled substances to their customers in the USA.
This investigation was 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 U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Buffalo comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI, ATF, IRS Criminal Investigations, Department of Homeland Security Emergency Removal Operations, Customs and Border Protection, the DEA, the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, the U.S. Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Diplomatic Security Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti. The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Field Division. Additional assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Offices in St. Louis, MO, Atlanta, GA, and Mobile, AL.
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Illegal Immigrant and His Girlfriend Arrested on Federal Complaint Alleging They Forged Judge’s Signature on Court DocumentRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – An illegal immigrant from Mexico and his girlfriend whose four children were seized by Riverside County officials with judicial approval due to allegations of parental neglect, drug use, and failure to address mental health issues have been arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging them with forging a judge’s signature on a court document related to their federal lawsuit over the seizure, the Justice Department announced today.
Alan David Cadena, 43, and LayCee Shyann Sprouse, 34, both of Riverside, are charged with misuse of federal judicial signatures.
Both defendants, who were arrested late Thursday, are expected to make their initial appearances this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside. No pleas will be taken today.
According to an affidavit filed with the complaint, in August 2025, the Riverside County Department of Public Social Services (DPSS) received a referral regarding allegations of child neglect by Cadena and Sprouse. DPSS agents investigated and eventually filed warrants requesting the removal of all four children from the defendants’ custody due to unsanitary living conditions, recent drug use by the defendants, general neglect, and Sprouse’s failure to address mental health issues. DPSS took the four children into custody.
Cadena and Sprouse challenged DPSS’s actions in Riverside County Superior Court, seeking the return of their children, but that court ruled in DPSS’s favor.
In February 2026, Cadena and Sprouse – representing themselves – filed a civil rights lawsuit in United States District Court challenging the child custody proceedings in state court and requested injunctive relief in the form of an order requiring the immediate return of their children.
On April 21, 2026, Cadena and Sprouse filed an order containing a federal judge’s forged signature ordering the return of their children from DPSS. On April 23, 2026, the victim judge confirmed she had not issued the order and the signature found on the document was a forgery.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Criminal Investigative Division are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kyle W. Kahan and Kent M. Walters of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Illegal Alien and Aerospace Manufacturer Employee Arrested on Indictment Charging Her with Fraud, False Claims of U.S. CitizenshipRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Mexican national who decades ago was ordered removed from the United States was arrested today on an eight-count federal grand jury indictment charging her with securing her employment at a South Bay aerospace manufacturer and U.S. military contractor by lying on an employment authorization form that she was a U.S. citizen and by submitting someone else’s legitimate certificate of naturalization number.
Alma Patricia Contreras Villafana, 54, of South Los Angeles, is expected to make her initial appearance and be arraigned on Monday in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
Villafana is charged with five counts of wire fraud, one count of use of a false and forged certificate of naturalization, one count of aggravated identity theft, and one count of false claim to United States citizenship.
According to an indictment that a federal grand jury returned on Wednesday, in December 1996, Villafana secured employment at a Torrance-based business identified in court documents as “Company-2,” in part, by attesting on her Form I-9 that she was a U.S. citizen. A Form I-9 is used by U.S. employers to verify the identity and employment authorization of new employees.
In fact, Villafana is an illegal alien from Mexico who in 2003 was ordered by an immigration judge to be removed from the United States.
In January 2026, Villafana again knowingly submitted a Form I-9 falsely attesting under penalty of perjury that she was a U.S. citizen to maintain her employment at a business identified in court documents as “Company-1.”. As part of the Form I-9, she also knowingly provided a certificate of naturalization number that belonged to another person.
From December 1996 to September 2026, Villafana obtained at least $1,402,459 in payment for her employment at Company-2 and Company-1, included by direct deposit wired to her bank account.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Villafana would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count, a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the use of a false and forged certificate of naturalization count, up to three years in federal prison for falsely claiming to have U.S. citizenship, and a mandatory two-year consecutive prison sentence for aggravated identity theft.
Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kyle W. Kahan of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Homeland Security Task Force Investigation Leads to Drug Trafficking Indictment of Pensacola ManRead the Press Release
Pensacola, Florida – Jeffrey Benjamin Banks, 45, of Pensacola, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Banks appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for October 19, 2026, at 8:30 am before United States District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II in Pensacola, Florida.
If convicted, Banks faces at least 10 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl count. Banks also faces at least 25 years’ imprisonment up to life imprisonment on the possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl count.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pensacola Police Department, and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica S. Etherton and Alicia H. Forbes.
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 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 comprises agents and officers from multiple agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
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.