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6 February 2026
Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Export Weapons to South SudanRead the Press Release
Today, Peter Biar Ajak, 42, of Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai for the District of Arizona to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ajak’s co-defendant, Abraham Chol Keech, 46, of Utah, was sentenced on Dec. 18, 2025, by Judge Desai to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and Conspiracy to Violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA).
“From a suburb of our Nation’s capital, Ajak conspired to export U.S. weaponry to South Sudan, where he planned to lead a coup and install himself in power,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Ajak discussed ways to conceal his conduct, which he knew was illegal, including by misrepresenting financial transactions as attempts to provide humanitarian aid. The National Security Division is committed to prosecuting violations of U.S. export control laws to ensure that U.S. weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.”
“The defendants in this case sought to bypass U.S. export control laws, with Mr. Ajak directing a conspiracy that amassed a $4M arsenal of military-grade weapons intended to effect a coup d'état in South Sudan,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona. “Thanks to federal prosecutors, agents and investigators from across the spectrum of U.S. government agencies, the plot was thwarted and the defendants were brought to justice, safeguarding our national security interests.”
“By disrupting an attempt to unlawfully export advanced weapons systems, this investigation helped protect U.S. forces from weapons that could potentially be utilized against them on future battlefields,” said John Helsing, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Western Field Office. “As the investigative arm of DoD’s Office of Inspector General, DCIS remains fully committed to safeguarding DoD equities and ensuring that military-grade weapons do not fall into the hands of those who would endanger American service members.”
“The defendants in this investigation knowingly sought to undermine national security by violating U.S. laws related to illegal arms trafficking and the export of weapons,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Arizona. “As part of HSI’s core mission to investigate illicit transfers of arms to countries in turmoil, these conspirators attempted to destabilize national and international peace and security. HSI and our partners remain committed to pursuing charges against those who violate these laws.”
As defendants admitted in their plea agreements, between at least February 2023 and March 2024, Keech and Ajak sought to illegally purchase and export nearly $4 million worth of export-controlled, military grade weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without the required export licenses. Defendants sought to provide these weapons and ammunition — which included ten Stinger missile systems, two hundred grenade launchers, more than a thousand machine guns and rifles, and over 3.5 million rounds of ammunition — to opposition groups in South Sudan seeking to topple the current South Sudanese government. Defendants planned to install Ajak as the country’s new president after the regime change.
Defendants knew South Sudan was subject to an arms embargo and that exporting weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without a license from the U.S. government would violate U.S. law. To facilitate their smuggling scheme, defendants discussed paying bribes and disguising the weapons as humanitarian aid. Defendants also created a fake invoice to conceal from financial institutions and others the source and purpose of the funds used to purchase and smuggle the illicit arms. As part of their plea agreement, defendants agreed to forfeit nearly $2 million they raised to pay for the weapons, which was seized by the United States.
HSI, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy C. Chang, Raymond K. Woo, M. Bridget Minder, and Joseph F. Bozdech for the District of Arizona, and Trial Attorney Leslie C. Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Two Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Illegally Export Weapons to South SudanRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Today, Peter Biar Ajak, 42, of Maryland, was sentenced by United States District Judge Sharad H. Desai for the District of Arizona to 46 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Ajak’s co-defendant, Abraham Chol Keech, 46, of Utah, was sentenced on December 18, 2025, by Judge Desai to 41 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Both defendants previously pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Violate the Arms Export Control Act (AECA) and Conspiracy to Violate the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA).
“From a suburb of our Nation’s capital, Ajak conspired to export U.S. weaponry to South Sudan, where he planned to lead a coup and install himself in power,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “Ajak discussed ways to conceal his conduct, which he knew was illegal, including by misrepresenting financial transactions as attempts to provide humanitarian aid. The National Security Division is committed to prosecuting violations of U.S. export control laws to ensure that U.S. weapons do not fall into the wrong hands.”
“The defendants in this case sought to bypass U.S. export control laws, with Mr. Ajak directing a conspiracy that amassed a $4M arsenal of military-grade weapons intended to effect a coup d'état in South Sudan,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine for the District of Arizona. “Thanks to federal prosecutors, agents and investigators from across the spectrum of U.S. government agencies, the plot was thwarted and the defendants were brought to justice, safeguarding our national security interests.”
“By disrupting an attempt to unlawfully export advanced weapons systems, this investigation helped protect U.S. forces from weapons that could potentially be utilized against them on future battlefields,” said John Helsing, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s Western Field Office. “As the investigative arm of DoD’s Office of Inspector General, DCIS remains fully committed to safeguarding DoD equities and ensuring that military-grade weapons do not fall into the hands of those who would endanger American service members.”
“The defendants in this investigation knowingly sought to undermine national security by violating U.S. laws related to illegal arms trafficking and the export of weapons,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Murphy of HSI Arizona. “As part of HSI’s core mission to investigate illicit transfers of arms to countries in turmoil, these conspirators attempted to destabilize national and international peace and security. HSI and our partners remain committed to pursuing charges against those who violate these laws.”
As defendants admitted in their plea agreements, between at least February 2023 and March 2024, Keech and Ajak sought to illegally purchase and export nearly $4 million worth of export-controlled, military grade weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without the required export licenses. Defendants sought to provide these weapons and ammunition—which included ten Stinger missile systems, two hundred grenade launchers, more than a thousand machine guns and rifles, and over 3.5 million rounds of ammunition—to opposition groups in South Sudan seeking to topple the current South Sudanese government. Defendants planned to install Ajak as the country’s new president after the regime change.
Defendants knew South Sudan was subject to an arms embargo and that exporting weapons and ammunition from the United States to South Sudan without a license from the U.S. government would violate U.S. law. To facilitate their smuggling scheme, defendants discussed paying bribes and disguising the weapons as humanitarian aid. Defendants also created a fake invoice to conceal from financial institutions and others the source and purpose of the funds used to purchase and smuggle the illicit arms. As part of their plea agreement, defendants agreed to forfeit nearly $2 million they raised to pay for the weapons, which was seized by the United States.
The Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, the Department of Commerce’s Office of Export Enforcement, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy C. Chang, Raymond K. Woo, M. Bridget Minder, and Joseph F. Bozdech of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona, and Trial Attorney Leslie C. Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-394
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-022_AJAK
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Third Coconspirator in Fatal Benghazi Attacks in U.S. Custody, Charged in Washington D.C. with Murder and Terrorism CountsRead the Press Release
Zubayar Al-Bakoush, an armed coconspirator in the 2012 attack on U.S. facilities in Benghazi, Libya, that killed U.S. Ambassador J. Christopher Stevens and three other Americans, was charged in an eight-count indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court on multiple terrorism and murder counts.
Bakoush, who is in federal custody, is expected to make his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Moxila A. Upadhyaya for the District of Columbia.
“The terrorist attack on our Benghazi Embassy was a dark and tragic day for our nation that robbed us of four American heroes,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Now, thanks to our brave federal agents, one of its alleged key participants will be prosecuted in an American courtroom on American soil. Under President Trump’s leadership, this Department of Justice will never rest in our mission to Make America Safe Again and deliver swift, severe justice to our enemies.”
"The FBI and our U.S. government partners have worked tirelessly to hold accountable those responsible for the heinous terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya that resulted in the deaths of the U.S. Ambassador, J. Christopher Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The latest result of our efforts is bringing Zubayar Al-Bakoush to the U.S. to face charges for his alleged role in the attacks against our citizens and our facilities in Libya. You can be assured that no matter how long it takes, or where you are located, the FBI remains steadfast in our duty to see justice served against those who harm our citizens. I’m grateful to the men and women of the FBI for their unrelenting efforts to bring us to where we stand today – this defendant will be prosecuted on U.S. soil.”
“Today’s indictment against Zubayar Al-Bakoush is indicative of President Trump’s resolve to hold accountable anyone who harms Americans, no matter where,” said U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro for the District of Columbia. “Al-Bakoush is now on U.S. soil, because the FBI and Department of Justice never forgot those Americans who were seemingly forgotten in that outpost in Benghazi, Libya. President Trump, Attorney General Bondi, FBI Director Patel, and I will do whatever it takes, no matter how long it takes, to pursue justice for the victims and their families.”
“Over thirteen years have passed since the 2012 attack in Libya, and over eight since the last arrest in this case, but the Department of Justice’s resolve has not wavered,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We never forgot those four Americans who were killed in service of our Nation, and we will continue to seek justice for them, their families, and for the United States.”
“In September 2012, Zubayar Al-Bakoush allegedly facilitated the terrorist attack on the United States Mission and Annex in Benghazi in which four Americans – including an ambassador – were murdered in an effort to incite additional violence against our country’s presence in Libya” said James Barnacle, Assistant Director in Charge of New York Field Office. “This bloody campaign waged unnecessary brutality against Americans and forever altered the lives of the victims’ families. May today’s significant disruption send a clear message: the FBI New York’s Joint Terrorism Task Force will never cease its tireless pursuit of any terrorist involved in the massacre of our nation’s citizens, regardless of when or where the onslaught occurred.”
The indictment charges Bakoush with:
- Conspiracy to Provide Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
- Providing Material Support and Resources to Terrorists Resulting in Death
- Murder of an Internationally Protected Person
- Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States (Two Counts)
- Attempted Murder of a United States National Outside of the United States
- Arson and Placing Lives in Jeopardy Within the Special Maritime and Territorial
Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same
- Maliciously Destroying and Injuring Property and Placing Lives in Jeopardy within the Special Maritime and Territorial Jurisdiction of the United States and Attempting to Do the Same
The charges stem from the Sept. 11, 2012, terrorist attack on the U.S. Special Mission and nearby CIA Annex that killed Ambassador Stevens and U.S. government personnel Sean Smith, Tyrone Woods, and Glen Doherty.
According to the indictment, Bakoush was a member of Ansar Al Sharia (AAS), an Islamist extremist militia in Benghazi, which had the goal of establishing Sharia law in Libya.
On the evening of Sept. 11, 2012, a group of more than 20 heavily armed men – including Bakoush assembled outside the main gate of the U.S Special Mission in Benghazi. They were armed with assault rifles, other firearms, and explosive devices. At about 9:45 p.m., the group of armed men violently breached the main gate of the Mission. Upon entry, the men fanned out across the Mission complex, setting fires to building within the Mission compound.
When the attackers could not gain entry to the secure area of Villa C, the Ambassador’s residence, they set fire to it. Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith suffocated from the thick, black smoke that enveloped the residence. Diplomatic Security Services (DSS) Special Agent Scott Wickland, who had tried to guide Ambassador Stevens and Mr. Smith to safety, was injured and repeatedly took small arms fire while trying to rescue the two Americans.
The extremist group also attacked the Quick Reaction Force building, which was occupied by local Libyans serving as guards for the Mission.
About 10 p.m., Bakoush entered the Mission compound with other conspirators, and conducted surveillance of the Tactical Operation Center and the Villa. After Bakoush attempted to gain entry to vehicles belonging to Mission staff, he and his co-conspirators temporarily retreated to an area just outside the Mission.
About 11:15 p.m., conspirators assembled outside the southern gate and launched a second violent attack on the Mission using AK-type assault rifles, grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades. After 30 minutes, the group entered the compound and plundered the Mission’s office of documents, maps, and computers containing sensitive information about the location of the CIA Annex.
At 12:30 a.m., conspirators attacked the Annex with small arms, assault rifles, and rocket-propelled grenades.
Following the attack at the Mission, in the early hours of September 12, 2012, the violence continued at the CIA Annex, first with gunfire and then with a precision mortar attack. While defending the Annex, Mr. Woods, Mr. Doherty, DSS Special Agent David Ubben, and CIA security specialist Mark Tiegen were hit by a precision mortar attack, leading to the deaths of Mr. Woods and Mr. Doherty. Special Agent Ubben and Mr. Tiegen were seriously wounded but survived.
The Department of Justice previously charged and convicted two leaders in the Benghazi attack on federal terrorism charges and other offenses. Ahmed Abu Khatallah, aka Ahmed Mukatallah was sentenced in June 2018 to 22 years in prison and resentenced in September 2024 to 28 years in prison. Mustafa al-Imam was sentenced in January 2020 to nearly 20 years.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s New York Field Office with substantial assistance from the Department of War, the CIA and the Department of State. The National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section provided additional assistance.
The case is being prosecuted by the National Security Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Stockton Man Convicted for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
After a two-day trial, a federal jury found Robert Jordan, 52, of Stockton, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Oct. 1, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop on a silver Infiniti SUV with no license plates that Jordan was driving. In the location where the license plates should have been, the SUV instead had a laminated piece of paper that said “PRIVATE.” During the ensuing traffic stop, Jordan told the officers that he had a pistol in the SUV’s center console. Jordan is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior California felony conviction for attempted murder. The officers searched the center console and found a loaded Smith & Wesson revolver.
Jordan was initially charged in San Joaquin Superior Court. Jordan, who is a member of the so-called “sovereign citizen” movement, began harassing government employees in an attempt to intimidate them into dropping his case. His conduct escalated into threats to file frivolous lawsuits and property liens against members of the court and prosecution team. Eventually, Jordan filed more than $10 million in Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) liens against the prosecutor, the judge, and court staff.
Later, Jordan was indicted on federal charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm. After firing his court-appointed defense attorney, Jordan chose to represent himself. Jordan was advised about potential consequences of filing frivolous liens against federal employees. Apparently undaunted, Jordan’s obstreperous behavior continued: he refused to withdraw the unjust liens he had filed against the state officials, made further UCC filings naming the federal court and federal prosecutors as potential targets of future liens, and attempted to initiate a seven-figure lawsuit against members of the prosecution team.
The Stockton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason Hitt and Charles Campbell are prosecuting the case.
Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd. Jordan faces a maximum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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.
Springfield, Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 60 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine Base in Central VermontRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on February 4, 2026, Joseph Llano, 26, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mary Kay Lanthier to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 4-year term of supervised release. Joseph Llano previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute cocaine base in Central Vermont.
According to court records, over the course of multiple years, Joseph Llano operated a drug distribution operation in cooperation with his brother, Justin Llano, his uncles, Tanashe Edwards and Edwin Davila, and numerous other co-conspirators, that trafficked cocaine base and fentanyl from Massachusetts to Central Vermont. The group distributed drugs to a large number of customers in Washington, Orange, and Lamoille counties. The defendant recruited individuals in Vermont that would allow their homes to be used as distribution points for controlled substances by individuals from Massachusetts who would travel to Vermont to distribute drugs, and individuals to courier drugs and proceeds from the sale of drugs between Massachusetts and Vermont. During the course of the conspiracy, the courier that Joseph Llano had recruited made approximately 100 trips between the Springfield, Massachusetts area and Central Vermont. On each trip he brought between 50 and 60 grams of cocaine base to Vermont, and at times also brought wax folds of fentanyl. Joseph Llano also operated a social media page where he would interact with drug customers to facilitate the sale of cocaine base and/or fentanyl. On four occasions, law enforcement completed controlled purchases of cocaine base following communications with Joseph Llano’s social media account.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, Barre Town Police Department, Barre City Police Department, Berlin Police Department, and Springfield, Massachusetts Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Turner. Joseph Llano was represented by David Silver, Esq.
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.
Social Security employee sentenced in multimillion-dollar fraud and identity theft schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A former Social Security employee has been ordered to federal prison for aggravated identity theft and conspiracy to steal government funds, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
David Lam, 46, Pearland, pleaded guilty June 5, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Lam to serve 84 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about the complex nature of Lam’s scheme and how it involved dozens of fraudulent applications. Lam also used his access to personal data, which was necessary for his actual job duties, to facilitate his embezzlement and theft. Lam was further ordered to pay $3,346,280 in restitution.
Lam was an operations supervisor and claims specialist for the Social Security Administration office in Houston.
As part of his plea, Lam admitted to stealing the personally identifying information of recently deceased men and then using that PII to facilitate fraudulent benefits applications.
Lam worked with various coconspirators – typically, women with children – to file fraudulent survivor benefits applications listing the deceased men as the children’s fathers or stepfathers. If true, this would have entitled the women to receive benefits while raising their children as widows. However, the women had no connection to the men listed on the applications, and the deceased men did not father the children. To facilitate his scheme, Lam would utilize the deceased men’s names, dates of birth and death and Social Security numbers.
He would also instruct the coconspirators to split the stolen funds with him. The women would transfer funds via applications like Zelle, CashApp or Chime.
He was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray prosecuted the case.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 16 Months in Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte, has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on February 3, 2026.
Garrett Heck, age 30, was sentenced to sixteen months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Heck was indicted by a federal grand jury in September 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 23, 2025.
As a result of a prior conviction, Heck is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or change in employment or student status. On May 14, 2025, Heck updated his sex offender registration to reflect his new employment. On May 20, 2025, Heck was no longer working at his registered employment, but he did not update his registration. Heck further did not update his registration after being evicted from his residence on July 7, 2025. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued, and on July 29, 2025, Heck was arrested in Sioux Falls.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.
Heck was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux City Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
Jorge Monrroy, 24, from Sioux City, Iowa, pled guilty February 5, 2026, in federal court to one count of sexual exploitation of a child.
At the plea hearing, Monrroy admitted that between June 30 and July 2, 2025, he sexually exploited a minor female. Monrroy admitted to providing alcohol to the minor, getting her intoxicated, recording a video of the two having sexual intercourse on the minor child’s phone, and sending the video to himself. Evidence further showed that Monrroy received, possessed, and distributed child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Monrroy remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Monrroy faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4050.
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Seattle Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison Following September 2025 Conviction by Jury for Role in Transnational Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Seattle, Washington, was sentenced in federal court to 420 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws in relation to a transnational criminal organization (TCO), United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendant was among 35 individuals charged through a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine (read the Second Superseding Indictment news release here).
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan imposed the sentence on Bryce Hill, 28. Hill was convicted by a jury following a two-and-a-half-week trial in September 2025.
Evidence presented during the trial established that Hill was a member of the Phoenix-based Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization—a transnational criminal organization responsible for the distribution of millions of fentanyl pills, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, and dozens of kilograms of cocaine, from August 2021 to June 2023. The Monarrez TCO provided the drugs to a network of subordinate drug distributors, who redistributed the narcotics throughout the country, including into western Pennsylvania. Hill was intercepted over a federal wiretap obtaining hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills and kilograms of fentanyl powder for redistribution.
Additional evidence presented at trial included testimony regarding the execution of a search warrant on January 11, 2023, during which law enforcement seized 27 kilograms of fentanyl pills, multiple firearms, and $387,000 cash from Hill’s apartment, and the seizure of 28 kilograms of fentanyl pills, 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, three kilograms of cocaine, 48 kilograms of methamphetamine, and 20 firearms (pictured below) from a short-term rental property in Scottsdale, Arizona, on December 25, 2022.
The jury found that, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Hill conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Hill’s sentencing follows those of 32 co-defendants.
Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Katherine C. Jordan prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation leading to the prosecution of Hill. Additional agencies participating in this investigation included the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies, including the Scottsdale, Arizona, Police Department.
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, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Salvadoran National Sentenced for Dealing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran national unlawfully residing in East Boston was sentenced today in federal court in Boston on drug distribution charges.
Tony Cartagena-Chacon, 47, was sentenced by United States District Judge Angel Kelley to 18 months in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of the imposed sentence. In October 2025, Cartagena-Chacon pleaded guilty to one count of distribution of and possessing with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
During an investigation of the transnational criminal organization 18th Street Gang, Cartagena-Chacon met with a cooperating witness on Feb. 15, 2024 to sell approximately 50 grams of fentanyl powder. During the deal, Cartagena-Chacon emphasized how “pure” his product was, suggesting that the cooperating witness could re-sell the substance for significant profit.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Thomas Greco, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations; Suffolk County and Middlesex County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Boston, Chelsea, Everett, Falmouth, Lynn, Medford, Nantucket and Revere Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Fred M. Wyshak III of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Salt Lake Woman Sentenced to 15 Months’ Imprisonment After Embezzling Nearly $1.4M from her Employer in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah woman was sentenced to 15 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release after she used her position to defraud her employer, a Utah based lending services business out of $1,398,014.
Benedicta Okunlola, 32, of Salt Lake City, pleaded guilty to wire fraud on November 18, 2025. In addition to her term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge Robert J. Shelby ordered Okunlola to pay $1,398,014 in restitution, with a lump sum of $5,000 to be paid at or before sentencing.
According to court documents and admissions made at Okunlola’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, between 2020 and 2025, Okunlola used her position as a Merchant Growth Specialist to issue 2,343 prepaid gift cards to herself, her online art business, and family members. In her role, she had access to her company’s credit card for marketing promotions and incentives and was the only employee who purchased gift cards from an outside company to offer incentives to commercial customers. The gift cards Okunlola fraudulently purchased for herself and others were kept below the company’s secondary approval thresholds to avoid detection. She spent the gift cards on rent, online shopping, groceries, rideshares, dining out, and trips to South Korea, Japan, South Africa, and Portugal. In total, Okunlola stole $1,398,014 from her employer over the course of four years.
“Okunlola stole from her employer to fund her jet-setting lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “It is our hope that her sentence will serve as deterrent from others thinking about engaging in fraud. By teaming up with our law enforcement partners we will continue to investigate and prosecute these cases.”
“Benedicta Okunlola’s actions were not a mistake or a lapse in judgement. It was a deliberate scheme driven by greed,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The defendant violated a position of trust and caused real financial harm to her employer. This FBI remains committed to investigating complex financial crimes and holding offenders accountable.”
The case was investigated by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
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Rhode Island Businesswoman Sentenced to More than Three Years in Prison for Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island woman has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for her leading role in laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars of her then-boyfriend’s fentanyl trafficking money.
Carolina Correa, 35, of Cranston, R.I., was sentenced on Feb. 4, 2026 by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to 42 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Correa was also ordered to pay a $150,000 fine and forfeiture in the amount of $350,000. In July 2025, Correa pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy.
Correa – an entrepreneur, real estate owner and fundraiser – was the leader of a sophisticated multi-state scheme to launder $450,000 in fentanyl trafficking proceeds derived by her then-boyfriend, Jasdrual Perez. In December 2024, Jasdrual Perez was sentenced to 22.5 years in prison for his role as the leader of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking conspiracy responsible for manufacturing and distributing millions of fentanyl pills made to look like oxycodone and Percocet.
In late 2021 to early 2022, Perez enlisted his financially savvy girlfriend Correa to assist him in concealing his drug proceeds. Correa contacted a friend who was opening a marijuana dispensary in Massachusetts and seeking investors. Correa agreed to seek out investors in the dispensary and in exchange, she would get an ownership stake and the title of CFO of the marijuana dispensary.
In January 2022, Correa indicated that she had found “investors” in the marijuana dispensary. Those “investors” included a real estate investor based in North Carolina with whom Correa had a long-time personal, not professional, relationship as well as his associate. Shortly thereafter, Correa enlisted a friend to drive $350,000 in Perez’s drug proceeds from Rhode Island to Correa’s “investors” in North Carolina. Financial records showed that the North Carolina “investors” then wired $350,000 in two transactions, from two separate business accounts, in the amount of $250,000 and $200,000, to a bank account for an attorney for the marijuana dispensary. Those funds were then transferred from the attorney’s account to the marijuana dispensary’s business account.
To further create an appearance of legitimacy for the concealed drug proceeds, Correa used her work email address to communicate with the North Carolina “investors.” She drafted sham loan paperwork and promissory notes for her, the CEO of the marijuana dispensary and the North Carolina “investors” to sign to conceal the true source of the funds. Correa and Perez also facilitated, and bank records confirmed, the laundering of an additional $100,000 of Perez’s drug proceeds into the marijuana dispensary’s bank account through the business bank account of a real estate investment company of one of Perez’s Rhode Island based friends.
Correa used her professional reputation and public image to appear that she was legitimately securing “investors” in the marijuana dispensary while, simultaneously, in intercepted communications, she regularly described the hustle to “clean” Perez’s drug money for her own financial benefit through various financial and real estate transactions.
After the successful movement of $450,000 of Perez’s drug proceeds, the photograph below was posted on her social media account:
“Money launderers protect and strengthen an industry – the drug trafficking industry – that directly harms millions of people. By making drug profits usable, launderers allow drug trafficking organizations to operate like legitimate businesses. To say that money laundering is a victimless crime ignores the reality of the interconnected relationship between launderers and traffickers. As a fentanyl trafficker’s business expands, so too do the rates of drug use, addiction and overdose. Ms. Correa thought she could outsmart the system and law enforcement while she was laundering at least half a million dollars in drug proceeds,” said United States Attorney Leah B. Foley. “This case should serve as a warning to others that our efforts to curb drug addiction doesn’t just involve prosecuting drug dealers, it also involves arresting their financial partners in the trafficking conspiracy.”
“This case shows that fentanyl trafficking is not limited to street-level dealers,” said Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, New England Field Division. “Ms. Correa used her business and fundraising activities to disguise and move hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds, directly supporting a trafficking operation that fuels addiction and death in our communities. The DEA will hold accountable anyone who profits from this poison, no matter how they try to hide it.”
"The capability to launder illegal drug profits is as important and essential to drug traffickers as the very profit made from the distribution of their illegal drugs. Without these ill-gotten gains being ‘cleaned’, the traffickers cannot ‘legitimately’ finance their illicit business or spend the money,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “As the role of IRS-CI in narcotics investigations is to follow the money, we are highly skilled at financially disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking organizations. We are proud to provide our financial expertise as we work alongside our law enforcement partners to bring criminals to justice."
U.S. Attorney Foley, DEA SAC Forget and IRS-CI SAC Demeo and made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigations; Rhode Island State Police; Massachusetts State Police; and the Cranston, Warwick and West Warwick, Rhode Island Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey Weinstein and Kunal Pasricha of the Criminal Divisions prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Repeat sex offender convicted at trial of child pornography crimes, including AI-generated child sexual abuse materialRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal jury found a Vinton County man guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography and AI-generated images of child sexual abuse.
Cody L. Prater, 28, of McArthur, Ohio, was convicted on all four counts of crimes related to his receipt and possession of both child pornography and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children.
The verdict was announced Thursday evening following a trial that began on Feb. 2 before U.S. District Judge Michael H. Watson.
According to evidence presented at trial, Prater received and possessed videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of real minors, primarily babies and toddlers. He also used an artificial intelligence text-to-image program to convert his text prompts into photorealistic depictions of child sexual abuse, including nude prepubescent children being mutilated and tortured, bestiality, and children engaged in sexual acts with adults.
“Prater collected vile videos of real babies and toddlers being sexually abused and created other AI-generated obscene material involving children,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II. “We will continue to crack down on those who victimize children through these horrific materials. I commend the investigators and trial team for their outstanding work.”
“Following a prior conviction for a state child pornography offense, the defendant continued to demonstrate his depravity through his possession and trafficking of images depicting the brutal sexual abuse of both real and photorealistic AI-generated infants and toddlers,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Child sexual abuse material, whether real or AI-generated, causes real harm to real children. As demonstrated by today’s verdict, the Department of Justice will continue to use all available tools to prosecute offenders who create, share, possess, or otherwise illegally engage with such material.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting children from exploitation, whether that abuse is captured in traditional imagery or generated with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence,” said HSI Detroit Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “This verdict underscores that there is no distinction under the law between child sexual abuse material involving real victims and AI generated depictions of such horrific crimes. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to identify offenders, dismantle the networks that enable this abuse, and ensure that those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler Aagard of the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are representing the United States in this case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/psc.
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Repeat Sex Offender Convicted of Child Exploitation Offenses, Including Receiving and Possessing AI-Generated Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a sex offender yesterday of receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material and receiving and possessing AI-generated images of child sexual abuse.
Cody L. Prater, 28, of McArthur, Ohio, was convicted of four counts related to his receipt and possession of both child pornography and obscene visual representations of the sexual abuse of children. Before trial, Prater challenged his indictment on First Amendment grounds; however, the Court denied his motion, ruling that the possession and receipt of obscene, generative AI material depicting the sexual abuse of children is not constitutionally protected speech.
According to evidence presented at trial, Prater received and possessed videos depicting the rape and sadistic sexual abuse of real minors, primarily babies and toddlers. He also used an artificial intelligence text-to-image program to convert his text prompts into photorealistic depictions of child sexual abuse, including bestiality, nude prepubescent children being mutilated and tortured, and children engaged in sexual acts with adults.
“Cody Prater created, possessed, and trafficked images depicting the brutal sexual abuse of infants and toddlers, including Artificial Intelligence generated images,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Child sexual abuse material, including that which is AI-generated, causes substantial harm. It further creates depraved and sadistic desires to harm real children. A seminal prosecution goal of the Department of Justice is to protect the innocent. Our children and their families deserve vigorous investigation and prosecution of those who create, share, possess, or otherwise illegally engage with such material.”
“Prater collected vile videos of real babies and toddlers being sexually abused and created other AI-generated obscene material involving children,” said U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio. “We will continue to crack down on those who victimize children through these horrific materials. I commend the investigators and trial team for their outstanding work.”
“Homeland Security Investigations is committed to protecting children from exploitation, whether that abuse is captured in traditional imagery or generated with emerging technologies like artificial intelligence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit. “This verdict underscores that there is no distinction under the law between child sexual abuse material involving real victims and AI generated depictions of such horrific crimes. HSI will continue to work tirelessly with our federal, state, and local partners to identify offenders, dismantle the networks that enable this abuse, and ensure that those who prey on children are brought to justice.”
The court has not set Prater’s sentencing yet. He faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison on particular charges. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
HSI Detroit investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Tyler Aagard for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
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 U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the 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.justice.gov/
Prison Inmate Sentenced for Receiving K2-Laced Paper in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A federal prison inmate was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for possessing a synthetic cannabinoid, also known as “K2,” in FMC Devens.
Raymond Gaines, 46, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 18 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. In December 2025, Gaines pleaded guilty. Gaines was charged by complaint in March 2025, along with former state employee Tasha Hammock, who distributed the K2 to Gaines. Gaines was later indicted with possessing contraband, in the form of K2, as a prison inmate, and Tasha Hammock was charged and pleaded guilty.On Jan. 25, 2022, Gaines was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. At the time he committed the offenses, he was on federal judicial supervised release after serving a prison sentence resulting from a 2017 conviction for distributing cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school. According to court records, in both prior cases Gaines was alleged to be an associate of the Orchard Park Trailblazers, a street gang in Boston. On Jan. 17, 2025, Gaines received an Executive Grant of Clemency, reducing his federal sentence to five years in prison.
On Aug. 18, 2024, Hammock, while visiting Gaines in prison, surreptitiously passed K2-laced papers to Gaines, which he pocketed. At the time, Hammock was employed with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
As described in court documents, K2 presents a health problem at FMC Devens, where inmates have become sick from smoking paper believed to contain K2, as well as prison staff who have been exposed to the secondary smoke.In January 2025, Hammock was sentenced to three years of probation. The government recommended a sentence of 12 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Postal Employee Indicted for Unemployment FraudRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey woman was charged by indictment with five counts of wire fraud for fraudulently obtaining tens of thousands of dollars in unemployment funds while working for the United States Postal Service, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Samantha Jenkins, 45, of North Plainfield, New Jersey, had her arraignment yesterday in Trenton before United States Magistrate Judge Justin T. Quinn.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, for more than a year Jenkins filed weekly certifications with the New Jersey Department of Labor in which she claimed she was not working, and was therefore eligible to receive unemployment benefits. But in reality, Jenkins worked for the USPS as a window/mail clerk. As a result, Jenkins received tens of thousands of dollars in employment benefits she was not entitled to.
During the relevant period, Jenkins’s salary from the USPS and her unemployment benefits were deposited into one of her bank accounts. For 13 months, Jenkins used that bank account to receive both her salary from the USPS and unemployment benefits from the NJDOL. Oftentimes, deposits from both entities were made just days apart from one another.
Each charge of wire fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000. Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark; special agents with the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modofferi; and special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region, under the direction of Inspector General Anthony D’Esposito.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Specht of the Special Prosecutions Division.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Saverio Viggiano, Esq., Newark, New Jersey
Orange County Man Arrested on Federal Indictment Charging Him with Stock Options Trading Swindle of His Family and FriendsRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Irvine man was arrested today on a nine-count federal grand jury indictment charging him with running a Ponzi scheme that conned victims – family and friend included – by persuading them to invest in his stock options trading fund, but then using most of the money to pay for personal items, including trying to buy coastal real estate.
Todd Douglas Mulliner, 61, surrendered to law enforcement officials this morning. He is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Santa Ana.
Mulliner is charged with four counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, one count of engaging in monetary transactions in criminally derived proceeds, one count of bank fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft.
According to the indictment, Mulliner was the president and CEO of DauVC1, an Irvine-based company, and from July 2018 to March 2021, he falsely represented himself to be an expert investor with a successful system for trading stock options.
Through DauVC1, Mulliner obtained money from investors by soliciting from individuals, usually family, friends, and acquaintances, to buy his company’s shares. At Mulliner’s direction, victim-investors sometimes transferred funds from their retirement accounts. Mulliner told his victims that DauVC1 was a venture capital company engaged in stock options trading, that they were buying an interest in the company, and they would share in the company’s trading profits.
Mulliner provided investors with a share purchase agreement, which outlined the terms of the investment by falsely stating that the victims’ funds would be used only for stock options trading. He further claimed he would receive a 20% commission on trading profits that DauVC1 generated.
To induce additional victims to invest in DauVC1, Mulliner told a series of lies directly and through intermediaries via email, telephone, and in-person conversations. Namely, his proprietary system for trading stock options limited risk to protect investors’ principal, that DauVC1 was producing positive weekly yields, and investor funds would be used to trade in stock options.
In fact, Mulliner’s system for trading stock options resulted in him losing the majority of investors’ principal that he actually traded. He also used most of investors’ funds to pay earlier investors monthly payments based on DauVC1’s purported profits and to repay earlier investors who wanted to withdraw their money from the company.
He lured new investors and prevented current investors from withdrawing their money by emailing fabricated weekly balance statements that showed positive yields and increased balances.
Mulliner also used investor funds to pay family members and the attempted purchase of a beachfront home in Sunset Beach. He also concealed from investors his criminal history, which includes a felony conviction for securities fraud.
In January 2021, Mulliner emailed investors and falsely claimed that, due to an upcoming regulatory rule change, DauVC1 would cease operations and promising investors that their account balances would be disbursed by the following month. Mulliner then made excuses for why he missed his proposed deadline for account balance disbursements. He never paid some investors the promised return on investment and never returned their principal investment.
Law enforcement believes Mulliner caused at least six victims to pay his company approximately $290,000.
In April 2021, Mulliner stole an $8,400 COVID-19 pandemic U.S. Treasury Economic Impact Payment check from the mail and forged the signatures of two victims on the back of the check, endorsing the check to himself as the president of DauVC.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.
If convicted, Mulliner would face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison on the bank fraud count, up to 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud and mail fraud count, up to 10 years in federal prison for the money laundering count, and a mandatory two-year consecutive prison term for aggravated identity theft.
The FBI is investigating this matter.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Ryan G. Adams of the Orange County Office is prosecuting this case.
Ohio Man Charged for Threatening to Kill the Vice President of the United StatesRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury returned an indictment earlier this week charging a 33-year-old man with threatening to kill the Vice President of the United States during his visit to the Northwest Ohio region in January.
Shannon Mathre, of Toledo, is accused of making a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, a successor to the presidency, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code Section 871(a). In the indictment, he allegedly stated, “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” Mathre was arrested by U.S. Secret Service agents Feb. 6.
The grand jury further charges that from about Dec. 31, 2025, to Jan. 21, 2026, Mathre was also engaged in the receipt and distribution of images that visually depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code Section 2252(a)(2). While investigating the threats allegedly made against the vice president, federal agents discovered multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in Mathre’s possession.
“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”
“While arresting this man for allegedly threatening to murder the Vice President of the United States, a serious crime in and of itself, federal law enforcement discovered that he was also in possession of child sexual abuse materials,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual.”
“Hostile and violent threats made against the Vice President, or any other public official, will not be tolerated in our District,” said David M. Toepfer, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “Anyone threatening this kind of action will face swift justice and prosecution. We commend the actions of our local and state law enforcement who collaborated with U.S. Secret Service to take this individual into custody.”
Mathre made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio Feb. 6. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 11.
If found guilty as charged, Mathre faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for threating the life of the vice president. Mathre faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 if found guilty of the CSAM charge.
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and the U.S. Secret Service Toledo and Cleveland Field Offices made the announcement.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
The United States Secret Service leads the investigation, with valuable assistance from the Toledo Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ohio Man Charged for Threatening to Kill the Vice President of the United StatesRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury returned an indictment earlier this week charging a 33-year-old man with threatening to kill the Vice President of the United States during his visit to the Northwest Ohio region in January.
Shannon Mathre, of Toledo, is accused of making a threat to take the life of, and to inflict bodily harm upon, a successor to the presidency, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code Section 871(a). In the indictment, he allegedly stated, “I am going to find out where he (the vice president) is going to be and use my M14 automatic gun and kill him.” Mathre was arrested by U.S. Secret Service agents Feb. 6.
The grand jury further charges that from about Dec. 31, 2025, to Jan. 21, 2026, Mathre was also engaged in the receipt and distribution of images that visually depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, in violation of Title 18 U.S. Code Section 2252(a)(2). While investigating the threats allegedly made against the vice president, federal agents discovered multiple digital files of child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) in Mathre’s possession.
“Our attorneys are vigorously prosecuting this disgusting threat against Vice President Vance,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “You can hide behind a screen, but you cannot hide from this Department of Justice.”
“While arresting this man for allegedly threatening to murder the Vice President of the United States, a serious crime in and of itself, federal law enforcement discovered that he was also in possession of child sexual abuse materials,” said Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche. “Thank you to federal, state and local partners in working together to bring justice twofold to this depraved individual.”
“Hostile and violent threats made against the Vice President, or any other public official, will not be tolerated in our District,” said David M. Toepfer, the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio. “Anyone threatening this kind of action will face swift justice and prosecution. We commend the actions of our local and state law enforcement who collaborated with U.S. Secret Service to take this individual into custody.”
Mathre made his initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge for the Northern District of Ohio Feb. 6. He remains in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 11.
If found guilty as charged, Mathre faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 for threatening the life of the vice president. Mathre faces a maximum of 20 years in prison and a maximum statutory fine of $250,000 if found guilty of the CSAM charge.
U.S. Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and the U.S. Secret Service Toledo and Cleveland Field Offices made the announcement.
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including the defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
The United States Secret Service leads the investigation, with valuable assistance from the Toledo Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Al-Sorghali and Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.
Oakland County Sleep Specialists Agree to Pay $763,954.74 to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today that Troy Sleep Center PLC, Care One Medical Equipment and Supplies, Inc., Michel Alkhalil, M.D., and Peggy Rahal, M.D., have agreed to pay a total of $763,954.74 to the United States and the State of Michigan to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act.
Troy Sleep Center PLC (“TSC”) provides medical services for persons experiencing sleep disorders, including persons enrolled in healthcare programs funded by federal and state governments. Care One Medical Equipment and Supplies, Inc. (“Care One”) provides medical supplies for individuals experiencing sleep disorders, including individuals enrolled in healthcare programs funded by federal and state governments. Dr. Alkhalil and Dr. Rahal are co-owners/members of TSC, while Dr. Rahal owns Care One.
The settlement announced today resolves three sets of allegations. First, from January 1, 2018, through December 31, 2024, TSC, Dr. Alkhalil, and Dr. Rahal improperly billed federal healthcare programs for sleep studies administered without properly trained and certified sleep technicians, as required by federal regulations. Second, TSC, Dr. Alkhalil, and Dr. Rahal obtained $480,000 in Paycheck Protection Program loans while engaged in the alleged improper billing. Third, from January 1, 2018, through May 31, 2024, Care One improperly billed Medicaid for accessories to positive airway pressure (“PAP”) machines, which Medicaid does not permit to be charged separately from the rental rate of PAP machines.
“Billing federal health care programs for services that do not meet required standards compromises patient care and erodes public trust,” said Mario M. Pinto, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Together with our law enforcement partners, we remain steadfast in our commitment to identify and stop fraud that threatens patient well-being and misuses taxpayer dollars.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under a qui tam or whistleblower lawsuit under the False Claims Act: United States ex rel. Kreiner v. Troy Sleep Center PLC, case no. 24-11073, (E.D. Mich.). Under the False Claims Act, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort among the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, the Michigan Attorney General’s Health Care Fraud Division, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of the Inspector General. The matter was handled by Assistant United States Attorneys John Postulka and Gregory Dickinson from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
North Texas Man Indicted on Federal Charges for Threatening to Assault and Murder U.S. President and ICE AgentsRead the Press Release
A North Texas man who threatened to assault and murder the United States President and unnamed ICE agents was federally indicted on Tuesday this week, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Francisco Jesus Mena, 36, of North Richland Hills, Texas was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 3, 2026, on ten counts of threatening a federal official. Mena was previously arrested on a federal complaint for this offense and made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Harold R. Ray, Jr. on January 7, 2026. Mena is set to appear for an arraignment on the charges in the indictment on February 11, 2026. If convicted, he faces up to 96 years in federal prison.
“Any threat against the President, federal officials, and agents will be thoroughly investigated and swiftly prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “Some individuals falsely believe that they are immune from criminal penalties by posting vitriol online and not in person. The diligent work of our law enforcement partners time and again uncovers those attempting to hide behind a computer screen.”
“The FBI takes online threats to federal officials and law enforcement seriously. Using online platforms to threaten the lives of others does not insulate an individual from consequences. We are committed to thoroughly investigating these crimes,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “We ask that the public continue to remain vigilant and report suspicious online activity to law enforcement.”
According to the indictment, on several occasions in May 2025, Mena allegedly posted threats on a social media platform, including:
The indictment details other instances of Mena’s alleged violent rhetoric.
FBI Dallas Field Office - Fort Worth Resident Agency and U.S. Secret Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. Like all defendants, Mena is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nigerian National Sentenced to over 8 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Multimillion-Dollar Inheritance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Nigerian National was sentenced today to more than eight years in prison for participating in a years-long conspiracy to defraud elderly and vulnerable Americans through an inheritance fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Tochukwu Albert Nnebocha, 44, of Nigeria, and his co-conspirators operated a lucrative transnational inheritance fraud scheme that exploited vulnerable people in the United States. Over the course of more than seven years, Nnebocha and his co-conspirators sent hundreds of thousands of personalized letters to elderly individuals in the United States, falsely claiming that the sender was a representative of a bank in Spain and that the recipient was entitled to receive a multimillion-dollar inheritance left by a deceased family member. The conspirators then told the victims that, before they could receive their purported inheritance, they were required to send money for purported delivery fees, taxes, and payments regarding the inheritance. In total, the defendant and his co-conspirators defrauded over 400 U.S. victims of more than $6 million.
In April 2025, Nnebocha was arrested by authorities in Poland and extradited to the United States in September 2025. In November 2025, Nnebocha pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit mail fraud and wire fraud. At sentencing, Nnebocha was sentenced to 97 months in prison, 3 years supervised release, and ordered to pay more than $6.8 million in restitution to the victims of his scheme. This is the second indicted case related to this international fraud scheme. Eight co-conspirators from the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, and Nigeria have previously been convicted and sentenced in connection with this scheme.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida; Inspector in Charge Bladismir Rojo of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s (USPIS) Miami Division; and Acting Special Agent in Charge Ray Rede of the Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) in Arizona made the announcement.
USPIS and HSI investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Phil Toomajian and Trial Attorney Joshua D. Rothman of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Criminal Division’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) worked with law enforcement partners in Poland to secure the arrest and extradition of Nnebocha. OIA, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida, the FBI’s Legal Attache in Poland, INTERPOL, and Polish Authorities, all provided critical assistance.
If you or someone you know is aged 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Eastern time. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
Minocqua Man Sentenced to over Five Years for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Chadwick M. Elgersma, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Cory Kromray, 39, Minocqua, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 5 years and 8 months in federal prison for wire fraud and money laundering in connection with an investment fraud scheme. Kromray pleaded guilty to these charges on November 7, 2025. As part of his sentence, Kromray was ordered to pay $828,266.71 in restitution to the victims of the fraud scheme.
"I applaud the investigative work of the agents in this case,” said U.S. Attorney Elgersma. “Fraud schemes like this one are devastating to victims. The sentence sends a strong message that this office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who defraud others.”
The government’s investigation revealed that Kromray used social media and other online communications to falsely portray himself as a successful trader in stocks, mutual funds, cryptocurrency, and the foreign currency exchange market (forex). Kromray also used social media to display his wealth allegedly acquired from trading, including images or references to expensive watches, a large home, tropical vacations, and exotic sports cars.
During meetings with investors or potential investors, Kromray often bragged about his success as a trader and would often drive expensive vehicles to the meetings, including a 2022 Lamborghini Urus and a 2022 McLaren 720S. Kromray would falsely claim that investors could expect a monthly rate of return of approximately 4% to 8%, with the potential of earning up to 30% a month. Kromray falsely told at least one investor that he was a top 1% trader in the Midwest. Kromray falsely told another investor that he could guarantee a 100% return on their investment.
Despite his promises to investors to use their money for legitimate investments and provide them returns, Kromray often used investor money to pay his personal expenses. Kromray also provided some investors with false information about the success of their investments, including providing fictitious account statements that showed the investors’ supposed current portfolio balance. By providing fictitious account statements, Kromray intended to lull investors into believing that he was actively trading their funds.
At the sentencing hearing, Judge Conley stated that Kromray’s investment fraud scheme was “the worst kind of fraud that can be committed,” because he took money from his close friends and lied to them about investing it. Judge Conley noted that Kromray worked hard to dupe investors by portraying a “fantasy luxury life,” including buying high-end cars like Lamborghinis and McLarens. Judge Conley noted that Kromray would often meet face-to-face with his investors and “flat out lie” to them about “things that were demonstrably false” and provide them with “pie in the sky promises.” Judge Conley also noted that Kromray poses a substantial risk of reoffending when he is released from prison because his statements at sentencing sounded like he was still in denial about his crimes. Judge Conley concluded that “if there is a more heinous white-collar crime, I don’t know what it is.”
The charges against Kromray were a result of an investigation conducted by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case has been handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Wegner.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Illegally Reentering the CountryRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Mexican national pleaded guilty on Thursday in U.S. District Court in Portland to illegally entering the U.S. after a prior removal.
According to court records, on November 6, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol Agents encountered Edgar Mandujano-Aguilar, 37, after he requested assistance from the Oxford County Sheriff’s Office to return to his home country of Mexico. After agents arrived at the Sheriff’s Office parking lot, Mandujano-Aguilar acknowledged to them that he was born in Mexico, was not a U.S. citizen, and did not have any authorization to be in the country. Records checks revealed that Mandujano-Aguilar had been previously deported multiple times from the U.S.
Mandujano-Aguilar faces a maximum prison term of up to two years and a maximum fine of $250,000. He will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office.
U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Operation Take Back America: This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Memphis Man Convicted of Making Threats to Murder Federal Prosecutors and a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –Justin Deshun Stiger, 33, of Memphis, Tennessee, was convicted this week of making threats to murder two Memphis federal prosecutors and a Memphis federal judge after a jury trial in Memphis, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee was recused from the case because two of that office’s prosecutors were victims and the matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Threats to law enforcement and the federal judiciary are not just attacks on those individuals. They are threats to the justice system itself. We take those extremely seriously, and we will hold those who make them accountable for their actions,” said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek. “Federal courtrooms are no place for violent threats, and public servants who are dedicated to serving our communities need to be able to go to work without worrying about someone threating to kill them.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Stiger was set to be sentenced in federal court in Memphis on April 16, 2025, for his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy when he began threatening the prosecutors. Witnesses testified that Stiger, who has a prior conviction for a crime of violence and ties to a criminal street gang, pointed at federal prosecutors and said they were “going to die” because of the sentence they intended to recommend. When U.S. District Judge Mark Norris began having Stiger removed from the courtroom after his threats to the prosecutors, Stiger then threatened the judge saying “You’re gonna die too, judge.” When Judge Norris asked if Stiger was threatening him, Stiger responded: “It ain’t no threat. It’s a promise.” According to the evidence at trial, Stiger then told a Deputy U.S. Marshal investigating the matter that “whoever gonna play with my life is gonna die.” Stiger went on to say, in a recorded statement, referring to the prosecutors and the judge: “I ain’t playing bro. Like they gonna die.”
Stiger is set to be sentenced on June 18, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Memphis. He faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for each of the three counts of conviction.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Hinkle prosecuted the case.
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Memphis Man Convicted of Making Threats to Murder Federal Prosecutors and a Federal JudgeRead the Press Release
Nashville, TN – Justin Deshun Stiger, 33, of Memphis, Tennessee was convicted this week of making threats to murder two Memphis federal prosecutors and a Memphis federal judge after a jury trial in Memphis, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee was recused from the case because two of that office’s prosecutors were victims and the matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Middle District of Tennessee.
“Threats to law enforcement and the federal judiciary are not just attacks on those individuals. They are threats to the justice system itself. We take those extremely seriously, and we will hold those who make them accountable for their actions,” said United States Attorney Braden H. Boucek. “Federal courtrooms are no place for violent threats, and public servants who are dedicated to serving our communities need to be able to go to work without worrying about someone threating to kill them.”
According to the evidence presented at trial, Stiger was set to be sentenced in federal court in Memphis on April 16, 2025, for his participation in a drug trafficking conspiracy when he began threatening the prosecutors. Witnesses testified that Stiger, who has a prior conviction for a crime of violence and ties to a criminal street gang, pointed at federal prosecutors and said they were “going to die” because of the sentence they intended to recommend. When U.S. District Judge Mark Norris began having Stiger removed from the courtroom after his threats to the prosecutors, Stiger then threatened the judge saying “You’re gonna die too, judge.” When Judge Norris asked if Stiger was threatening him, Stiger responded: “It ain’t no threat. It’s a promise.” According to the evidence at trial, Stiger then told a Deputy U.S. Marshal investigating the matter that “whoever gonna play with my life is gonna die.” Stiger went on to say, in a recorded statement, referring to the prosecutors and the judge: “I ain’t playing bro. Like they gonna die.”
Stiger is set to be sentenced on June 18, 2026, in U.S. District Court in Memphis. He faces a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for each of the three counts of conviction.
The case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. McGuire and Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Hinkle of the Middle District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
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Members of a Large-Scale Nationwide Fentanyl Trafficking Organization Sentenced in Washington D.C.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Andrew Henrry Rodriguez, 24, of Ontario, California, Santos Balmore Martinez, 23, of Los Angeles, California, Jose Anthony Contreras, 32, of Fullerton, California, Anthony Guadalupe Olguin, 29, of South El Monte, California, and others have been sentenced in United States District Court for the District of Columbia for their roles in obtaining fentanyl from Mexico, and distributing it in California and throughout the United States, including Washington, D.C. The fentanyl trafficking organization distributed tens of thousands of deadly doses of illegal fentanyl using covert social media platforms, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On September 20, 2024, Rodriguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl before the Honorable Judge Amit P. Mehta, United States District Court Judge, for the District of Columbia. On May 13, 2025, Judge Mehta sentenced Rodriguez to 63 months imprisonment followed by 60 months of supervised release.
On November 13, 2024, Martinez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. On February 21, 2025, Judge Mehta sentenced Martinez to 48 months imprisonment followed by 36 months of supervised release.
On December 6, 2024, Contreras pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. On March 21, 2025, Judge Mehta sentenced Contreras to 120 months imprisonment followed by 60 months of supervised release.
On September 4, 2025, Anthony Olguin pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. On February 6, 2026, Judge Mehta sentenced Olguin to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 60 months of supervised release. Judge Mehta ordered part of the sentence to run concurrently with a separate conviction that Olguin is serving out of the Southern District of Iowa, where he was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment on November 13, 2025, for another drug trafficking conspiracy.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in announcing the sentences were DEA Special Agent in Charge Christopher Goumenis, of the Washington Division Office, and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division.
According to court documents, the group was part of a large-scale fentanyl distribution conspiracy that obtained tens of thousands of fentanyl pills. Between 2023 and 2024, the DEA, with the assistance of a confidential source and an undercover law enforcement officer, conducted numerous controlled fentanyl pill purchases from Rodriguez, who shipped fentanyl pills from California through the USPS to a mailing address in the District of Columbia. Rodriguez sent about 4,713 fentanyl pills (weighing over 400 grams in total) and prepared to send an additional 21,000 fentanyl pills to the DEA undercover officer, but law enforcement arrested him at his residence in Ontario, California, before the plan could be completed. Thereafter, Martinez, Contreras, Olguin, and others, were arrested, and search warrants were executed. From those searches, law enforcement recovered a cache of illegal substances and evidence of the drug trafficking conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Washington Division Office, the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Washington Division, and the Hermosa Beach California Police Department with the assistance of the DEA’s Los Angeles Division Office and the United States Marshals Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Scarpelli and Daniel Seidel, of the Violence Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Members of Tacoma street gang are indicted for drug and gun traffickingRead the Press Release
Seattle – Law enforcement fanned out to some 17 locations in Washington, Oregon, and California, on Wednesday February 4, 2026, making 14 arrests following a wiretap investigation of a drug and gun trafficking organization affiliated with the Black Gangster Disciples street gang, announced First Assistant United States Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Lead defendant Kevin Salgado, 27, of Puyallup, Washington, is alleged to have led the group distributing counterfeit oxycodone and Xanax pills, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. Some members of the drug trafficking group also conspired to possess firearms to further their drug distribution. Members of the group were heard on the wiretap talking about exchanging drugs for firearms.
“The defendants in this indictment allegedly engaged in a wide range of criminal conduct – pressing narcotic pills for distribution, trafficking firearms and switches to make them machine guns, using those guns to settle scores with rival gangsters,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Neil Floyd. “Ringleader Kevin Salgado allegedly distributed the pills he manufactured in western Washington and across the country through the mail. So far three overdose deaths have been connected to Salgado’s activity.”
“Together with our Homeland Security Task Force, we’ve struck a major blow against violent crime—dismantling a dangerous criminal enterprise and making our communities safer,” said Homeland Security Investigations Seattle acting Special Agent in Charge April Miller. “HSI is relentless in taking down transnational criminal organizations, seizing their drugs, removing their guns, cutting off their money, and bringing their members to justice. Protecting our neighborhoods from illicit activity remains our top priority.”
In addition to Salgado, these defendants are indicted in the case:
Haley Filler, 30, of Puyallup, Washington
Gabriel Tovar, 29, Puyallup, Washington
Kevin Andreas, 28, Puyallup, Washington
Joshua Bailey, 30, University Place, Washington
Tyson Latchie, 28, University Place, Washington
Kahlil Bland, 29, Tacoma
Ian Newman, 29, Yucaipa, California
Edgar Adrian Hernandez, 26, Yamhill, Oregon
Isaac Briones, 24, Sunnyside, Washington
Roman Jackson, 25, Lakewood, Washington
Geeneva Morandarte, 26, Lakewood, Washington
Christian Ericson, 26, Tacoma
Michelle Ford-Jackson, 50, Olympia, Washington
Each of the defendants had different involvement in the drug and gun conspiracy. For example, in March 2025, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the Auburn residence of Gabriel Tovar after seeing social media posts showing him holding high-powered firearms with extended magazines and machinegun conversion switches. Agents seized 11 firearms. Five of them were stolen. They also seized a total of 9 machinegun conversion devices.
Some of the defendants were involved in hacking into drug distribution companies and rerouting shipments of controlled substances so they could sell them on the streets. Searches of iCloud accounts and phones associated with members of the organization indicated Newman and Bland were diverting shipments to an address in Lynnwood, Washington, and later conspired to do the same in Florida.
And another of the defendants allegedly paid kickbacks to a pharmacist in Oregon for filling fake prescriptions for oxycodone and other narcotics. In June 2025, Isaac Briones was arrested in Davenport, Washington where he was picking up a fraudulent prescription of promethazine and codeine.
In all, up until the searches Wednesday, law enforcement seized 38 firearms (nine of which had machinegun conversion devices) and seven were stolen firearms. A lengthy list of narcotics has been recovered including more than four kilograms of methamphetamine, more than two kilos of Phenazepam and seven kilograms of counterfeit oxycodone pills.
On Wednesday alone law enforcement seized 39 firearms and more than 100 “Glock switches” – a part designed to turn a semi-automatic firearm into a machinegun. Law enforcement also seized approximately 887.9 grams of fentanyl pills; 924 grams of fentanyl powder, 355.3 grams of methamphetamine, 557.6 grams of cocaine; 3.5 kilograms of counterfeit oxycodone pills; 236.2 grams of oxycodone pills; and 268.8 grams of Xanax pills.
“DEA will aggressively target anyone who traffics drugs, diverts controlled substances, or uses guns to fuel criminal activity,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This Tacoma street gang flooded our communities with fentanyl, meth, cocaine, and stolen prescription drugs while arming themselves with stolen firearms and Glock switches. DEA will continue working shoulder to shoulder with our federal, state, and local partners to dismantle violent drug trafficking organizations and hold those responsible accountable for the harm they inflict on our communities as we build a Fentanyl Free America and save American lives.”
“This operation and its results are a prime example of what’s possible when agencies collaborate,” said ATF Seattle Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “But this type of teamwork is not an anomaly. Every single day, ATF special agents and our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to prevent violent criminals from obtaining and using weapons that put lives at risk, and ATF will continue to work alongside our federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute these offenders and their organizations.”
“Narcotics are destroying lives and devastating communities across the region. Every gram, every pill, and every sale of these drugs has the potential to ruin lives,” said Inspector in Charge Anthony Galetti, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Seattle Division. “Postal inspectors remain committed to working with our law enforcement partners to stop the flow of these deadly drugs through the mail and hold criminals who profit from poisoning our neighborhoods accountable.”
“It’s always a win to get illegal drugs and guns off our streets. Our friends and neighbors are safer today due to the extraordinary efforts of our agents and of our law enforcement partners,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “We celebrate our success today, but we know that there’s much work to be done. Together, we are committed to making a continued difference by combatting drug trafficking and the violence that comes with it.”
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This investigation 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. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
This investigation is being led by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with key participation by United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation (CI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Special Agents and Diversion Investigators, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Tacoma Police Department (TPD), Seattle Police Department (SPD).
During the investigation special assistance was provided by Department of State (DoS) Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), United States Marshal Service (USMS), Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department (SPD), Centralia Police Department (CPD), Northwest HIDTA.
On the day search and arrest warrants were served, these additional agencies provided support: Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), United States Army Criminal Investigation Division (CID), Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol (WSP), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), San Bernardino County, California, Probation Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Elyne Vaught and Michael Harder.
Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Child While Serving in U.S. MilitaryRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A 32-year-old man pled guilty in federal court to child sexual abuse crimes. Daniel Lara-Salazar, charged with sexually exploiting a child, committed these crimes while serving in the U.S. Military.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Christopher R. Heck, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland; Sheriff Chuck Jenkins, Frederick County Sheriff’s Office; and J. Charles Smith III, State’s Attorney for Frederick County.
According to his guilty plea, Lara-Salazar, who was stationed in Pallyup, Washington, coerced and enticed a minor female victim, who resided in Maryland, to engage in sexually explicit conduct. From June 2024, through July 2024, Lara-Salazar sexually exploited her by producing and causing the production of sexually explicit images and videos.
In June 2024, Lara-Salazar began using Snapchat to message the minor victim. Lara-Salazar demanded the minor victim send sexually explicit images and videos to him. Snapchat has a feature that causes images to disappear upon receipt. In some instances, the minor victim sent images to Lara-Salazar that were not retained or visible when law enforcement reviewed the account.
Law enforcement later discovered that Lara-Salazar used Snapchat to communicate with three other minor females, who lived in Texas and elsewhere. He also coerced and enticed them to send sexually explicit images.
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, please visit justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
Lara-Salazar faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years for Sexual Exploitation of a Child as well as up to lifetime supervised release and lifetime registration as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI, the Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, and Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn and Special Assistant United States Attorney Joyce R. King who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Memphis Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Gun After a High-Speed Chase into MississippiRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – Sharka Corbin of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced yesterday to over ten years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for possessing a firearm as a prior convicted felon. Corbin was charged after he fled law enforcement from Tennessee into the Northern District of Mississippi.
At the time of his arrest, the 34-year-old Corbin was wanted for several violent offenses in Shelby County, Tennessee. He was pursued by law enforcement in a high-speed chase wherein he wrecked his vehicle and was arrested. A pistol was recovered from the prior convicted felon by the Desoto County Sheriff’s Department. Corbin pled guilty to the charge on a prior date.
Senior U.S. District Court Michael P. Mills sentenced Corbin to 125 months imprisonment followed by a 3 year term of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Scott F. Leary states, “Prosecuting habitual offenders is a top priority for the Northern District of Mississippi, especially offenders that violate firearm laws. This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program that works with all levels of law enforcement to reduce violent crime and gun violence. Our goal is, simply, to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone, which can only be accomplished by maintaining a strong working relationship with state and local law enforcement. Through this comprehensive approach, we hope to build trust in the communities we serve.”
PSN brings together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, DOJ launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
“In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess firearms,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms that we will continue to work to keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with the Desoto County Sheriff’s Department, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Julie Addison prosecuted the case.
Louisville Man Sentenced as an Armed Career Criminal to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced on February 4, 2026, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents, Clarence Stiff, 44, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On October 27, 2023, Stiff was detained by Louisville Metro Police Department detectives and ATF task force officers, who were attempting to execute a search warrant for Stiff’s DNA. Stiff fled from the detectives. The officers caught Stiff after a brief foot chase. Stiff had a loaded Ruger, New Model Blackhawk, .45 caliber revolver in his sweatshirt pocket.
Stiff was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On December 22, 1999, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Kentucky, Stiff was convicted of assault in the first degree.
On December 22, 1999, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Kentucky, Stiff was convicted of assault under extreme emotional disturbance and wanton endangerment in the first degree.
On September 4, 2007, in Clark Superior Court, Indiana, Stiff was convicted of dealing in cocaine.
On December 20, 2007, in Oldham Circuit Court, Kentucky, Stiff was convicted of promoting contraband in the first degree.
On September 5, 2013, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Kentucky, Stiff was convicted of manslaughter in the first degree (two counts), burglary in the first degree, possession of a handgun by a convicted felon, wanton endangerment in the first degree, and tampering with physical evidence.
On August 15, 2013, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Kentucky, Stiff was convicted of robbery in the second degree (two counts), assault in the second degree, and possession of a handgun by a convicted felon.
On August 15, 2013, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Kentucky, Stiff was convicted of torture of a dog/cat with serious physical injury/death.
On April 10, 2023, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Kentucky, Stiff was convicted of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, and receiving stolen property (firearm).
Based upon his criminal history, Stiff was sentenced as an Armed Career Criminal. A defendant is an Armed Career Criminal if (1) the defendant possesses a firearm after having a felony conviction and (2) the defendant has three previous convictions for a violent felony or serious drug offense or both, committed on occasions different from one another.
United States Attorney Kyle Bumgarner stated, “Stiff has terrorized the citizens of Louisville since 1999. He has repeatedly left victims and tragedy in his wake. No more! Stiff will spend the next 15 years in federal prison thanks to the dedicated work of the Louisville Metro Police Department, ATF and the United States Attorney’s Office. This office, along with LMPD and ATF, will continue to investigate and prosecute these violent career criminals aggressively and we will continue to make Louisville safer.”
LMPD Chief Paul L. Humphrey stated, “A dangerous repeat offender who victimized our community for years is now off the streets. This outcome is the direct result of outstanding police work and the strong partnerships we maintain with the ATF and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Our agencies remain united in our commitment to protecting the public and ensuring that those who threaten the safety of our neighborhoods are held accountable.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge John Nokes stated, “This investigation demonstrates the impact a strong partnership between ATF, LMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office can have on public safety. Clarence Stiff is a repeat violent offender, and his 15-year federal sentence will make Louisville a safer community.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by LMPD and ATF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erwin Roberts prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Las Cruces man charged with possessing unregistered destructive deviceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man appeared in federal court after allegedly using Molotov cocktails to ignite multiple fires at an apartment complex.
According to court documents, on January 12, 2026, Las Cruces Fire Department responded to a reported fire at the Villa Del Telshor Apartments in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Fire investigators determined the fire originated in a second-floor apartment and was intentionally set using an improvised incendiary device, commonly known as a Molotov cocktail. Surveillance footage from a neighbor’s Ring camera captured Richard Sepulveda, 47, who resided on the first floor of the complex, carrying two bottles upstairs moments before a bright flash is seen coming from upstairs. Sepulveda is then seen returning down the stairs holding one lit Molotov cocktail. He then appeared to inadvertently start a second smaller fire on the first floor, which he extinguished.
On January 13, 2026, ATF agents reviewed the footage, confirmed Sepulveda’s identity through lease records and driver’s license photographs, and verified he was not registered to possess or manufacture such a destructive device. On January 15, 2026, agents executed a search warrant at Sepulveda’s apartment and recovered shoes with apparent burn marks matching those seen in the video, multiple lighters, and Miller High Life bottle caps consistent with the incendiary devices used.
Sepulveda is charged with possession of a firearm, specifically a destructive device (Molotov cocktail), that was not registered to him in the National Firearms Act. He will remain detained pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Sepulveda faces ten years in prison.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Shawn Stallo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Las Cruces Fire Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Grant Gardner is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint (Sepulveda).pdfAn indictment or criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
La Center, Washington man sentenced to ten years in prison for scheme to hack Snapchat accounts to access private images and harass teensRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 32-year-old La Center, Washington, man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to ten years in prison and 15 years of supervised release for his scheme to access multiple teens’ private photos by posing as a Snapchat tech support person. Dylan Rex pleaded guilty in August 2025 to seven counts of Wire Fraud; seven counts of Computer Fraud; one count of Possession of Child Pornography; and one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor. Rex was taken into custody at sentencing to being serving his prison term. Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo told him, “For three years, you were acting like a creature. In the end, your behavior caused unimaginable pain for the victims.”
“This defendant is the dangerous stranger lurking on the Internet that every parent fears,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “And he made the deception even worse by posing as tech support to get access to private images. I commend the cyber investigators at the FBI for bringing him to justice.”
“For several years, Mr. Rex deceived his victims by pretending to provide security for their social media accounts. Instead, he used his ill-gotten access to those accounts to steal their personal photos and videos, which he then circulated on the internet,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Even worse, he offered payment to the mother of a child under the age of 10 to sexually abuse the minor child, film that abuse, and send him the imagery. When law enforcement searched Mr. Rex's residence, they uncovered media depicting the mother abusing her minor child along with hundreds of images of child sexual abuse material on multiple devices. He had gone on to distribute some of these images online, inflicting further damage on the victims each time he did. The FBI and our partners will continue to pursue child predators and those who victimize others through the internet so they can be held accountable for their harmful actions.”
According to records filed in the case, between July 2020 and March 2023, Rex defrauded over 170 victims of their private and intimate photos and videos stored in their Snapchat accounts. He would use false phone numbers and false email addresses that made it appear he was a member of the Snapchat tech support team. He would trigger a password reset message to the victim and then ask the victim to provide the six-digit code to assist them in getting back into their account. Once the victim gave up the code Rex locked them out of their account and stole the images he wanted. Many of the images and videos he stole he circulated on the internet, leading to harassment and extortion of the victims.
On March 29, 2023, law enforcement searched Rex’s residence and seized several digital devices. In all agents found more than 600 images of child sexual abuse material on eight different devices.
“What Dylan Rex did was calculated, cruel, and downright depraved. He impersonated a member of Snapchat’s customer support, targeted over 170 victims’ accounts across the country, and stole their photos which were later weaponized against them. To make matters worse, he possessed and distributed child sexual abuse material and even went as far as enticing a young mother into sexually abusing her own child, and documenting that abuse for his own sick gratification,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “With today’s sentence, he’s been held accountable for his crimes, and will be locked away, where he can’t victimize anyone else.”
In asking for the ten-year sentence and 15 years of supervised release prosecutors wrote to the court, “Rex’s sole purpose of hacking into the victims’ Snapchat accounts was to hunt for intimate and sexually suggestive photographs and/or videos of young women that he would in turn share or trade on the internet. Although Rex may not have participated directly in the harassment and intimidation of these victims using their stolen imagery, he undoubtedly contributed to it. His actions created a living nightmare for many of these victims.”
The search of Rex’s devices led to one state court conviction as well. On October 16, 2025, Rex was sentenced to 90 days in custody after pleading guilty to two counts of Voyeurism in Clark County Superior Court. In that case, Rex photographed and filmed victims, including minors, without their knowledge or consent. Rex used a recording device that he placed in a bathroom to capture these images.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elyne M. Vaught.
Life Sentence Imposed in Federal Human Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Chad Cornelious Seymore, a/k/a “Circle City Pimp”, 50, of Dothan, Alabama, was sentenced to Life in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; two counts of interstate travel in aid of racketeering; and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Seymore’s co-defendant, Kimberly Robinson Gandy, 48, of Gulfport, Mississippi, was found guilty by a federal jury in June 2025 of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Gandy was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment. The sentences were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “January was Human Trafficking Prevention Month, during which we raised awareness of this heinous crime to educate the public how to recognize the signs of human trafficking and report it to law enforcement. To be clear, every month must be Human Trafficking Prevention Month. For our part, my office will continue to aggressively prosecute human traffickers, like these defendants, who enslave their victims by threat and by force, and we will seek maximum punishments for their crimes to ensure they cannot victimize others ever again.”
Court documents reflect that over a four-year period Seymore conspired with others to bond adult women out of county jails and then forced or coerced them to commit commercial sex acts in Alabama and across North Florida. Seymore also recruited women suffering from drug addictions at hotels and through online advertisements. He threatened and physically abused his sex trafficking victims. Gandy conspired with Seymore to traffic women in Panama City Beach and Destin. They used online money exchange platforms to transfer funds received from commercial sex acts.
“These sentences send a clear message – those who exploit and traffic vulnerable individuals will be relentlessly pursued and brought to justice,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tampa acting Special Agent in Charge Mike Cochran. “HSI is committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to dismantle trafficking networks, protect victims, and hold offenders accountable. We will continue to use every resource available to ensure that our communities are safe from those who would profit from human suffering.”
“The actions of these two individuals were not impulsive mistakes,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “They were calculated decisions that caused significant and lasting harm to numerous victims. The outcome in this investigation serves as a reminder that these crimes are happening in our communities—and that law enforcement will continue to pursue those responsible and seek justice for victims. Human trafficking isn’t always a violent crime—but it is a devastating one, and it continues to increase across the country. The FBI will continue to work closely with our partners to identify, prioritize, investigate, and deter individuals from exploiting victims.”
Chief Talamantez said: “This case started with officers doing exactly what they are trained to do, pay attention and act when something isn’t right. That awareness drove a relentless, coordinated effort with our state and federal partners to dismantle a violent human trafficking operation. These defendants preyed on vulnerable victims through fear and abuse, and today they are being held fully accountable. Panama City Beach will not be a place where traffickers operate. If you exploit people here, we will find you and remove you.”
The convictions were the result of a joint investigation by the Leon County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Dothan, Alabama Police Department, the Panama City Beach Police Department with assistance from the Panama City Police Department, United States Marshal’s Service, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office, the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourteenth Judicial Circuit, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama. The case was prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Spaven.
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.
Jefferson County Man Sentenced to 210 months for Producing and Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Wednesday sentenced a man to 210 months in prison for child pornography offenses involving three teens.
Dylan James, 26, recorded a sexual act with a 13-year-old in 2024 and then distributed that recording. He also provided alcohol and “possibly some vapes” in exchange for sexually explicit images from a 15-year-old, James’ plea agreement says. James paid a 16-year-old for sexually explicit videos in 2023.
James pleaded guilty in August to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography.
“Dylan James preyed on vulnerable children, using gifts to manipulate and sexually exploit them -- a tactic all too common among predators,” said Special Agent in Charge Chris Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Division. “In these cases, there is no ambiguity: the children are the victims, and we will hold accountable those who are responsible.”
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Louis County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Hayes prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Indian National Indicted for Smuggling Illegal Aliens Across Canadian Border into United StatesRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – A federal grand jury returned an indictment on January 28, 2026, charging an Indian national for his role in a scheme to smuggle Indian nationals from Canada across the northern border into the United States.
According to court documents, Shivam Lnu, 22, directed smuggling operations from January 2025 through June 2025, coordinating the illegal transport of aliens across the U.S.-Canada border into Clinton County, New York. On Jan. 26, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop two vehicles traveling in tandem near the U.S-Canada border. Both vehicles accelerated to avoid agents, triggering a pursuit. One vehicle went off the road and became immobilized, while the other was later stopped in Mooers, New York. The vehicles contained a total of 12 undocumented aliens. WhatsApp messages between one of the drivers and a number connected to Shivam allegedly revealed coordination of smuggling illegal aliens into the U.S. from Canada on numerous occasions in and prior to January 2025, including exchanging proof of life photographs and directions to safe houses in upstate New York.
Shivam is charged with one count of conspiracy to illegally bring aliens to the United States and four counts of illegally bringing aliens to the United States for the purpose of private financial gain. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison for each count. If convicted of all four counts of illegally bringing aliens to the United States, Shivam faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of fifteen years. Shivam was initially charged by criminal complaint on June 13, 2025, with one count of conspiracy to transport aliens.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York, and Erin Keegan, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
Acting U.S. Attorney Sarcone stated: “As alleged, this defendant was a manager in an international smuggling operation that was responsible for sneaking an untold number of illegal aliens into our country. We will do everything we can to hold him and every member of his organization accountable under the law. No smuggler is safe in the Northern District of New York.”
Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “Human smuggling across our northern border poses a serious threat to national security and public safety, and exposes vulnerable individuals to extreme risks as they endure harsh elements to illegally enter our country. The indictment underscores how an individual — who himself was unlawfully present in the United States — allegedly orchestrated this smuggling operation that escalated into a dangerous pursuit, compounding the risks and challenges faced by our communities. HSI Massena remains unwavering in our commitment to disrupt these networks and safeguard our communities, working closely with our law enforcement partners to hold those who profit from illegal smuggling accountable.”
The investigation and charges are supported and prosecuted by Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), the Department’s lead effort in combating high-impact human smuggling and trafficking committed by cartels and Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs). A highly successful partnership between the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), JTFA investigates and prosecutes human smuggling and trafficking and related immigration crimes that impact public safety and border security. JTFA’s mission is to target the leaders and organizers of Cartels and TCOs involved in human smuggling and trafficking throughout the Americas. The Attorney General has elevated and expanded JTFA to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating not only in Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries of Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras, but also in Canada, the Caribbean and the maritime border, and elsewhere. Led by the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of International Affairs, and the Office of Enforcement Operations, among others, JTFA has dedicated Assistant United States Attorney-detailees from the Southern District of California; District of Arizona; District of New Mexico; Western and Southern Districts of Texas; Southern District of Florida; Northern District of New York; and District of Vermont. JTFA also partners with other USAOs throughout the country and supports high-priority cases in any district. All JTFA cases rely on substantial law enforcement resources from DHS, including ICE/ HSI and CBP/BP and OFO, as well as FBI and other law enforcement agencies. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 435 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling and/or trafficking; more than 385 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed, and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and 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.
The HSI Rouses Point and U.S. Border Patrol Burke Station are investigating the case, with substantial assistance from HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. and CBP’s National Targeting Center International Interdiction Task Force.
Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt of the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illegal Immigrant Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
Jesus Aranda-Martinez, 24, from Mexico, pled guilty on February 6, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City to one charge of possession of child pornography. Aranda-Martinez is a citizen of Mexico and is currently pending removal from the United States.
At the plea hearing, Aranda-Martinez admitted that from April 2024 through July 2025, he received, distributed and possessed child pornography. Aranda-Martinez admitted using apps such as TamTam, ICQ, Mega, and Telegram. He further admitted to liking females in middle school or younger. Aranda-Martinez admitted he had received child sexual abuse material (CSAM) over the internet including depictions of children having sex with adults. A forensic review of Aranda-Martinez’s phone showed he engaged in distribution to “send to receive” groups and that he possessed at least 62 images and 42 videos of child pornography. The images and videos involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct with prepubescent minors.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Aranda-Martinez remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Aranda-Martinez faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Sioux County Sheriff’s Office and the Rock Valley Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4053.
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Guatemalan national who attempted to kill his wife sentenced for illegally reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Guatemalan national was sentenced today to eight years and 10 months in prison in addition to the two and a half years he has already served for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and unlawfully reentering the United States following a previous removal.
According to court documents, Joel Guerra Eraso, 41, was removed from the United States in 2013, after which he unlawfully reentered the United States.
On August 30, 2023, Guerra Eraso wanted to engage in sex with his wife, but she was unable due to pain in her back. Guerra Eraso became angry, held his wife down so she could not escape, and battered her. Guerra Eraso placed a firearm to his wife’s head and pulled the trigger twice, but the firearm did not discharge. Guerra Eraso then pointed the gun at a pillow and pulled the trigger, firing the weapon and striking his wife’s phone.
Guerra Eraso later violated a protective order by contacting her through other inmates while he was incarcerated. Guerra Eraso pled guilty on July 22, 2024, in Northampton County to attempted first degree murder, use of a firearm in the commission of a violent felony, maliciously shooting in a dwelling, assault and battery of a family or household member, brandishing a firearm, reckless handling of a firearm, and misdemeanor destruction of property.
Guerra Eraso was previously convicted of possession of cocaine, as well as reckless handling of a firearm for an incident in which he was intoxicated and fired a gun multiple times inside a residence while his wife hid in a closet.
Guerra Eraso remains subject to removal from the United States.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C. investigated this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton D. LaForge 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 and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-40.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Prison for Assaulting ICE Officers in Lake Worth BeachRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Guatemalan national has been sentenced to federal prison after he assaulted two federal officers attempting to arrest him.
U.S. District Judge Donald M. Middlebrooks sentenced Fredy Aureliano Morales-Ramirez, 39, residing in Lake Worth Beach, to one year and one day in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to forcibly assaulting a federal officer.
“Assaulting federal officers will never be tolerated here,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “These officers were doing their jobs, lawfully executing an arrest warrant, and they were met with violence. Today’s sentence makes clear that if you attack federal law enforcement in South Florida, you will go to prison.”
According to court records, on Aug. 13, 2025, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation officers attempted to execute an arrest warrant for Morales-Ramirez, who was illegally present in the U.S. Officers located Morales-Ramirez during a vehicle stop near his residence.
During the stop, Morales-Ramirez refused to comply with officers’ commands, attempted to place his vehicle into drive, and actively resisted arrest by pushing the deportation officers and grabbing their handcuffs. Morales-Ramirez then attempted to flee on foot by exiting through the passenger-side door.
The officers pursued Morales-Ramirez and attempted to restrain him. Morales-Ramirez continued to resist, striking the officers on their arms and torsos. With assistance from a deputy with the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, officers were eventually able to restrain Morales-Ramirez on the ground.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Acting Field Office Director Kelei Walker of ICE, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), made the announcement.
ICE ERO investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Ralston prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-80140.
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Grandmother Who Bought Firearms for Juvenile Grandson Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
A woman who purchased three firearms for her fourteen-year-old grandson was sentenced on February 4, 2026, to five years of probation.
Virginia Prescott, age 64, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the sentence after a July 29, 2025, guilty plea to false statement during purchase of firearm.
Information from a plea agreement and sentencing proceedings showed that Prescott bought three handguns from a licensed firearms dealer in Cedar Falls between March and August 2024. Prescott lied on forms during these purchases, claiming that she was the actual buyer of the guns. The guns were for Prescott’s fourteen-year-old grandson, who was not old enough to purchase or possess firearms. All three guns were recovered by law enforcement officers in connection with criminal activity. One gun was linked by ballistics testing to a shots-fired incident that occurred in Waterloo on August 3, 2024.
On October 1, 2024, law enforcement agents searched Prescott’s home. She reported that her grandson, who lived in the same household, had threatened to destroy her property and kill her dog if she did not buy a gun for him. Prescott’s grandson was on state probation when she bought guns for him.
Prescott was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Prescott was sentenced to five years of federal probation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyndra Lundquist and investigated by a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives’ (ATF) National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-2042.
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Goffstown Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Narcotics OffensesRead the Press Release
Goffstown Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms and Narcotics Offenses
CONCORD – Mark Williams, 45, pleaded guilty today to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, U.S. Attorney Erin Creegan announces.
According to the charging documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours on October 27, 2023, Williams was driving a vehicle that he had borrowed from an acquaintance when he became involved in a single-car accident in Goffstown, New Hampshire. Williams walked away before Goffstown Police arrived. The unoccupied vehicle sustained disabling damage and was later towed. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed a loaded 9mm handgun and distribution-level quantities of methamphetamine (41 grams), cocaine (73 grams), and fentanyl (452 grams). Williams was later arrested.
The charging statute for the drug trafficking offense provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. The charging statute for the firearm violation provides for a sentence of not less than 5 years and up to life in federal prison, consecutive to any prison term imposed on the drug trafficking offense, up to 5 years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $250,000. U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for May 14, 2026.
The investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Goffstown Police Department, and the Manchester Police Department. Valuable assistance was additionally provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Glastonbury Men Charged with Using Thousands of Stolen Identities to Defraud FanDuel and Other Online Gambling Sites of $3 MillionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, and Bryan T. Cafferelli, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned a 45-count indictment charging AMITOJ KAPOOR, 29, and SIDDHARTH LILLANEY, 29, both of Glastonbury, with fraud, identity theft, and money laundering offenses stemming from a scheme to use stolen identities to defraud FanDuel and other online gambling companies of millions of dollars.
The indictment was returned on February 3, 2026, and Kapoor and Lillaney were arrested yesterday. They appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Maria E. Garcia in New Haven and were each released on a $300,000 bond.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, Kapoor and Lillaney conspired to defraud online gambling companies, primarily FanDuel, by signing up for accounts using the personal identifying information (“PII”) of identity theft victims in Connecticut and elsewhere in order to take advantage of promotional “bonuses,” “credits,” or “bonus bets” that were offered when a user opened an account or made an initial bet. To open the gambling accounts, Kapoor and Lillaney purchased the PII of thousands of victims on the darknet and through the encrypted messaging service Telegram. They also maintained accounts at websites such as BeenVerified.com and TruthFinder.com to obtain additional background information on identity theft victims, and used the information to answer verification questions when signing up for the gambling accounts. If Kapoor and Lillaney won a bet using a bonus bet, the winnings were transferred to virtual stored value card, backed by an FDIC-insured financial institution, which FanDuel allowed account holders to use to make deposits to and withdrawals from their FanDuel account. They then transferred the proceeds from their scheme from the stored value cards to bank accounts and investments accounts they controlled.
It is alleged that since 2021, Kapoor and Lillaney used the PII of approximately 3,000 identity theft victims to open FanDuel and other online gambling accounts, and generated approximately $3 million in profits during the scheme.
“As alleged, these two men used thousands of stolen identities to open online gambling accounts and exploit new user incentives, which for several years allowed them to gamble with stolen money,” said U.S. Attorney Sullivan. “Their winning streak is now over. I thank our partners with IRS-Criminal Investigation and Connecticut’s Department of Consumer Protection for their extraordinary investigative efforts, and for continuing to work diligently to identify all who have been victimized by this criminal conduct.”
“Individuals who commit identity theft of this magnitude deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law,” said Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office. “It’s alleged those charged caused immeasurable hardship to the victims of their identity theft scheme. IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes where criminals attempt to conceal the true source of their money.”
“Although this started as a gaming-related investigation, the scope of the alleged identity theft and fraud, with thousands of potential victims across the country, quickly became the primary focus of this investigation,” said DCP Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli. “First and foremost, we are a consumer protection agency, and protecting the public by preventing and rooting out fraud is our top priority. If you believe you are a victim of identity theft, visit IdentityTheft.Gov to report the fraud and take steps to recover your identity. Thank you to our skilled team of DCP Gaming investigators as well as the IRS Criminal Investigation Division for their diligent work on this case. We look forward to working with the U.S. Attorney's office to see this case through to its conclusion.”
The indictment charges Kapoor and Lillaney with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and identity fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years; 23 counts of wire fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count; eight counts of identity fraud, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years on each count; two counts of aggravated identity theft, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of two years; one count of money laundering conspiracy, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; and 10 counts of money laundering, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count.
U.S. Attorney Sullivan stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division and the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael S. McGarry.
Four Wisconsin Residents Charged with Fraud in Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on February 3, 2026, a federal grand jury indicted Brandi Ellis (45), Jason Flanders (51), Ramon Hernandez (45), and Jezlia Barajas (39), in a fifteen-count indictment related to an embezzlement scheme perpetrated against a Milwaukee-area non-profit.
According to the indictment, Ellis, the finance director of the non-profit, and Flanders, the non-profit’s Chief Financial Officer, engaged in a scheme to issue unauthorized checks to themselves and third parties on the non-profit’s bank accounts. The indictment also charges that Ellis used the non-profit’s credit cards to make personal purchases, including at Gucci and the Venetian/Palazzo in Las Vegas.
The Indictment charges Ellis with six counts of Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344, one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h), one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1028A, two counts of Wire Fraud, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 1343, and one count of Intimidation of a Witness, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1512.
The Indictment charges Flanders with three counts of Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344, and one count of making False Statements, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001.
The Indictment charges Hernandez and Barajas each with one count of Bank Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1344, and one count of Money Laundering Conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1956(h).
If convicted of the Bank Fraud charges, each defendant faces up to 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $1,000,000 per count. If convicted of the Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, or Intimidation charges, the defendants face up to 20 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000. If convicted of the False Statement charge, Flanders faces up to 5 years’ imprisonment and a fine up to $250,000.
Four other individuals were charged in related cases, via Information, on the same day.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Julie F. Stewart.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government must prove them guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Former USPS Employee Faces Additional Charges in Postal Contract Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – As a result of an ongoing investigation into the criminal activities of a former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) worker, a Summit County man now faces additional accusations in a highly coordinated conspiracy to award USPS contracts to specific business entities.
In a superseding indictment filed Feb. 4, a federal grand jury charged Josef Ratcliff, 60, of Akron, with the following:
- Conspiracy to Commit Honest Services Mail and Wire Fraud
- Conspiracy to Commit Extortion Under Color of Official Right
- Honest Services Mail and Wire Fraud
- Extortion Under Color of Official Right
- Receipt of Bribes by Federal Official
- Concealment Money Laundering
Ratcliff was initially charged with receiving bribes in the original indictment filed in July 2025.
According to the allegations, Ratcliff was employed as a purchasing and supply management specialist with USPS. As part of his official duties he solicited, received, and reviewed bids from contractors, focusing on logistics services for transporting the mail. Some of the contracts were worth more than $10 million. In performing his duty to review bids, Ratcliff had access to highly confidential information which was not to be shared outside the USPS. After reviewing bids, he provided the contracting officer with his recommendations—which they typically followed—and contracts were awarded to the companies Ratcliff had chosen.
As described in the superseding indictment, Ratcliff conspired to provide confidential competing bid numbers, and other favorable treatment, to companies from across the country including Spokane, Washington; Las Vegas, Nevada; Raeford, North Carolina; Bronx, New York; and Middletown, New York. Some of these entities were not previously in the trucking or logistics business before connecting with the defendant. Examples include one that was a chemical company, and another that provided cellphone related services. Another company was only formed after the owner connected with Ratcliff. Nonetheless, these businesses were awarded USPS trucking contracts. In return for his guidance, Ratcliff’s co-conspirators regularly paid him bribes worth thousands of dollars in the form of checks, electronic money transfers, and cash.
Court documents further allege that the electronic transfers often included notes in attempts to conceal the true purpose of the payments. Note descriptions included “car oil leak,” “birthday present for big boy,” or “pop rocks for little daddy.” Other transfers were simply noted as “happy birthday” or “rent.” In less than a year, six of the bribes were designated for a birthday. One transfer in the amount of $3,500 was ostensibly for a “coffee maker and beans.” One co-conspirator alone sent 14 bribes totaling $38,900.
Ratcliff is also alleged to have been explicit about the scheme in his phone calls with co-conspirators. He provided specific bid information, including the amounts of the lowest and second-lowest bids. Ratcliff also explained plans for spending the bribe money on his car and buying a new house. Part of the scheme involved the co-conspirators, with Ratcliff’s help, getting extensions of time to submit their bids, so Ratcliff could provide the full picture of the competitors’ bids to help co-conspirators craft winning bids. On calls, he discussed how a co-conspirator should obtain such an extension, including how the co-conspirator should first reach out to the contracting officer alone, who would then bring Ratcliff in, making it appear that the extension request process started with the contracting officer and not the defendant. Later in the scheme, he warned that he would soon be losing access to some of the contract information, saying, “what we doin’, this s--t is about to dry the f--k up” because the co-conspirator “won’t be able to get no information from me on” those contracts.
The following co-conspirators were charged separately in connection with their roles in the conspiracy and have all previously pleaded guilty. Sentencing dates are:
- William Michael Clark, 50, of Las Vegas, Nevada: April 7.
- Zoma M. Shaikh, 43, of Bronx, New York: TBD.
- Vakar Maniar, 70, of Raeford, North Carolina: April 21.
- Jilani Ahad, 66, of Bronx, New York: April 20.
- Rafeh Ahad, 26, of Fort Myers, Florida: April 20
- Eric Asante Wiredu, 57, of Middleton, New York: March 24
An indictment is merely an allegation. Defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, the defendant sentence will be determined by the Court after a review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation.
The United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General leads the investigation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elliot Morrison for the Northern District of Ohio.
Former Postal Employee Pleads Guilty to Federal Obstruction and Video Voyeurism ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Worcester to obstruction and video voyeurism charges.
Nicholas Testagrossa, 43, of Rindge, N.H., pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction and attempted obstruction of an official proceeding, and two counts of video voyeurism. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for May 12, 2026. Testagrossa was charged in December 2025.
In March 2025, Testagrossa – then a U.S. Postal Worker at the Westminster, Mass. – secretly placed a hidden camera inside the women’s restroom at the Westminster Post Office in an effort to record his female co-workers while they were undressed and using the bathroom. The device was discovered on March 28, 2025, after a postal employee noticed it concealed beneath a vent. A subsequent investigation revealed that the camera had been placed in the restroom on multiple occasions and had captured video recordings inside the women’s bathroom on several dates in February 2025 and March 2025, including recordings of two victims undressed without their knowledge or consent.
Investigators recovered video files showing Testagrossa personally installing the hidden camera in the restroom, positioning it to obtain a recording vantage point, and testing the device both inside the post office and at his home. The recordings clearly showed Testagrossa’s face and documented his repeated efforts to conceal and operate the camera. The evidence confirmed that the recordings were intentional and part of a pattern of conduct targeting female co-workers.
After the hidden camera was discovered and secured by the Postmaster, Testagrossa removed the device from the Postmaster’s desk without authorization and attempted to destroy evidence by damaging the camera’s memory card and USB ports. His efforts were unsuccessful because the memory card had already been removed and preserved.
The charge of obstruction and attempted obstruction of an official proceeding provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of video voyeurism provide for a sentence of up to one year in prison, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $100,000. 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 Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
Former MLB Player Found Guilty of Obstructing Justice and Lying to Federal Officials Investigating Illegal Sports Gambling RingRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Major League Baseball (MLB) player was found guilty by a jury today of lying to federal law enforcement officials about bets on sporting events that he placed with an illegal gambling operation.
Yasiel Puig Valdés, 35, of Miami, was found guilty of one count of obstruction of justice and one count of making false statements. Puig played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Cincinnati Reds, the Cleveland Indians, and professional baseball teams in Mexico and South Korea.
According to evidence presented at a 13-day trial, in May 2019, Puig began placing bets on sporting events through Donny Kadokawa, a sub-agent of the illegal gambling business run by Wayne Joseph Nix, 49, of Newport Coast. Puig called and sent text messages to Kadokawa with wagers on sporting events. Kadokawa then submitted the bets to the Nix gambling business on Puig’s behalf. By June 2019, Puig owed Nix’s gambling business $282,900 in sports gambling losses.
Kadokawa and Benny Bonilla, another person who assisted Puig with payments to Nix, instructed Puig to make a check or wire transfer payable to a Nix gambling business client – Joseph Schottenstein – to whom the business owed at least $200,000 in gambling winnings.
On June 25, 2019, Puig withdrew $200,000 from a Bank of America branch in Glendale then purchased two cashiers’ checks for $100,000 each that were made payable to Schottenstein. Puig did not immediately send the checks because of a dispute over the balance and access to Nix-controlled websites used to place sports bets. Nix refused to allow Puig access to the betting websites until Puig’s gambling debt was paid.
After Puig paid the $200,000, Nix provided Puig direct access to the betting websites. From July 4, 2019, to September 29, 2019, Puig placed 899 additional bets on tennis, football, and basketball games through the websites. Puig placed many of these bets at MLB ballparks just before and after games in which he played. Puig ran up a gambling debt with Nix’s illegal bookmaking operation of nearly $1 million, a debt he never paid.
In January 2022, federal investigators interviewed Puig in the presence of his lawyers. During the interview, despite being warned that lying to federal agents is a crime, Puig lied several times. During the interview, he falsely stated that he “only” knew Kadokawa from baseball and that he never discussed gambling with him, when in fact Puig discussed sports betting with Kadokawa hundreds of times on the telephone and via text message.
After agents showed Puig a copy of one of the cashiers’ checks he purchased on June 25, 2019, Puig falsely stated that he did not know the person who instructed him to send $200,000 in cashiers’ checks to Schottenstein. Puig also falsely stated that he had placed a bet online with an unknown person on an unknown website that resulted in a loss of $200,000.
In March 2022, Puig sent Bonilla an audio message via WhatsApp in which he admitted to lying to federal agents and to obstructing their grand jury investigation during his interview two months earlier.
In 2019, as part of his naturalization process, Puig – a Cuban national – lied on a U.S. government immigration form and while under oath during his naturalization interview by stating that he had never engaged in illegal gambling or received income from illegal gambling.
Nix pleaded guilty in April 2022 to one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal sports gambling business and one count of filing a false tax return. Nix is expected to be sentenced in the coming months.
United States District Judge Dolly M. Gee scheduled a May 26 sentencing hearing, at which time Puig will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison on the obstruction of justice charge and up to five years in prison for the false statement charges. Puig remains free on his own personal recognizance.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The HSI agents are part of the El Camino Real Financial Crimes Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorneys Juan M. Rodriguez, Michael J. Morse, and Laura A. Alexander of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case with assistance from Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey P. Mitchell of the Northern District of California.
Former Leader of Panama’s Largest Drug Trafficking Organization Found Guilty of Shipping Hundreds of Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The former leader of Panama’s largest drug trafficking organization that conspired to smuggle tons of cocaine into the United States has been found guilty by a jury of a federal narcotics trafficking charge, the Justice Department announced today.
Jorge Rubén Camargo-Clarke, 46, a.k.a. “Cool nene,” was found guilty late Thursday of one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine for the purpose of unlawful importation.
Camargo has been in federal custody since March 2023 when he was extradited from Costa Rica.
According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, Camargo was the head of the Bagdad syndicate, the largest drug trafficking organization in Panama. From that position, Camargo directed the actions of approximately 4,000 narcotraffickers in Panama and Colombia, all working in service of his drug trafficking enterprise.
Camargo and the Bagdad syndicate controlled the importation and exportation of cocaine along the majority of Panama’s Pacific coast. In 2017 alone, Panama’s national security forces seized approximately 7.9 tons of cocaine from areas in Panama under Camargo’s control.
Camargo communicated via Blackberry Messenger with various co-conspirators, including Colombian cocaine sources of supply, to move thousands of kilograms of cocaine north from their source in Colombia to Panama, Costa Rica, El Salvador, and elsewhere. Camargo personally coordinated numerous large-scale cocaine shipments by boat out of Colombia for the purpose of distribution in the United States and elsewhere, and instructed co-conspirators where to deliver, hide, and then transfer cocaine along his supply routes for purposes of moving the cocaine north, for ultimate importation into the United States.
Among other seizures, in November 2017, law enforcement in Panama seized more than 200 kilograms (441 pounds) of cocaine from an earth trap in the Rio Caimito area of Panama that Camargo had personally ordered shipped from Colombia to Panama, and that he intended to traffic to the United States.
United States District Judge André Birotte Jr. scheduled a June 12 sentencing hearing, at which time Camargo will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
This investigation was led by the Southern California Drug Task Force (SCDTF), a Drug Enforcement Administration-led multi-agency task force within the Los Angeles High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Program. Substantial assistance was also provided by DEA Panama City Panama, Panama’s Servicio Nacional Aeronaval (SENAN), Panamá Nacional Policia Dirección de Investigación Judicial (PNP DIJ), Panama’s Instituto de Medicina Legal y Ciencias (IMELCF), and Procuraduria General de la Nación, Ministerio Público de Panamá. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of Costa Rica to secure the arrest and March 2023 extradition from Costa Rica of Camargo.
Assistant United States Attorneys Declan T. Conroy and Jehan Pernas Kim of the Transnational Organized Crime Section are prosecuting this case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
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.
Folsom Man Arrested, Charged with Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
us_dis_caed_2_26cr14_d77010933e236_indictment_as_to_paul_joseph_richards_1_count_1_de.pdfA Folsom man, Paul Richards, 51, was arrested today after a federal grand jury indicted him for receiving child sexual abuse material, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, from December 2023 through April 2025, Richards used the peer-to-peer file sharing program BitTorrent to receive images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Harman is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Richards faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet safety education.
Five Men Charged with Immigration Law Violations in Northwestern OhioRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – Federal grand juries returned indictments charging four people from Honduras and one from Mexico with violating immigration laws. These are separate cases and not related.
The following were charged with illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code 1326. They were found in the Northern District of Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.
- Marcos Bardales-Lopez, 26, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Dec 6, 2019. He was found in Maumee, Ohio (Lucas County) on Jan. 12.
- Rigoberto Gomez-Arguijo, 45, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Oct. 28, 2010. He was found in Marion (Marion County) on Jan. 8.
- Oscar Mendoza, 52, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Jan. 17, 2008. He was found in Maumee, Ohio (Lucas County) on Jan. 12.
Additionally, the following defendants were charged with two counts of Possession of a Fraudulent Identification Document:
- Jimy Antonio Portillo-Ramirez, 23, a citizen of Honduras, was found in Vickery, Ohio (Sandusky County) on Jan. 6.
- Jose Alfredo Reyes-Gonzalez, 33, a citizen of Mexico, was found in Oak Harbor, Ohio (Ottawa County) on Jan. 18.
The investigations in these cases were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ava Rotell Dustin, Dexter L. Phillips, and Frank H. Spryszak for Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. 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, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Five Fentanyl Traffickers Sentenced to Combined 91 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Two of five defendants in a Lubbock drug-trafficking ring were sentenced to 19 and 20 years in federal prison today for their roles in distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Adam Whitehead Baber, 45, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 228 months in federal prison. He pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in October 2025. Jessica Clauson, 43, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 240 months in federal prison. She pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in September 2025.Three others charged as part of the drug trafficking ring include:
• Sean Burns, 43, of Lubbock, was sentenced in December 2025 to 204 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl in August 2025.
• Charles Srnek, also known as “Dreds,” 38, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 360 months in federal prison in December 2025 after pleading guilty in August 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual).
• Kiyle Jackson, 33, of Lubbock, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison in December 2025 after pleading guilty in August 2025 to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.Court documents reflect that beginning in early 2024, the defendants conspired to travel out of state to purchase massive quantities of fentanyl to distribute in Lubbock. The investigation revealed that the defendants would purchase up to 10,000 fentanyl pills at a time, which they referred to as “yachts” of fentanyl. In total, the group was found responsible for distributing over 100,000 fentanyl pills and 20 pounds of methamphetamine in Lubbock.
According to court records, in January 2024, Baber and Burns were arrested in New Mexico with 1,669 fentanyl pills (184.5 grams) destined for Lubbock. Later, in May 2024, agents executed a search warrant at the Lubbock home of defendants Clauson and Srnek and found 568 grams of fentanyl, 625 grams of methamphetamine, and four firearms. In July 2024, Jackson was caught with 140 fentanyl pills during a traffic stop.
United States District Judge James Wesley Hendrix sentenced each of the defendants.
Agents with the Lubbock, Texas Anti-Gang (TAG), the Drug Enforcement Administration, Caprock High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Texas Department of Public Safety, Lubbock Police Department, and Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Rancourt prosecuted the case.