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Friday 12 December 2025
U.S. Attorney’s Office Filed 98 Border-Related Cases This WeekRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Federal prosecutors in the Southern District of California filed 98 border-related cases this week, including charges of bringing in aliens for financial gain, reentering the U.S. after deportation, and importation of controlled substances.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California is the fourth-busiest federal district, largely due to a high volume of border-related crimes. This district, encompassing San Diego and Imperial counties, shares a 140-mile border with Mexico. It includes the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the world’s busiest land border crossing, connecting San Diego (America’s eighth largest city) and Tijuana (Mexico’s second largest city).
In addition to reactive border-related crimes, the Southern District of California also prosecutes a significant number of proactive cases related to terrorism, organized crime, drugs, white-collar fraud, violent crime, cybercrime, human trafficking and national security. Recent developments in those and other significant areas of prosecution can be found here.
A sample of border-related arrests this week:
- On December 6, Rodrigo Banuelos Garrafa and Anselmo Ramirez Romero, Mexican nationals, were arrested and charged with Attempted Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain during a maritime smuggling event. In the same incident, Jose Luis Castro-Lopez, Sandra Morales Tellez, Lidia Manuela Reyes Aroche and Daniela Tocohua Perez – also Mexican nationals - were arrested and charged with Attempted Entry after Deportation. According to a complaint, 11 people aboard a 26-foot vessel were intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard about 22 miles west of San Diego. Banuelos Garrafa was identified as the boat captain; Ramirez Romero as the co-captain. The defendants plus five other passengers were transported to the Ballast Point Coast Guard station and turned over to Border Patrol.
- On December 9, Jesus Guadalupe Quintero Gastelum, a Mexican national, was arrested and charged with Importation of a Controlled Substance. According to a complaint, Customs and Border Protection officers at the Otay Mesa Port of Entry found 46 packages concealed in the wooden planks of a flatbed trailer being towed by the defendant’s truck when he attempted to cross the border. The packages contained 453 pounds of methamphetamine.
- On December 10, Gagik Verdyan, a citizen of Armenia, was arrested and charged with Deported Alien Found in the United States. Verdyan was intercepted by San Pascual Tribal Police and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. Verdyan was previously removed from the U.S. in 2017 from New York City.
Also recently, some defendants with criminal records were sentenced for border-related crimes such as illegally re-entering the U.S. after previous deportation. Here’s an example:
- On December 12, Jonathan Ivan Moreno-Hernandez, who was previously convicted of assault, attempted murder, voluntary manslaughter, theft, and vandalism, was sentenced in federal court to 18 months imprisonment for again entering the United States illegally.
The immigration cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with the support and assistance of state and local law enforcement partners.
Indictments and criminal complaints are merely allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Staten Island Men Indicted for Attempting to Bribe a Juror in a Criminal Trial in the Eastern District of New YorkRead the Press Release
An indictment was returned yesterday charging Valmir Krasniqi and Afrim Kupa with obstruction of justice and conspiracy to obstruct justice for attempting to bribe a juror (Juror-1) to vote not guilty in a criminal trial in the Eastern District of New York. As alleged in the indictment, in mid-November 2025, the defendants offered to pay a juror serving on the criminal trial of United States v. Goran Gogic, 22-CR-493 (JMA), up to $100,000 in exchange for the juror’s not guilty vote at the close of trial.
On November 17, 2025, Krasniqi and Kupa were arrested and charged by complaint. Both defendants were detained pending trial.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the indictment.
“The indictment sends a clear message to the public that jury tampering and other efforts to undermine and corrupt the criminal justice system will not be tolerated,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “As alleged, these defendants obstructed a federal criminal trial in Brooklyn by attempting to bribe a juror. Our Office acted swiftly and vigorously to prosecute those involved in efforts to obstruct justice.”
Mr. Nocella extended his appreciation to Homeland Security Investigations, New York, for their work on the Gogic case.
“Valmir Krasniqi and Afrim Kupa allegedly conspired to provide a significant cash bribe to potentially alter a juror’s vote related to a separate impending federal criminal trial. These defendants’ alleged attempt sought to influence a core principle of our criminal justice system and deprive the defendant his right to a fair trial. The FBI will never permit any individual to tip the scales in any proceedings and undermine our country’s democratic practices,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
The Gogic Trial
As alleged in the indictment and other court documents, the trial of Goran Gogic was set to commence before the United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack on November 17, 2025.
Gogic is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act and three counts of violating the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act. As alleged, between May 2018 and July 2019, Gogic conspired with others to distribute massive quantities of cocaine via commercial cargo ships. Gogic coordinated with the sources of the cocaine in Colombia, the crewmembers who transported tons of cocaine on commercial cargo ships on the high seas, and the network of port workers who transported and offloaded the cocaine in Europe via the United States. United States law enforcement seized three of these shipments, totaling nearly 20,000 kilograms of cocaine. If convicted, Gogic faces up to life in prison.The Juror Tampering Scheme
On November 3, 2025 and November 5, 2025, a jury was selected in Gogic’s criminal trial. Juror-1 was selected to serve as a juror at trial. Between November 13, 2025 and November 17, 2025, Krasniqi and Kupa, along with a coconspirator (CC‑1), allegedly attempted to bribe Juror-1 with a cash payment in exchange for Juror-1 agreeing to vote not guilty at Gogic’s trial.
As alleged in the indictment and other court documents, on November 13, 2025, Krasniqi arranged a meeting between Kupa and CC-1 in Staten Island, New York. At the meeting, Kupa explained to CC-1 that he and other coconspirators wanted CC-1 to offer Juror-1 money to vote not guilty at trial. In a meeting on November 15, 2025, CC-1 informed Juror-1 that he/she would be paid up to $100,000 to vote not guilty at trial.
On November 16, 2025, Kupa, Krasniqi and CC-1 met at Krasniqi’s home in Staten Island. There, the three discussed the plan to pay Juror-1 to vote not guilty at Gogic’s trial. During the meeting, Kupa indicated that Juror-1 would receive $100,000 in cash as payment.
On November 17, 2025, Kupa and Krasniqi were arrested at their homes in Staten Island. At that time, Kupa was in possession of a document containing Juror-1’s name, home address, and place of employment. Krasniqi was in possession of a digital photograph of Juror-1 that he had sent via text message to CC-1 in furtherance of the criminal scheme.
The charges announced today are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorney Emily J. Dean is in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Erin Payne and Jack SchneiderThe Defendants:
VALMIR KRASNIQI
Age: 35
Staten Island, New YorkAFRIM KUPA
Age: 52
Staten Island, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 25-CR-385
jury_tampering_indictment.pdfTwo Men Sentenced to Federal Prison in Separate Drug Cases Investigated by the BADGES Task ForceRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced the results of two separate drug distribution cases in eastern Idaho today. Both cases were investigated by the BADGES Task Force, which is a HIDTA-funded task force that includes the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Pocatello Police Department, the Idaho State Police, the Bannock County Sheriff’s Office, and the Chubbuck Police Department.
In the first case, Tamrik Paul Day, 27, of Spokane, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Day distributed methamphetamine through the mail in January and February 2024. On January 30, 2024, Day sold 27 grams of methamphetamine to another person. On February 15, 2024, Day sold 55 grams of methamphetamine to another person. On both occasions Day used the mail to send the methamphetamine, and the purchaser paid Day through a mobile peer-to-peer financial platform.
U.S. Chief District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Day to serve four years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Day pleaded guilty to the charges in September 2025.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the Idaho State Police, who led the investigation on behalf of the BADGES Task Force, and the United States Postal Inspection Service, who assisted in the investigation. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
In a separate and unrelated case, Jessie Kim Mitchell, 64, of Pingree, was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court records, Mitchell sold methamphetamine to another person on three occasions in November 2024. On November 6, 2024, Mitchell sold 6 grams of methamphetamine. On November 15, 2024, Mitchell sold 52 grams of methamphetamine. On November 26, 2024, Mitchell sold 101 grams of methamphetamine. Mitchell was previously convicted of delivery of a controlled substance in Bingham County in 1995.
U.S. Chief District Judge David C. Nye also ordered Mitchell to serve 5 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Mitchell pleaded guilty to the charge in June 2025.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the Idaho State Police, who led the investigation on behalf of the BADGES Task Force, for their investigation which led to the charges in this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Zoie Laggis prosecuted this case.
These cases were handled by the U.S. Attorney Office’s specially deputized Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA), funded by the Eastern Idaho Partnership (EIP) and the State of Idaho. The EIP is a coalition of local city and county officials in eastern Idaho as well as the Idaho Department of Correction.
The EIP SAUSA program allows law enforcement to utilize the federal criminal justice system – through the EIP SAUSA – to prosecute, convict, and sentence violent, armed criminals and drug traffickers. These criminals often receive stiffer penalties than they might in state courts.
This program was created in January 2016. Since that time, approximately 253 defendants have been indicted by the EIP SAUSA. Of these defendants, 190 have been indicted on drug trafficking charges. The defendants indicted under the program have been sentenced to 12,187 months (approximately 1,015.58 years) in federal prison, representing an average prison sentence of 48.16 months (4.01 years). Defendants indicted for drug trafficking offenses serve, on average, approximately 53.25 months (4.44 years) in federal prison.
These cases were investigated through the Oregon-Idaho High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) program. HIDTA is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multiagency drug enforcement initiatives, including the BADGES Task Force.
The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking in Bannock County and throughout the region.
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Two Challis Men Sentenced for Lacey Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Jerrod Randall Farr, 54, and Michael Timothy Scott, 68, both of Challis, Idaho, were sentenced in United States District Court for the District of Idaho, for Lacey Act wildlife violations, U.S. Attorney Bart Davis announced today.
In 2024, Farr, a licensed outfitter (White Cloud Outfitters) and licensed guide, was indicted on five counts: two counts of Lacy Act violations, two counts of providing false or fictitious information to a Forest Service officer, and one count of conducting work activity without a special-use authorization. Scott, a former licensed outfitter (White Cloud Outfitters) and current licensed guide, was indicted on two counts of Lacey Act violations.
According to court records, Farr pleaded guilty to one Class A misdemeanor count of violating the Lacey Act on June 23, 2025, and Scott pleaded guilty to one Class A misdemeanor Lacey Act count, each charged by superseding information. Farr, owner and outfitter for White Cloud Outfitters, sold and facilitated Rocky Mountain Big Horn Sheep hunts that occurred in an area of the Salmon-Challis National Forest that is closed to commercial guiding, and Scott, as a guide for White Cloud Outfitters, illegally guided those hunts. Bighorn sheep were transported to Idaho, Utah, and Alaska.
On November 6, 2025, Farr was sentenced to two years of probation, during which he is prohibited from hunting, accompanying hunters in the field, outfitting or guiding hunters, or profiting from outfitting or guiding hunters. Judge David C. Nye also ordered that Farr pay a fine of $9,500, payable to the Lacey Act Reward Fund, and $15,000 in restitution, payable to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game. On November 24, 2025, Scott was sentenced to four years of probation, during which he is prohibited from hunting, accompanying hunters in the field, outfitting or guiding hunters, or profiting from outfitting or guiding hunters. Judge Nye also ordered Scott to pay a fine of $9,500, payable to the Lacey Act Reward Fund, and $15,000 in restitution, payable to the Idaho Department of Fish and Game.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the work of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and Idaho Fish and Game, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin Paskett and Christian Nafzger prosecuted the case.
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Tsaile Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Kevin Darren Blackhorse, 37, of Tsaile, Arizona, was sentenced on December 8, 2025, by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 13 years of imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Blackhorse previously pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter.
On January 8, 2024, while engaged in a physical fight with the victim, Blackhorse stabbed the victim in the chest and back multiple times resulting in his death. Blackhorse and the victim are enrolled members of the Navajo Nation.
Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations and the FBI Phoenix division’s Gallup office conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kiyoko Patterson, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-24-01247-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-175_Blackhorse# # #
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.Trio Convicted of International Parental Kidnapping and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington announced Aaron Daniel Aung and Jaimes Tin Aung have been found guilty of International Parental Kidnapping and Conspiracy to Commit International Parental Kidnapping. The guilty finding was made following a bench trial in front of Judge Thomas O. Rice. The final defendant, Nadia Erika Cole, pled guilty to International Parental Kidnapping.
As was submitted during the bench trial, from May 29, 2024, until July 7, 2024, all defendants worked together to violate an Idaho court order by removing a young child from her lawful parent and taking the child to Mexico. A custody exchange was made on May 29, 2024. Following that exchange, Aaron Aung retrieved a vehicle belonging to Jaimes Aung and then drove to Tacoma, Washington, where he met his girlfriend Nadia Cole outside of a hotel. Cole had suddenly left the Seattle-Tacoma airport earlier that day while in line for an international flight. She had left her phone and other personal items at the airport and took a taxi the hotel, where she waited for Aaron Aung.
Aaron Aung and Nadia Cole then traveled to Mexico with the minor child, crossing the border on June 1, 2024. Nadia Cole and Aaron Aung remained in Mexico with the minor victim for weeks, in violation of the custody order. They had no contact with the custodial parent and law enforcement was unaware of their whereabouts for several weeks. During that time, Aaron’s father Jaimes Aung communicated with Aaron using coded messaging. They discussed plans, with Jaimes Aung warning Aaron Aung about the ongoing investigation by the FBI and giving advice on how to avoid law enforcement detection.
On July 4, 2024, Aaron Aung and Nadia Cole were contacted by Mexican law enforcement. Cole was deported from the country. A few days later, Aaron Aung was contacted again and was arrested based on an outstanding warrant from Whitman County, Washington. The minor child was reunited with her lawful parent.First Assistant United States Attorney Pete Serrano stated, “The United States takes very seriously the safety and security of our community’s children. Cases involving a missing child are our top priority. Jaimes Aung, Aaron Aung, and Nadia Cole made the dangerous decision to kidnap a child to Mexico in violation of a custody order, demonstrating the lengths they went to willingly circumvent the court process. Law enforcement worked tirelessly for weeks to locate the child to bring her home to her lawful parent. We are grateful for the coordination and cooperation of all involved agencies. Through their dedicated efforts this case was able resolved with a safe and happy conclusion.”
“These three defendants stole a child from her lawful parent and then tried to hide her beyond the borders of the United States,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Despite their efforts to evade the search, a dozen law enforcement agencies from multiple jurisdictions worked relentlessly to bring the missing child home, which they were able to do after just over a month. We are grateful this child is safe and for the strong law enforcement partnerships that made this rescue possible.”
This case was a multi-jurisdiction investigation involving the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Moscow, Idaho Police Department; Pullman, Washington Police Department; FBI Cryptanalysis and Racketeering Records Unit; Pima County, Arizona Sheriff’s Department; United States Customs and Border Patrol; Nogales, Mexico Municipal Police Department; Nogales, Arizona Police Department; Latah County Idaho Sheriff’s Office; Port of Seattle Police Department; Whitman County, Washington Sheriff’s Office; and the Whitman County Prosecutor’s Office.
Sentencing for Nadia Cole is set for March 25, 2026, at 1:00pm. Sentencing for Aaron Aung and Jaimes Aung is set for March 25, 2026, at 11:30am. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca R. Perez and Michael J. Ellis.
Trinitarios Gang Member Sentenced to 135 Months in Prison in Connection with Two Shootings and an Attempt to Smuggle Contraband into the Metropolitan Detention CenterRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Abel Mora, also known as “Moreno,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Nicholas G. Garaufis to 135 months’ imprisonment. Mora, a member of the Trinitarios street gang, pleaded guilty last year to Hobbs Act robbery and discharging a firearm after he robbed and shot an individual (the “Victim”) in East New York on August 13, 2023. After his guilty plea, and while detained at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Brooklyn, New York (MDC), Mora attempted to smuggle a rope full of contraband, including a weapon, drugs and other items, into the MDC. On June 24, 2025, Mora pleaded guilty to possession of contraband in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI); and Jessica S. Tisch, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the sentence.
“Mora not only shot and robbed a man in Brooklyn, he subsequently attempted to smuggle drugs, weapons and other contraband into prison,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “Our Office has zero tolerance for inmates that make jails less safe and will continue to aggressively prosecute gang members who victimize the public by engaging in gun violence and put innocents at risk as they go about their day.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the FBI/NYPD Metro Safe Streets Task Force and the NYPD’s 75th and 101st Precincts for their outstanding work and assistance in this investigation and prosecution.
“Abel Mora, a Trinitarios gang member, boldly attempted to smuggle drugs and weapons into a federal detention center despite previous convictions related to a gunpoint robbery and public shootout. His sustained propensity to criminality displays a blatant disregard for the wellbeing of others and the law. May today’s Operation Coast to Coast sentencing emphasize the FBI’s determination to hold accountable any gang member who jeopardizes the safety of our communities and our prisons,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia.
“Abel Mora showed exactly why he is a danger to society – first by recklessly shooting and robbing New Yorkers in plain view, and then by trying to smuggle weapons and other contraband into a federal detention center,” stated NYPD Commissioner Tisch. “Today’s sentencing is a strong reminder that we will stop at nothing to identify and dismantle street gangs like the Trinitarios that are placing our communities at risk. I thank the NYPD investigators, all our law enforcement partners, and the prosecutors at the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work getting this dangerous criminal off our streets.”
As set forth in the government’s sentencing memorandum and other court filings, Mora committed two shootings in Queens in Brooklyn on August 13, 2023. First, at approximately 1 p.m. on August 13, 2023, Mora shot at a vehicle in a residential neighborhood in Queens. As reflected on video surveillance cameras, a fight broke out between Mora and an associate and the occupant of the vehicle, resulting in a shoot-out which sent residents of the neighborhood, including children, running for their safety.
Later that night in Brooklyn, Mora committed a second shooting with the same firearm. At approximately 9 p.m. outside of 3441 Fulton Street in Brooklyn, Mora shot the Victim and robbed him of his backpack. Video surveillance cameras capturing this incident showed that Mora committed this brazen shooting and robbery directly outside of a busy corner store with customers both inside and out. Immediately following the shooting, Mora fled with the stolen property.
Mora was arrested on September 26, 2023 at his home. Law enforcement recovered the firearm used in both the Brooklyn and Queens shooting in a radiator in the defendant’s bedroom. The firearm was loaded with thirteen rounds of ammunition.
After pleading and while detained at the MDC, Mora and several co-defendants attempted to smuggle a rope full of contraband, including a scalpel, a cell-phone charging cord and plug, two lighters, cigarettes and illegal narcotics into the MDC. Video surveillance inside of the MDC captured Mora and his co-conspirators as they attempted to pull the rope full of contraband into the facility using a line that they connected to the rope.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section and General Crimes Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily J. Dean, Dana Rehnquist and Russell Noble are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ABEL MORA (also known as “Moreno”)
Age: 24
Far Rockaway, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket Nos. 23-CR-383 (NGG), 25-CR-108 (NGG)
Third Defendant Pleads Guilty to Hacking Fantasy Sports and Betting WebsiteRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced the guilty plea today of NATHAN AUSTAD, a/k/a “Snoopy,” in connection with a scheme to hack thousands of user accounts at a fantasy sports and betting website (the “Betting Website”) and sell access to those accounts in order to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from the true users, including victims in the Southern District of New York. AUSTAD pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit computer intrusion before U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams.
“Today’s guilty plea shows our Office’s commitment to holding cybercriminals who hack and steal from our citizens to account,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Austad and his co-defendants robbed their victims, including New Yorkers, and shamelessly sold their private account information online. Let this be a warning: hackers and cybercriminals who target New Yorkers will be brought to justice. The women and men of our Office are watching and are committed to protecting the public from cyber intrusions, theft, and the online criminal markets that enable them.”
According to the charging documents and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
On or about November 18, 2022, AUSTAD and others launched a “credential stuffing attack” on the Betting Website. During a credential stuffing attack, a cyber threat actor collects stolen credentials, or username and password pairs, obtained from other large-scale data breaches of other companies, which can often be purchased on the dark web. The threat actor then systematically attempts to use those stolen credentials to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the same user with other companies and providers in order to compromise accounts where the user has maintained the same password. Here, in connection with the attack on the Betting Website, AUSTAD and his co-conspirators made a series of attempts to log into the Betting Website user accounts using a large list of stolen credentials.
AUSTAD and his co-conspirators successfully compromised approximately 60,000 user accounts at the Betting Website (the “Victim Accounts”) through the credential stuffing attack. In some instances, AUSTAD and his co-conspirators were able to add a new payment method of their own on the account (i.e., to a newly added financial account belonging to the hacker) and then use it to withdraw all the existing funds in the Victim Account to themselves, thus stealing the funds in each affected Victim Account. Using this method, AUSTAD and others stole approximately $600,000 from approximately 1,600 Victim Accounts on the Betting Website.
Access to the Victim Accounts was also sold on various websites that traffic in stolen accounts, which are frequently referred to as “Shops.” AUSTAD directly controlled and profited from his own shop, which was named after the character Snoopy from the Peanuts comic strip. A photo of AUSTAD’s Shop website with victim companies redacted is below:
On or about December 2, 2022, AUSTAD messaged about the existence of this investigation, “everyone shouldve been prepared for this before cashing out lol,” and a co-conspirator replied, “lol fbi can’t do shit.” On or about May 19, 2023, AUSTAD messaged about the existence of this investigation, “like we didnt know the risk when we started lol . . . everyone knows their committing fraud.”
AUSTAD also controlled cryptocurrency accounts that received cryptocurrency worth approximately $465,000, including proceeds of his crimes.
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AUSTAD, 21, of Farmington, Minnesota, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to commit computer intrusion, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. AUSTAD is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Abrams on April 10, 2026.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Micah Fergenson are in charge of the prosecution.
TIGO Guatemala Paid over $118M to Resolve Foreign Bribery InvestigationRead the Press Release
In November 2025, Comunicaciones Celulares S.A., doing business as TIGO Guatemala, a mobile and fixed telecommunications service provider in Guatemala, paid over $118 million to resolve an investigation by the Justice Department into a long-running scheme to bribe government officials in Guatemala. TIGO Guatemala is a wholly owned subsidiary of Millicom International Cellular, S.A. (“Millicom”), an international telecommunications company incorporated and headquartered in Luxembourg that has its principal place of business in the United States.
TIGO Guatemala entered into a two-year deferred prosecution agreement (DPA) in connection with a criminal information filed in the Southern District of Florida charging the company with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-bribery provisions of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA).
According to court documents, between 2012 and 2018, TIGO Guatemala engaged in a widespread and systematic bribery scheme orchestrated by its then-Guatemalan shareholder and other then-senior personnel. The scheme featured monthly bribe payments, usually paid in cash, to numerous Guatemalan members of Congress or members of their security teams, in exchange for, among other things, their support for legislation that benefited TIGO Guatemala. Some of the cash that TIGO Guatemala used to pay bribes were the laundered proceeds of narcotrafficking.
As part of the DPA, TIGO Guatemala agreed to pay a $60 million criminal penalty and $58,198,343 in administrative forfeiture. Pursuant to the DPA, TIGO Guatemala and its corporate parent, Millicom, agreed, among other things, to continue cooperating with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida in any ongoing or future criminal investigation arising during the term of the DPA. TIGO Guatemala and Millicom also agreed to enhance TIGO Guatemala’s compliance program and to periodically report to the department on remediation and implementation of compliance measures throughout the term of the DPA.
The department reached this resolution with TIGO Guatemala based on a number of factors, including, among others, the nature and seriousness of the offense. In determining the appropriate disposition of this matter, the department gave significant weight to Millicom’s initial voluntary and timely self-disclosure to the Criminal Division in 2015. During the ensuing investigation, however, TIGO Guatemala’s then-Guatemalan shareholder used its operational control to prevent Millicom from accessing critical information, and to prevent Millicom from requiring TIGO Guatemala personnel to cooperate and take remedial actions. The Fraud Section closed its initial investigation in 2018. Two years later, in 2020, the department obtained and proactively developed new evidence from sources other than TIGO Guatemala and Millicom regarding TIGO Guatemala’s conduct and reopened its investigation on that basis. The new evidence revealed the scope of TIGO Guatemala’s conduct, including that the criminal conduct continued during and after the department’s closure of the first phase of the investigation and involved narcotrafficking proceeds that were used to generate cash for some of the bribe payments. Accordingly, TIGO Guatemala did not meet the requirements for a resolution pursuant to Part I or Part II of the Criminal Division’s Corporate Enforcement and Voluntary Self-Disclosure Policy.
However, TIGO Guatemala received credit for its affirmative acceptance of responsibility and substantial cooperation with the second phase of the department’s investigation, which included: (i) Millicom’s self-reporting of conduct that forms, in part, the basis for the DPA; (ii) promptly collecting, analyzing and organizing voluminous information, including complex financial information; (iii) gathering evidence and performing forensic data collections in the countries covered by the department’s investigation; (iv) providing information obtained through its internal investigation, particularly during the second phase of the department’s investigation, which allowed the department to preserve and obtain evidence as part of its own independent investigation; (v) facilitating interviews with employees, including making foreign-based employees available for interviews in the United States; (vi) making detailed factual presentations to the department; and (vii) proactively disclosing evidence about which the department was previously unaware and identifying key documents in materials produced, including Spanish translations.
TIGO Guatemala also engaged in extensive timely remedial measures after the exit of Millicom’s prior joint venture partner and Millicom’s acquisition of full ownership and control of TIGO Guatemala in 2021, including: (i) undertaking a root cause analysis of the misconduct at TIGO Guatemala and risk assessment of the company’s operations; (ii) terminating personnel involved in the bribery scheme; (iii) introducing new and experienced management and compliance personnel to change the local operation’s culture of compliance; (iv) enhancing third-party onboarding and transaction monitoring, including by centralizing and linking the oversight functions under Millicom, incorporating data analytics and automated continuous monitoring across operations and periodically testing relevant controls for effectiveness (including testing of more than 250 transactions); (v) developing an ephemeral messaging policy, which employees are required to acknowledge they have read as part of annual training, and incorporating a system to preserve and analyze TIGO Guatemala employees’ ephemeral messages; (vi) launching an extensive training campaign covering anti-corruption and compliance risks; (vii) quickly incorporating key compliance policies and procedures, and creating a direct reporting line from TIGO Guatemala’s compliance function to Millicom; and (viii) over the last 10 years, significantly restructuring, expanding and resourcing Millicom’s global compliance program, including enhancing its compliance risk assessment process, growing the dedicated compliance headcount by 800% and engaging in continuous monitoring, testing and updating of Millicom’s global compliance program.
In light of these considerations, the criminal penalty reflects a 50% reduction from the bottom of the applicable guidelines range, and the term of the DPA is for a period of two years.
The U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Florida and the Southern District of California previously charged four individuals connected to this scheme.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Natalie R. Kanerva and Assistant Chief Katherine Raut of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli S. Rubin for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Converted Glock MacHinegunsRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Anthony Lamorris Davis, Jr., 21, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to four years in federal prison for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and two counts of possession of a machinegun. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement partners work hard every day to keep our communities safe from violent criminals like this defendant, and my office will continue to back up those efforts with successful prosecutions. The residents of the Northern District of Florida deserve safe streets and crime-free communities, and that is exactly what my office intends to achieve.”
Court documents reflect that on both July 21, 2024, and October 25, 2024, officers of the Tallahassee Police Department caught the defendant in possession of a Glock firearm that had been converted into a machinegun. Davis has five prior felony convictions, including two convictions for aggravated assault with a firearm.
The defendant’s prison sentence will be followed by four years of supervised release.
“Taking illegal guns out of the hands of convicted felons is essential to making our streets safer. This arrest is another example of the unwavering dedication our officers show in confronting gun violence and reducing the harm it causes in our community,” said Chief Revell. “I am grateful for their commitment to this work and the determination they bring to every investigation. We will continue doing everything we can to reduce gun violence and keep our community safe.”
The case involved an investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney James A. McCain.
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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
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 http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
St. Louis County Man Admits Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Friday admitted possessing images containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his mobile phone and discussing CSAM with others online for years.
Brayden M. Swathwood, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He also admitted exchanging CSAM with someone in Georgia and claiming in discussions with that person that he was sexually abusing a 4-year-old minor and planned to record that abuse. There is no evidence that Swathwood’s claims about the minor are true.
On Dec. 17, 2024, Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in St. Louis conducted a court-approved search of Swathwood’s apartment in St. Louis County and his vehicle. They seized his cellphone and other electronic devices and interviewed Swathwood, who admitted viewing and discussing CSAM online.
Swathwood is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2026. The charge carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 or both prison and fine.
HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.
Springfield Man Pleads Guilty to Mail Fraud, Aggravated Identity Theft, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today for his role in a mail fraud scheme in which false documents were submitted to the Missouri Department of Revenue to obtain mechanics liens and titles for vehicles that had previously been reported stolen.
Dennis Arthur Cleveland, 75, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to one count each of mail fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering.
According to the plea agreement, Cleveland, as the owner of Affordable Towing, directed his employees, who he knew were submitted fraudulent documents, to send those documents to the Missouri Department of Revenue. These fraudulent documents were used to obtain substitute or replacement mechanics liens and vehicle titles that would allow Cleveland to sell the vehicles. In each instance, the documents submitted by Cleveland and his employees claimed to have received permission from the vehicle’s owner. Upon reviewing the documents, it was discovered that none of the listed vehicle owners gave Cleveland or Affordable Towing permission to seize or sell their vehicle. Further, in all these documents, a signature in the name of the vehicle’s owner was provided and was confirmed to be a forgery. In those instances that Cleveland obtained a replacement lien or title, he would sell the vehicle at a used car dealership. In those instances that Cleveland failed to receive a replacement title or mechanics lien, he would send the vehicle to a local scrapyard. Under either circumstance, Cleveland took all the proceeds from the vehicle’s sale or scrapping of these vehicles for himself. Each of the vehicles involved in this scheme were confirmed to have been reported stolen and neither Cleveland or Affordable Towing had permission to possess, sell, or scrap any of these vehicles.
Under federal statutes, Cleveland is subject to a sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison without parole for the offense of mail fraud. Further, Cleveland is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole for the offense of money laundering. Finally, Cleveland is subject to a sentence of 2 years, run consecutively to the mail fraud and money laundering, for the offense of aggravated identity theft. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Carney It was investigated by the Missouri Department of Revenue, Compliance and Investigation Bureau, the United States Post Inspection Service, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and the Environmental Protection Agency.
Southwick Company Agrees to Pay $2 Million to Resolve Allegations of PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Kokusai Denki Electric America, Inc., formerly known as Hitachi Kokusai Electric Comark, LLC (Comark), a company headquartered in Southwick, Mass., has agreed to pay $2,092,371 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by obtaining a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan for which it was not eligible.
Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) on March 29, 2020, to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain approved expenses through the PPP. The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) administered the PPP in two rounds – the second began in early 2021. To be eligible for a second-round loan, an entity, among other things, had to have fewer than 300 employees, including affiliates’ employees.
As part of the settlement, Comark admitted that, in January 2021, it received a $1,342,232 second round PPP loan. Comark certified that it was eligible for the loan under the PPP regulations in effect at the time of the application and represented that it had 67 employees, including affiliates’ employees. Comark later sought and received forgiveness from SBA of the full amount of that loan. When it applied for the loan and when it applied for forgiveness, Comark did not qualify for the loan because it had more than 300 employees, when considering employees of its affiliates. Prior to 2021 and through 2022, Comark was a wholly owned subsidiary of Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc., a company based in Tokyo. Between 2021 and through 2022, Kokusai had more than 300 employees, not including Comark’s employees.
The settlement credits Comark for cooperation under the Department of Justice’s Guidelines for Taking Voluntary Disclosure, Cooperation and Remediation into Account in False Claims Act Matters.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and the U.S. Small Business Administration made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. LaMacchia, Chief of the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit handled the matter.
Southbridge Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Cocaine Conspiracy and Possession of a MachinegunRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Southbridge man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracy, including possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a machinegun.
Miguel Lopez, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine; one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and one count of unlawful possession of a machine gun. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for March 11, 2026. Lopez was indicted by a federal grand jury in November 2024.
From in or about April 2023 through in or about April 2024, Lopez conspired with others to distribute cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts. On at least four different occasions during that period, Lopez was observed collecting packages suspected of containing controlled substances. On or about Jan. 29, 2024, a package addressed to Lopez was seized and found one kilogram of cocaine hidden inside. During an April 2024 search of Lopez’s residence, approximately two kilograms of cocaine was found hidden inside a package that had been delivered earlier that day. A Glock pistol with a machinegun conversion device attached to the back along with ammunition, a 30-round magazine and a 50-round drum magazine were also found at Lopez’s residence.
The charge of conspiring to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The unlawful possession of a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin Brown is prosecuting 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.Second week of December sees another 293 people charged in border security-related matters in the Southern District of TexasRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 294 cases have been filed related to immigration and border security from Dec. 5-11, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A total of 87 people face charges of illegal entry, while another 182 face charges of felony reentry after removal. Most have felony convictions for narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. The filed cases also include 22 individuals accused of engaging in human smuggling and the remaining two charges involve assaults on federal officers.
As part of the new filed complaints, two Mexican nationals have been charged with illegal reentry into the country. Authorities had just removed Josadad De La Cruz-Perez in April but found him near Rio Grande City this week, according to the charges. A separate case alleges law enforcement discovered Jose Yuriel Tovias-Alvarez near McAllen. According to their complaints, both men have prior felonies - De La Cruz-Perez for illegal reentry, while Tovias-Alvarez had served a substantial prison sentence for possession with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of cocaine. If convicted for the new illegal reentry charges, they each face up to 20 years in federal prison.
In addition to the new cases, the leader and organizer of an alien smuggling ring in Laredo was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard how Laredo resident Juan De Dios Aguero recruited drivers and set abandoned vehicles on fire to distract law enforcement. On Aug. 6, 2024, authorities at a Border Patrol checkpoint near Freer discovered 35 illegal aliens, including three unaccompanied minors, sealed inside a tractor-trailer with a temperature of nearly 100 degrees. Many suffered from heat exhaustion. The investigation revealed Aguero organized the failed smuggling event by driving co-defendant Mateo Guerra to a truck lot and helping Guerra steal the tractor trailer utilized in the operation. Aguero also rented the U-Haul used to move the aliens from a stash house. Authorities further connected Aguero to two additional failed alien-smuggling attempts in October 2023 and February 2024 that involved 28 and 11 illegal aliens, respectively.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The 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 our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
San Antonio Pipe Bomb Investigation Leads to Felon’s Arrest, Alleged Discovery of Home Explosives LabRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio felon was arrested today in San Antonio on criminal charges related to his alleged possession of firearms and explosives.
According to court documents, Dustin Jay Ammons was identified as an individual who placed pipe bombs at the external ATMs of two San Antonio banks on Sept. 12 and Sept. 26. The suspect had attempted to breach the machines with the explosives and a field analysis of the white powder residue found in the area of the ATMs determined the presence of PentaErythritolTetraNitrate (PETN).
On Dec. 12, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives executed a search warrant on Ammons’s residence, assisted by the FBI, San Antonio Fire Department Arson Bureau, San Antonio Police Department, the Bexar County Fire Department, Bexar County Fire Marshals and Bexar County Emergency Management.
During the search, agents allegedly discovered a .40 caliber pistol in Ammons’s closet. A criminal complaint filed Friday afternoon alleges that agents also found parts and components of a destructive device, specifically a pipe bomb, inside Ammons’s vehicle, which matched the description of the suspect’s vehicle from the two September incidents. Additionally, the complaint alleges that Ammons had supplies consistent with making PETN and other homemade explosives in his garage, including precursors and beakers. The complaint further alleges that agents discovered multiple suspected destructive devices in various stages of manufacture, and a short-barreled 9mm rifle.
Ammons was previously convicted for possession of a stolen firearm. He is now charged with one count of felon in possession of a firearm as well as one count of possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted, he faces up to 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The ATF is investigating the case with assistance from the FBI and SAPD.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Wannarka is prosecuting the case.
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Rockford Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A Rockford man was sentenced today to 14 years in federal prison for distributing nearly 900 grams of methamphetamine.
JESSE HERBIG, 44, pleaded guilty earlier this year to one count of possession with intent to distribute fifty grams or more of methamphetamine.
Herbig admitted that in 2022 he communicated with his drug supplier and arranged for a United States Postal Service Priority Express parcel which he knew contained methamphetamine to be shipped from Phoenix, Ariz. to an address in Rockford. The package contained approximately 891.6 grams of methamphetamine that was approximately 99% pure, a substance commonly known as “ice.”
U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston imposed a 168-month prison sentence during a hearing today in federal court in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ruth Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The Rockford Police Department assisted in the investigation. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa R. Munch.
Roanoke Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Exploitation MaterialRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke, Virginia man, who used the Kik social media app to send three videos containing child sexual exploitation material to an undercover FBI officer, pled guilty yesterday.
Christopher Allan Johnson, 54, pled guilty today to one count of possessing child sexual exploitation materials involving a prepubescent minor.
“Protecting young people from online predators is a key priority of law enforcement,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “This case serves as a warning to all parents - these threats are real, and they are ever-present in today’s online world. Please take steps to monitor what your children are doing online and who they are communicating with.”
“The FBI Richmond team dedicates countless hours to investigating subjects who seek to harm those who are most vulnerable, because there are few callings higher than protecting our children. May today’s guilty plea sends a message to all child predators that we’re going to find them and bring them to justice,” Ian Kauffman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division said today.
According to court documents, on October 10, 2024, after leaving the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Salem, Virginia, Johnson logged into Kik and joined a public group dedicated to incest. There, an undercover FBI task force officer messaged Johnson. During the conversation, Johnson talked about his sexual fantasies involving children.
The next day, without prompting, Johnson sent the undercover officer three videos depicting children being graphically sexually exploited. At least one of the videos involved a prepubescent minor.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Drew Inman is prosecuting the case for the United States.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/ .
Philadelphia Man Charged with Robbing Area Store, Gas Station, and BankRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Donte Samuel Brown, 45, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged by superseding indictment with two counts of robbery interfering with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery), one count of using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of bank robbery.
The indictment alleges that Brown robbed a Family Dollar store in Delaware County on August 15, 2024; robbed at gunpoint a Sunoco gas station in Montgomery County on January 28, 2025; and robbed a TD Bank branch in Delaware County on February 19, 2025, stealing a total of over $8,000 cash in these robberies. The defendant was initially indicted in July of this year for the bank and gas station robberies.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of life imprisonment.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, the East Norriton Township Police Department, Ridley Township Police Department, and Upper Darby Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Sandra Urban and Brian Doherty.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Pharmacist Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for $6M Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
On October 21, a Michigan pharmacist was sentenced to 80 months in prison for defrauding health care benefit programs by billing for prescription medications that he never dispensed.
According to court documents, Isaiah Okoh, 55, of Sterling Heights, billed health care benefit programs for prescription medications that he did not actually dispense to patients at three pharmacies in Michigan. From 2019 through 2022, Okoh and his co-conspirator sent false claims to health care benefit programs for prescription drugs that were not ordered by a doctor and were not dispensed to the patient. Okoh and his co-conspirator used forged prescriptions from doctors to hide their scheme, when in fact the patient had never seen the listed doctor and the medication had never actually been prescribed. Okoh and his co-conspirator caused over $6 million of loss to Medicare, Medicaid and Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan.
In April 2025, Okoh pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. At sentencing, Okoh was ordered to pay $3,889,760 in restitution and $3,230,147 in forfeiture, including his interest in approximately $1.2 million of fraudulent proceeds seized by law enforcement in this matter.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Jennifer Runyan of the FBI Detroit Field Office; and Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) made the announcement.
FBI and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. Crapko and Ahmad Huda of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The forfeiture proceedings are being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenton Craig Welkener Jr. for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve More Than Nine Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of Ammunition and Firearm Following High-Speed ChaseRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DESHANE GANARRO JEFFERSON, 35, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 110 months in federal prison for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, on April 2, 2025, officers with the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) attempted a traffic stop on a car near SE 15th and South Sunnylane Avenue. The driver failed to stop and a high-speed chase ensued. During the chase, Jefferson, who was a passenger, threw a loaded magazine out of the window, which was later recovered by law enforcement. OCPD then successfully stopped the vehicle, arrested the driver and Jefferson, and seized a firearm belonging to Jefferson.
On May 6, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged Jefferson with being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Jefferson pleaded guilty on August 5, 2025, and admitted he possessed both the firearm and ammunition despite his previous felony convictions.
At the sentencing hearing on December 9, 2025, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton sentenced Jefferson to serve 110 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing the sentence, the Court noted the danger Jefferson poses to the community and his extensive criminal history.
Public record reflects that Jefferson has previous felony convictions that include conspiracy to commit felony assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon, possession of firearms after conviction, and knowingly concealing stolen property in Jackson County District Court case number CF-2016-225; larceny from a person at night in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2014-8652; and second-degree burglary in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2013-6923.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and OCPD. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) Laney Ellis prosecuted the case. SAUSA Ellis is an attorney with City of Oklahoma City whose position is funded by a federal Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) grant awarded to the City of Oklahoma City to enhance efforts to address and reduce violent crime. PSN is 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.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine OffensesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Terrance Bradley, 27, of Willoughby Hills, Ohio, was sentenced to 92 months in prison for fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Bradley, also known as “Blade,” was selling counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine in Ohio County, WV. Bradley has a criminal history that includes felonious assault and drug possession.
Bradley will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
North Carolina Social Services Employee Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $100k from SNAP Benefits ProgramRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Wayne County woman who engaged in a scheme to defraud more than $100,000 in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) benefits administered by the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) and managed by the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Social Services (“DSS”), pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Shermeca McCrary, age 46, faces a maximum term of ten years in prison, and a $250,000 fine when sentenced later this year. She will also be ordered to pay a forfeiture money judgment of $102,000.00.
“Safeguarding taxpayer-funded assistance programs is one of our office’s core responsibilities,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “When a government employee abuses her position of trust to steal benefits intended to help families in need, we will act to hold her accountable. I appreciate the work of our federal, state, and local partners as we continue to protect these programs for the communities they serve.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, between January 2021 to January 2024, McCrary using her position and privileges as a North Carolina Department of Social Services case worker, unlawfully accessed the SNAP accounts of qualified individuals and converted $102,000 in government funds for her own personal benefit and use.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case. The United States Department of Agriculture, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office, and the Johnston County Department of Social Services – Program Integrity, are investigating the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-CR-275-M.
New York Developer Charged with Defrauding Pandemic Relief Loan Programs of More Than $8 MillionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York real estate developer and investor has been charged in connection with a scheme to defraud pandemic relief programs in 2020 and 2021.
David Ebrahimzadeh, 45, of New York City, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on one count of bank fraud, two counts of wire fraud affecting a financial institution, one count of wire fraud and two counts of procuring a false tax return. The defendant was arrested and will make his initial appearance in federal court in Massachusetts later today.
According to the charging documents, Ebrahimzadeh operated Corniche Capital, LLC as a holding company for various limited liability companies that he used to buy and sell commercial real estate and to lease out properties to commercial tenants. Under Small Business Administration rules, such businesses were allegedly ineligible for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans and Economic Injury Disaster Loans, as well as for loans funded by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston as part of the Main Street Lending Program.
Soon after the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebrahimzadeh allegedly applied for and received loans through each of these programs. It is alleged that Ebrahimzadeh’s loan applications were riddled with false and fraudulent information, including false revenue and payroll figures. Ebrahimzadeh also allegedly provided false financial information about his debts and liabilities to lenders and applied for pandemic relief loans for a number of companies that had been dissolved years before the pandemic. It is further alleged that Ebrahimzadeh illegally spent loan proceeds on luxury items, on personal and business debt and a personal home on Long Island. It is further alleged that, having succeeded in buying a personal home, he and a family member obtained another pandemic relief loan to buy a second Long Island home.
In 2021, it is alleged that Ebrahimzadeh also fraudulently applied for forgiveness of a PPP loan by falsely claiming that he had paid employees in 2020. As part of that alleged fraud, Ebrahimzadeh filed tax returns that falsely claimed expense deductions in 2019 and about $600,000 in wage expenses in 2020.
In total, Ebrahimzadeh allegedly obtained approximately $8.5 million in loans he was not entitled to.
The charges of bank fraud and wire fraud affecting a financial institution each provide for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of procuring a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Brian Tucker, Special Agent in Charge, Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, Office of Inspector General, Eastern Region; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division; and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kriss Basil and Elianna Nuzum of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Missouri Sex Offender Caught with Child Pornography Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Thursday sentenced a sex offender caught with child sexual abuse material to 15 years in prison.
Cody Moore, 25, pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of receiving child pornography. He admitted using a Kik social media account to download, possess and distribute child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The investigation began with a cyber tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a Kik account was used to upload 41 files containing CSAM in December of 2022. The upload was traced to a home in Audrain County where Moore was living, and the Boone County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force took over the investigation. At the same time, law enforcement in Audrain County was investigating Moore for failing to register as a sex offender. Moore had twice been convicted of failure to register, and he absconded from probation in April 2023. Moore was charged with failure to register, and an arrest warrant was issued.
On July 12, 2023, Moore was arrested in Jefferson County, Missouri. A court-approved search of his phone, social media and cloud accounts revealed dozens of files containing images of girls being sexually abused.
The FBI, the Boone County Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force and the Audrain County Sheriff’s Office 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.
Missouri Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for $174M Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
On Oct. 23, a Missouri man was sentenced to 10 years in prison for orchestrating a scheme to defraud Medicare by unlawfully billing hundreds of millions of dollars in claims for cancer genetic testing and cardiovascular genetic testing.
According to court documents, Jamie P. McNamara, 50, of Kansas City, operated several laboratories in Louisiana and Texas, which obtained doctors’ orders for genetic testing from telemarketers and call centers that used aggressive telemarketing campaigns to induce Medicare beneficiaries to agree to receive genetic testing. Orders for genetic testing were signed by purported telemedicine doctors who were not the beneficiaries’ treating physicians, did not perform consultations with the beneficiaries and did not follow up with the beneficiaries after the testing was performed. To obtain the orders, McNamara paid illegal kickbacks and bribes, which he disguised through sham contracts. In furtherance of the scheme, he also shifted the billing between his laboratories to evade scrutiny from Medicare and law enforcement and concealed his ownership and control of the laboratories by falsely listing the names of his family members as owners and company representatives on Medicare and other documents. In approximately one and a half years, the laboratories operated by McNamara submitted over $174 million in claims to Medicare for genetic testing and received over $55 million in reimbursements. The government previously seized several luxury vehicles from McNamara and over $7 million in bank accounts.
While on pretrial release, McNamara violated his bond conditions by, among other things, fleeing from an unrelated arrest and cutting off an ankle monitor. He was subsequently detained. McNamara pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson for the Eastern District of Louisiana; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Tapp of the FBI New Orleans Field Office made the announcement.
HHS-OIG and FBI investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard and Trial Attorney Kelly Z. Walters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Moses for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of 9 strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Michigan Man Admits to Fentanyl ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Filmel Williams, 64, of Harper Woods, Michigan, has admitted to illegally distributing fentanyl, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
According to court documents, Williams distributed fentanyl in Lumberport, West Virginia.
Williams faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Cogar is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Miami Man Indicted on Federal Wire-Fraud Conspiracy ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Rodney “Bitcoin Rodney,” Burton, 56, of Miami, Florida, and Prince George’s County, Maryland, for his role as an alleged promoter of a $1.8 billion fraud scheme. Burton is charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, two counts of wire fraud, seven counts of money laundering, and one count of operating an unlicensed money transmitting business.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington D.C. Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – New York.
According to court documents, from June 2020 to May 2024, Burton and his co-conspirators conspired to enrich themselves by promoting HyperFund — a purportedly legitimate investment platform — and successor platforms. HyperFund’s promotional materials allegedly made various false claims. These falsehoods included claims that investors who purchased HyperFund “memberships” would receive between 0.5 and 1 percent daily in passive rewards until the company either doubled or tripled the investor’s initial investment. Victims of the conspiracy included investors from Maryland.
HyperFund allegedly attempted to convince investors that the cryptocurrency platform could make such payments by claiming that it would disburse payments, in part, from its revenues from large-scale crypto-mining operations. But the truth was, HyperFund did not have such operations. Beginning in 2021, HyperFund allegedly started blocking investor withdrawals. The superseding indictment further alleges that Burton spent HyperFund investor proceeds on, among other things, luxury condominiums, sports cars, and a yacht.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. Individuals charged by indictment are presumed innocent until proven guilty at a later criminal proceeding.
If convicted, Burton faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for each count of wire fraud. Additionally, Burton is facing 10 years in prison for each count of money laundering and five years in prison for operating an unlicensed money transmitting business. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the IRS-CI and HSI-New York for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Spencer L. Todd and Christina A. Hoffman who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Serve More Than Three Years in Prison for Illegal Firearm Possession and Illegal Reentry into the U.S. Following Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – DANIEL CERON-CERON, 38, of Mexico, has been sentenced to serve 37 months in federal prison for being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and for illegally reentering the United States after a previous removal, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, on November 22, 2024, officers with the Edmond Police Department (EPD) responded to a home on reports of a domestic incident. At the home, the victim told officers she and Ceron-Ceron had gotten into an argument, during which Ceron-Ceron pointed a gun at her head and put it in her mouth. After a standoff at the house, Ceron-Ceron was arrested, and EPD seized the weapon used by Ceron-Ceron during the assault. Public record further reflects that Ceron-Ceron was previously removed from the United States to Mexico on September 23, 2020.
On March 4, 2025, a federal Grand Jury charged Ceron-Ceron with being an illegal alien in possession of a firearm and with illegal reentry of a removed alien. Ceron-Ceron pleaded guilty on May 7, 2025, and admitted he possessed the weapon despite his unlawful presence in the United States and that he knowingly and illegally reentered the United States.
At the sentencing hearing on December 10, 2025, U.S. District Judge Jodi W. Dishman sentenced Ceron-Ceron to serve 37 months in federal prison. In announcing her sentence, Judge Dishman noted the nature and circumstances of the offense, the need to protect the public, and the need to deter Ceron-Ceron from future crimes.
This case is the result of an investigation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Edmond Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Edgmon 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.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Mexican National Sentenced to Prison TimeRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Esteban Quino-Rosas, 45 years old, of Mexico, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony reentry of removed alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Esteban Quino-Rosas was sentenced to time served, based upon his detention since September 26, 2025, followed by 1 year of supervised release. The supervised release term would go into effect should the Defendant remain in, or return to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings.
According to documents in the case, Quino-Rosas’ criminal history includes one prior removal from the United States in 2012.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Lake County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily Morgan.
Mexican National Sentenced to over Six Years in Prison for Role in Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Daniel Roberto Auz-Vasquez, 28, of Imuris, Sonora, Mexico, was sentenced on December 5, 2025, by Chief United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment. Auz-Vasquez was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine.
As part of this conspiracy, on July 1, 2024, in Phoenix, Arizona, Auz-Vasquez and his co-conspirators possessed approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine, which they intended to deliver to another individual that evening.
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. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. This HSTF Tucson led investigation comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS) with the prosecution being led by Assistant United States Attorney David Petermann of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona-Tucson.
CASE NUMBER: CR24-5415-JGZ-1
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-174_Auz-Vasquez# # #
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.
Mexican National Sentenced to 6 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Felipe Bautista-Ramirez, 29 years old, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to felony Reentry of Removed Alien, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Felipe Bautista-Ramirez was sentenced to 6 months in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. The supervised release term will go into effect if Bautista-Ramirez remains in, or returns to, the United States within that period following expected removal proceedings.
According to documents in the case, Bautista-Ramirez’s arrest history includes charges for theft. He was previously removed from the United States in May 2024 and September 2024.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Hobart Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nadia Wardrip.
Med Spa Owner Agrees to Plead Guilty to Performing Illegal Injections Using Unapproved Prescription DrugsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty to allegedly injecting clients of his business, Rodrigo Beauty Inc., with unapproved botulinum toxin obtained from illegitimate sources outside the United States, resulting in numerous severe cases of botulism.
Rodrigo de Medeiros Siqueira, 33, was charged and agreed to plead guilty to one count of misbranding of a drug after shipment in interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court. Medeiros Siqueira was arrested and charged by complaint in October 2025.
According to the charging documents, beginning in or around August 2022, Medeiros Siqueira offered various cosmetic injection procedures, including the injection of botulinum toxin prescription drugs, to clients of Rodrigo Beauty, despite not being licensed to prescribe, dispense, or administer prescription drugs or perform injections. It is alleged that Medeiros Siqueira falsely represented to clients that he was a licensed medical professional authorized to perform injections and made false statements to clients regarding the identity and source of the botulinum toxin products he was using for their injection procedures. Beginning in or around late May 2025, numerous Rodrigo Beauty clients were diagnosed with botulism, allegedly as a result of injections Medeiros Siqueira performed using unapproved botulinum toxin.
Botulism is a rare and dangerous illness that can result from, among other things, the injection of botulinum toxin. Iatrogenic botulism is caused by botulinum toxin circulating in the blood and spreading beyond the injection site, potentially resulting in life-threatening symptoms, including blurred or double vision, drooping eyelids, slurred speech, and/or difficulty swallowing or breathing. While botulinum toxin is generally safe when administered by trained medical professionals, improper dosing, administration technique, or use of non-FDA-approved products can result in severe cases of botulism.
The charge of misbranding of a drug after shipment in interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater. 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.
If you or a family member believe you received services involving illegal injections and/or unapproved drugs or devices from Medeiros Siqueira or Rodrigo Beauty, please complete the questionnaire located on the FDA’s website at: https://www.fda.gov/inspections-compliance-enforcement-and-criminal-investigations/criminal-investigations/oci-vw-assistance-rodrigo-beauty. Information about the status of the case is located on the U.S. Attorney’s Office website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-ma/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/united-states-v-rodrigo-de-medeiros-siqueira.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations, New York Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leslie A. Wright of the Health Care Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting His MotherRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The sentencing took place on December 4, 2025.
Brady James Claymore, 38, was sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Claymore was indicted for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 16, 2025.
On the evening of December 26, 2024, Claymore was drinking alcohol at his mother’s home in McLaughlin, South Dakota, in the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation. When his mother reproved him, Claymore became upset, placed his hands around her neck and squeezed. After Claymore’s brother punched him several times in the head, Claymore let go of his mother and lost his balance. Both Claymore and his mother then tumbled down a short flight of steps. Claymore’s mother incurred a broken nose and fractured three teeth in the fall.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal Court as opposed to State Court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Claymore was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A man who distributed child sex abuse material to his co-defendant girlfriend was sentenced Thursday to 19 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Skyler Shoemaker, 34, of Colorado City, Texas, was indicted in May this year and pled guilty three months later to Distribution of Child Pornography. He was sentenced on December 11, 2025, to 228 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix.
According to court documents, Shoemaker used Facebook Messenger to send a sexually explicit video of a four- to six-year-old child to his girlfriend, Angel Bradford. Additionally, information presented at the sentencing hearing indicated that Shoemaker used various platforms to distribute child pornography to other users online and that he also committed sex acts in front of minors.
Bradford, 33, of Hermleigh, Texas, was indicted with Shoemaker in May 2025. She pled guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography in July 2025. On November 6, 2025, U.S. District Court Judge Hendrix sentenced her to five years in federal prison.
The FBI Dallas Field Office – Abilene Resident Agency, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Abilene Police Department’s Cyber Crimes Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whitney Ohlhausen prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
Lorain man sentenced to ten years in federal prison for Controlled Substance OffensesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A 44-year-old Lorain man, Tiawan Taylor, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison and for possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. He previously plead guilty to an indictment alleging that on July 31, 2024, he possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and another count of possessing with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing cocaine. After he serves his prison sentence, the court ordered that he be subject to 20 years of federal supervised release. Taylor has a lengthy criminal history with numerous prior convictions for violent offenses, theft offenses, and drug trafficking offenses.
“This kind of behavior is a direct threat to the safety of our communities. Drug dealers bring violence and poison wherever they operate, and we are pleased to see this defendant taken off the streets for the next decade. I commend the efforts of the FBI and Lorain Police Department for their hard work and continued partnership,” said United States Attorney, David Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio.
This case was investigated by the Lorain Police Department and FBI Cleveland Division.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Scott Zarzycki for the Northern District of Ohio.
Local man who allegedly committed 2 kidnappings, carjackings now faces federal chargesRead the Press Release
DAYTON, Ohio – A Dayton man who allegedly kidnapped two individuals at gunpoint in two different carjacking incidents in the greater Dayton area on Tuesday now faces federal charges.
Colby Smith, 32, has been in local law enforcement custody since the day of the alleged crimes. He is now charged federally with kidnapping, carjacking and using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to charging documents, on Tuesday morning, Smith brandished a firearm at a victim who was inflating his vehicle’s tires at the Speedway gas station on N. Dixie Drive in Harrison Township. Smith allegedly forced the victim into his car and stole the vehicle. The victim pleaded for his release, and Smith eventually let the victim out of the car.
Shortly thereafter, Smith allegedly brandished his firearm at a City of Dayton employee who was working leaf collection on Home Avenue. Smith allegedly entered the victim’s city truck on the passenger side and pointed the gun at the victim. Smith then kidnapped the second victim, forcing him to withdraw money at both an ATM and at a local bank branch. Smith then allegedly instructed the victim to exit the vehicle and stole the city truck.
Smith then abandoned the stolen city truck and returned to the vehicle stolen in Harrison Township. Deputies located Smith in this vehicle at a local tire shop. He attempted to flee on foot but was quickly apprehended.
Smith made his initial appearance in federal court on the afternoon of December 11, 2025, and is scheduled for a detention hearing on December 16, 2025.
Kidnapping is a federal crime punishable by up to life in prison. Carjacking carries a potential sentence of up to 15 years in prison. Displaying a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence requires a mandatory minimum of at least 7 years in prison in addition to any other sentence imposed.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Dayton Police Chief Kamran Afzal and Montgomery County Sheriff Rob Streck announced the charges filed on Dec. 11. Deputy Criminal Chief Brent G. Tabacchi and Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi are representing the United States in this 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.
A criminal complaint merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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Leader of Hampton Roads drug conspiracy sentenced to 40 years in prisonRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Newport News man was sentenced today to 40 years in prison following his conviction relating to a Hampton Roads-based drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Cortez Dayshawn Bumphus, 33, and his co-conspirators used Lux Auto in Newport News as a base of operations, storing illegal drugs in vehicles throughout the parking lot of the business. Members of the organization were frequently armed with handguns and other weapons. Between August 2020 and August 2023 at major airports in the Mid-Atlantic area, law enforcement seized almost $400,000 in drug proceeds and 1,000 pounds of marijuana and contraband relating to the conspiracy.
“Cortez Bumphus led a massive drug trafficking organization, armed himself, and operated from the organization’s base of operations,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The substantial sentence imposed today reflects Bumphus’ central role in the conspiracy and the sheer scope of the organization’s criminal conduct. This prosecution underscores our commitment to protecting Virginians and deterring violent and organized criminal activity.”
“This sentence removes a career criminal from our streets and reinforces the FBI’s commitment to protecting Hampton Roads,” said Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Norfolk Field Office. “If you traffic drugs or use violence to protect your territory, we will find you, shut down your operation, and hold you fully accountable. Today’s result reflects the relentless work of the FBI Norfolk Safe Streets Peninsula Task Force, Virginia State Police, Newport News Police Department, and the Hampton Police Division."
Members of the organization had varying roles and responsibilities. The leaders, including Bumphus, engaged with the sources of supply outside Virginia and arranged for the purchase of large loads of marijuana. They also instructed other members of the organization to arrange for couriers to fly to the sources of supply, deliver money to them, and return to Virginia with the marijuana. The leaders further arranged for midlevel members to receive marijuana from couriers and distribute it to customers or have subordinate dealers sell the marijuana. Thirty-seven defendants were charged in a 127-count superseding indictment returned on Sept. 11, 2023.
On July 30, Bumphus was convicted at trial of continuing a criminal enterprise; conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of marijuana; conspiracy to launder money; being a felon in possession of a firearm; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime; maintaining a drug-involved premises; and use of a communication facility in furtherance of drug trafficking.
In addition to the 40-year sentence, a $6,396,000 money judgment was ordered against Bumphus. The Court also ordered Bumphus to forfeit $62,198 in currency, designer shoes and accessories, and four firearms.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric M. Hurt, Alyson C. Yates, and Luke Bresnahan prosecuted the case.
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. 4:23-cr-54.
Kansas Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Marcus Abeyta will spend 15 years in federal prison for production of child pornography after victimizing a minor he met while playing an online video game. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down today by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On June 4, 2024, Abeyta, 32, of Emporia, Kansas, was indicted by a federal grand jury on one count of production of child pornography. On February 26, 2025, Abeyta pleaded guilty to the count in the Indictment. Chief Judge Baker sentenced Abeyta to 180 months in federal prison and 10 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
An investigation revealed that on December 4, 2023, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations in Arkansas was notified by a parent, who is an active member of the Air Force, that they found sexually explicit and inappropriate conversations on their minor child’s iPad. The subsequent investigation revealed that on December 5, 2023, while the minor was interacting with others on an online game, Abeyta sent the minor an internet link inviting the minor to leave the current game and join him on another platform, Discord. The minor accepted the invitation and began communicating with Abeyta who made comments to the minor such as how “sexy” the minor was. During the interaction with the minor, Abeyta asked them to send him pictures of their private body parts, which the minor did. Abeyta offered money and game currency to the minor if they would send naked pictures. Abeyta knew the victim was a minor when he was communicating with the victim.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Parents are encouraged to always monitor your children’s online activity.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations and the FBI. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Justice Department Sues Four Additional States and One Locality for Failure to Comply with Federal Elections LawsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced it has filed federal lawsuits against four states — Colorado, Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Nevada — for failure to produce their statewide voter registration lists upon request. This brings the Justice Department’s nationwide total to 18. The Civil Rights Division is also suing one locality — Fulton County, Georgia — for records related to the 2020 election.
“States have the statutory duty to preserve and protect their constituents from vote dilution,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “At this Department of Justice, we will not permit states to jeopardize the integrity and effectiveness of elections by refusing to abide by our federal elections laws. If states will not fulfill their duty to protect the integrity of the ballot, we will.”
According to the lawsuits, the Attorney General is uniquely charged by Congress with the enforcement of the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) and the Help America Vote Act (HAVA), which were designed by Congress to ensure that states have proper and effective voter registration and voter list maintenance programs. The Attorney General also has the Civil Rights Act of 1960 (CRA) at her disposal to demand the production, inspection, and analysis of the statewide voter registration lists.
Jonesboro Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 500 Grams or More of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Arthur Ray Osborne, a multi-convicted felon, will spend the next 180 months in federal prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on December 10, 2025, by United States District Judge Brian S. Miller.
On June 18, 2025, Osborne, 44, of Jonesboro, pleaded guilty to a superseding information charging him conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. On Wednesday, Judge Miller also sentenced Osborne to five years’ supervised release.
An investigation revealed that Osborne was actively selling large amounts of methamphetamine. On December 10, 2019, Osborne arranged for a confidential informant to purchase approximately five ounces of methamphetamine for $1,400. On December 18, 2019, Osborne sold three ounces of methamphetamine to the confidential informant for $1,400. On November 10 and again on November 11, 2020, Osborne sold almost eight ounces of methamphetamine to the confidential informant for $3,000.
On April 11, 2022, law enforcement officers conducted surveillance on a business in Jonesboro and observed Osborn arrive in a vehicle. Officers observed marijuana in plain view at the business and because of Osborne’s nervous behavior, they obtained a search warrant for the business. During a search of the business, officers located a Taurus, model Judge, .410 firearm and five rounds of ammunition between the cushions of the couch, a red bag containing two scales, approximately 100 grams of cocaine, 159 grams of methamphetamine, 380 grams of marijuana, and over 120 assorted pills, including ecstasy. Also located during the search was a backpack with Osborne’s name on it, approximately $3,840, a bottle of Promethazine cough syrup in the kitchen area, and an assortment of ammunition was located throughout the search of the building.
Because Osborne’s criminal history includes felony drug convictions for possession of marijuana with intent to deliver and possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, he is classified as a career offender and received an enhanced sentence. There is no parole in the federal system.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Little Rock comprises agents and officers from the FBI, Second Judicial District Drug Task Force, Jonesboro Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Second Judicial Drug Task Force, and the Jonesboro Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Crews and Bart Dickinson.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Jacksonville Convicted Child Sex Offender Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Using the Internet to View Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Matthew Eric Baumgardner (50, Jacksonville) to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison for using the internet to access and view child sexual abuse materials (CSAM). The court also ordered Baumgardner to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and pay $10,000 in restitution to a child victim. Baumgardner is a registered child sex offender who was convicted in 2017 of possessing photographs depicting the sexual performance by a child, traveling to meet a minor for unlawful activity, and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Baumgardner was on state sex probation when he was committed this federal offense and was arrested on July 28, 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 10, 2025.
According to court documents, law enforcement received a notification from a company that owns a social messaging application (the “App”) that files containing CSAM were uploaded using the App between May 6 and June 5, 2024. Subsequent investigation revealed that these files were uploaded from a residence in Jacksonville, using an account that was associated with Baumgardner.
In April 2025, a warrant was issued for Baumgardner’s arrest based upon his violation of his sex offender probation. On that same day, a detective with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office contacted Baumgardner and seized his cellphone. Baumgardner admitted that the email address and phone number associated with the internet uploads of CSAM were his and that he had used the App in the past. Baumgardner also admitted using the internet to access and view photos of children being sexually abused, stating that none of the child victims were personally known by him.
Subsequent forensic examination of Baumgardner’s cellphone revealed that it contained 67 photos depicting CSAM, including sadistic sexual abuse and bondage involving young children.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by 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, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Illinois Woman Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – An Illinois woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to defraud the United States by making claims for refunds of false COVID-19 related employment tax credits.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lakeibia Fannin conspired with others in the State and Federal District of Nevada from June 2022 through November 2023 to file tax returns seeking fraudulent refunds based on the employee retention credit (ERC) and paid sick and family leave credit. Fannin and her businesses were not eligible to receive the refundable credits in the amounts claimed. Fannin used the proceeds for her personal benefit, including on vacations, a cruise, jewelry, designer clothes, and a car.
In total, Fannin requested more than $3.5 million and actually received over $1.4 million.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact, Congress authorized the ERC for small businesses to reduce the employment tax owed to the IRS. Congress also authorized the IRS to give a credit against employment taxes to reimburse businesses for the wages paid to employees who were on sick or family leave and could not work because of COVID-19. This credit was equal to the wages the business paid the employees during the sick or family leave, subject to a maximum amount.
Fannin is scheduled to be sentenced on March 19, 2026. She faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison as well as a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Fannin has agreed to pay over $1.4 million in restitution to the IRS.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarom Gregory for the IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigations and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney John C. Gerardi of the Criminal Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Anthony Lopez of the District of Nevada are prosecuting the case.
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Hinesburg Man Sentenced to More than Two Years for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on December 12, 2025, Anthony Seagroves, 32, of Hinesburg, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 26 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release.
On August 25, 2025, Seagroves pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a convicted felon on October 14, 2024.
According to court records, Seagroves was encountered in two different stolen vehicles within the last two weeks of October 2024, each time with a loaded firearm he was prohibited from possessing, within arm’s reach. Seagroves was first encountered by Burlington Police Department officers on the afternoon of October 14, 2024, when officers were checking on Seagroves and multiple other people slouched over inside a running car parked at the Fletcher Free Library. The officers learned that the vehicle had been reported stolen. While removing Seagroves from the driver’s seat of the vehicle, officers observed a black and green pistol on the seat where Seagroves had been sitting. The pistol was determined to be a Privately Made Firearm (colloquially referred to as a “ghost gun”), which was loaded with four rounds of PMC brand 9-millimeter ammunition. Seagroves had previously been convicted of a felony burglary and was therefore prohibited from possessing this firearm.
After being charged and released in Vermont Superior Court based on the October 14, 2024 incident, approximately a week later, on October 23, 2024, the Hinesburg Police Department was investigating a report of a stolen vehicle, which the owner had located in Hinesburg. The owner identified Seagroves exiting the passenger seat of the vehicle shortly after the owner had located it and officers later found a loaded Sig Sauer P365 9-millimeter pistol on the passenger floorboard. The owner of the Sig Sauer firearm had reported it stolen from his car in his driveway in Starksboro on October 22, 2024.
First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Burlington Police Department, and the Hinesburg Police Department.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill. Seagroves is represented by Devin McLaughlin, 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
High-speed ditching of bulk methamphetamine leads to 135-month sentence for convicted felonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Houston man has been ordered to federal prison for possessing with the intent to distribute bulk crystal methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Devon Shermaine Rhodes pleaded guilty Sept. 15.
U.S. District Judge Keith P. Ellison has now ordered Rhodes to serve 135 months in federal prison, followed immediately by five years of supervised release. At the hearing, Rhodes argued for a 46-month sentence, claiming he did not discard drugs or drive dangerously at the time of his arrest. The court rejected his request after reviewing video evidence and citing his extensive criminal record, the inherent danger of crystal methamphetamine and the risk he posed to the Houston community.
On Nov. 8, 2022, authorities conducted surveillance at a local fast-food establishment where they observed a drug transaction involving Rhodes. He had paid more than $10,000 in cash for approximately five kilograms of crystal methamphetamine earlier in the day.
When law enforcement attempted a traffic stop, Rhodes fled, reaching speeds of 100 mph. During the pursuit, he threw multiple kilograms of methamphetamine out the drivers-side window, which burst as they hit the road.
A search of the vehicle later uncovered a significant amount of crystal methamphetamine.
Rhodes has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations, FBI, Harris County Sheriff’s Office and Houston Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shelley J. Sullivan prosecuted the case.
Operation All Gas No Brakes is part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of U.S. law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes these organizations commit, 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 Houston comprises agents and officers from DEA, FBI, HSI and ATF with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas leading the prosecution.
Gloucester man who threatened deputies sentenced to three years in prison for unlawfully possessing firearmsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Gloucester man was sentenced yesterday to three years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. The federal district court ordered the three-year sentence to run consecutively to the five-year sentenced imposed by the Commonwealth of Virginia earlier this year for offenses related to the federal conviction.
According to court documents, following the arrest of his adult son in August 2023 by the Gloucester County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO), Allen Dowell, 59, posted videos on social media threatening deputies and their families with violence if they were involved in his son’s arrest.
An investigation into Dowell’s threats revealed several videos posted to social media in which Dowell possessed a firearm and described his marijuana cultivation practices at his residence. As a previously convicted felon, Dowell is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. On Sept. 1, 2023, GCSO and the Virginia State Police arrested Dowell at his residence. From the residence, investigators recovered 20 firearms, approximately 1,000 cartridges of ammunition, an assortment of firearm parts and accessories, suspected silencers/suppressors, and over 400 marijuana plants.
“This case demonstrates how the convergence of multiple criminal acts heightens the danger to our communities,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “A convicted felon cultivating a Schedule I narcotic while stockpiling firearms and ammunition felt emboldened to threaten deputies and their families in retaliation for doing their jobs. This conduct is precisely why we remain committed to holding individuals like Allen Dowell accountable when they choose to disregard the law.”
“Today’s sentence sends a clear message: those who endanger our communities with illegal firearms and narcotics, and who attempt to intimidate law enforcement through threats, will be held fully accountable” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood. “We are committed to keeping our neighborhoods safe, and we will not tolerate violence, criminal activity, or efforts to undermine the safety of law enforcement.”
In January 2025, the Circuit Court of the County of Gloucester sentenced Dowell to five years for multiple convictions of obstruction and resisting arrest by threat/force after Dowell barricaded himself in his home while armed during the Sept. 1, 2023, standoff with GCSO and the Virginia State Police. Dowell’s three-year federal sentence will begin once his Virginia sentence is served.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter G. Osyf and Alyson C. Yates prosecuted the case.
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. 4:24-cr-62.
General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Inc. (GD-OTS) Agrees to Pay $838,125 to Settle a Voluntary Disclosure Related to Phosphate Procedure Compliance IssuesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG, PA —The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that General Dynamics Ordnance and Tactical Systems, Inc. (GD-OTS) has agreed to pay $838,125 to resolve allegations of civil liability associated with phosphate procedure compliance issues identified in several Department of Army contracts. GD-OTS voluntarily disclosed the allegations.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, GD-OTS voluntarily disclosed that, between June 1, 2019 and April 8, 2021, GD-OTS (both as successor in interest to Medico Industries, and as the owner of GD-OTS-WB) submitted vouchers/invoices, and related documents and statements for payment for production of 60mm, 81mm, and 120mm shell bodies that did not receive phosphate tests with the frequency required by the contracts. After it discovered the problems, GD-OTS took prompt corrective action and disclosed the matter to United States government contracting personnel.
This matter was handled by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division (Army CID), Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Haken and the Affirmative Civil Enforcement Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.
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Four Family Members Convicted of Multimillion-Dollar Tax Refund Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A jury in Fort Worth, Texas convicted four family members yesterday of participating in a multimillion-dollar tax refund fraud scheme, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould and the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division.
According to court documents and statements made in court, David Hunt, of Arlington, Texas, his twin sons Brandon and Baylon Hunt, also of Arlington, and the twins’ half-brother, Corey Burt, formerly of Long Beach, Mississippi, orchestrated a scheme to file tax returns in the names of purported trusts they controlled seeking over $8.5 million in tax refunds that the trusts were not entitled to receive. Brandon Hunt also filed a false return in his own name, and Brandon and Baylon Hunt also submitted to the IRS additional fake documents including falsified financial instruments and altered money orders as part of their scheme. Some of these documents were submitted to the IRS in response to IRS efforts to collect the fraudulently-obtained refunds. The defendants continued filing false returns and other documents even after receiving warning letters from the IRS about their submissions.
Collectively, the defendants received over $1.7 million from the IRS based on the false tax returns they filed. Court records reflect that the defendants shared in the proceeds of their fraud by transferring money between themselves. They also used the refunds to purchase luxury goods, furniture, cryptocurrency, a Cadillac Escalade, and a house in Mississippi.
All four defendants were convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States. David and Brandon Hunt, as well as Corey Burt, were also convicted of multiple counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns. Baylon Hunt was acquitted of two counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
“Fraudulent tax schemes such as this rob the federal fisc and the American taxpayers,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This verdict rightly held all four defendants accountable for their roles in the criminal conduct – a result garnered by the diligent work of IRS-CI, the Tax Section of DOJ’s Criminal Division, and those in my office to bring these individuals to justice.”
“Let this verdict serve as a warning: frivolous tax arguments have no merit and will not shield anyone from prosecution,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher J. Altemus Jr. of IRS Criminal Investigation, Dallas Field Office. “Those who attempt to misuse the tax system through baseless claims and deceptive filings not only undermine public trust, but also face serious legal consequences. The women and men of IRS-CI remain steadfast in our mission to protect the integrity of the tax system and pursue those who seek to defraud it.”
Sentencing is scheduled for March 26, 2026, before U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas. The defendants face up to five years in prison on the conspiracy charge and up to three years in prison on each false tax return charge. They also face monetary penalties, restitution, and terms of supervised release.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in locating and arresting three of the defendants who fled mid-trial.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind and Daniel Lipkowitz of the Criminal Division’s Tax Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Mark McDonald of the Northern District of Texas are prosecuting the case.
Former Technology Company Executives Charged with Defrauding Boston Private Equity Firm of $20 MillionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Chief Executive Officer and Senior Vice President of Mozaic Payment System, Inc. have been charged with defrauding a Boston-based investment firm out of $20 million in equity funding.
Marcus Cobb, 48, and Rachel Knepp, 39, both of Nashville, Tenn., have been charged with wire fraud conspiracy. Cobb was indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston on Nov. 20, 2025 and was arrested on Dec. 8, 2025 in Chicago. He will appear in federal court in Boston on Jan. 8, 2026. Knepp was previously charged by an Information and, on Nov. 19, 2025, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston. She is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 19, 2026.
According to the charging documents, Mozaic Payment System was a technology company that purported to have an application that processed royalty payments for performers, recording labels and music distributors. Mozaic’s application did not work, however, and generated no revenue. Nevertheless, in the late spring of 2023, Cobb and Knepp allegedly engaged a Boston-based private equity firm to fund the business, which they represented to be growing and profitable. During due diligence by the Boston firm, Cobb and Knepp allegedly fabricated Mozaic bank and financial statements that falsely showed growing revenue and increasing cash on hand. It is alleged that based on these false representations, Cobb and Knepp obtained $20 million in funding from the investment firm in September 2023. Thereafter, to lull the investor, it is alleged that Cobb and Knepp regularly provided additional false financial documents that showed increasing revenue, when, in fact, Mozaic was burning through its cash. By February 2025, the investor discovered the alleged fraud and Mozaic collapsed.
The charge of wire fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000, or twice the monetary gain or loss, whichever is more, restitution and forfeiture. 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 Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kriss Basil and Elianna Nuzum of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Former Soldier Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Matthew Valkinburg, 35, of Pueblo, Colorado, has been sentenced to more than seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possessing child sexual abuse material. Valkinburg was a solider at Fort Jackson at the time of the crime.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Valkinburg began uploading child sexual abuse material to his Discord account in 2023 when he was stationed in Colorado. Local authorities in Colorado determined that accounts tied to Valkinburg were responsible for the child sexual abuse material. After Valkinburg transferred from Colorado to Fort Jackson, Army investigators obtained a search warrant for Valkinburg’s home at Fort Jackson. Upon executing the warrant, investigators discovered child sexual abuse material on multiple electronic devices within Valkinburg’s home, including his cell phone.
United States District Judge Cameron McGowan Currie sentenced Valkinburg to 87 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 25-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. He is also required to pay $124,000 in restitution and register as a sex offender for life.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Army Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Beckham are prosecuting the case.
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