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Wednesday 10 December 2025
East Bay Woman Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Embezzling over $1.6 Million from Charity Serving Young PeopleRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – Carrie Lynn Grant was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison for embezzling over $1.6 million dollars from a Northern California charity organization that provides educational materials and programs to prepare young people to succeed in a global economy. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín handed down the sentence this week.
Grant, 62, of Pleasant Hill, California, was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 22, 2024. Grant pleaded guilty on August 11, 2025, to one count of wire fraud. According to the plea agreement and court documents, over a period of years from November 2017 to June 2023, Grant abused her role as the finance manager of the charity, depositing charity money into her personal account while creating fraudulent records to cover her tracks. Grant spent the money on, among other things, first-class air travel, floor seats for a Golden State Warriors game, box seats for a San Francisco 49ers game, and a condominium in Hawaii. In total, Grant stole more than $1.6 million dollars from the non-profit organization.
United States Attorney Craig Missakian and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge Agustin Lopez made the announcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martínez-Olguín also sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervised release. The Court will determine the amount of restitution Grant must pay at a later date. The defendant will begin serving the sentence on March 9, 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan M. Mateer is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Christine Tian and Amala James. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
Detroit Man Charged with Carjacking, Attempted Murder of ATF Special AgentsRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Terrance Markyce Davis, 33, of Detroit, Michigan, was indicted by a federal grand jury for carjacking, assaulting and attempting to murder ATF Special Agents, and weapons offenses, United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by James Deir, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, Detroit Field Division, Chief Todd Bettison, Detroit Police Department, and Colonel James F. Grady II, Director, Michigan State Police.
According to court documents, between November 5, 2025, and November 13, 2025, Davis fired shots into several houses and cars in Detroit, seriously injuring one person. On November 14, 2025, ATF Special Agents obtained an arrest warrant, charging Davis in connection with felon in possession of ammunition for one of those shootings. When agents attempted to arrest Davis, he fled in his vehicle. While fleeing from agents, Davis carjacked a person and exchanged gunfire with ATF agents. Michigan State Police Troopers eventually disabled the stolen vehicle that Davis was driving, and Davis fled on foot, armed with a handgun. Davis was shot by Detroit Police Officers and taken into custody. Preliminary ballistics testing shows that the firearm Davis had in his hands while he ran from police was the same firearm used to shoot at ATF Agents, and the same firearm used in the shootings between November 5 and November 13.
“This man is an agent of chaos,” said U.S. Attorney Gorgon. “He tore through our city streets, raising hell. We are thankful for the brave men who put a stop to the defendant’s rampage.”
“Terrance DAVIS is a poster child for the work being done by ATF across the state of Michigan. He is a predator armed with an illegal firearm that ATF and its partners identified through NIBIN, said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Carjacking, assaulting, and attempting to murder ATF federal agents strike at the very heart of our community and its public safety. When individuals are alleged to commit violence at this level, we will respond decisively with sound policing techniques and strategies using every lawful tool to bring these urban terrorists to the federal justice system.”
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosive, Detroit, Police Department, and the Michigan State Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Picek and John Turrettini.
Destin Man Charged in Federal Indictment for Fraud and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Marcus Bernard Clark, 30, of Destin, Florida, was indicted by a federal grand jury charging him with fraud and related activity in connection with fifteen or more access devices and aggravated identity theft. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Clark appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Hope Thai Cannon on December 2, 2025, in Pensacola, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for January 20, 2026, before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II in Penscaola, Florida.
If convicted, Clark faces up to ten years imprisonment, with two years as a minimum mandatory sentence.
The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
D.C. Campaign Finance Consultant Sentenced to Prison in $1.5 Million Fraud of Covid-Era Loan ProgramRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jennifer May, 43, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to more than 12 months in federal prison for her role in a scheme that defrauded $1,500,000 in Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) from the U.S. Government, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
May pleaded guilty on Aug. 27, 2025, to an Information charging her with one count of wire fraud. In addition to the more than 12-month term of incarceration, Judge Christopher R. Cooper ordered May to serve three years of supervised release. Under the terms of her plea agreement, May also must return the $1,500,000 to the United States.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were Executive Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter of the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation (CI), Washington, D.C. Field Office and Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division
According to court documents, May was founder and owner of Next Level Partners LLC, a consulting firm specializing in assisting campaigns with complying with campaign finance regulations and managing their accounts payable functions.
In October 2021, May applied for a second modification to an original EIDL application, requesting an additional $1,500,000 in EIDL funds for Next Level Partners.
The EIDL was a response to the COVID-19 pandemic in which the U.S. Small Business Administration offered small business owners low-interest, long-term loans. The funds were intended to be used for working capital to make regular payments for operating expenses, including payroll, rent/mortgage, utilities, and other ordinary business expenses, and to pay business debt.
May falsely certified on loan applications that she would use all loan proceeds only for business-related purposes. Yet the very same day that the SBA disbursed the funds to NLP’s account, May began diverting hundreds of thousands of dollars into her personal accounts and, from there, to cryptocurrency exchanges where she speculated on a thinly traded crypto-asset called “Tomb.”
Upon sustaining hundreds of thousands of dollars of losses from her speculation, May took what remained of the EIDL funds and went on to purchase real estate in Middleburg, Virginia and to buy a restaurant-bar-childcare space in Northeast Washington known as The Lane at Ivy City. The purchases were completely unrelated to NLP’s business operations.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and IRS-Criminal Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Hart of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
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Court Approves Justice Department’s Settlement in UnitedHealth Group and Amedisys MergerRead the Press Release
The United States District Court for the District of Maryland today entered the Final Judgment proposed by the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, together with its state co-Plaintiffs, requiring broad divestitures to resolve Plaintiffs’ challenge to UnitedHealth Group Incorporated’s (UnitedHealth) $3.3 billion acquisition of Amedisys Inc. In addition, Amedisys must pay a $1.1 million civil penalty to the United States for falsely certifying that it had provided “true, correct, and complete” responses under the Hart-Scott-Rodino (HSR) Antitrust Improvements Act of 1976.
“Under President Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi, this Department of Justice has moved quickly to resolve transactions, ensuring Americans see the benefits sooner,” said Associate Attorney General Stanley Woodward. “This settlement preserves competition where it matters most for American families – healthcare.”
“This is a tremendous outcome for competition in the healthcare industry, where competition itself is critical to the public interest and the well-being of all Americans,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “I commend the Antitrust Division’s Staff for prosecuting this case throughout a contentious litigation to reach this settlement on behalf of seniors, hospice patients, nurses, and their families.”
The settlement requires UnitedHealth and Amedisys to divest at least 164 home health and hospice locations (including one affiliated palliative care facility) across 19 states, accounting for approximately $528 million in annual revenue. By number of facilities, this is the largest divestiture of outpatient healthcare services to resolve a merger challenge. In addition, the proposed settlement:
- Obligates UnitedHealth to divest eight additional locations if it fails to obtain regulatory approval for the divestiture of associated facilities without the additional locations;
- Imposes a monitor to supervise UnitedHealth’s divestiture of the assets and compliance with the consent decree;
- Provides the divestiture buyers with the assets, personnel, and relationships to compete against UnitedHealth in the overlap areas;
- Incorporates robust protections to strengthen adherence to the decree and deter interference with the divestiture buyers’ ability to compete; and
- Requires Amedisys to pay a $1.1 million civil penalty and train its corporate and field leadership on antitrust compliance for falsely certifying that the company had truthfully, correctly, and completely responded to the United States’ requests for documents.
The Court has appointed William E. Berlin, of Hall, Render, Killian, Heath & Lyman, to serve as monitor in this matter.
UnitedHealth is a vertically integrated insurer, healthcare provider, pharmacy benefit manager, and healthcare software and services vendor headquartered in Eden Prairie, Minnesota. UnitedHealth acquired Amedisys’s home health and hospice rival LHC Group Inc. (LHC) in 2023. Amedisys was a home health and hospice services provider headquartered in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
Clark County Employee Indicted for Stealing Money from the Estates of Deceased County ResidentsRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Clark County employee, who used her position with the County to gain access to the financial accounts of deceased Clark County residents, made her initial appearance in court today on a federal indictment that charged her with three counts of laundering the proceeds of her scheme to bilk the estates of the deceased residents for tens of thousands of dollars.
According to allegations in the indictment, TinaTheresa Poto-Nunu was employed by the Clark County Public Guardian’s Office where she unlawfully gained access to the financial information of deceased Clark County residents whose estates were administered by the Clark County Public Administrator. According to the indictment, Poto-Nunu then used that information to gain access to the financial accounts of the deceased individuals and then fraudulently transferred money from those accounts to pay down a credit card account she used for her personal expenses such as travel and rent.
Poto-Nunu is charged with one count of money laundering and two counts of money transactions in criminally derived property. If convicted of all counts, the statutory maximum penalty is 40 years in prison and a $750,000 fine. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Christopher S. Delzotto for the FBI Las Vegas Division, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jarom Gregory for the IRS Criminal Investigation's Phoenix Field Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI and IRS Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Afroza Yeasmin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Chinese National Charged with Illegally Possessing Counterfeit Gift CardsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury in Birmingham has charged a Chinese national with possessing counterfeit gift cards, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
A one-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Xiebin Xue, 40, with possession of fifteen or more counterfeit or unauthorized access devices.
According to the indictment, on January 10, 2024, Xue was found in possession of at least 33 gift cards that had been re-encoded with card numbers different from the card numbers printed on the cards and at least two gift cards that bore fake bar code labels that did not match the printed and encoded numbers on the cards.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case along with the Tuscaloosa Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brett A. Janich is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty for the charged offense is 10 years imprisonment.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Canton Man Sentenced to more than 3 Years in Federal Prison for Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Canton, South Dakota, man convicted of three counts of Wire Fraud and two counts of Money Laundering. The sentencing took place on December 5, 2025.
Gary Aaron King, 51, was sentenced to three years and one month in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release and ordered to pay a $500 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $1,418,220.87 in restitution.
King was indicted for Wire Fraud and Money Laundering by a federal grand jury in February 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 5, 2025.
Between July 2022 and January 2023, King, the sole owner of Cypress Risk Management, LLC, collected insurance premiums from client colleges for student athlete insurance coverage and then embezzled the funds for his own personal benefit. Rather than remitting those premiums to the managing general agents as he was required, King used more than $1,400,000.00 for another business venture and to purchase a luxury home. When questioned by the managing general agents regarding the payments on the policies the colleges had purchased, King provided false explanations and sent checks to the managing general agents that were returned as insufficient funds.
“Federal investigators are committed to rooting out fraud wherever it exists,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “This sentence, which includes full restitution for the institutions fleeced by this defendant, is another reminder that the bill for committing fraud will eventually come due and be paid with a term of years.”
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Patterson prosecuted the case.
King was ordered to self-surrender to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service at a future date.
California Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Multi-Million Dollar Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A California man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Rhode Island for his role in a wide-ranging business email compromise and money laundering scheme that defrauded companies, individuals, and the Town of Bristol out of nearly $9 million dollars, announced Acting United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom.
Alec Tahir Baker, 61, of Corona, CA, pleaded guilty on December 9, 2025, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. Baker will be sentenced on February 24, 2026. The sentences imposed will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, Baker participated in a conspiracy that used phishing and spoofed vendor emails to gain access to victim computer networks and redirect legitimate wire transfers into bank accounts that he controlled. Baker opened dozens of bank accounts in his name and in the names of fraudulent companies. He received more than $7.6 million of the fraudulent funds and rapidly withdrew, transferred, or layered the funds (including through cryptocurrency accounts) to disguise their origin.
Baker and his co-conspirators also gained access to the Town of Bristol’s computer network in January 2023, causing $310,500 in municipal funds to be wired into an account in Baker’s name, who then withdrew the funds or transferred them into other accounts.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lee H. Vilker and Denise M. Barton.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Bristol Police Department; Genesee County, New York Sheriff’s Office; Baltimore County, MD Police Department; Hartland, Wisconsin Police Department; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Texas.
CEO of Scalpa, Inc. Indicted on Mail, Wire Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
ABINGDON, Va. – A federal grand jury sitting in the U.S. District Court in Abingdon, returned an indictment in July 2024 charging Bryce Cleveland, the President and CEO of Scalpa, Inc., with mail fraud, wire fraud, and other charges related to Scalpa’s selling of skincare products that had not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
Cleveland, 42, of Scottsdale, Arizona, made his initial court appearance in the Western District of Virginia yesterday following his arrest last month. Cleveland was apprehended in Colombia and arrested in Florida on an outstanding federal warrant by the United States Marshals Service.
According to the indictment, Scalpa was a for-profit corporation incorporated in Arizona in 2015 that marketed and sold medical devices and drug products intended to affect the structure and function of the human body. These products included the Fibroblast Pen, Hyaluron Pen, Hyaluronic Acid, and Scalpatox.
The indictment alleges that between 2018 and December 2020, Cleveland devised a scheme to unlawfully enrich himself by marketing, and causing others to market, unapproved devices, including but not limited to the Fibroblast Pen and Hyaluron Pen, to consumers while representing that the unapproved devices were not regulated. In addition, the indictment alleges Cleveland concealed and omitted, and caused others to conceal and omit, the fact that the Fibroblast Pen and Hyaluron Pen were, in fact, regulated products. The indictment further alleges that Cleveland introduced into commerce an unapproved new drug, Scalpatox.
Cleveland is charged with 12 counts of mail fraud, nine counts of wire fraud, 12 counts of introduction of adulterated devices into interstate commerce, and one count of introduction of an unapproved new drug into interstate commerce, totaling 34 counts.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Special Agent in Charge Ronald Dawkins with U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and United States Postal Inspection Service - Washington Division - Inspector in Charge Damon E. Wood made the announcement.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration—Office of Criminal Investigations is investigating the case, with assistance from the United States Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Corey Hall and Randy Ramseyer and Department of Justice Trial Attorney Justus Hogge are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bryan County Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Sammy Lynn Key, age 45, of Colbert, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Atoka County Sheriff’s Office.
On August 5, 2025, Key pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on September 23, 2022, deputies investigating reports of a stolen vehicle discovered Key in possession of a .38 Special caliber revolver. At the time of the investigation, Key had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Key will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Lewis M. Reagan represented the United States.
Brookline Man Arrested for Attempted Coercion and Enticement and Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brookline man has been arrested and charged for allegedly attempting to coerce and entice the transfer of obscene material to a minor.
William Kahn, 28, was charged with attempted coercion and enticement and attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Following an initial appearance in federal court yesterday, Kahn was detained pending a detention hearing on Dec. 17, 2025.
According to the charging document, between June 2025 and August 2025, Kahn engaged in online conversations with an undercover agent purporting to be a 14-year-old girl. It is alleged that Kahn engaged in sexually explicit chat discussions with the purported minor, sent a photograph of adult genitalia and discussed meeting in person with the purported minor.
The charge of attempted coercion and enticement provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, 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 and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuabe assistance was provided by the Brookline, Boston and Arlington Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
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/.
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.
Bronx Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Enticing A Minor and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that DANIEL BATISTA was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jesse M. Furman to 18 years in prison for enticing a minor and possessing child pornography. BATISTA previously pled guilty on July 9, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Sarah L. Cave.
“Daniel Batista paid a mother to create child pornography of her own daughter,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He then used that child pornography both to gratify himself and to try to convince other parents to do the same. Today, the victims, families, and all New Yorkers get justice. Batista’s sentence reflects the seriousness of his crimes and our commitment to combat child sexual exploitation.”
According to the allegations in the Information, public filings, and statements made in public court proceedings:
In February 2024, while BATISTA was on probation following his guilty plea to forcibly touching the sexual or intimate parts of a 14-year-old girl on an MTA bus under New York penal law, BATISTA’s probation officers discovered more than a dozen deleted videos and images of child pornography on his cellphone. Several of the images depicted a particular prepubescent victim (“Minor Victim-1”). Further investigation revealed that, in approximately January and February 2024, BATISTA paid the mother of Minor Victim-1 over $1,000 to produce child pornography of Minor Victim-1 and send it to BATISTA. In addition, voice messages on BATISTA’s cellphone showed that BATISTA sometimes communicated directly with Minor Victim-1 and encouraged Minor Victim‑1 to make videos touching herself to send to BATISTA. BATISTA sent two images of child pornography depicting Minor Victim-1 to another parent to try to persuade that parent to produce child pornography of that parent’s children.
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In addition to the prison term, BATISTA, 57, a citizen of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 10 years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph H. Rosenberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Bixby Tattoo Artist Charged with Six Counts of Sexual ContactRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A criminal complaint was unsealed charging a Bixby tattoo artist with six separate counts of Sexual Contact in Indian Country.
Today, Austin Wayne Haley, 30, appeared before the court for engaging in unwanted sexual contact with six women whom he was tattooing. Court documents allege that from the fall of 2024 through December 2025, each victim scheduled a tattoo session with Haley at his home or tattoo studio. During the appointment and while Haley was tattooing the victims, he positioned his bare penis on the victims’ body and ejaculated on some of them.
Haley is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation.
The FBI and the Bixby Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Todd is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Baldwin Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Christian Anthony Vanderveen, 25, of Baldwin, Michigan, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for the sexual exploitation of a minor.
In December 2024, a woman called 911 to report that Vanderveen had been sending explicit pictures to her 11-year-old daughter. A police investigation led to a search at Vanderveen’s home and the seizure of multiple devices. In reviewing his cell phone, law enforcement discovered that Vanderveen repeatedly asked for and received child pornography from the 11-year-old girl, as well as posing as a girl online in an attempt to get sexually explicit images from another minor.
“Judge Beckering’s sentence today sends a clear message to anyone who is thinking of preying on our kids—just don’t do it. If you do, we will find you and the consequences will be severe,” said United States Attorney Timothy VerHey.
“This sentencing demonstrates the serious consequences awaiting those who target and prey on children,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The sexual exploitation of these children was stopped due to the excellent investigative teamwork of the FBI Grand Rapids WEBCHEX Task Force, the Michigan State Police, along with the successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan. The FBI and its partners in Michigan remain committed to doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable populations from harm.”
“Protecting children is one of our highest responsibilities,” said Captain Jason Nemecek of the Michigan State Police 6th District Command. “The Michigan State Police will continue to work with our federal partners to investigate and support the prosecution of individuals who commit these horrific crimes. Today’s sentence reinforces our unwavering dedication to bringing child predators to justice and ensuring victims are protected.”
The Michigan State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Doaa K. Al-Howaishy prosecuted it.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, including resources for parents and children about staying safe online, please visit justice.gov/PSC.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Assault on Border Patrol AgentsRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal officer after ramming a U.S. Border Patrol vehicle while fleeing in a stolen car in Las Cruces.
According to court documents, on March 31, 2025, Christopher Jack Leach, 33, learned there was a warrant for his arrest in Arizona, borrowed a friend’s vehicle under false pretenses, and fled toward Florida with a passenger knowing the vehicle was stolen. He traveled across state lines while evading law enforcement.
On April 2, 2025, Leach was driving the stolen vehicle through Las Cruces when he saw law enforcement following him and fled at a high rate of speed. U.S. Border Patrol agents responded and during the pursuit Leach accelerated toward an unmarked Border Patrol vehicle on a narrow street, prompting an agent to exit. Leach continued his flight, at one point driving into the agents’ vehicle, causing a collision, and fleeing the scene. Leach was later apprehended by the New Mexico State Police.
Leach pleaded guilty to assault upon a federal officer involving physical contact. At sentencing, he faces up to eight years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol, New Mexico State Police, and Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyson Hehr is prosecuting the case.
Aberdeen Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an Aberdeen, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on December 4, 2025.
Calvin Taylor, 42, was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Taylor was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on June 2, 2025.
In February 2024, Taylor began having packages of methamphetamine mailed to various addresses in Aberdeen and the surrounding area from a source of supply in California. Taylor then sold the drugs to other members of a conspiracy of which he was a member who distributed it in the Aberdeen area. Approximately 4.5 pounds of distributed methamphetamine was attributed to Taylor at sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, the Aberdeen Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Taylor must self-report to the U.S. Marshals Service on or before December 26, 2025.
Aberdeen Man Sentenced in Federal Court for Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced an Aberdeen, South Dakota man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on December 8, 2025.
Christopher Emmanuel Walton, 35, was sentenced to serve five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Walton was indicted for Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on November 3, 2025.
Walton is prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior domestic violence conviction. In June 2024, Walton’s roommate borrowed his car to go target shooting. When he returned home, the roommate inadvertently left a pistol in the trunk. Later that day, Walton discovered the firearm in his vehicle as he was preparing to leave for parenting time with his children. Since he was already late, Walton put the firearm inside his backpack rather than take it back inside to his roommate. An Edmunds County deputy pulled Walton over and found the firearm in the trunk of his vehicle.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Tuesday 9 December 2025
Wheeling Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephen J. Booker, 32, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 87 months in federal prison for methamphetamine and fentanyl trafficking and a firearms violation, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Booker, also known as “Flock,” pled guilty in February 2025 to five counts. According to statements made in court, Booker sold methamphetamine and fentanyl in Warwood, WV, and on Wheeling Island. During one of the sales, Booker displayed a firearm. The firearm was privately made, also known as a “ghost gun.” Addition to the firearm, Booker possessed 47 rounds of ammunition.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Drug Enforcement Administration; and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Wewoka Residents Plead Guilty to Assault and Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Demontrae Davion Rogers, age 20, of Wewoka, Oklahoma, and Damarion Hiawatha Nichols, age 21, of Moore, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to charges related to assaults occurring on April 2, 2024, in Wewoka, Oklahoma.
Rogers entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000, and one count of Use, Carry, and Brandish of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, punishable by ten years to life in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Nichols entered a guilty plea to four counts of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Indictment alleged that on April 2, 2024, Rogers assaulted a victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm, and knowingly brandished a firearm, and that Nichols assaulted four victims with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm.
The crimes occurred in Seminole County, within the boundaries of the Seminole Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Seminole Nation Lighthorse Police, and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Rogers and Nichols will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan E. Soverly and Jacob R. Parker represented the United States.
Wayne County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Randy Price, 52, of Wayne, was sentenced on October 2, 2025, to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 16, 2019, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Price in Charleston. Price attempted to flee on foot but was captured. Law enforcement seized a Raven Arms MP-25 .25-caliber pistol from the vehicle.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Price knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for involuntary manslaughter and aggravated robbery in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas on June 28, 2002.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys JC MacCallum and Negar M. Kordestani prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-97.
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Washington man sentenced to 11 years in prison on drug chargesRead the Press Release
MISSOULA – A Washington man who possessed fentanyl was sentenced today to 135 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Skyler Christian Crowder, 31, pleaded guilty in July 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
The government alleged in court documents that law enforcement officers responded to a call of a fentanyl pill found in a motel room in Missoula on October 7, 2024. The occupant, Skyler Crowder, had requested to move to a new room and the pill was located when the room was cleaned. They also reported Crowder had taken out his own trash when he switched rooms, which they thought was odd. Law enforcement located two vacuum-seal bags (one with a remnant of a blue pill) and drug paraphernalia in the outside garbage. Law enforcement reviewed surveillance and saw approximately 12 different people visited Crowder over 24 hours. Several appeared to be under the influence. The activity was consistent with individuals purchasing illegal drugs.
Law enforcement contacted Crowder in his new room. After obtaining a search warrant, deputies located methamphetamine, fentanyl pills and firearms.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force and the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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United States Department of Justice Transfers 14 Mexican Nationals with Drug or Firearm Convictions to Mexico Under International Prisoner Transfer TreatyRead the Press Release
The United States Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, with support from the Department’s Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), transferred 14 Mexican nationals on Friday to Mexican authorities pursuant to the International Prisoner Transfer Treaty between the United States and Mexico. Each individual was serving a federal sentence in the United States for drug-distribution offenses, illegal firearms offenses, or both.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director Shane Salem of BOP’s Correctional Programs Division made the announcement.
All 14 inmates requested transfer to their home country. Following approval by both governments, the inmates were transferred on Dec. 5 and will serve the remainder of their sentences in Mexico under the terms of the treaty.
These transfers were conducted through the congressionally authorized International Prisoner Transfer Program. The Criminal Division’s International Prisoner Transfer Unit (IPTU), housed in the Office of International Affairs, administers the program and coordinates all treaty-based transfers. Through this program, eligible foreign nationals in federal and state custody may, under certain conditions, be transferred to their country of nationality to complete their sentences. The United States currently maintains 10 additional bilateral transfer agreements and two multilateral transfer conventions, providing treaty relationships with more than 85 countries.
The same treaties also permit American nationals incarcerated abroad to apply for transfer to the United States. On Dec. 9, three U.S. citizens convicted for controlled-substance trafficking were transferred to the United States. The remaining terms on their sentences range from 22 months to four and a half years.
To learn more about the International Prisoner Transfer Program, visit: https://www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-oia/iptu.
United States Citizen Successfully Extradited from South Africa After Kidnapping His Children in 2021Read the Press Release
Brad D. Schimel, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Wisconsin man, Clyde Lewis Springfield (41) with the crime of international parental kidnapping.
According to a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, on or about October 29, 2021, Springfield left the United States with his four children and failed to return two of them on November 3, 2021, in accordance with their child custody agreement. Travel records showed that the defendant took his children to South Africa and did not return them to the United States on their scheduled return flight. Authorities obtained a federal criminal complaint against Springfield on November 24, 2021.
On March 16, 2022, through combined efforts of the Department of Justice and law enforcement, the children were located, rescued, and returned safely to the United States. Through an international extradition process, Springfield was returned to the United States on November 20, 2025, and arrested.If convicted of international parental kidnapping, he faces up to three years of prison, up to a $250k fine, and up to one year of supervised release.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the West Allis Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI), and the United States Marshall’s Service (USMS) are investigating this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in South Africa to secure the arrest and November 20 extradition to the United States of Lewis-Springfield. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan J. Thomas is prosecuting the case.This investigation is a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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For further information contact:Public Affairs Officer Steve Caballero
(414) 297-1700
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U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Indicted on Federal Civil Rights Charges for Allegedly Sexually Assaulting and Robbing WomenRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A United States Customs and Border Protection officer has been indicted on federal civil rights charges for allegedly sexually assaulting and robbing multiple women in the Chicago suburbs.
An indictment unsealed today in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges LUIS URIBE, 44, of Pingree Grove, Ill., with ten counts of deprivation of civil rights under color of law and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Uribe was arrested this morning. He pleaded not guilty during his arraignment this afternoon in federal court. U.S. Magistrate Judge Keri L. Holleb Hotaling scheduled a detention hearing for Dec. 15, 2025, at 1:30 p.m.
The indictment was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Erin Silk, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Midwest Region of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.
Uribe performed both customs and immigration duties for CBP in the Chicago area. As a CBP officer, Uribe had the authority to carry a firearm and make arrests for felony and other relevant offenses. The indictment accuses Uribe of acting under color of law when he sexually assaulted and robbed two women. Uribe allegedly brandished a firearm in at least one of the sexual assaults.
He also robbed and attempted to sexually assault two other women, the indictment states.
The robberies, sexual assaults, and attempted sexual assaults occurred in 2022 in Schaumburg, Ill., and Naperville, Ill., the indictment states.
If convicted of the charges in the indictment, Uribe faces a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in federal prison and a maximum of life. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal statutes and the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines. The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Please contact this secure phone number if you have information about these crimes or if you have been a victim of Luis Uribe: (312) 239-7423. Your information is important. The phone service will be available in both English and Chinese. 如果您有相关信息或您曾受到此人伤害，请您立刻拨打我们的保密电话号码。您的信息很重要。(312) 239-7423.
uribe_indictment.pdfU.S. Attorney’s Office and Polyclinic resolve allegations it violated the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Seattle – The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Polyclinic, d/b/a Optum Care Washington, has resolved allegations one of its medical facilities failed on multiple occasions to provide sign language interpreter services for a patient who is deaf and blind, in violation of the American with Disabilities Act (ADA). Under the terms of the settlement, the Polyclinic will pay $25,000 to the patient who had multiple appointments either cancelled or with inadequate interpreter services. The Polyclinic has also set up a fund of $350,000 to compensate any other patients who were impacted by the clinics’ failure to have appropriate interpreter services during the Claims Period between January 1, 2021, and September 30, 2025. In addition to the financial payments Polyclinic will take several steps to ensure compliance with the ADA.
The Polyclinic commits to having appropriate interpreter services available for all patients and will contract with no fewer than five companies to provide interpreter services. As part of its intake process for patients the Polyclinic will assess the need for appropriate aids or services. The Polyclinic will designate a point person to oversee assistive devices and services, and that person will have additional staffers who can arrange appropriate services. This group of employees will undergo mandatory training approved by the U.S. Attorney’s Office regarding the steps to identify communication needs and secure interpreter services. Training will also be provided to all staff who have patient contact.
The Polyclinic will maintain a log of patients or companions who need assistive services, and the services provided. If services are not provided the log will explain the circumstances. These logs will be part of the Compliance Report that the Polyclinic will periodically provide to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Polyclinic will post information in Braille as well printed signs about the Auxiliary Aids and Services it has available. The information will also be posted on the Polyclinic website about ways to request such services.
Every six months Polyclinic will prepare a compliance report for the U.S. Attorney’s Office. If there are any complaints about failing to provide appropriate auxiliary aids or services those complaints must be forwarded to the U.S. Attorney’s Office within 30 days.
The Polyclinic will pay the United States $25,000 to vindicate the public interest in enforcement of the ADA. The Polyclinic will name a Claims Administrator to review its records to determine if there are other patients who were harmed by the failure to provide appropriate assistive services during the Claims Period. The list of patients and the number of appointments cancelled or impacted will be provided to the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Those patients will be contacted by the Claims Administrator about a potential claim. There will also be a website where potentially eligible claimants can get more information. Eligible claimants may seek compensation from the $350,000 fund set up by Polyclinic. Any remaining funds after all legitimate claims have been processed will be returned to the Polyclinic.
The agreement between Polyclinic and the U.S. Attorney’s Office lasts for two years.
This is the fourth medical group to resolve allegations it violated the rights of patients who are deaf or deaf/blind. Over the past three years the U.S. Attorney’s Office has resolved cases with MultiCare Health systems , PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, Washington, and University of Washington Medical Center – Northwest (UWMC-NW).
The settlement was negotiated by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Kas, Civil Rights Coordinator in the Civil Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Copies of the settlement are available upon request.
Two More Defendants Plead Guilty to Roles in Kanawha County Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Two Kanawha County residents pleaded guilty on October 8, 2025, to their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025.
Amanda Marie Mace, also known as “A,” 42, of South Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and Adrian Lamont Carter, 45, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mace took part in the conspiracy between June 2024 and April 2025. As part of her guilty plea, Mace admitted that she obtained at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine during the time period from co-conspirator Robert Ford, and that he transported it to West Virginia from Detroit, Michigan. Mace further admitted that she made $200 to $300 for each pound of methamphetamine she sold for Ford, that her main customers were re-distributing the methamphetamine that she sold to them, and that she sold most of her methamphetamine to co-conspirators Michael Allen Corkhill and Quanda Kiev Wilborne.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Carter obtained fentanyl from an out-of-town source and distributed it to several customers in the Charleston area. When officers executed a search warrant at his Charleston home in April 2025, they located a quantity of fentanyl as well as other items indicative of fentanyl distribution.
Mace and Carter are scheduled to be sentenced on January 12, 2026. Mace faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 million. Carter faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Mace, Carter, Ford, Corkhill, and Wilborne are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Five defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty including Mace, Carter, and Wilborne, also known as “Quan” and “Queso,” 29, of Charleston. Four additional defendants who pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-78.
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Two Georgia Men Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimesRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – On October 14, 2025, Reginald Bernard Daniely Jr., also known as “Yo,” 34, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to eight years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and Jacquis Christopher Moody, also known as “Jo,” 30, of Macon, Georgia, was sentenced to six years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, both for aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute quantities of fentanyl and cocaine base, also known as “crack.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 20, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Huntington apartment where Daniely and Moody had been staying. Officers seized approximately 13.814 grams of a mixture containing heroin and fentanyl, approximately 38.827 grams of crack, and two firearms during the search. As part of their guilty pleas, Daniely and Moody each admitted to possessing the seized controlled substances. Daniely and Moody each further admitted to possessing the two seized firearms.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-17.
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Tucson Man Indicted for Unauthorized Excavation and Trafficking of Archeological Resources from the Gila River Indian CommunityRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On December 3, 2025, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned a two-count indictment against Leo Reynoso, 46, of Tucson, Arizona, for violations of the Archeological Resources Protection Act.
The indictment alleges that Reynoso excavated, removed, or damaged archeological resources, without authorization, that were located on the Gila River Indian Community, a federally recognized Indian tribe. Reynoso excavated and removed numerous artifacts from known archeological sites located on tribal land. The items included Indian Trader tokens, coins, buttons, crucifixes, jewelry, and other items. The indictment also alleges that Reynoso trafficked archeological resources by selling some of the items that were excavated without a permit. An archeological damage assessment estimated the commercial value of the artifacts to be approximately $5,700; the archeological value to be approximately $29,000; and the cost of restoration and repair of the sites to be approximately $23,000.
A conviction for each count of Unauthorized Excavation of Archeological Resources and Trafficking in Archeological Resources carries a maximum penalty two years imprisonment and a $20,000 fine.
The United States Forest Service and the Gila River Indian Community Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: 25-CR-05253-TUC-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-172_Reynoso
# # #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.Three defendants in significant gun and drug involved cases sentenced to prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle – Three Seattle area men were sentenced in October 2025 to significant federal prison sentences due to their convictions for drug trafficking and firearms violations, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd.
The longest sentence, ten years, was imposed on Anthony Raymond Dodd, 36, of Seattle. Dodd was convicted of possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on July 25, 2025 following a three-day trial. At the sentencing hearing on October 27, 2025, U.S. District Judge John H. Chun noted that the offense was very serious, given the danger of fentanyl in our communities, and that it was compounded by the fact that Dodd had a gun and was on Department of Corrections community custody at the time of the offense.
In Tacoma, Chief Judge David G. Estudillo sentenced a drug trafficker connected to an Aryan Family prison gang to six years in prison. Philip Boorkman was a key drug distributor in one of three related drug trafficking groups. Boorkman was indicted in March 2023 and pleaded guilty in January 2025. At the October 3, 2025, sentencing hearing Judge Estudillo said, “This is a serious offense…The amount of damage it does to the community is probably immeasurable in terms of lives lost and all of the ripple effects from people who are addicted.”
In asking for a seven-year sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Boorkman was a trusted member of a large distribution network responsible for distributing hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine and hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills. Based on Boorkman’s trusted role in the organization, there is no question that he understood the devastating impact these drugs were having on the community.”
And finally, on October 1, 2025, U.S District Judge Tana Lin sentenced Tacoma resident Marquise Tolbert, 30, to 39 months in prison for drug trafficking and illegal firearms possession. Tolbert pleaded guilty to federal charges in March 2025.
Investigators with the FBI Safe Streets task force, the DEA, and the Seattle Police Gun Violence Reduction Unit were investigating a drug trafficking organization when Tolbert and his coconspirators were heard on a wiretap discussing a shoot-out in Federal Way. From that point on, investigators worked to identify those who were possessing and using firearms as part of their criminal activity. Investigators heard Tolbert discussing his purchase of the Ruger firearm from another member of the conspiracy. On the day he bought the gun, law enforcement, surveilled Tolbert, followed him to his residence, arrested him, and secured the firearm.
Prior to the federal investigation, in 2020, Tolbert was involved in a shootout at 3rd Avenue and Pine Street in downtown Seattle. One woman was killed, and seven other bystanders were injured in the gun battle. Tolbert was acquitted in state court on murder and assault charges connected to the incident. He was convicted of illegal firearms possession.
The case against Anthony Raymond Dodd was investigated by the Washington State Department of Corrections, the Seattle Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Cecelia Gregson and Rachel Yemini.
The case against Philip Boorkman was investigated by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Zachary Dillon, Max Shiner, and Jehiel Baer.
Marquise Tolbert was investigated by the FBI, the Seattle Police Department, and the DEA as part of their focus on getting firearms off the streets. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen Hobbs and Michelle Jensen.
Three Sentenced in Connection with Gang-Related Kidnapping and Murder; Shooter Receives Life SentenceRead the Press Release
Wilmington, Delaware – Last week, three defendants were sentenced in connection with a kidnapping and murder committed by members of the Shotgun Crips gang, announced Julianne E. Murray, First Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware. Kimon Burton-Roberson, 32, who executed the victim by shooting him in the head with an assault rifle, received a life sentence. Jamil Salahuddin, 22, who helped abduct the victim out of his Wilmington home and beat him in the head with a tire iron, received a sentence of 17.5 years in prison. And Stephanie Bultes-Ramirez, 27, who drove the vehicle in which the victim was transported from Wilmington to Philadelphia and ultimately to the murder scene in Yeadon, Pennsylvania, received a sentence of 10 years in prison. Chief District Judge Colm F. Connolly pronounced the sentences.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, the Shotgun Crips targeted the victim, a 35-year-old Wilmington resident, after he and Burton-Roberson became embroiled in a dispute. Shortly after midnight on July 21, 2021, members of the gang—including Burton-Roberson, Salahuddin, and Josiah Rivera—invaded the victim’s home. They beat the victim with a tire iron and a pry bar, bound his hands behind his back with zip ties, and forced him into Burton-Roberson’s Jeep, which was being driven by Bultes-Ramirez. The gang then drove the victim to Philadelphia, continuing to beat him on the drive. In Philadelphia, they picked up gang higher-up Dwayne Alexander, who directed the gang to an industrial park in Yeadon. There, Burton-Roberson executed the still-bound victim by shooting him in the head with an assault rifle. After the murder, the gang tried to cover its tracks by, among other things, scrubbing the Jeep for forensic evidence and terminating service on the cell-phone numbers they had been using that night.
Two additional defendants are awaiting sentencing in federal court—Rodney Chambers, whose sentencing is scheduled for December 22, 2025, and Dwayne Alexander, whose sentencing is scheduled for January 27, 2026. A sixth defendant, Josiah Rivera, is awaiting sentencing in the Superior Court for the State of Delaware. Rivera was not charged federally because he was a minor at the time of the crime.
First Assistant U.S. Attorney Murray stated, “This crime was utterly depraved, and these lengthy prison sentences reflect the egregiousness of the offense. The Department of Justice hopes that this case will send a clear message to other would-be gang members: gang-related violence will be met with the harshest possible penalties for all involved, no matter how large or small their role.”
“The FBI is proud to work alongside our state and local law enforcement partners to ensure the violent gang members involved in this horrific crime are held fully accountable. We hope their sentencings, including Kimon Burton-Roberson’s life sentence, deliver a sense of justice to the victim’s grieving family,” said FBI Baltimore Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul. “This investigation demonstrates the FBI’s relentless determination to remove violent offenders from our communities.”
“We appreciate the efforts of the Department of Justice to ensure that these violent offenders are held accountable for their actions,” said Wilmington Police Chief Wilfredo Campos. “These lengthy prison sentences send a clear message that senseless violence like this will never be tolerated.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Delaware Violent Crime and Safe Streets Task Force, the Wilmington Police Department, the Yeadon Borough Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, and Delaware Probation and Parole. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin L. Wallace and Michelle L. Morgan (now with the Eastern District of Pennsylvania) handled the third superseding indictment, the trial, and the sentencings of all defendants. Others involved in the investigation and prosecution include Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin P. Pierce, Ruth Mandelbaum (now with the Eastern District of Pennsylvania), and Maureen McCartney (also now with the Eastern District of Pennsylvania), as well as former Assistant U.S. Attorney Eli H. Klein.
A copy of this press release can be located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 22-CR-17-CFC.
St. Louis County Fossil Company Operator Sentenced for Disability FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Tuesday ordered a fossil company owner to repay $106,923 in Social Security disability benefits that he’d obtained through disability fraud.
Judge Bluestone also placed Scott A. Taylor on probation for five years. After having been granted disability benefits, Taylor opened Taylor Made Fossils, which made fossil recreations. While repeatedly falsely claiming to be too disabled to work, Taylor was carrying large or heavy objects, doing yard work, using a cell phone, and walking normally while unassisted and alone. He claimed he had difficulty walking, standing, concentrating, feeding himself, shopping, using his arms, managing money, seeing, hearing, speaking and caring for his hair. He stated his vision caused him to walk into people and objects and frequently fall down the stairs, that he was in extreme constant pain, that it was dangerous for him to leave the house alone, that he could not feel his hands or feet and that even normal items would become too heavy to lift. Taylor falsely claimed he had received no wages or income and had no form of employment since 1997. Since 2014, his business generated income ranging from hundreds of dollars to tens of thousands of dollars per month in all but three months.
After an investigation by the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General (SSA-OIG), Taylor’s disability benefits were discontinued. Taylor stole a total of $106,923, his plea agreement says.
Taylor, 50, of Wellston, pleaded guilty in September to one felony count of theft of government money.
The SSA-OIG investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll prosecuted the case.
Springfield Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Unlawfully Possessing Firearms and Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge David P. Rush to unlawfully possessing firearms and filing a false tax return.
Marco Lorimer Denis, 50, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm, and one count of filing a false tax return.
At the time of the offenses, Denis was the owner of Springfield Property LLC, a company providing retail and commercial rental space, including at Plaza Towers in Springfield.
As part of his plea, Denis admitted to knowingly possessing firearms when he had previously been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence. Denis pleaded guilty in 2003 to misdemeanor domestic assault in the Greene County, Mo., Circuit Court. Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence to be in possession of a firearm.
In December 2012, Denis attempted to purchase a firearm from a federal firearm licensee. His purchase was immediately denied after a background check, resulting in the federal firearm licensee refusing to transfer the firearm to Denis.
On July 15 and 16, 2024, as part of a domestic violence investigation, officers with the Springfield Police Department executed search warrants at Denis’s residence and located 8 firearms in his residence and in the driver’s side door panel of his vehicle.
Denis also admitted to filing a false tax return for the calendar year 2023. Denis’s 2023 tax return, which was filed in March 2025, did not include $57,391.06 of income he received in the course of operating Springfield Property, LLC. The IRS tax loss associated with Denis’s unreported income is $24,749.
Under federal statutes, Denis is subject to a sentence of up to 15 years in federal prison without parole and a fine of up to $250,000 for unlawfully possessing firearms; and a sentence of up to 3 years in federal prison without parole and a fine of up to $250,000, and an order of restitution, for filing a false tax return. 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. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and Casey Clark. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Southern California Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Devlin Hosner, 36, of Indio, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, between 2020 and 2022, Hosner and his co-conspirator Holly Adams, 35, of Palm Desert, operated vendor accounts on the dark web marketplaces known as ToRReZ and Dark0de. Hosner and Adams generated hundreds of thousands of dollars selling counterfeit oxycodone pills pressed with fentanyl, after which they laundered the proceeds using cryptocurrency mixers, wallets, and other online tools.
In September 2021, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at an address where Hosner and Adams resided. After the officers announced their presence, Hosner attempted to impede their entry while Adams destroyed pills by pouring them into a chemical solution. Adams and Hosner were arrested and subsequently released by state authorities and resumed selling fentanyl on the dark web a few months later while they were unknowingly under investigation by federal law enforcement agents.
In March 2022, federal agents executed a search warrant at a hotel room in Riverside County where Hosner and Adams were temporarily residing. Officers seized nearly a kilogram of fentanyl-pressed oxycodone pills and 60 grams of methamphetamine from this hotel room. Hosner and Adams were arrested on federal charges.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Northern California Illicit Digital Economy (NCIDE) Task Force, a previously existing task force that included agents from the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The NCIDE Task Force was a federal task force focused on targeting all forms of illicit dark web and cryptocurrency activity in the Eastern District of California and beyond. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Stefanki is prosecuting the case.
Adams previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute fentanyl and to launder the resulting proceeds. In June 2025, the district court sentenced her to serve 12 years in prison.
Hosner is scheduled to be sentenced by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on March 24, 2026. Hosner faces a mandatory minimum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, as well as a $1 million fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
South Carolina Woman Admits to Multi-Year Ski/Snowboard Pass Scam in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A South Carolina woman pleaded guilty in federal court today to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after she fraudulently sold “discounted” ski and snowboard passes, including Ikon, Epic, and other passes used at various Utah mountain resorts. In return, she received money through electronic payments, which she shared with her coconspirators.
Jamilla Greene, 34, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, was charged by felony information on December 1, 2025.
According to court documents, beginning in November 2020 and continuing through May 2024, Greene worked with others to obtain money by fraudulently selling “discounted” Ikon and Epic ski and snowboard passes, as well as individual resort passes. Ikon passes are offered through Alterra Mountain Company and allow access to winter resorts worldwide, including the following Utah locations: Deer Valley, Solitude Mountain, Brighton, Alta Ski Area, Snowbird, and Snowbasin. Epic passes, offered through Vail Resorts, Inc. likewise offer access to resorts throughout the world, including Park City. None of these resorts authorized Greene to sell “discounted” passes.
As part of the scheme, Greene and her coconspirators advertised “discounted” passes through targeted online postings in locations where ski resorts are located, including Utah. When individuals would respond to the advertisements, Greene communicated with them online and via text to gather necessary information, including names and addresses, for the purchase of ski passes. Once personal information was collected, Greene would use different bank card information to purchase ski passes at full price, knowing that bank card information was stolen and did not belong to the individuals to whom she was selling the “discounted” ski passes.
Upon purchase of the full price ski passes with the stolen cards, Greene would communicate again with the “discounted” ski pass purchasers to secure and direct payment through electronic platforms such as Venmo, PayPal, Zelle, and Apple Pay. Greene then took the money and deposited it directly into her and her coconspirators’ accounts.
Greene is scheduled to be sentenced February 24, 2026 at 10:30 a.m. before a U.S. District Court Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
“This multi-year, multimillion-dollar scheme not only victimized Utah ski resorts, skiers and snowboarders, and individuals whose bank card information was stolen, but could impact the trust of snow enthusiasts who seek passes annually to visit our resorts,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Fraud in any form will not be tolerated, and it is my priority to continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute the individuals involved and seek justice for the victims.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s mission includes defending the nation’s mail system from illegal use. Postal Inspectors investigate those who utilize the U.S. Mail to carry out fraud schemes for their own financial gain. I thank the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office for their partnership in this case,” said Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division.
“The Salt Lake County Sheriff’s office is committed to working and partnering with our federal agencies to ensure cases of this magnitude are investigated and the accused are held accountable for the crimes they committed,” said Salt Lake County Sheriff Rosie Rivera. “This is the largest case of fraud that the Sheriff’s office has investigated since reinstating our Law Enforcement Bureau.”This case is being investigated jointly by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Luisa Gough of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah are prosecuting the case.
Attachment:
jamilla_greene_sap.pdfShiprock Woman Pleads Guilty to Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock woman pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter killing her daughter.
According to court documents, on October 24, 2022, Maylene John, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation at the time of the offense, stabbed her 7-year-old daughter in the heart with a knife, causing her death. John was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time of the incident.
John pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter. At sentencing, she faces up to 15 years in federal prison. Upon her release from prison, John will be subject to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caitlin L. Dillon and Eliot Neal are prosecuting the case.
Savannah Man Sentenced to Statutory Maximum for Possession of Ammunition Following ShootingRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: On December 3, 2025, a Savannah man was sentenced to Statutory Maximum for Possession of Ammunition following a shooting.
Charlie Sapp, 58, of Savannah, was sentenced to 120 months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Randal Hall after being convicted at trial on the charge of Possession of Ammunition by a Prohibited Person said Margaret E. Heap, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
Sapp received the maximum sentenced allowed by law. Judge Randal Hall also ordered Sapp to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term, in addition to a $1,500 fine. There is no parole in the federal system.
“This prosecution should send a clear message to those that violate the law in the Southern District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret Heap. “This office will work tirelessly to ensure the community is protected from violent felons.”
According to trial documents, on October 8, 2021, Sapp retrieved a loaded firearm from a vehicle, confronted an individual in an apartment complex parking lot, pointed the firearm at that individual, and then fired three shots. The individual Sapp shot died on the scene. While the weapon used in the shooting was never recovered, officers with the Savannah Police Department recovered two shell casings on the scene. Those shell casings were enough to convict Sapp in the U.S. District Court. Sapp was prohibited from possessing ammunition because of previous felony convictions in the Superior Court of Chatham County.
At sentencing, Judge Hall agreed to the Government’s request to enhance Sapp’s sentence on the ammunition charge because his conduct constituted second-degree murder. Due to Sapp illegally possessing ammunition, a Savannah man lost their life.
Sapp was previously tried for this conduct in November 2022 by the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office. That trial did not result in a conviction.
“Every bullet represents a potential threat to public safety; we will continue to work diligently to prevent firearms from falling into the wrong hands,” said ATF Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis.
The case was being investigated by the ATF, Savannah Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Special Assistant United States Attorney Makeia R. Jonese and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura.
Romanian Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Access Device FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ANDREI FAGARAS (“FAGARAS”), age 35, a Romanian national, was sentenced on December 2, 2025 for access device fraud, a violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1029(a)(4). FAGARAS, who has been in custody since November 20, 2024, was sentenced to time served.
According to court documents, on November 13, 2024 and November 14, 2024, FAGARAS and two other individuals possessed device-making equipment, namely credit/debit card skimmers, at three retail locations in the Eastern District of Louisiana and installed those skimmers on point-of-sale machines.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
“We appreciate the collaboration with our federal and local law enforcement partners for their hard work on this investigation. Those who are involved in fraud regarding USDA taxpayer-funded programs will be investigated by our office to protect the integrity of those programs,” said USDA Office of Inspector General (USDA-OIG) Acting Special Agent in Charge Matthew Wilkins.
The case was investigated by Special Agents of the United States Department of Agriculture – Office of Inspector General; Special Agents of the United States Secret Service; Deputies with the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office; Deputies with the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office; Officers with the New Orleans Police Department; Officers with the Harahan Police Department; Officers with the Scott Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Christine M. Calogero of the General Crimes Unit is handling the prosecution.
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Romanian Man Sentenced to One Year in Federal Prison for Installing Skimmers throughout Southern District of MississippiRead the Press Release
JACKSON, MS – Giovanni Iortoman, 21, was sentenced on December 8, 2025 to 12 months in federal prison for illegal possession, production, or trafficking in device-making equipment, also known as skimmers. His codefendant, Antonio Rafaila, 19, pleaded guilty to the same charge on August 6, 2025, and will be sentenced on December 18, 2025. Both defendants entered the United States illegally.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on the morning of March 31, 2025, employees of a grocery store in Laurel, Mississippi discovered a skimmer attached to a point-of-sale terminal in one of the store’s check-out lanes. A skimmer is capable of reading and recording account information including customer names, account numbers, and personal identification numbers from credit and debit cards. Store employees checked CCTV footage from the store and reported the matter to law enforcement immediately. CCTV footage revealed that two men, later identified as Antonio Rafaila and Giovanni Iortoman, had placed a skimmer device on the point-of-sale machine.
Rafaila and Iortoman used the same tactics at multiple grocery stores in Jones, Rankin, and Madison counties with the intent to steal the personal information of customers for profit. One of the men would purchase items at the grocery store and distract the checkout clerk while the other surreptitiously installed the skimmer. The Mississippi Attorney General’s Office Cyber Fraud Task Force alerted local stores about the two men and their descriptions. The sedan the subjects were seen driving in Laurel was later stopped by Madison County law enforcement almost immediately after the subjects emplaced another skimmer in Madison.
Iortoman presented a Romanian identification card to officers and Rafaila falsely identified himself as Aaron Lipani with a fraudulent Italian passport when questioned. A check of government databases determined that Iortoman and Rafaila were foreign nationals in the country without legal authority.
A criminal complaint was filed against Rafaila and Iortoman on April 2, 2025. A federal grand jury returned an indictment against them on April 8, 2025.
Rafaila is scheduled to be sentenced on December 18, 2025, and faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. As the defendants entered the United States illegally, they may be subject to deportation upon their release from prison.
U.S. Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi, U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Patrick Davis, and Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service and the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office investigated the case through their partnership in the Cyber Fraud Task Force with assistance from the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly T. Purdie and C. Brett Grantham are prosecuting the case.
The Cyber Fraud Task Force offered the following tips to keep your bank card data safe:
- Use terminals that offer tap to pay or chip read capabilities. Avoid swiping cards, if possible.
- Look at the terminal prior to inserting or using your card in relation to other terminals in the store. Do they look the same? Overlay skimmers will add to the overall dimensions of a terminal.
Ritchie County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Charles Dana Johnson II, 37, of Cairo, was sentenced on October 2, 2025, to seven years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2024, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Johnson in Parkersburg. Johnson admitted that he possessed a loaded SCCY model DVG-1 9mm pistol and a loaded Walther model P22 .22-caliber pistol that the officer found in Johnson’s waistband during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Johnson knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for possession with intent to deliver heroin on October 2, 2016, and first-degree robbery on January 12, 2012, both in Wood County Circuit Court.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Wood County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
This case is also 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 copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-27.
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Repeat Offender Guilty of Illegally Possessing a Firearm in ColumbusRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ga. – A repeat offender who ran from deputies, scaling an airport fence during the chase, is facing a maximum of ten years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
Reginald Weeks-Lewis, 29, of Columbus, was found guilty of one count of illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon at the conclusion of a one-day trial on Dec. 8, before U.S. District Judge Clay Land. The defendant faces a maximum of fifteen years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2026. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Armed repeat felony offenders are seeing their cases make it to the federal prosecutor’s office, where they face steep penalties,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “It is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm, and our office is working alongside our law enforcement partners to hold these individuals accountable for their crimes.”
“Our collaboration with local law enforcement and federal agencies is crucial in tackling the issue of gun violence,” said Acting ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Robert Davis. “We will continue to pursue those who violate the law, especially repeat offenders, with the full weight of federal penalties.’”
“The Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to our federal partners in order to remove firearms from the hands of those who should not have them,” said Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman. “We will continue to ensure that Muscogee County is a safer place to work and live for our citizens.”
According to court documents and statements referenced at trial, Weeks-Lewis was driving on Sidney Simons Boulevard in Columbus in the early hours of March 1, 2025, when Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office deputies on patrol observed a traffic violation and initiated a stop. At first, Weeks-Lewis slowed the vehicle down and began to pull off to the side of the road, but then abruptly made a U-turn and began traveling north on Armour Road. Weeks-Lewis lost control of the vehicle, and it traveled across four lanes of traffic, striking the left shoulder of the roadway and blowing out a tire. As deputies approached the car, Weeks-Lewis got out and ran. Deputies followed and loudly commanded him to stop; Weeks-Lewis repeatedly shouted to deputies that he had a firearm.
Weeks-Lewis ran toward the Columbus Municipal Airport and climbed its perimeter fence. A short time later, deputies found him lying face down on airport property in a brushy area. He was taken into custody; the defendant’s semiautomatic pistol with eleven rounds of ammunition in the magazine and one round in the chamber was found tucked between the driver's seat and the center console of his car. Weeks-Lewis has prior felony convictions in Muscogee County Superior Court for burglary, theft by taking, obstruction, vandalism to a place of worship and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the Muscogee County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with assistance from the Muscogee County District Attorney’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Veronica Hansis is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Romanian National Sentenced for Bank Fraud and False Statement to a Federal Agency in ATM “Skimming” SchemeRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Daniel Balan, 47, of Bacau, Romania, was sentenced to more than three years in prison after previously pleading guilty to five counts of bank fraud, five counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of possessing 15 or more access devices, and making a false statement to a federal agency in connection with an ATM “skimming” scheme. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This offender exploited numerous innocent victims for his own financial gain, but thanks to the outstanding investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners he will enjoy an extended stay behind bars. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute these crimes to vindicate the victims exploited by these offenses and hold the fraudsters accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Court documents reflect that beginning on January 28, 2025, the defendant placed “skimming” devices and cameras on multiple ATMs in the Tallahassee, Florida area. The devices and cameras were used to capture customer account and access device information. Then, between February 8 and 9, 2025, the defendant used the stolen information to fraudulently obtain $56,340 in customer funds. At the time of arrest, law enforcement found 28 gift cards in the defendant’s pocket that had been encoded with stolen account information and labeled with a corresponding PIN.
“ATM skimming is not just a crime against individual account holders—it undermines public trust in our banking systems,” said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “Victims suffer financial losses and stress, banks and businesses face increased costs, and law enforcement resources are diverted to investigate these schemes. This sentence demonstrates HSI’s commitment to work tirelessly alongside our law enforcement partners to protecting our community from these fraud schemes and ensuring that those responsible are held accountable.”
“The successful resolution of this case highlights the strength of our partnership with Homeland Security Investigations and federal prosecutors. Together, we were able to stop a sophisticated scheme that targeted innocent people across Leon County,” said Sheriff Walt McNeil, Leon County Sheriff’s Office.
The case involved a joint investigation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Justin M. Keen and Eric W. Welch.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Port Arthur man sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Port Arthur man has been sentenced to over 10 years in federal prison for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Cory Donelle Williams, 44, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to 125 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on December 9, 2025.
According to information presented in court, in 2024, local law enforcement received information that Williams was distributing synthetic marijuana and methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas. The investigation led to the execution of a search warrant at Williams’ residence resulting in the discovery of 56.3 grams of methamphetamine.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the Port Arthur Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Lee.
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Pike County Man Sentenced for the Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ASHLAND, Ky. – A Raccoon, Ky., man, Lonnie James Maynard, 54, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David Bunning to 210 months in prison, for the production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, on January 17, 2025, Maynard engaged in the production of child pornography. Specifically, a search of Maynard’s phone revealed a Snapchat conversation in which he directed a minor child to send Maynard sexually explicit photos. At Maynard’s direction, the minor child sent Maynard a sexually explicit video of the minor child.
Under federal law, Maynard must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 10 years.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Panama City Felon Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Marlow Allen, 45, of Panama City, Florida, has been sentenced to a five-year term of imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping our communities safe and drug-free remains a top priority of our state and federal law enforcement partners, and my office will pursue aggressive prosecutions of crimes like this with the full force of the law. President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi promised to Take Back America from the violent criminals who have preyed upon our communities for far too long, and this successful prosecution delivers on that promise.”
Court documents reflect that in June 2022, as part of an ongoing drug investigation, law enforcement executed a search warrant at multiple residences connected to Allen in Panama City, Florida. During the search of the two residences, investigators located “crack” cocaine, powder cocaine, marijuana, two firearms, as well as other items indicative of drug distribution. Allen is a convicted felon, who has previously been convicted of numerous felony offenses, including Possession with Intent to Deliver Cocaine, Sale of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, Unlawful Firearms Possession, Unlawful Discharge of a Firearm, and Tampering with a Witness.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Bay County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Ohio Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Marquize Kuame Damon Scott, also known as “Q,” 27, of South Point, Ohio, pleaded guilty on October 14, 2025, to distribution of 50 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 14, 2024, Scott sold 83.9 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in exchange for $700 in Huntington. As part of her guilty plea, Scott admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Scott also admitted to additional criminal conduct. On June 10, 2024, Scott sold approximately 55 grams of methamphetamine and approximately 2.3 grams of cocaine to a confidential informant in exchange for $500 on Hal Greer Boulevard in Huntington.
Scott is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-48.
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New Orleans Man Guilty of Conspiracy to Commit ArsonRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RICKY WILSON, age 31, a resident of New Orleans, pled guilty on November 18, 2025, before United States District Judge Brandon S. Long to Conspiracy to Commit Arson, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371. WILSON faces a maximum sentence of five (5) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee. He may also be required to pay restitution to the victim business for any damage that he caused.
Court documents revealed that WILSON purchased a vehicle from a dealership but later placed three live Molotov cocktails next to vehicles located on the lot at the dealership causing damage to them. He also fired several shots into several vehicles and the structure housing the offices at the dealership. No one was injured as this offense occurred during early morning hours. WILSON is presently in custody in Jefferson Parish for unrelated charges.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Miller is assigned the prosecution.
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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty in Fraud Scheme to Swindle Victims in 5 StatesRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A New Jersey man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Portland to conspiring to commit wire fraud and making false statements to an FBI agent.
According to court records, Bharat Awasarmol, 49, conspired with others in a multi-state scheme to defraud seven victims in five states, including Maine. As part of the scheme, victims received telephone calls from individuals posing as government officials. These imposters fraudulently instructed victims to withdraw cash and purchase gold to turn over to the government for safekeeping. The callers then arranged for victims to meet fake government agents to hand over the cash and gold. Awasarmol was intercepted when FBI agents caught him accepting a package from a victim in Maine. The Maine victim had been instructed by an individual posing as an employee of the Federal Trade Commission to meet Awasarmol and provide him with gold bars. Awasarmol made false statements to an FBI agent regarding his role in the scheme.
As part of the conspiracy, Awasarmol also accepted cash and gold from six additional victims in New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia, all of whom had been deceived by individuals posing as government officials.
Awasarmol faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the wire fraud conspiracy charge. He also faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the false statement charge.
Awasarmol will be sentenced after the completion of a presentence investigative report by the U.S. Probation Office. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI investigated the case.
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Nevada Man Sentenced to Prison for 17 Years after Distributing Fentanyl, Resulting in Death of a Utah ResidentRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Bryan Walter McMahan, 41, of Las Vegas, Nevada was sentenced today to 204 months’ imprisonment after he distributed fentanyl by mailing a package of oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to a Utah woman, who died after ingesting the narcotic.
Following McMahan’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow imposed a term of three years’ supervised release and ordered him to pay $8,888.74 in restitution to the victim’s family.
According to court documents and statements made at McMahan’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, on October 7, 2023, McMahan went to a post office in Las Vegas and mailed an envelope addressed to the victim with at least four pills containing fentanyl. Over the next three days, McMahan and the victim exchanged multiple text messages as the victim awaited the arrival of the package. On October 10, 2023, the package arrived and on the following day, McMahan attempted to reach out to the victim multiple times. Ultimately, the victim was found deceased inside her room. The padded mailing envelope bearing McMahan’s name, return address and tracking number that he provided the victim were next to her body. Underneath the victim, law enforcement located three small blue pills later confirmed to contain fentanyl.
“A young woman lost her life as a result of reckless criminal conduct, and no amount of imprisonment can change the course of that tragic outcome,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. It is important to remember that just one pill can kill. There is no way of knowing what controlled substances are contained in counterfeit pharmaceuticals for sale on the illicit market. My office will continue, along with our law enforcement partners, to vigorously prosecute those who are willing to distribute poison into our communities.”
“At DEA, our goal is a Fentanyl Free America. Every day, our men and women are confronting drug dealers and the Cartels they’re connected with,” said Miguel Chino, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Rocky Mountain Division - Utah Office. “Our sincere thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Utah, for prosecuting this case and to our fellow law enforcement partners. We’ll continue to aggressively pursue those who are peddling this poison into our communities.”
“Any loss of life in our community is heartbreaking, and our thoughts remain with the victim’s family and loved ones. Our Detectives assigned to the DEA Fentanyl Overdose Death Task Force were committed to uncovering the truth behind this tragedy and identifying those responsible,” said Lieutenant Clint Bobrowski of the Layton City Police Department. “The Layton City Police Department values our partnership with Federal Law Enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and remain steadfast in our dedication to pursuing justice and holding individuals accountable when their actions contribute to these devastating outcomes.”
The case was investigated jointly by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Layton City Police Department.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Nine Individuals Charged with Federal CrimesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – United States Attorney John P. Heekin announced today that nine individuals were indicted in the Pensacola division of the Northern District of Florida.
The following indictments were filed in the Pensacola division:
- Basilio Coxcahua-Arohua, a citizen of Mexico, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
- Luis Manuel Moscoso-Vidal, a citizen of Guatemala, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
- Marco Olavarrieta-Beranza, a citizen of Mexico, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
- Roberto Rios-Narvaez, a citizen of Mexico, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
- Melvin Roberto Saavedra-Vasquez, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
- Edin Francisco Trinidad-Moradel, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
- Yunior Joehl Vasquez-Garcia, a citizen of Honduras, indicted for illegal reentry after deportation or removal.
- Tyronzia Roquza Levine, of Pensacola, Florida, indicted for one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance (more than five grams of methamphetamine, cocaine, fentanyl, and marijuana), one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
- Isaiah Markeis Sims, of Pensacola, Florida, indicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Law enforcement agencies conducting the investigations included the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Brooke A. DiSalvo and Jessica S. Etherton.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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.