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Tuesday 9 December 2025
Multi-convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
A multi-convicted felon was sentenced today to more than 16 years in federal prison for a violent bank robbery, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Damon Johnson, 51, was indicted in December 2024 for robbing the PNC Bank on North Glenbrook Drive in Garland, Texas on November 14, 2024. He pled guilty in May 2025 to bank robbery. Today, U.S. District Judge Jane Boyle sentenced Johnson to 200 months in federal prison.
According to court documents, as a customer was conducting business at a teller station inside the bank, Johnson grabbed her from behind and held her hostage. Johnson then pointed a firearm at the teller and demanded money. After the teller gave him $3,900 from the register, Johnson fled on foot. He was arrested in December 2024 shortly after indictment.
Court records reflect that Johnson was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, for which he was sentenced to 130 months in federal prison. He had also served a 10-year federal imprisonment sentence for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. At the time he committed the bank robbery in November 2024, he was on federal supervised release for these two offenses. During the sentencing hearing, Judge Boyle pointed to Johnson’s lengthy criminal record, including his 1991 Michigan state conviction of assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder—which involved Johnson raping a woman and setting her on fire—as well as his other convictions for drug and firearm offenses, when imposing the 200-month sentence.
“The swift actions of FBI Dallas Violent Crime Task Force agents took this violent repeat offender off the streets,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will continue to pursue lengthy federal prison sentences for those like him to deter these types of crime sprees and restore safety in the Northern District of Texas.”
“The sentence received by the defendant is a result of the efforts of the Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force to hold accountable a felon with a violent criminal history,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge R. Joseph Rothrock. “The FBI will continue to work alongside our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to fight violent crime in our communities across North Texas.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Dallas Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marissa Aulbaugh prosecuted the case.
Mother Convicted for Interstate Violation of Protective Order Regarding Her Estranged Teenage SonRead the Press Release
Following a 5-day jury trial, Shana Gaviola, 38, formerly of Clovis, was found guilty of interstate violation of a protection order for causing her estranged teenage son to be taken against his will and transported from California to Missouri, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
“Shana Gaviola paid individuals to kidnap her then-16-year-old son from an ice-skating rink in Fresno, California, drive him in handcuffs to Missouri, and forcibly restrain him there for a week—all in express violation of a state-court domestic violence restraining order and ostensibly in the exercise of Gaviola’s religious beliefs,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “No parent—indeed, no person whatsoever—has the right to subject a child to kidnapping and terror for that reason or any other reason. This office will continue to vigorously prosecute anyone who violates the basic rights and safety of minors in our district, especially in violation of lawful court orders.”
“We are grateful for our strong partnership with the Fresno Police Department. Together, we uncovered the facts that ultimately led to today’s verdict. Shana Gaviola manipulated others to help force her will upon her son. We are very proud of his resolve throughout this investigation and trial. He will rest easier knowing that justice has been served,” said FBI Sacramento Acting Special Agent in Charge Duel Valentine.
According to court documents and testimony at trial, in 2020, Gaviola’s then-16-year-old son began living apart from Gaviola with another family. He petitioned for emancipation from Gaviola and obtained a domestic violence protection order against Gaviola from the Fresno County Superior Court. The order prohibited Gaviola from harassing, blocking the movements of, or contacting her son in any way, including directly or indirectly.
Despite the protection order, Gaviola made plans for her son to be forcibly transported from California to Missouri. On Aug. 21, 2021, individuals acting on behalf of Gaviola abducted the minor from an ice-skating rink in Fresno, handcuffed him, and forced him into a car. He remained in handcuffs for more than 24 hours while they drove to Stockton, Missouri. He was then held at a youth facility until his father was able to free him.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Fresno Police Department and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Veronica M.A. Alegría and Heiko P. Coppola are prosecuting the case. Assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Western District of Missouri and the Eastern District of Missouri.
Gaviola is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour on April 27, 2026. Gaviola faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Morgantown Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – James Mansfield Davis, 69, of Morgantown, pleaded guilty today to failure to register as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to court documents and statements made in court, Davis was living in South Charleston when he failed to register as a sex offender as required following his conviction for possession of child pornography in United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia on May 20, 2024.
On September 5, 2024, Davis was sentenced in United States District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia to six years and 10 months in prison for possession of child pornography. Davis failed to self-report to prison on October 4, 2024, as required. Law enforcement officers arrested Davis in Williamsburg, Virginia, on October 15, 2024. On August 20, 2025, Davis was sentenced to one year in prison for failing to surrender for a federal sentence, with the sentence to run consecutive to the sentence for possession of child pornography.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced on March 30, 2026, for the current offense and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
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. 2:24-cr-189.
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Montgomery County man sentenced to federal prison for defrauding elderly victims of hundreds of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Ronald Scott Daley, 53, of Miamisburg, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 54 months in prison for wire fraud and tax evasion related to a scheme to defraud clients, including elderly victims.
According to court documents, Daley was employed by a life insurance brokerage firm in the Southern District of Ohio from 1995 through 2021 and advised several elderly clients with respect to life insurance and annuity products.
From at least 2012 until 2020, Daley fraudulently convinced client victims to withdraw certain assets from the insurance brokerage firm and to deposit the funds into their own personal accounts. Daley then influenced the victims to make payments to a bank account for an entity that Daley controlled.
For example, Daley defrauded three victims of more than $707,000 in total.
Furthermore, the defendant failed to file and pay taxes on the fraudulent income.
As part of his conviction, Daley will repay restitution in the amount of approximately $707,000 for fraud against the victims and nearly $212,000 to the IRS.
Daley was indicted in December 2024 and pleaded guilty in May 2025.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jason Cromartie, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Karen Wingerd, Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigations; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.
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Monongalia County Man Admits to Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Ashley W. Grubb, 45, of Westover, West Virginia, has admitted to making a false statement in connection with the acquisition of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
According to court documents, Grubb made false statements at a firearms dealer in Morgantown, West Virginia, stating the firearm was for his personal use, but, in fact, he was buying the firearms for another defendant who is prohibited from possessing firearms because of drug use.
Grubb faces up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Will Rhee is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Minnesota and New York Men Convicted for Providing Material Support to Separatist Fighters in CameroonRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY – A federal trial jury convicted two individuals for their roles in a conspiracy to provide material support or resources to kill, kidnap, and maim persons and use weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) in a foreign country. The defendants conspired to provide funds and equipment to separatist fighters in Cameroon to allow them to construct and use IEDs against various targets in the Northwest Region of Cameroon.
Francis Chenyi, Sr., 52, of Saint Paul, Mn., and Lah Nestor Langmi, 49, of Buffalo, Ny., both of whom are U.S. citizens of Cameroonian origin, were found guilty on Monday, Dec. 8, on multiple counts. Chenyi and Langmi were both found guilty of one count of a conspiracy to provide material support or resources intended it be used to carry out conspiracies to kill, kidnap, and maim persons in a foreign country and to use a WMD outside the United States. Chenyi and Langmi were also found guilty of one count of being involved in an international money laundering conspiracy that transferred funds from the United States to Cameroon to promote conspiracies to kill, kidnap, and maim and use WMDs abroad.
Additionally, Chenyi was found guilty of one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to use a WMD abroad.
“As the verdict indicates whether you’re committing a crime locally or – as in this case – supporting illegal conduct half a world away – when you conspire to violate federal law, we will hold you accountable.” said United States Attorney R. Matthew Price.
“The guilty verdict brings to close a conspiracy by a group of U.S. Citizens of Cameroonian origin to support a plot that, among other acts, included kidnapping Cameroonian civilians and holding them for ransom. Their actions also included providing equipment, supplies, and weapons to a separatist movement for the purpose of carrying out attacks against the government of Cameroon and its personnel,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus, Kansas City Field Division. “We are grateful for the verdict, and it should send a strong message to anyone in the United States looking to provide support to these types of acts across the world.”
A third defendant, Claude Ngenevu Chi, 43, of Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to use a WMD abroad on Nov. 19, 2025.
The evidence presented at trial showed that on around Nov. 5, 2020, Langmi sent an audio message to separatist fighters requesting they kidnap a traditional leader in Cameroon. Langmi said he had been tracking the traditional leader’s movements prior to the kidnapping. Following a battle with Cameroonian forces, separatists took the traditional leader along with the Catholic Cardinal Christian Tumi, who was traveling with the traditional leader, from their vehicles.
Following the kidnapping, Chenyi, provided the interrogation questions to be asked of the traditional leader and the Cardinal and approved the transferring of funds through peer-to-peer transactions to the separatists fighters in Cameroon to further the kidnapping.
Chenyi was involved in ransom payments paid by individuals outside of Cameroon for the release of family members taken in Cameroon and communicated with Langmi about these payments.
Multiple instances occurred in which co-conspirators, including Langmi, requested funds to purchase IEDs or components of IEDs for construction and use in Cameroon that were approved and funded by Chenyi. Chenyi also coordinated with individuals in Cameroon to ensure separatist fighters he supported obtained training on IED use. The defendants corresponded with co-conspirators in Cameroon to coordinate development, payment for, and logistical support toward IED use upon targets in Cameroon.
Specifically, around Dec. 3, 2020, Chenyi was requested to provide funds for construction of multiple IEDs to be used in connection with efforts to enforce a lockdown of an area before an upcoming election. Chenyi, along with Chi, agreed to provide funds for the IEDs’ construction and Chenyi coordinated the transfer of funds from the United States through peer-to-peer transactions to the separatist fighters in Cameroon.
Langmi coordinated with, and provided funds to, an unindicted co-conspirator to develop IEDs and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) in Cameroon and kept Chenyi apprised of the IED and RPG development. Langmi also attempted to coordinate attacks near the 2021 African Cup of Nations soccer tournament hosted in Cameroon, as well as various cities throughout the Northwest Region throughout the spring of 2022.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for about two hours and 24 minutes before returning guilty verdicts yesterday to U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark, ending a trial that began Monday, Dec. 1, 2025.
Under federal statutes, Chenyi and Langmi each are subject to a sentence of up to 15 years for conspiracy to provide material support or resources and up to 20 years for conspiracy to commit international money laundering. Chi also is subject to a penalty of up to 15 years for providing material support or resources. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled after the completion of presentence investigations by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean T. Foley and Joseph M. Marquez for the Western District of Missouri, with the assistance of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. The case was investigated by the FBI Kansas City Field Division.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crimes in West Virginia and MontanaRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Jardan Donaldson, 37, of Mount Clemens, Michigan, was sentenced on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine and possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 4, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a residence on the 1400 block of Quarrier Street in Charleston, West Virginia. Officers seized approximately 14.1 pounds of methamphetamine during the search. As part of his guilty plea, Donaldson admitted that he intended to assist in the distribution of the seized methamphetamine within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Donaldson further admitted that he assisted in preparing methamphetamine for distribution at the residence the day before officers executed the search warrant. Donaldson also admitted that he intended to assist in the distribution of additional quantities of fentanyl and metonitazene, a synthetic opioid, seized by law enforcement officers as a result of this investigation.
On July 24, 2024, a law enforcement officer in McCone County, Montana, conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Donaldson was a passenger. The officer encountered Donaldson laying across the rear floorboard of the vehicle on top of multiple bags of methamphetamine. The officer arrested Donaldson after determining he was the subject of an arrest warrant issued in the Southern District of West Virginia. The officer also obtained a search warrant for the vehicle and seized approximately 6.9 pounds of methamphetamine. An investigation revealed that Donaldson distributed controlled substances at the Fort Peck Indian Reservation in Montana. As part of his plea agreement, Donaldson admitted to possessing the seized methamphetamine and consented to the disposition of the Montana offense in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Donaldson’s West Virginia co-defendant Justin Saunders, 28, of Charleston, pleaded guilty to distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine and is scheduled to be sentenced on January 21, 2026.
“This office, in conjunction with the United States Attorney’s Office in Montana, put a dangerous drug trafficker exactly where he belongs – behind bars,” said United States Attorney Moore Capito. “The sentence imposed reflects the seriousness of his crimes, and we will continue to pursue the harshest lawful penalties for anybody who seeks to inflict such damage on our communities. We are not backing down – this work continues.”
Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the Montana Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). MDENT 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 Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum and former Assistant United States Samuel D. Marsh prosecuted the case in coordination with Assistant United States Attorney Kelsey A. Sabol of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Montana.
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-32 in the Southern District of West Virginia and 1:24-cr-153 in the District of Montana.
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Mexican national sentenced to federal prison for trafficking cocaineRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas –A Mexican national illegally living in Dallas has been sentenced to federal prison for trafficking cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Tomas Perez-Guerrero, 44, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and was sentenced to 72 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on December 8, 2025.
According to information presented in court, Perez-Guerrero was involved in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine in the Eastern District of Texas.
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 Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Johnson.
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Mexican national sentenced to 20 years in prison for assaulting ICE agentRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was sentenced to 20 years in prison for violently attacking a federal law enforcement agent, the maximum punishment allowed under the statute.
According to court documents, Diego Barron-Esquivel, 23, pleaded guilty to one count of forcible assault of a federal officer.
On February 28, 2025, Barron-Esquivel intentionally assaulted and strangled an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation officer who was in Wichita performing his official duties, causing bodily injury to the officer.
“Violence against law enforcement is completely unacceptable and will be dealt with very seriously,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser. “Our society would cease to function without brave officers enforcing the law. We owe these officers our thanks and our respect. This sentence shows how egregious the conduct was in this case.”
“This sentencing is a victory for justice and a clear warning to anyone who thinks they can assault law enforcement officers without consequences,” said HSI Kansas City Special Agent in Charge Mark Zito. “We are grateful to the Honorable Judge John Broomes for handing down a sentence that reflects the seriousness of this crime. HSI will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that those who threaten the safety of our officers and the rule of law are held accountable.”
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon prosecuted the case.
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Man Sentenced to 60 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
A man who produced child sexual abuse material was sentenced today to 60 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Victor Torres, 33, of Dumas, Texas, pled guilty to two counts of production of child pornography in May 2025. He was sentenced today to 720 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk.
“This defendant lured vulnerable youth into his despicable crimes and deservedly received a lengthy prison sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “We will work unceasingly with our local and federal law enforcement partners to remove these types of dangerous predators from the streets of our communities.”According to court documents, in 2023, Victor Torres paid two different 13-to-14-year-old children to produce sexually explicit material to send to him online. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) discovered Torres’s criminal activity when they received a CyberTip from an online money exchange platform. From the CyberTip, they were able to locate multiple different accounts used by Torres to communicate with minors online. Torres was 30 years old at the time of the communications but frequently told minors that he was 17 years old. Torres told the minors that he would “pay for content” and described exactly what he wanted the minors to do in the sexually explicit photos and videos he requested, including how to pose and what objects to use.
Court records show that, in June 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Torres’s residence and seized several electronic devices. Evidence located on Torres’s electronic devices revealed search terms for child pornography, communications with minors and bartering for the production of child pornography, and additional child sexual abuse material including material depicting the sexual abuse of toddlers, animals, and other prepubescent children.Homeland Security Investigations, Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency) conducted the investigation along with HSI Harrisonburg, VA; HSI Buffalo, NY; HSI Columbia, SC; HSI Charleston, SC; the Moore County Sheriff’s Office, the Amarillo Police Department, the Pittsburg, OK Sheriff’s Department, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam prosecuted the case.
The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation and brought this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc. The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org
MS-13 Leader Wanted for Assassination of Four People in Honduras Arrested in Grand IslandRead the Press Release
UPDATED 12/10/2025 - United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was charged with illegal entry of an unlawfully present alien in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska.
An unsealed complaint affidavit underlying the arrest alleges that Cuadra Soto, a Honduran national, was a leader in MS-13 who was part of a professional assassination squad for the criminal organization. After being charged in Honduras in 2022 with firearms charges related to the quadruple homicide, Cuadra Soto and two co-defendants were allegedly able to bribe their way out of the Honduran jail.
Following the bribe, Cuadra Soto is alleged to have entered the United States illegally in 2022 by crossing into the State of Texas from the Country of Mexico. From there, the complaint alleges that Cuadra Soto obtained a California driver’s license in his true identity. Federal agents then tracked him to the District of Nebraska where Cuadra Soto established a residence in Grand Island. He was arrested without incident on December 8, 2025, in Grand Island.
Special Agent Eugene Kowel, leader of the Omaha Federal Bureau of Investigation field division stated, “Our capture of alleged MS-13 leader Gerson Emir Cuadra Soto in Grand Island, Nebraska, highlights the critical work undertaken daily to address threats posed by transnational gangs. Hiding in the heart of the heartland is not a good option for violent offenders; we will turn over every stone to find you. The apprehension of Cuadra Soto is a testament to the power of our partnerships; we are grateful to FBI Houston and Joint Task Force Vulcan, the TRIDENT Task Force, the Grand Island Police Department, and CBP’s BORTAC team.”
Special Agent in Charge of HSI Kansas City Mark Zito said, “Taking this criminal, illegal alien who is a suspected MS-13 leader and wanted for multiple homicides in Honduras off our streets demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment of Homeland Security Investigations to safeguarding our communities. This successful operation is a powerful example of why partnerships with local and state law enforcement are so critically important. By working together, we maximize our collective resources, share actionable intelligence, and ensure a coordinated approach to public safety.”
A complaint is a charging document that contains one or more individual counts that are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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 Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, TRIDENT Task Force, and the Grand Island Police Department.
Louisiana man sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violationsRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas –A Shreveport, Louisiana man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for drug trafficking and firearms violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Santana Deangelo Powell, 33, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and carrying a firearm during a drug trafficking crime and was sentenced to 300 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Michael J. Truncale on December 9, 2025.
According to information presented in court, in February 2024, Powell was stopped for a traffic violation on his way to Houston and found in possession of a large amount of cash. Powell told law enforcement he was planning to buy a vehicle with the money. A large, concealed compartment was discovered in the trunk of the vehicle. Although the compartment was empty, it was a compartment that law enforcement suspected could be used to conceal drug shipments. Later that same night, Powell was stopped for a traffic violation in Liberty County. A search of the vehicle revealed the hidden compartment now contained a large bag filled with 20,000 methamphetamine tablets and over 100 grams of cocaine. A firearm was also found in the vehicle.
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, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, and the Mt. Enterprise, Texas City Marshal’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Quinn and Reynaldo P. Morin.
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Los Angeles-area Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 70 Months in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in SacramentoRead the Press Release
Julio Cesar Nevarez-Erunez, 24, of Salem, Oregon, formerly of Downey, California, was sentenced on Dec. 4, 2025, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta to five years and 10 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Nevarez-Erunez conspired with his co-defendant, Juan Niebla-Osuna, 28, of Downey, to distribute methamphetamine in the Eastern District of California and elsewhere. On July 13, 2022, Nevarez-Erunez and Niebla Osuna sold 15 pounds of methamphetamine to a confidential source. On Oct. 6, 2022, Nevarez-Erunez was arrested and found in possession of 40 pounds of methamphetamine and 5,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl. A search of the residence shared by the co-defendants in the Los Angeles area uncovered 7 more pounds of methamphetamine and 2.5 pounds of fentanyl powder.
Niebla-Osuna previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. On Aug. 28, 2025, Niebla-Osuna failed to appear for sentencing. A bench warrant has been issued for his arrest.
This case is the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Haddy Abouzeid is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Sacramento is composed of agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration, Northern California High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, Central Valley High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, and Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California.
Lincoln County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Kevin James Murphy, 30, of West Hamlin, pleaded guilty on October 6, 2025, to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 11, 2025, Murphy was the front seat passenger in a vehicle pulled over by law enforcement officers in Huntington. During the traffic stop, officers asked Murphy to exit the vehicle and if he had any weapons. As part of his guilty plea, Murphy admitted that officers seized a Taurus Model G2C 9mm after he told them he had a firearm in his waistband. Murphy further admitted that the seized firearm was reported stolen, and that officers also seized approximately 29 grams of methamphetamine, digital scales, plastic bags, and 9mm ammunition from his backpack in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Murphy also admitted that he possessed and intended to distribute the seized methamphetamine and possessed the seized firearm in connection with that offense.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Murphy knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for attempt to commit a felony-possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance on March 29, 2016, and being a person prohibited from possessing firearms on June 29, 2019, both in Cabell County Circuit Court.
Murphy is scheduled to be sentenced on January 26, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department, the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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. 3:25-cr-99.
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Lafourche Parish Man Guilty of Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on November 18, 2025, JAMES WILLIAMS, (WILLIAMS), age 64, of Schriever, Louisiana, pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Brandon Long to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, over 500 grams of cocaine, in violation of Title 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1), §§ 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. Judge Long scheduled sentencing for February 24, 2025, where WILLIAMS faces a minimum of 5 years and up to 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least 4 years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to the indictment, beginning at a time unknown but continuing until at least May 4, 2024, WILLIAMS conspired with others to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, cocaine throughout the Lafourche Parish region of the Eastern District of Louisiana. The conspiracy involved obtaining narcotics from Houston, Texas and transporting the narcotics to Thibodaux, Louisiana. The conspiracy was carried out through wire and electronic communications.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at http://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Acting U.S. Attorney Michael Simpson praised the work of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, the Thibodaux Police Department, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Stuart Theriot of the Narcotics Unit.
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Ketchikan man sentenced to 5 years for possessing a firearm as a felon during a domestic violence assaultRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A Ketchikan man was sentenced today to five years in prison and will serve three years of court mandated supervision upon release from prison for possessing a firearm as a felon during a domestic violence assault.
According to court documents, on Oct. 27, 2024, the Ketchikan Police Department (KPD) received a 911 phone call and heard a male and female arguing. The female was crying and begging the man to let her leave the residence. The man later referenced a loaded firearm present in the room. KPD immediately sent officers to respond to a residence in Ketchikan.
Law enforcement identified Michael McLoone, 57, as the man in the room with the female victim. McLoone was agitated when officers contacted him. The female victim said she and McLoone were arguing, and she was afraid he was going to harm her. Officers arrested McLoone for felony assault, and a criminal history check revealed that McLoone had two previous felony convictions for assault, prohibiting him from possessing firearms for life.
Law enforcement recovered three firearms, magazines, ammunition and body armor from McLoone’s residence following his arrest.
On June 17, 2025, McLoone pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Mr. McLoone can only be categorized as a serial domestic violence offender, with multiple state assault convictions spanning 30 years. His lengthy record of violence against women poses a great risk to Alaskans,” said U.S. Attorney Michael J. Heyman for the District of Alaska. “This prison sentence will protect the Ketchikan community and its residents from Mr. McLoone for many years. My office will continue to prosecute and hold accountable offenders who illegally possess firearms and use them to inflict fear and harm.”
“Mr. McLoone’s utter disregard for the law coupled with his propensity for violence against women makes him a pressing and undeniable danger to society. ATF is proud to stand alongside our law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to shield our community members from the threat of domestic violence,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Seattle Field Division.
“Based on the evidence gathered throughout this investigation, Michael McLoone has demonstrated a long pattern of violent behavior and repeated abuse. His conduct has escalated over time, creating an increasingly dangerous environment for his domestic partners. It is fortunate that those who have been involved with Mr. McLoone survived these incidents,” said Deputy Chief Derek McGarrigan of KPD. “The Ketchikan Police Department remains committed to working closely with our local, state, and federal partners to hold violent offenders accountable and to protect the safety of our community.”
The ATF Anchorage Field Office and KPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt prosecuted the case.
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Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Role in Kanawha County Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Ashley Dawn Smith, 32, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Smith admitted to her role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between January and May 2025.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Smith was distributing fentanyl to customers that she was obtaining from two out-of-town sources. One of her co-conspirators would re-distribute the fentanyl that he obtained from Smith.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
Smith is 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 Smith. Four defendants 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 hearing. 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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Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tracy Don Jackson Jr., 22, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at a Charleston residence where they encountered Jackson sleeping on a couch in the living room. Officers found a quantity of a heroin-fentanyl mix and a Glock model G48 9mm pistol between the arm of the couch and the couch cushion underneath Jackson. As part of his guilty plea, Jackson admitted that he possessed the drugs and intended to distribute them within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1 million.
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.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin 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. 2:24-cr-98.
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Justice Department Marks Texas’ Successful Completion of Reforms at Thirteen State-Operated Facilities for People with Intellectual DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department joined with the State of Texas in asking a federal district court to dismiss a long-running case that saw the State reform thirteen State-operated facilities for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD). The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division brought to completion years of work that now requires Texas to protect the rights of Americans who are in its care at these centers. Through a court order called a consent decree, Texas implemented reforms to protect residents from harm, provide clinical care and education, and provide services for people with IDD in integrated settings.
“We commend Texas for its tremendous progress in implementing this decree and its commitment to upholding the federal rights of people with intellectual disabilities living in state care,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “We recognize and appreciate the dedication of the staff and leaders of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission who have transformed the state centers to protect the rights of all Americans — even some of the most vulnerable.”
This case began with an investigation of Lubbock State School (since renamed the Lubbock SSLC) in 2005, followed by investigations of the remaining 12 state-run centers in 2008 and 2009. In June 2009, the United States and Texas entered the decree, and the court approved it. With the court’s approval, the parties modified the decree in September 2021. The State worked collaboratively with the Civil Rights Division to implement the decree’s requirements for the last several years. Today’s joint filing details the State’s extensive improvements of the facilities in compliance with the decree, as verified by an Independent Reviewer.
Justice Department Announces Actions to Combat Two Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Criminal Hacking GroupsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced two indictments in the Central District of California charging Ukrainian national Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, also known as Vika, Tory, and SovaSonya, for her role in conducting cyberattacks and computer intrusions against critical infrastructure and other victims around the world, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. Dubranova was extradited to the United States earlier this year on an indictment charging her for her actions supporting CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR). Today, Dubranova was arraigned on a second indictment charging her for her actions supporting NoName057(16) (NoName). Dubranova pleaded not guilty in both cases, and is scheduled to begin trial in the NoName matter on Feb. 3, 2026 and in the CARR matter on April 7, 2026.
As described in the indictments, the Russian government backed CARR and NoName by providing, among other things, financial support. CARR used this financial support to access various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to distributed denial of service-for-hire services. NoName was a state-sanctioned project administered in part by an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that developed, along with other co-conspirators, NoName’s proprietary distributed denial of service (DDoS) program.
“Today’s actions demonstrate the Department’s commitment to disrupting malicious Russian cyber activity — whether conducted directly by state actors or their criminal proxies — aimed at furthering Russia’s geopolitical interests,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We remain steadfast in defending essential services, including food and water systems Americans rely on each day, and holding accountable those who seek to undermine them.”
“Politically motivated hacktivist groups, whether state-sponsored like CARR or state-sanctioned like NoName, pose a serious threat to our national security, particularly when foreign intelligence services use civilians to obfuscate their malicious cyber activity targeting American critical infrastructure as well as attacking proponents of NATO and U.S. interests abroad,” said First Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “The charges announced today demonstrate our commitment to eradicating global threats to cybersecurity and pursuing malicious cyber actors working on behalf of adversarial foreign interests.”
“When pro-Russia hacktivist groups target our infrastructure, the FBI will use all available tools to expose their activity and hold them accountable,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of the FBI Cyber Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyber threats, including reckless criminal groups supported by the GRU. The FBI doesn’t just track cyber adversaries – we work with global partners to bring them to justice.”
“The defendant’s illegal actions to tamper with the nation’s public water systems put communities and the nation’s drinking water resources at risk,” said EPA Acting Assistant Administrator Craig Pritzlaff. “These criminal charges serve as an unequivocal warning to malicious cyber actors in the U.S. and abroad: EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate threats to our nation’s water infrastructure and will pursue justice against those who endanger the American public. EPA is unwavering in its commitment to clean, safe water for all Americans.”
Cyber Army of Russia Reborn
According to the indictment, CARR, also known as Z-Pentest, was founded, funded, and directed by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU). CARR claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide, including attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. CARR regularly posted on Telegram claiming credit for its attacks and published photos and videos depicting its attacks. CARR primarily hacked industrial control facilities and conducted DDoS attacks. CARR’s victims included public drinking water systems across several states in the U.S., resulting in damage to controls and the spilling of hundreds of thousands of gallons of drinking water. CARR also attacked a meat processing facility in Los Angeles in November 2024, spoiling thousands of pounds of meat and triggering an ammonia leak in the facility. CARR has attacked U.S. election infrastructure during U.S. elections, and websites for U.S. nuclear regulatory entities, among other sensitive targets.
An individual operating as “Cyber_1ce_Killer,” a moniker associated with at least one GRU officer instructed CARR leadership on what kinds of victims CARR should target, and his organization financed CARR’s access to various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to DDoS-for-hire services. At times, CARR had more than 100 members, including juveniles, and more than 75,000 followers on Telegram.
The CARR indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers and tamper with public water systems, one count of damaging protected computers, one count of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted of these charges, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum penalty of 27 years in federal prison.
NoName057(16)
NoName was covert project whose membership included multiple employees of The Center for the Study and Network Monitoring of the Youth Environment (CISM), among other cyber actors. CISM was an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that purported to, among other things, monitor the safety of the internet for Russian youth.
According to the indictment, NoName claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. NoName regularly posted on Telegram claiming credit for its attacks and published proof of victim websites being taken offline. The group primarily conducted DDoS cyberattacks using their own proprietary DDoS tool, DDoSia, which relied on network infrastructure around the world created by employees of CISM.
NoName’s victims included government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure, such as public railways and ports. NoName recruited volunteers from around the world to download DDoSia and used their computers to launch DDoS attacks on the victims that NoName leaders selected. NoName also published a daily leaderboard of volunteers who launched the most DDoS attacks on its Telegram channel and paid top-ranking volunteers in cryptocurrency for their attacks.
The NoName indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers. If convicted of this charge, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum penalty of five years in federal prison.
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Concurrent with today’s actions, the U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $2 million for information on individuals associated with CARR and up to $10 million for information on individuals associated with NoName. Additionally, today the FBI, CISA, NSA, DOE, EPA, and DC3 issued a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory assessing that pro-Russia hacktivist groups, like CARR and NoName, target minimally secured, internet-facing virtual network computing connections to infiltrate (or gain access to) operational technology control devices within critical infrastructure systems to execute attacks against critical infrastructure, resulting in varying degrees of impact, including physical damage.
On July 19, 2024, U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions targeting two CARR members, Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko, for their roles in cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure. These two individuals were the group’s leader and a primary hacker, respectively.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office investigated the CARR and NoName cases as part of FBI’s Operation Red Circus, an ongoing operation to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyberthreats to U.S. critical infrastructure and interests abroad.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Makabali and Alexander Gorin for the Central District of California and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. Dochterman for the Central District of California is handling the forfeiture cases. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance for both investigations.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Announces Actions to Combat Two Russian State-Sponsored Cyber Criminal Hacking GroupsRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Ukrainian national has been federally charged with participating in dozens of cyberattacks and computer intrusions against critical infrastructure and other victims around the world, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests, the Justice Department announced today.
The two indictments against Victoria Eduardovna Dubranova, 33, a.k.a. “Vika,” a.k.a. “Tory,” a.k.a. “SovaSonya,” were unsealed today in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Dubranova was extradited to the United States earlier this year on an indictment charging her for her actions supporting CyberArmyofRussia_Reborn (CARR).
Dubranova was arraigned today on a second indictment charging her for her actions supporting NoName057(16) (NoName). Dubranova has pleaded not guilty in both cases. Dubranova pleaded not guilty today at her arraignment and a February 3, 2026 trial date was scheduled in that case.
As described in the indictments, the Russian government backed CARR and NoName by providing, among other things, financial support. CARR used this financial support to access various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to distributed denial of service-for-hire services. NoName was a state-sanctioned project administered in part by an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that developed, along with other co-conspirators, NoName’s proprietary distributed denial of service (DDoS) program.
“Politically motivated hacktivist groups, whether state-sponsored like CARR or state-sanctioned like NoName, pose a serious threat to our national security, particularly when foreign intelligence services use civilians to obfuscate their malicious cyber activity targeting American critical infrastructure as well as attacking proponents of NATO and U.S. interests abroad,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “The charges announced today demonstrate our commitment to eradicating global threats to cybersecurity and pursuing malicious cyber actors working on behalf of adversarial foreign interests.”
“Today’s actions demonstrate the Department’s commitment to disrupting malicious Russian cyber activity — whether conducted directly by state actors or their criminal proxies — aimed at furthering Russia’s geopolitical interests,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “We remain steadfast in defending essential services, including food and water systems Americans rely on each day, and holding accountable those who seek to undermine them.”
“When pro-Russia hacktivist groups target our infrastructure, the FBI will use all available tools to expose their activity and hold them accountable,” said Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI’s Cyber Division. “Today’s announcement demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyber threats, including reckless criminal groups supported by the GRU. The FBI doesn’t just track cyber adversaries—we work with global partners to bring them to justice.”
“The defendant’s illegal actions to tamper with the nation’s public water systems put communities and the nation’s drinking water resources at risk,” said U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Acting Assistant Administrator for Enforcement and Compliance Assurance Craig Pritzlaff. “These criminal charges serve as an unequivocal warning to malicious cyber actors in the U.S. and abroad: EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division and our law enforcement partners will not tolerate threats to our nation’s water infrastructure and will pursue justice against those who endanger the American public. EPA is unwavering in its commitment to clean, safe water for all Americans.”
“The FBI continues to relentlessly pursue cybercriminal groups,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Pro-Russia cybercriminal groups such as CARR and NoName057(16) have been emboldened to target the critical infrastructure of the United States and NATO allies, including U.S. elections, public water systems, and other government and financial institutions. Today’s announcement underscores the FBI’s priorities and capabilities in countering cyber threats and demonstrates the FBI’s dedication to working with foreign partners to protect victims worldwide.”
Cyber Army of Russia Reborn
According to the indictment, CARR, also known as Z-Pentest, was founded, funded, and directed by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU). CARR claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide, including attacks against critical infrastructure in the United States, in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests.
CARR regularly posted on Telegram claiming credit for its attacks and published photos and videos depicting its attacks. CARR primarily hacked industrial control facilities and conducted DDoS attacks. CARR’s victims included public drinking water systems across several states in the U.S., resulting in damage to controls and the spilling of hundreds of thousands of gallons of drinking water.
CARR also attacked a meat processing facility in Los Angeles in November 2024, spoiling thousands of pounds of meat and triggering an ammonia leak in the facility. CARR has attacked U.S. election infrastructure during U.S. elections, and websites for U.S. nuclear regulatory entities, among other sensitive targets.
An individual operating as “Cyber_1ce_Killer,” a moniker associated with at least one GRU officer instructed CARR leadership on what kinds of victims CARR should target, and his organization financed CARR’s access to various cybercriminal services, including subscriptions to DDoS-for-hire services. At times, CARR had more than 100 members, including juveniles, and more than 75,000 followers on Telegram.
The CARR indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers and tamper with public water systems, one count of damaging protected computers, one count of access device fraud, and one count of aggravated identity theft. If convicted of these charges, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum sentence of 27 years in federal prison. She is scheduled to go to trial on April 7, 2026 in this case.
NoName057(16)
NoName was covert project whose membership included multiple employees of The Center for the Study and Network Monitoring of the Youth Environment (CISM), among other cyber actors. CISM was an information technology organization established by order of the President of Russia in October 2018 that purported to, among other things, monitor the safety of the internet for Russian youth.
According to the indictment, NoName claimed credit for hundreds of cyberattacks against victims worldwide in support of Russia’s geopolitical interests. NoName regularly posted on Telegram claiming credit for its attacks and published proof of victim websites being taken offline. The group primarily conducted DDoS cyberattacks using their own proprietary DDoS tool, DDoSia, which relied on network infrastructure around the world created by employees of CISM.
NoName’s victims included government agencies, financial institutions, and critical infrastructure, such as public railways and ports. NoName recruited volunteers from around the world to download DDoSia and used their computers to launch DDoS attacks on the victims that NoName leaders selected. NoName also published a daily leaderboard of volunteers who launched the most DDoS attacks on its Telegram channel and paid top-ranking volunteers in cryptocurrency for their attacks.
The indictment charges Dubranova with one count of conspiracy to damage protected computers. If convicted of this charge, Dubranova would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison.
The law enforcement takedown against NoName is part of Operation Red Circus, and has been executed in coordination with a Europol operation, Operation Eastwood, which is aimed at disrupting NoName. As part of these ongoing operations, law enforcement in 19 countries, including Germany’s Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), the Netherlands National Police, the Spanish National Police, the Swiss Federal Police, the Swedish Polismyndigheten, and the French Gendarmerie Nationale, alongside the FBI, disrupted more than 100 servers around the world, including virtual servers hosted in the United States, in July 2025. Resulting from their own independent investigations, foreign law enforcement also publicly announced charges against five NoName actors, arrested two NoName actors outside of Russia, and executed searches of 22 NoName members and 2 service providers worldwide. The FBI also suspended NoName’s main X account, which played a key role in the group’s public messaging campaign.
Concurrent with today’s actions, the U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $2 million for information on individuals associated with CARR and up to $10 million for information on individuals associated with NoName. Additionally, today the FBI, CISA, NSA, DOE, EPA, and DC3 issued a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory assessing that pro-Russia hacktivist groups, like CARR and NoName, target minimally secured, internet-facing virtual network computing connections to infiltrate (or gain access to) operational technology control devices within critical infrastructure systems to execute attacks against critical infrastructure, resulting in varying degrees of impact, including physical damage.
On July 19, 2024, U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions targeting two CARR members, Yuliya Vladimirovna Pankratova and Denis Olegovich Degtyarenko, for their roles in cyber operations against U.S. critical infrastructure. These two individuals were the group’s leader and a primary hacker, respectively.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office investigated the CARR and NoName cases as part of FBI’s Operation Red Circus, an ongoing operation to disrupt Russian state-sponsored cyberthreats to U.S. critical infrastructure and interests abroad.
Assistant United States Attorneys Angela Makabali and Alexander Gorin of the National Security Division, and Trial Attorney Greg Nicosia of the Justice Department’s National Security Cyber Section are prosecuting these cases. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling the forfeiture cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – A Jackson man pleaded guilty on Wednesday, December 3rd in federal court to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement identified Roman Walker, 35, as a distributor of narcotics from Hinds County, Mississippi. Court filings reflect that Walker was distributing a “menu” of narcotics, business hours, and prices for different drugs he was selling. On or about January 24, 2023, while executing a search warrant of Walker’s residence, law enforcement discovered large quantities of narcotics including more than 11,000 fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder packaged for distribution into the metro Jackson area.
Roman Walker is scheduled to be sentenced on March 3, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Baxter Kruger of the Southern District of Mississippi and DEA Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw made the announcement.
The United States Drug Enforcement Agency is investigating the case with assistance from the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics.
Assistant U.S. Attorney C. Brett Grantham is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) 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).
Indiana Couple Charged in an Indictment Filed in D.C. with Securities Fraud for Insider TradingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Fan Yang, 39, and Jing Tian, 37, both of Indianapolis, were arrested and charged in an indictment unsealed today for conspiring to commit securities fraud for allegedly using insider information to profit from a $3.7 billion corporate acquisition, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Yang, aka “Jocelyn Yang,” and Tian are charged in U.S. District Court in Washington D.C. with two counts of conspiracy to commit securities fraud.
Yang was a finance executive at an Indiana manufacturing company for which her husband, Tian, also worked.
According to the charging document, in 2021, their company began to hold internal discussions about acquiring a Michigan-based firm that made automobile components. On Feb. 22, 2022, their company announced an agreement to acquire the targeted firm at a price of $36.50 per share, for a total value of $3.7 billion. The targeted firm’s stock price rose to $35.55 before markets opened, an increase of about 44% from the prior day’s closing price.
The indictment alleges that Yang began to collect material non-public information (MNPI) about the impending deal in October 2021 and with Tian began discussing and executing security purchases of the target company in November 2021. Communicating in Chinese on messaging apps, they allegedly shared MNPI with a group that grew to include at least five other people, including two graduate students at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. and a trader who was in China at the time.
Members of the group used this inside information to purchase stock and options contracts in the target company based on information they knew was non-public and confidential. On November 22, 2021, Yang allegedly sent a WeChat message to her husband Tian discussing their securities purchases, stating, “We have over 100,000 in there. If the acquisition is completed with 3.5b, we can get a Tesla. Trade in and don’t need a loan haha.”
In a series of additional messages, Yang told another trader that she knew the target company stock would rise because her company was acquiring it, information that was not publicly known at the time.
When the news of the corporate acquisition was made public, the group generated hundreds of thousands of dollars in profit.
This case is being investigated by the Washington Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg, Co-Chief of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section and Special Assistant United States Attorney Rami Sibay.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Illegal Alien Charged with Assaulting and Impeding ICE OfficersRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An illegal alien was arrested and charged with forcibly assaulting and impeding agents of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by allegedly ramming his vehicle into agents’ vehicles and narrowly missing an ICE agent.
“Assaulting a federal officer is an attack on the rule of law itself,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “When someone allegedly drives a vehicle to threaten or endanger ICE agents, we treat it with the utmost seriousness. We have zero tolerance for conduct that puts our officers or the public at risk, and this office will take every lawful step to protect our families, officers, and communities.”
“When a federal agent is attempting to make a lawful arrest, there is no excuse to respond with violence. The FBI will continue to work alongside our law enforcement partners to support illegal immigrant enforcement operations,” said James C. Barnacle Jr., the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, Milton Ermilo Arreaga Roblero, 23, was taken into custody in Morrisville, after ICE agents attempted to stop his vehicle during an enforcement operation. Initially, Roblero allegedly came to a complete stop before he suddenly backed into one agent’s vehicle and then drove into four different ICE vehicles. The complaint further alleges that he forced one of the agents on scene to jump out of the way narrowly avoiding Roblero crashing into him. Roblero was taken into custody after he allegedly drove over the curb, through a garden bed and then collided with a civilian’s vehicle.
Roblero is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding officers and faces maximum penalty of twenty years in prison if convicted. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Foxx is prosecuting the case, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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.
Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-MJ-02535-JG.
Illegal Alien Charged with Assaulting Officer During Lawful Removal EnforcementRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — An illegal alien residing in the United States has been charged with assaulting a federal officer during a lawful removal enforcement operation. Alexander Garcia Vargas, 24, is charged with assaulting, resisting, or impeding a federal officer. He was illegally residing in North Charleston.
On Dec. 6, agents with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officers were supporting an immigration enforcement operation being led by ICE – ERO in North Charleston.
During the operation, officers encountered Garcia Vargas driving a vehicle registered in Garcia Vargas’ name. According to ICE records, Garcia Vargas is residing in the United States illegally and has a court order for his removal.
During a traffic stop, Garcia Vargas refused to roll down his window but produced an ID confirming his identity as Garcia Vargas. When an officer attempted to remove Garcia Vargas from the vehicle, he began intentionally driving his vehicle, hitting two police vehicles and injuring the officer.
After Garcia Vargas fled the scene of the vehicle stop, Garcia Vargas lost control of his vehicle and struck a third vehicle, which was occupied by two CBP Officers. ERO and CBP officers were then able to remove Garcia Vargas from his wrecked vehicle and place him under arrest.
Garcia Vargas made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mary Gordon Baker on Dec. 8 and will have a detention hearing and preliminary hearing on Dec. 10.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cole Shannon is prosecuting the case.
All charges in the complaint are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Edward Kent Stephens, also known as “Squirrel,” 36, of Huntington, was sentenced on October 20, 2025, to five years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from at least May 2024 to in and around June 2024, Stephens conspired with another individual to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Stephens admitted to conducting distributions of fentanyl in the Huntington area on the individual’s behalf. Stephens further admitted that customers would sometimes contact the other individual, who would direct them to Stephens to arrange and conduct the transaction, and on other occasions customers would contact Stephens directly.
Stephens also admitted to relevant criminal conduct as part of this guilty plea. On three occasions between May 24 and June 27, 2024, Stephens distributed a total of approximately 61 grams of fentanyl. Each transaction was with a confidential informant.
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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Courtney L. Finney prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas.
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-46.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Robert Curtis Denham, also known as “Reala Deala” and “RD,” 37, of Huntington, was sentenced on October 20, 2025, to five years and 10 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 30, 2024, Denham sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant at a Huntington apartment. As part of his guilty plea, Denham admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand. Denham further admitted that additional quantities of fentanyl are attributable to him as relevant criminal conduct.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:25-cr-47.
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Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Deangelo Lamont Tell, also known as “Lil D,” 37, of Huntington, was sentenced on October 6, 2025, to five years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 31, 2023, Tell sold approximately 27.34 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant near the 1800 block of Marshall Avenue in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Tell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Tell further admitted to selling approximately 48.85 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on February 3, 2023, and to arranging for another individual to sell approximately 55.75 grams of methamphetamine to the confidential informant on February 6, 2023. Both transactions occurred in Huntington.
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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney 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-16.
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Huntington Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Troy Alan Glover, 32, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on October 20, 2025, to distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 17, 2025, Glover sold 111 grams of methamphetamine and 9.7 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant while in the informant’s vehicle in Huntington. As part of his guilty plea, Glover admitted to conducting the transaction and to arranging it beforehand.
Glover also admitted to additional criminal conduct. Glover sold approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine and 9.9 grams of fentanyl on March 14, 2025, and approximately 19.9 grams of fentanyl on March 26, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in Huntington in exchange for $940. Glover admitted to those transactions and to selling approximately 18.5 grams of fentanyl to the confidential informant on April 28, 2025, in Huntington in exchange for $900.
Glover is scheduled to be sentenced on February 2, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $10 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-139.
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Honduras Citizen Sentenced to Prison for Fourth Illegal Reentry into the U.S., Social Security Fraud, and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A Honduras citizen has been sentenced in federal court to 39 months in prison, to be followed by deportation, on his convictions of illegal reentry of a removed alien, fraudulent use of a Social Security number, and aggravated identity theft, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines imposed the sentence on Jose Mejia-Sarmiento, 67.
According to information presented to the Court, Mejia-Sarmiento was found in the Western District of Pennsylvania after having been deported and removed from the United States three times prior between 1996 and 2016, including after a felony conviction on the latter occasion. Further, Mejia-Sarmiento made false statements to the Social Security Administration on four different occasions between May 2024 and February 2025 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, by possessing and using the identification of another person. Following the completion of his sentence, Mejia-Sarmiento will be immediately deported to Honduras.
Assistant United States Attorney Maureen Sheehan-Balchon prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti commended the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, and U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Mejia-Sarmiento.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, combat illegal immigration, and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Honduran National Sentenced for Reentry of an Illegal AlienRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that MARLON SANTOS (“SANTOS”), age 36, a native of Honduras, was sentenced on November 19, 2025, for reentry of removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court documents, SANTOS was found in Orleans Parish on April 21, 2025. He had previously been removed to Honduras on December 21, 2018.
United States District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced SANTOS to two years of imprisonment to be followed by one year of supervised release.
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).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Spiro G. Latsis of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
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HSI San Juan Arrests Two Men on Child Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Two men were arrested by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) on criminal charges related to child exploitation conduct.
On Thursday, December 4, 2025, the Puerto Rico Crimes Against Children Taskforce (PRCACTF) led by HSI, arrested José Antonio Maestre-Rivera, a 27-year-old man from Carolina, PR.
A federal grand jury indicted Maestre-Rivera on December 3, 2025, with five counts of sexual exploitation of children, coercion and enticement of a minor, transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, receipt of child exploitation material, and transfer of obscene material to a minor.
According to court documents, from April through October 2025, defendant Maestre-Rivera used electronic devices and internet social media applications to persuade and entice a 14-year-old female minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct. During the same period, Maestre-Rivera produced, received, and transmitted child exploitation material. He also knowingly transported said minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity.
If convicted, the defendant faces a minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In a separate case, Gilberto Fontanez Alvarado, a 67-year-old man from Bayamón, was arrested on December 4, 2025, by HSI agents. A federal grand jury indicted Fontanez Alvarado with two counts of transportation of child exploitation material and possession of child exploitation material.
According to the indictment, from August 2012 through November 2025, the defendant knowingly used electronic devices, for the possession and access with intent to view of images of child exploitation material, including of a prepubescent minor or a minor who had not attained 12 years of age.
If convicted, Fontanez Alvarado faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
AUSA Emelina M. Agrait-Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting both cases.
“We are committed to bringing child predators, including those charged in these cases, to justice and protecting our children,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico. “I would like to thank the federal agents, prosecutors and our state and local partners who are relentless in their efforts to identify and prosecute those who seek to exploit children.”
“These charges highlight a deeply troubling and escalating threat in child exploitation cases: predators who collect and trade images of child sexual abuse material are aggressively using social media platforms to target and groom minors,” said HSI San Juan Acting Special Agent in Charge Yariel Ramos. “In one case, the suspect deliberately initiated contact with a minor through public social media profiles, then swiftly shifted to private direct messages to facilitate their criminal acts. In the other case, our investigation uncovered disturbing evidence of a collection of illicit images demonstrating the long-term and calculated nature of this predatory behavior. These cases serve as a stark warning of the relentless danger posed by online predators. HSI remains unwavering in our commitment to identifying, arresting, and prosecuting these offenders. We urge parents, guardians, and communities to remain alert and proactive in protecting children. HSI will continue to work with our federal and local partners to ensure these criminals are brought to justice.”
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit iGuardians™: Combating Child Predators and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from online sexual abuse, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Gang Member Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Narcotics in Southwestern ConnecticutRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MODESTE ADODO, 29, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 60 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for trafficking narcotics.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2022, the FBI Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, while investigating gang activity in Bridgeport, conducted controlled purchases of narcotics from Adodo, a member and purported leader of the 150 gang based on Bridgeport’s West Side. A subsequent wiretap investigation determined that Christian Pichardo was supplying Adodo and other distributors with fentanyl, heroin, crack and powder cocaine, and opioid pills. Some of the drugs seized during the investigation had been cut with fentanyl analogues, nitazines, and xylazine. Nitazines are synthetic opioids stronger than fentanyl, and xylazine is a large animal tranquilizer. A wiretap also intercepted Adodo discussing his possession of firearms, and transferring a firearm to a gang associate.
Adodo was arrested on August 5, 2024. On September 16, 2025, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Adodo, who is released on a $100,000 bond and currently residing in New Haven, is required to report to prison on February 10.
Pichardo pleaded guilty and, on July 14, 2025, was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment.
This matter has been investigated by the FBI’s Bridgeport Safe Streets Task Force, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bridgeport, Stratford, and Norwalk Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen L. Peck through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
Four Charged in Large-scale Meth and Fentanyl Trafficking Operation in ClevelandRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the unsealing of a federal indictment Dec. 9 charging four individuals allegedly involved in an international drug trafficking conspiracy.
According to the allegations in the indictment, from about February 2023 to August 2024, Calvin Locke, aka Uncle, aka Tio, 53, sold narcotics to various redistributors throughout the northern Ohio region and then used a business entity, Locke and Goldstein, to launder the proceeds. Co-conspirator Josue Melendez, aka Jay, aka Bananas, 35, facilitated multi-kilogram shipments of methamphetamine from Sonora, Mexico, with Carlos Escareno, aka J, 30, serving as courier to transport the pound quantities of drugs across state lines from Arizona to Ohio. A fourth co-conspirator, Shamese Maddox, 37, was Locke’s fentanyl supplier.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney David M. Toepfer for the Northern District of Ohio and Special Agent in Charge Greg Nelsen of the FBI Cleveland Division.
Calvin Locke, aka Uncle, aka Tio, 53, of Cleveland, is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
- Attempted Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
- Possession with the Intent to Distribute of Fentanyl.
- Money Laundering.
Josue Melendez, aka Jay, aka Bananas, 35, of Yuma, Arizona, is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Carlos Escareno, aka J, 30, of Yuma, Arizona, is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Shamese Maddox, 37, of Akron, Ohio, is charged with:
- Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl.
- Distribution of Fentanyl.
If convicted, each defendant’s sentence will be determined by the Court after review of factors unique to the case, including each defendant’s prior criminal record, if any, their role in the offense, and the characteristics of the violation. In all cases, the sentence will not exceed the statutory maximum, and, in most cases, it will be less than the maximum.
The investigations leading to the indictment were conducted by the FBI Cleveland Division and partner members of the Cartel, Gang, Narcotics and Laundering Task Force:
- Cleveland Division of Police
- North Royalton Police Department
- Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Department
- Brooklyn (Ohio) Police Department
- Ohio State Highway Patrol
- Ottawa County Prosecutors Office
- Ohio Bureau of Crime Investigations
- Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority Police
- IRS-Criminal Investigations
Assistant United States Attorney Elizabeth Crook is leading the prosecution for the Northern District of Ohio. The assistance of the U.S. Marshals is also acknowledged for providing related support for this crime reduction initiative.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Student Arrested and Charged for Bomb Hoax on College CampusRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced the arrest of NIGEL TRENH in connection with a bomb hoax that resulted in the evacuation of a college dormitory in the Southern District of New York in August. TRENH was arrested by the FBI on December 8, 2025, in Los Angeles and presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Steve Kim in the Central District of California. He will make his initial appearance in White Plains federal court on December 18, 2025.
“As alleged, Nigel Trenh used social media to spread false information about a bomb and active shooter on a college campus, forcing an evacuation of students, family members, and college staff on their move-in day,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Hoaxes related to explosives and violence sow fear and panic, and waste limited law enforcement and emergency resources.”
“Nigel Trenh allegedly posted misleading warnings of a bomb and active shooter at his former college, resulting in the full evacuation of a dormitory and first responders rushing to an empty scene,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Trenh’s alleged hoax unnecessarily incited fear on one of our local campuses and diverted law enforcement resources from legitimate calls. May this arrest serve as a deterrent to others; the FBI is committed to investigating any individual who cries wolf about mass violence, regardless of where they may be located.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed in White Plains federal court:[1]
TRENH, a former student at a college in the Southern District of New York (“College-1”), published the following anonymous post on August 29, 2025, on the social media platform Fizz, which warned of a bomb in the third-floor restroom of a College-1 dormitory and an active shooter on campus:
When College-1 students saw the post on the morning of August 29, 2025, they reported it to College-1 security personnel, who in turn reported it to local law enforcement. Within minutes, law enforcement officers from multiple agencies responded to the report and converged on campus, evacuating the dormitory to conduct a full sweep of the premises with the support of K9 units. This sweep ultimately confirmed that the post was a hoax.
As alleged, the August 29 Fizz post was part of a broader pattern of unsolicited threatening and/or harassing communications sent by TRENH to College-1 personnel, including e-mails and messages making express reference to on-campus violence and school shootings. TRENH’s communications continued even after he was questioned by federal law enforcement officers regarding the August 29 bomb hoax.
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TRENH, 22, of Los Angeles, California, is charged with maliciously conveying false information involving an explosive, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, and false information and a hoax involving explosives and firearms, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI New York Office Hudson Valley Safe Streets Task Force, together with the Town of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department, the New York State Police, and the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Sarlitto is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Postal Employee Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Checks from Mail, Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KIERRA BLOUNT, 35, formerly of Stamford and currently residing in Plymouth, North Carolina, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for fraud and mail theft offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Blount, at times while employed by the U.S. Postal Service in Stamford, stole mail and obtained stolen mail for the purpose of obtaining checks that were payable to other individuals. In approximately November 2021, Blount opened a bank account using the name and social security number of an individual without the identity theft victim’s knowledge. Blount and others fraudulently changed the payee names on stolen checks to the name of the identity theft victim, forged the victim’s signature on the back of the checks, and deposited them into the bank account Blount opened. From November 2021 until the account was closed in April 2022, Blount and others deposited approximately $156,000 in fraudulent checks into the account. Some check deposits were reversed by the bank, and Blount and others used approximately $81,000 for their own purposes.
On June 20, 2023, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Blount’s Stamford residence and seized a significant amount of stolen mail and other items related to this scheme, including debit cards in the names of other individuals, checks totaling more than $285,000, and sheets of paper containing personal information of other individuals, including names, dates of birth, addresses, email addresses, and security question answers. Subsequent analysis of cell phones seized from Blount on that date revealed images of stolen checks, personal identifying information for more than 50 individuals, and communications using the Telegram app with unknown individuals involved in the scheme.
Blount was charged by indictment on March 26, 2024, and was arrested on June 17, 2024. On August 29, 2025, she pleaded guilty to bank fraud and unlawful possession of stolen mail.
Blount, who is released on a $75,000 bond, is required to report to prison on April 8.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Connecticut Organized Financial Fraud (CUT OFF) Task Force, which includes personnel from the Stamford, Milford, Westport, Fairfield, West Haven, West Hartford, and Bridgeport Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shan Patel.
Former Pike County police officer sentenced to 10 years in prison for running steroid, cocaine ringRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Pike County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 120 months in prison for leading a drug trafficking ring responsible for mailing more than 2,500 parcels of steroids and distributing 11 kilograms of cocaine.
Mark Anglemyer, Jr., 42, of Waverly, Ohio, imported precursor chemicals from China and traveled across the country and internationally to secure narcotics. Anglemyer previously worked as a police officer with the Pike County Sheriff’s Office and the Piketon, Waverly and Wellston police departments.
According to court documents, from 2019 to 2024, Anglemyer ran a drug trafficking operation out of Waverly, dealing both anabolic steroids and cocaine.
As part of his operation, Anglemyer imported raw materials from China to manufacture the steroids. He then produced the powder and liquid steroid mixtures at various co-conspirators’ residences in Pike County. Finally, the defendant shipped the steroids to customers across the country via the United States Postal Service.
Anglemyer also obtained kilogram quantities of cocaine from California for local distribution in Waverly.
When Anglemyer’s California cocaine suppliers were arrested by federal authorities, he and a co-conspirator flew to Colombia to seek another supplier and attempted to mail cocaine from Colombia to Waverly.
Anglemyer and three co-defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024. The defendant pleaded guilty in April 2025 to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and anabolic steroids.
Dominick S. Gerace II, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Joseph O. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit; and Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicole Pakiz and Damoun Delaviz are representing the United States in this case.
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Former Fort Carson Soldier Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Production of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that John Paul Barsch III, 31, was sentenced to 30 years in prison and a lifetime of supervised release after pleading guilty to one count of production of child pornography. Barsch was a soldier in the United States Army and was stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs at the time of his arrest.
According to the plea agreement, on multiple occasions between November 2018 and March 2020, Barsch performed sex acts on an infant or toddler in his custody, care, or control; created videos depicting those sex acts; and distributed at least one of the videos to another person who was in the United Kingdom. Barsch’s conduct was discovered when law enforcement arrested the person who received the videos, and a search of his devices revealed conversations with Barsch.
“Crimes against children are some of the most despicable in our society and this sentence demonstrates the magnitude of the crimes committed,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly.
“Homeland Security Investigations will not tolerate the vile and reprehensible exploitation of children, especially by those entrusted with their care. The sentencing of this individual sends a clear and unyielding message: no position of authority or service will shield predators from the full force of justice,” said HSI Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “Let this serve as a stark warning—there is no place in our society for such heinous acts, and we will stop at nothing to protect our children and uphold the rule of law."
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the sentencing.
The investigation was handled by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Melissa Hindman handled the prosecution.
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, visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Case Number: 24-cr-00028-CNS
Former Corrections Officer Sentenced to Prison for Accepting Bribe to Smuggle ContrabandRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Cleveland man has been sentenced to prison for attempting to smuggle contraband into a prison where he was employed.
James P. Jackson, 40, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Dan Aaron Polster after pleading guilty in July to Hobbs Act extortion under color of official right for accepting money to smuggle two packages into a prison using his capacity as an employee of the facility. Jackson was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Polster imposed the sentence on Dec. 4th.
According to court documents, Jackson was employed by the Trumbull Correctional Institution (TCI) in Leavittsburg, from 2022 through 2024, where he served as a corrections officer and later, as a general maintenance worker. His work duties and responsibilities allowed him full access to non-public areas including prison cells where he interacted regularly with inmates. Jackson was found to be communicating with a female associate of a TCI inmate. They eventually agreed to meet so she could give Jackson packages to deliver to the inmate, who was serving a sentence inside the facility. In return, Jackson accepted an initial bribe of $1,000 from her and was promised an additional $1,000 after the contraband was successfully delivered to the intended recipient. Upon attempting to take the packages into TCI, Jackson was intercepted by law enforcement. The investigation revealed that the packages Jackson received−and attempted to smuggle into the prison−contained 97.67 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, 207.63 grams of synthetic cannabinoid, 32.85 grams of phencyclidine (aka PCP or angel dust), various other drugs, a cellphone, and SIM cards.
This case was investigated by the FBI Cleveland Division, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Trumbull Correctional Institutions-Office of Investigations, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol-Office of Criminal Investigations Prison Drug Unit, and Investigative Services for the Warren District.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chelsea S. Rice for the Northern District of Ohio.
Former Compton Politician Pleads Guilty to Bribing Corrupt Baldwin Park Official for Marijuana Permits and to Cheating on TaxesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Compton city councilman pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for paying $70,000 in bribes to a Baldwin Park city councilman in exchange for that official’s votes and support for commercial marijuana permits, and to evading the assessment of his federal income taxes by not filing tax returns for four consecutive years and failing to report to the IRS more than half a million dollars in income.
Isaac Jacob Galvan, 38, of Compton, pleaded guilty to one count of bribery concerning programs receiving federal funds and one count of evasion of tax assessment. Galvan remains free on $10,000 bond. He has agreed to pay $323,557 in restitution to the IRS.
According to his plea agreement, Baldwin Park in June 2017 began permitting the cultivation, manufacture, and distribution of marijuana within its city limits. Soon afterward, then-Baldwin Park City Councilman Ricardo Pacheco, 62, of Baldwin Park, began soliciting bribes from businesses seeking marijuana development agreements and related permits in the city, according to court documents. In exchange for the illicit payments, Pacheco agreed to use his position in city government to assist the companies with obtaining marijuana permits, including voting in their favor. Pacheco served on Baldwin Park’s city council from 1997 until his resignation in June 2020, and he was the city’s mayor pro tempore in 2018.
Galvan – who served on the Compton City Council from 2013 to 2022 – offered his consulting services to W&F International Corp., a Diamond Bar-based import-export business, who wanted a marijuana permit in Baldwin Park. After securing W&F International Corp. as a consulting client, Galvan facilitated $70,000 in bribes to Pacheco from Yichang Bai, 52, of Arcadia, the owner and operator of W&F. Bai has pleaded not guilty to federal charges alleging he helped orchestrate the bribery scheme and is scheduled to go to trial in this case in February 2026.
Galvan paid the bribes in exchange for Pacheco’s political support of and promise to deliver Baldwin Park’s approval of marijuana permits for W&F. Pacheco then delivered, voting in favor of W&F’s marijuana permit in June and July of 2018 and voting later that year in favor of W&F’s bid to relocate its operations.
Throughout the scheme, Galvan and Bai took steps to cover up their illegal payments to Pacheco by concealing Bai and W&F’s connection to the payments for Pacheco. For example, Bai collected checks from third parties who owed him money and then gave Galvan the checks with blank payee lines. Galvan then gave the checks to Pacheco.
Shortly after the votes to approve W&F’s relocation, Pacheco contacted Galvan and asked for him to obtain more money from W&F for his legal defense fund. Galvan told Bai that Pacheco wanted $25,000 for his fundraiser, but Bai insisted only on paying $20,000. Consistent with his arrangement with Galvan, Bai provided a total of seven checks from different bank accounts that were not Bai’s or W&F’s. Galvan arranged for the checks to be delivered to Pacheco as further payment in exchange for his votes and support of W&F’s marijuana permit.
Galvan further admitted in his plea agreement that he failed to file federal individual tax returns for the years 2017 through 2020, evading assessment of the federal taxes he owed in several ways. For example, he concealed his ownership and control of I&I LLC, a shell company Galvan used to solicit bribes for public officials and to facilitate paying those bribes. Galvan also directed individuals to issue checks with blank payee lines to later be cashed and converted into income for himself, and he individuals to write checks for income he earned to conduits who would pay for Galvan’s living expenses, including his rent.
In total, Galvan failed to report approximately $560,525 in income for the tax years 2017 through 2020, causing a total loss to the United States Treasury of $115,816.
United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II scheduled a June 8, 2026, sentencing hearing, at which time Galvan will face a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison on the bribery count and up to five years in federal prison on the tax count.
Pacheco pleaded guilty in June 2020 to one count of bribery for accepting tens of thousands of dollars in bribes – including $20,000 in cash – from a Baldwin Park Police officer working at the FBI’s direction, in exchange for the councilmember’s political support of the Baldwin Park Police Association’s contract with the city. Pacheco’s sentencing hearing is scheduled for March 30, 2026. Pacheco has signed a plea agreement in which he has agreed to cooperate with the government’s ongoing investigation.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Thomas F. Rybarczyk, Michael J. Morse, and Kedar S. Bhatia of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Anyone who has information related to this or any other public corruption matter is encouraged to send information to the FBI’s Electronic Tip Form at tips.fbi.gov or to call (800) CALL-FBI.
Former Athens-Clarke County Police Officer charged with child exploitation and bestiality-related crimesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga. – Former Athens-Clarke County Police Officer Amber Nicole Ferguson has been indicted on charges of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material, possession of child sexual abuse material involving a minor under the age of 12, and production of obscene material.
"Sexual predators who prey upon children or sexually abuse animals for the purpose of disseminating images of the abuse face significant prison time if convicted in federal court,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “To protect the community and its most vulnerable members, my office will aggressively prosecute anyone who commits such crimes.”
“The actions alleged in this indictment represent a profound betrayal of the trust and responsibility placed in law enforcement officers. Those who are sworn to protect our communities—especially our children—must be held to the highest standards, said Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Georgia and Alabama Steven N. Schrank. “Homeland Security Investigations is committed to ensuring that individuals who exploit their positions to harm the most vulnerable will be brought to justice.”
“Few crimes are as vile as those committed against children. When the offender is someone who swore an oath to protect the public and uphold the law, it is an even deeper violation. We remain unwavering in our commitment to working alongside our partners to safeguard our most vulnerable and bring offenders, regardless of their title or authority, to justice,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: After a family member of the two minors reported suspicions to the Commerce Police Department, an investigation led to the discovery of child sexual abuse material on Ferguson’s phone. As the investigation continued, images involving horse and dog bestiality allegedly possessed by Ferguson were discovered as well. The indictment alleges that Ferguson produced the bestiality images and child sex abuse material.
Amber Nicole Ferguson, 34, of Commerce, Ga., was arraigned on December 4, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Anna W. Howard. She was indicted by a federal grand jury on December 2, 2025. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
If convicted of production or attempted production of child sex abuse material, Ferguson would face at least 15 years in prison. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Commerce Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen is prosecuting the case.
This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Foreign National with Violent Felony Convictions Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national was sentenced today by United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey to 120 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for illegally reentering the United States after being removed from the country five times.
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings, on September 18, 2022, Jose Alberto Santacruz-Benitez was found in the United States after he was previously deported on October 22, 2009; June 5, 2014; June 30, 2014; September 17, 2017; and November 30, 2021.
Prior to his first removal, Santacruz-Benitez was convicted of conspiracy to commit kidnapping. Santacruz-Benitez and his co-conspirators kidnapped two men they believed had stolen drugs from them, torturing these victims for hours with beatings, mock drownings, and threats to kill them and their families.
After his first removal, Santacruz-Benitez repeatedly returned to this country and violated the law. He was convicted in state court of two separate incidents of felony possession of a controlled substance, and he was twice convicted in federal court for unlawfully reentering the country in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1326. This case is his third § 1326 conviction.
After his most recent removal, Santacruz-Benitez unlawfully returned to the United States for a fifth time. In September 2022, he was discovered by immigration officials after Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officers arrested him for shooting five people at a birthday party. Based on this conduct, Santacruz-Benitez was convicted of attempt murder with use of a deadly weapon in state court.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Deputy Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Sherwin for Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Los Angeles made the announcement.
HSI Los Angeles investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
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Federal grand jury indicts former Jamestown man on narcotics conspiracy and fentanyl chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging Charles Washington, 41, formerly of Jamestown, NY, now living in North Carolina, with narcotics conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that between July 2016, and March 2021, Washington conspired with Joseph S. Zaso, and others, to sell heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in the Olean area. Zaso was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
Washington was arraigned in the Western District of North Carolina and is being held pending a detention hearing in the Western District of New York.
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 indictment is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Federal Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty in String of Twelve Armed Business RobberiesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On December 4, 2025, a federal jury delivered a guilty verdict in the case of a Memphis-based convicted felon, Fredrick Buford, 29, who was charged with committing a series of armed robberies of businesses in the summer of 2022. Buford faces a mandatory statutory minimum of 75 years in federal prison. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant, for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, Buford conducted a series of armed robberies of local businesses in Memphis, Tennessee:
- May 23, 2022: Dollar General, 3129 Thomas Street
- May 23, 2022: Family Dollar, 1688 Jackson Avenue
- May 29, 2022: Exxon, 4491 Poplar Avenue
- May 29, 2022: Mapco, 979 East Brooks Road (Buford broke into the store and threatened to shoot the store employee. However, he was not successful in obtaining money.)
- June 4, 2022: Dollar General, 2469 Elvis Presley Boulevard
- June 6, 2022: Dollar General, 1760 Winchester Road
- June 6, 2022: Mapco, 3333 Thomas Street
- June 11, 2022: Family Dollar, 2743 North Watkins Street
- June 11, 2022: Dollar General, 1294 Lamar Avenue
- June 12, 2022: Family Dollar, 3255 Hickory Hill Road
- June 15, 2022: Dollar General, 2939 Lamar Avenue
- June 16, 2022: Dollar General, 2245 Lamar Avenue
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Robberies of businesses with a firearm are especially dangerous and violent due to the high risk of death and serious bodily injury by the simple squeeze of a trigger. Business robberies also have a substantially negative impact on the local economy and interstate commerce, which victimizes the entire community. Within the short span of 25 days, this recidivist violent offender’s selfish and impulsive greed terrorized multiple victims across our city – and will rightly earn him a long sentence in a federal prison."
“This guilty verdict should serve as a reminder that the FBI will not waver when it comes to protecting Tennesseans and taking dangerous criminals off the streets,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. "The FBI will continue to combat these issues through strong partnerships with federal, state, and local law enforcement via task forces and other relationships to ensure the safety of our communities."
After a four-day trial, Buford was convicted on December 4, 2025 of eleven counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery, and eleven counts of use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Sentencing is set on March 24, 2026 before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris.
The FBI Nashville Field Office-Memphis Resident Agency’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Memphis Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Will Crow and Eileen Kuo prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Executive Director of In-Home Care Business Sentenced to Prison for Failing to Pay Quarterly Employment TaxesRead the Press Release
AKRON, Ohio – A Lake County man has been sentenced to federal prison for not paying required employment taxes to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
Michael Roberts, 38, of Mentor, Ohio, was sentenced to 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after a federal jury convicted him in April of failure to account for and pay taxes. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $322,718.56 in restitution. Judge Adams imposed the sentence Dec. 3.
According to court documents, Roberts was the executive director and co-owner of Progressive Alternatives, an in-home care business that served individuals with developmental disabilities throughout Lake and Ashtabula Counties. The business was initially purchased by Roberts’s spouse, Larry Keith Gildersleeve III, 43, also of Mentor, in February 2011.
Federal investigators found that the payroll checks that Roberts issued did reflect the correct withholdings from employees’ wages. The withholdings were also reflected on W-2 forms that the employees received. But upon further investigation, it was discovered that the business never filed W-2 forms for employees, nor did they submit quarterly payments. When an employee was preparing to retire in 2017, she learned that her employer, Progressive Alternatives, had not paid the required payroll taxes over to the IRS.
Gildersleeve was previously sentenced to 24 months in prison for his role, after pleading guilty to eight counts of failure to account for and pay over taxes. He was also ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay $692,697.50 in restitution.
The IRS-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Division investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Erica D. Barnhill and Brett S. Hammond prosecuted the case for the Northern District of Ohio.
IRS-CI is the law enforcement arm of the IRS, responsible for conducting financial crime investigations, including tax fraud, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, public corruption, healthcare fraud, identity theft and more. IRS-CI special agents are the only federal law enforcement agents with investigative jurisdiction over violations of the Internal Revenue Code, obtaining a 90% federal conviction rate. The agency has 19 field offices located across the U.S. and 14 attaché posts abroad.
Detroit Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Prison for Fentanyl CrimesRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Rafael Cee-Erwin Solomon, also known as “Rip,” 44, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced on October 9, 2025, to 10 years and one month in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for three counts of distribution of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Solomon sold a quantity of fentanyl in Dunbar on March 10, 2025, and quantities of fentanyl in St. Albans on March 24, 2025, and March 27, 2025.
Solomon has a prior conviction for conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, a quantity of cocaine, and a quantity of oxymorphone in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on August 8, 2012. Solomon’s criminal history also includes prior convictions for assault and battery-domestic violence, felonious assault, felonious assault on a police officer, assault with a dangerous weapon, malicious destruction of property, and arson.
Solomon is 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. Solomon is among four 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 imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe 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-77.
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Department of Justice Rule Restores Equal Protection for All in Civil Rights EnforcementRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department issued a final rule updating its regulations under Title VI of the Civil Rights of 1964. This rule ensures that our nation’s federal civil rights laws are firmly grounded in the principle of equal treatment under the law by eliminating disparate-impact liability from its Title VI regulations.
“For decades, the Justice Department has used disparate-impact liability to undermine the constitutional principle that all Americans must be treated equally under the law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No longer. This Department of Justice is eliminating its regulations that for far too long required recipients of federal funding to make decisions based on race.”
“The prior ‘disparate impact’ regulations encouraged people to file lawsuits challenging racially neutral policies, without evidence of intentional discrimination,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our rejection of this theory will restore true equality under the law by requiring proof of actual discrimination, rather than enforcing race- or sex-based quotas or assumptions.”
“For over 50 years, the prior disparate-impact rule fostered the very thing the Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibited — discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin. But with today’s rule,” said Chief of Staff and Supervisory Official for the Office of Legal Policy Nicholas Schilling. “The Department reaffirms Congress’ commitment to measure all Americans by merit.”
Congress enacted Title VI, 42 U.S.C. § 2000d, as part of the landmark Civil Rights Act of 1964. It prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, and national origin in programs and activities receiving Federal financial assistance. In 1973, the federal government added to the law a new rule — disparate impact — that was not part of the law. The term “disparate impact” refers to the concept of imposing liability on a federal fund recipient only because there may be different outcomes for different people, not based on prejudice or intent. That prior disparate-impact rule was already enjoined in one state, prohibiting DOJ from enforcing it there.
The Department’s new rule reflects the best reading of Title VI, as the Supreme Court has repeatedly recognized for over twenty years. Title VI has and will continue to prohibit intentional discrimination. The Department’s new rule ensures that recipients of federal funding will be judged on their actual conduct, not on statistical outcomes or circumstances beyond their control.
Despite decades of case law, the Department’s prior Title VI disparate-impact regulations remained on the books, sowing confusion and creating costly compliance obligations for states, local governments, nonprofits, and private organizations receiving federal financial assistance. This new rule eliminates these burdens, promotes consistent enforcement across agencies, and restores public confidence in civil rights law by aligning the Department’s regulations with the Constitution.
Defendant Pleads Guilty to Felony AssaultRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Matias Noah Ramirez, age 26, currently of Okemah, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Indictment alleged that on August 17, 2025, Ramirez assaulted the victim with a dangerous weapon, intending to do bodily harm. According to investigators, Ramirez threw boiling water onto the victim’s back, causing severe burns.
The crime occurred in Hughes County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department, and the Okemah Police Department.
The Honorable Jason A. Robertson, 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.
Ramirez will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.
Decatur man pleads guilty to illegally operating drone over Truist Park during MLB All-Star GameRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mitchell Parsons Hughes has pleaded guilty to committing a federal crime by flying a drone over Truist Park during the Major League Baseball All-Star game in July 2025 and was sentenced to six months’ probation.
“Anyone attempting to fly a drone in a prohibited manner can expect to be prosecuted,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Flight restrictions are implemented for the safety of everyone, whether at the event or nearby. My office and its partners will enforce the law to protect the community whenever a major event, such as the upcoming FIFA World Cup, is hosted in our district.”
“Flying a small drone means you are flying an aircraft, and unsafe behavior will cost you,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “These actions can be dangerous to the public and interfere with security operations.”
"Drone regulations protect the public and ensure the safety of our national airspace,” said Joseph Harris, Special Agent in Charge of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General’s Southern Region. “Flying drones illegally—especially above large sporting events filled with families, friends, and fans—poses serious risks. This guilty plea highlights our continued dedication to working with our law enforcement partners to hold offenders accountable and avert dangerous incidents.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) put a temporary flight restriction (TFR) in place for Truist Park during the July 15, 2025, Major League Baseball (MLB) All-Star game, designating it a No Drone Zone. A TFR restricts certain aircraft, including an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS), commonly known as a “drone,” from operating within a one nautical mile radius of the stadium.
Introducing a TFR for stadiums or sports venues hosting regular or post-season contests is standard practice for the NFL, MLB, NCAA Division I, Major League Soccer, and NASCAR. The TFR goes into effect one hour before the scheduled start time and lasts until one hour after the end of a qualifying event.
There is a zero-tolerance policy regarding drone use anywhere within the FAA’s No Drone Zone. Anyone who attempts to fly a drone in any prohibited manner is subject to arrest, prosecution, fines, and/or imprisonment.
During the MLB All-Star game, Mitchell Parson Hughes flew a drone directly over Truist Park despite being warned about the flight restrictions on his UAS’s control panel. Hughes also admitted that his drone was not registered and that he lacked the required training and licensing, including a remote pilot certificate, to operate a UAS.
On December 5, 2025, Mitchell Parsons Hughes, 47, of Decatur, Ga., pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging him with knowingly violating national defense airspace. Hughes was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Russell Vineyard to six months’ probation and a $500 fine.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Department of Transportation - Office of the Inspector General. U.S. Attorney Hertzberg also commended the FAA and the Cobb County Police Department for their work in the investigation.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Day Care in Plant City Settles Claim to Improve Access to Day Care Services for Children with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has reached an agreement with Autumn Leaf Academy, Inc., a day care center in Plant City, Florida that provides child care services for children ages 12 months to 12 years old, to settle allegations that it violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
The United States Attorney’s Office opened an investigation into Autumn Leaf Academy after receiving a complaint from the parents of a child with Down syndrome, alleging that, in November 2022, Autumn Leaf Academy refused to enroll their daughter because she uses a gastronomy tube (i.e., “G-tube”) to eat. As a result of the investigation, the United States determined that Autumn Leaf Academy violated Title III of the ADA when it discriminated against the child and her parents, because of the child’s disability, by denying them the opportunity to participate in and benefit from its day care services. Specifically, Autumn Leaf Academy applied eligibility criteria that screened out the child and failed and refused to make the reasonable modifications to its policies, practices, or procedures that were necessary to afford her its services.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Autumn Leaf Academy must: adopt, maintain, and enforce a non-discrimination policy regarding the prohibition of discrimination on the basis of disability, and post such policy on its website; provide training to all personnel on all policies, practices, and procedures required under the settlement agreement, as well as the non-discrimination requirements under Title III of the ADA; designate and maintain a compliance monitor to ensure Autumn Leaf Academy complies with the terms of the settlement agreement; submit regular compliance reports to the United States; report any complaints received alleging Autumn Leaf Academy discriminated on the basis of disability to the United States; and pay the child’s family $2,000 in compensatory damages.
This case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Alexandra N. Karahalios.
Title III of the ADA prohibits public accommodations, including private day care centers, from discriminating against individuals on the basis of disability in the full and equal enjoyment of their goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations (“goods or services”). In general, Title III prohibits public accommodations from subjecting an individual on the basis of disability to a denial of the opportunity to participate in or benefit from its goods or services. Specifically, a public accommodation shall not impose or apply eligibility criteria that screen out or tend to screen out an individual with a disability or any class of individuals with disabilities from fully and equally enjoying any goods or services being offered. A public accommodation must make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures necessary to afford an individual with a disability the goods or services of the public accommodation. Title III also prohibits public accommodations from discriminating against an individual because of the known disability of an individual with whom the individual is known to have a relationship or association, such as the parents of a child with a disability.
Individuals who believe they may have experienced discrimination may contact the Civil Rights Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida by calling our Civil Rights Hotline at (813) 274-6095 or emailing us at [email protected]. To fill out our civil rights complaint form, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/civil-rights-complaint-form.
The Attorney General is authorized to investigate alleged violations of Title III of the ADA and to bring a civil action in federal court if the United States is unable to secure voluntary compliance in any case that involves a pattern or practice of discrimination or that raises issues of general public importance. Ensuring that day care centers do not discriminate against children with disabilities is an issue of general public importance.
For more information on the ADA, visit www.ada.gov or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free ADA Information Line at (800) 514-0301 (Voice) or (833) 610-1264 (TTY). Accessibility specialists are available to answer questions from individuals, businesses, and state or local governments. All calls are confidential.
Settlement Agreement