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Friday 5 December 2025
Stilwell Resident Pleads Guilty to Strangulation in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Derrick Earl Scott, age 35, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to a one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, and Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country, punishable by up to ten years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Superseding Indictment alleged that on February 28, 2025, Scott strangled a spouse, intimate partner, or dating partner in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The crime occurred in Adair County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service.
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.
Scott will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lewis M. Reagan and Jessie K. Pippin represented the United States.
St. Charles Parish Woman Convicted of Wire FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that ASHLEY HYMEL (“HYMEL”) age 42, a resident of Ama, Louisiana, pled guilty on November 19, 2025 to wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343.
According to court documents, HYMEL used a company credit card to embezzle funds from her employer, Company 1, where she was an executive assistant. In total, HYMEL embezzled at least $130,663.92. Under the terms of a plea agreement, HYMEL agreed to pay the entire amount back to Company 1.
Judge Jane Triche Milazzo set sentencing for February 25, 2025. At sentencing, HYMEL faces a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty years, followed by up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Moses, Healthcare Fraud Coordinator and member of the Financial Crimes Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
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Southern District of Texas charges more than 318 people for immigration and border security offenses this weekRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A total of 316 cases have been filed in matters related to further securing the southern border from Nov. 28 – Dec. 4, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
A total of 84 people face charges of illegal entry, while another 204 face charges of felony reentry after removal. Most have convictions for narcotics, violent crime, immigration crimes and more. The filed cases also include 28 individuals accused of engaging in human smuggling and the remaining two charges involve firearms offenses and other immigration-related crimes.
As part of the new cases, criminal complaints allege three individuals attempted to unlawfully reenter the country within five months of their most recent removals. Mexican nationals Jesus Hernandez-Gomez and Jose Martinez-Arrevalo were previously removed Aug. 28 and Oct. 24, respectively, according to court documents. Law enforcement removed Mexican national Ascencion Avellaneda-Rodriguez Sept. 10. Each allegedly has prior felony convictions for illegal reentry. Charges allege law enforcement found all three in the United States without legal authorization.
Additional complaints allege several previous felons had also illegally reentered the country. Mexican nationals Diana Aurora Bueno-Zuniga and Julio Guerra-Silva had both been previously removed on various dates between 2007-2019, according to their respective charges. However, both were allegedly found in the McAllen area this week. Bueno-Zuniga has a previous conviction for harboring an alien for financial gain, while Guerra-Silva was sentenced for possession with intent to distribute nearly 20 kilograms of marijuana.
If convicted, all face up to 20 years in federal prison.
Also announced this week was the conviction of Carlos Alberto Garcia-Guajardo on all 12 counts as charged. A Laredo federal jury found he had sold cocaine and multiple firearms, including machine guns, during a month-long undercover investigation. He and Fernando Patino used the sale of cocaine and firearms to negotiate future deals. They not only sold firearms but fired them indiscriminately in their neighborhood. A search warrant revealed scales, cash in various denominations, multiple firearms and crack cocaine stored near items belonging to young children. Garcia-Guajardo had been removed from the country on two occasions. He now faces up to life in prison.
In Brownsville, Mexican national Alejandro Ramirez-Carranza was ordered to federal prison for five years for transporting and bringing an alien into the United States, illegal reentry and being an alien in possession of a firearm. While conducting surveillance near the Rio Grande, authorities heard a boat approaching and observed a vehicle arrive as several individuals ran from the brush and climbed into the truck bed. Ramirez-Carranza acted as the river guide and worked with others to transport and smuggle the aliens. One said Ramirez-Carranza brought him across by boat and that relatives were paying for his smuggling.
In McAllen, Mario Alberto Almanzan-Mata received a 72-month sentence for illegally reentering the country for a third time. He was removed most recently May 27, and authorities discovered him again July 7 in Mission. At the hearing, the court heard about a pattern of behavior that places members of the community in significant danger.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Homeland Security Investigations, ICE - Enforcement and Removal Operations, Border Patrol, Drug Enforcement Administration, FBI, U.S. Marshals Service and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with additional assistance from state and local law enforcement partners.
The cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Under current leadership, public safety and a secure border are the top priorities for this district. Enhanced enforcement both at the border and in the interior of the district have yielded aliens engaged in unlawful activity or with serious criminal histories, including convictions for human trafficking, sexual assault and violence against children.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas remains one of the busiest in the nation. It represents 43 counties and more than nine million people covering 44,000 square miles. Assistant U.S. Attorneys from all seven divisions including Houston, Galveston, Victoria, Corpus Christi, Brownsville, McAllen and Laredo work directly with our law enforcement partners on the federal, state and local levels to prosecute the suspected offenders of these and other federal crimes.
An indictment or criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Slidell Man Guilty of Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that JONATHAN SUAREZ (“SUAREZ”), age 29, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on December 2, 2025 before United States District Judge Wendy B. Vitter, to receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2).
According to the court documents, beginning in early 2024, Special Agents with the FBI conducted an investigation concerning the purchase of files depicting the sexual exploitation of children over the internet. The investigation revealed one such individual, determined to be SUAREZ, sent and attempted to send money via CashApp to accounts known to be used for the primary purpose of receiving funds in exchange for the transmission of CSAM on at least six occasions between February 2023 and August 2023. On April 10, 2025, law enforcement officials executed a search warrant at SUAREZ’s residence, at which time they seized his Apple iPhone 13 Pro Max. A forensic review of the phone identified at least 186 images and 853 videos, some as long as over 49 minutes, depicting the sexual victimization of children. The review also determined that SUAREZ downloaded, saved, and maintained his collection of CSAM on multiple dates between February 2023 and April 2025. SUAREZ saved the files in approximately 145 custom-made file folders with representative names describing the content. Some of the child victims depicted in the materials SUAREZ received were of children as young as approximately two years old.
SUAREZ faces a mandatory minimum of five (5) years in prison and a maximum term of imprisonment of twenty (20) years. SUAREZ also faces at least five years, and up to a lifetime, of supervised release and up to a $250,000 fine. He may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Vitter has been scheduled for February 26, 2025.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Sex offender sentenced to 35 years in federal prison on new crimes against childrenRead the Press Release
BENTON, Ill. – A district judge sentenced a registered sex offender to 35 years’ imprisonment after he admitted to distributing child pornography and obscene material to a minor.
Edward J. Bates, 57, most recently of Olney, Illinois, pleaded guilty to one count of felon in possession of a firearm, one count of distribution of child pornography, two counts of attempted transfer of obscene matter to a minor, and one count of offense by a registered sex offender. Following imprisonment, Bates will be on supervised release for the rest of his life.
“The only thing worse than child sex offenses is an armed repeat offender,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “This 35-year sentence underscores our commitment to seeking the most significant sentences possible for those who endanger kids.”
According to court documents, Bates distributed child pornography in Richland County on January 26, 2022. In April 2023, he transferred sexually explicit material to a 10-year-old minor. On June 4, 2024, Bates was found in possession of two firearms and ammunition as a felon.
Bates was previously convicted of two separate child pornography offenses and was therefore required to register as a sex offender. The Government seized a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, a .38 caliber revolver and ammunition.
The Richland County, Illinois, Sheriff’s Office, the Missouri Highway Patrol, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Sanders prosecuted the case.
Rosebud Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a man from Rosebud, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on December 2, 2025.
Lavern David Luxon, Jr., age 34, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Luxon was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on September 3, 2025.
Luxon was convicted of Sexual Abuse of a Minor in 2017. Consequently, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three days of relocation or changing employment or student status. In June 2023, Luxon began a period of supervised release living in Rapid City, South Dakota, and appropriately registered as a sex offender with local law enforcement. In September 2024, however, Luxon moved from his registered address and absconded from supervision. His whereabouts were unknown until July 2, 2025, when he was found and arrested in Rosebud.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Luxon was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Roanoke Rapids Police Officer Arrested and Charged with Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The FBI arrested a Halifax County man yesterday on criminal charges related to his alleged involvement with child sexual abuse material (CSAM). At the time of his arrest, Isaac Nielsen, age 31, was employed by the Roanoke Rapids Police Department.
According to the complaint, in May 2025, an undercover officer engaged in a chat with a user on a website known for promoting user-generated sexual content. During those conversations, Nielsen allegedly distributed child pornography to the undercover officer and discussed his interest in engaging in sexual contact with children. The undercover officer’s agency determined that the user was located in North Carolina and notified the FBI. On December 1, 2025, the FBI identified Nielsen as the user, obtained an arrest warrant, and arrested him.
Nielsen is charged with the distribution and possession of child pornography. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 5 years and up to 30 years’ imprisonment. A complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin Blondel is prosecuting the case, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Raleigh Durham Child Exploitation Task Force is investigating the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
A copy of this press release is located on our website.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced for Possession of Firearm, AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Jeffrey Boston, 43, of Washington D.C., to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Special Agent in Charge Charles Doerrer, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) – Baltimore Field Division, and Chief David Morris, Cheverly Police Department.
According to the plea agreement, on May 22, 2024, a Cheverly police officer responded to a 911 welfare-check call at a Cheverly, Maryland, intersection. Upon arrival to the scene, the officer approached Boston who was laying on his back on the grass near a bench. The officer tapped on Boston’s chest a few times, then took Boston’s arm and shook it, before asking him if he could hear him. Boston responded by lightly groaning, so the officer called in an ambulance to police dispatch.
Then the officer asked Boston if his chest hurt and again Boston grumbled in the affirmative. The officer then reached down and began repositioning Boston on his side to help him with his breathing. As the officer moved Boston, he discovered a black firearm partially visible in Boston’s waistband on his right hip. The officer removed the handgun and eight rounds of ammunition. Additionally, the firearm had a chambered round. Boston, who has at least one prior felony conviction, is prohibited from possessing a firearm and ammunition.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the ATF and Cheverly Police Department for their work in the investigation. U.S. Attorney Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Brooke Oki who prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Portland Man Faces Federal Charges for Child Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Portland, Oregon, man appeared in federal court today after being charged and arrested for sex trafficking of a child.
Tyler Matthew Mandera, 25, made his initial appearance in court today after being charged by a federal grand jury for sex trafficking of a child. He was arraigned, pleaded not guilty, and ordered detained pending a jury trial scheduled to begin on February 3, 2026.
According to court documents, from October 11, 2025, until October 14, 2025, Mandera recruited and enticed a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts.
If convicted, Mandera faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison, a life-term of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from Tigard Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliza Carmen Rodriguez is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought in collaboration with Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
If you or someone you know are victims of human trafficking or have information about a potential human trafficking situation, please call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC) at 1-888-373-7888 or text 233733. NHTRC is a national, toll-free hotline, with specialists available to answer calls from anywhere in the country, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You can also submit a tip on the NHTRC website.
Pensacola Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Interstate Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Charlie N. Steans, 58, of Pensacola, Florida, and of Texas City, Texas, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute large amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine between Texas and Escambia County, Florida. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent collaborative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners to stop this individual from continuing to flood our streets with deadly drugs. My office will continue to deliver successful prosecutions and substantial prison sentences for drug traffickers, like this defendant, as part of the Homeland Security Task Force’s whole-of-government approach to eliminating and eradicating organized criminal enterprises that threaten the safety of our communities.”
Court documents reflect that Steans was caught at a Greyhound Bus Station in Houston, Texas, with approximately 10 kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of cocaine hidden in his luggage in early 2023. He was able to bond out of a Texas state jail after being caught only to be arrested again in late-2024, this time on a Greyhound Bus in Mississippi heading toward Pensacola, Florida, with nearly 4 kilograms of cocaine in his possession. At that point, law enforcement from multiple jurisdictions connected Steans to being an interstate transporter of large amounts of drugs between Texas and Florida with the drugs destined for Pensacola. Steans was then taken into federal custody based on charges out of the Northern District of Florida.
“Our agents and law enforcement partners will continue to fight those trafficking poisons into our Florida communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “Whether by bus, tractor trailer, plane, or boat, we will find you and bring you to justice.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Pensacola Police Department; the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office; the Florida Department of Law Enforcement; and the Florida Highway Patrol. The case
was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Own Every Dollar Leader Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, announced that HUGO RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Juice,” was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge J. Paul Oetken to 15 years in prison for his role as “Duarte,” or leader, of the violent gang Own Every Dollar (“OED”).
“Too many New York neighborhoods are plagued by gang violence and drug trafficking,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “New Yorkers deserve better. The women and men of our Office will continue to target gun violence and drug trafficking.”
As alleged in the Indictment and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
RODRIGUEZ served as the “Duarte” of OED, a subset of the Trinitarios gang based in and around the Washington Heights area of Manhattan. The prosecution in this case has involved the convictions of 22 members of OED for five murders, more than 10 attempted murders, multiple robberies, and the control and operation of an extensive drug trafficking network that sold large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, and crack cocaine.
RODRIGUEZ served time for New York state convictions involving a shooting and the possession of dangerous contraband while in jail. While on parole after his release, he attempted to murder a gang rival in broad daylight in Washington Heights on August 12, 2021. He also engaged in a gunpoint robbery on February 14, 2022, in Washington Heights, in which a victim was pistol-whipped, and trafficked narcotics, including heroin, while on parole.
Since his August 1, 2022, arrest in this case, he has been detained pretrial in federal prison. During that time, he has been sanctioned for fighting, testing positive for methamphetamine, and possessing an 11-inch shiv. He has also been separately prosecuted and convicted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York for a jail assault.
For much of his time in OED, RODRIGUEZ held the role of “Duarte,” which is the highest leadership role in the gang.
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In addition to the prison term, RODRIGUEZ, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the New York City Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, the New York State Police, and the NYPD Task Force Officers assigned to this Office for their assistance in the investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah L. Kushner, Kevin Mead, Ashley C. Nicolas, and Alexandra Messiter are in charge of the prosecution.
North Miami Man Convicted of Kidnapping and Firearm Offenses Following Violent Home InvasionRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal jury in Miami convicted a man on Oct. 2 of kidnapping and multiple firearm offenses stemming from a violent home invasion.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on July 11, 2023, at approximately 6 a.m., Alphonso Gainer, 37, of North Miami, broke into the victim’s North Miami residence and opened fire inside the home, nearly killing the victim. A 911 call placed by the victim captured the sound of Gainer firing three additional rounds as the victim sought cover.
“This victim endured unimaginable fear and terror in his own home,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Thanks to the courage of the victim and the swift work of law enforcement, justice was delivered. We will never relent in pursuing those who use guns to threaten, harm, or intimidate others.”
Responding officers arrived within minutes, but Gainer fled before law enforcement could locate him. Hours later, after officers had completed their initial investigation and left the scene, Gainer returned to the residence, kidnapped the victim at gunpoint, and forced the victim into his rental vehicle. The victim managed to escape unharmed but photographed the vehicle’s license plate, which law enforcement traced back to Gainer. Ballistics evidence introduced at trial linked a firearm recovered from Gainer’s residence to shell casings found at the scene of the shooting.
The jury convicted Gainer of one count of kidnapping and three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition. Gainer faces a maximum sentence of life in prison for the kidnapping count and up to 15 years in prison for each of the three firearm possession counts. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Reding A. Quiñones and Special Agent in Charge Jason Stankiewicz of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
ATF Miami Field Office is investigating the case, with substantial assistance from the Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Mikulic and Altanese P. Phenelus are 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.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20226.
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North Dakota Company Sentenced on Clean Air Act ViolationRead the Press Release
BISMARCK –United States Attorney Nicholas W. Chase announced today, pursuant to the terms of a plea agreement, U.S. District Judge Daniel M. Traynor sentenced Targa Badlands LLC, a company which does business in North Dakota, to: 1) three years of probation; 2) 500 hours of community services to the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation; 3) payment of a $500,000 fine on a National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (“NESHAP”) Clean Air Act violation; and 4) $400.00 in special assessments. Targa Badlands LLC pleaded guilty to this offense on February 18, 2025.
As stated in the criminal information and plea agreement, Targa Badlands LLC operates six natural gas compressor stations on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation. Between 2018 and 2022, Targa Badlands LLC operated the Johnson Compressor Station, located in Dunn County, North Dakota, but failed to timely install continuous parameter monitoring systems on two Johnson Compressor Station engines when required to do so under NESHAP. Continuous parameter monitoring systems monitor and collect data on temperature and pressure for engine operations to ensure the catalyst is being utilized properly, thus ensuring the engine not producing excess emissions. Failure to timely install a required continuous parameter monitoring system can lead to increased hazardous air pollutants being released into the environment.
Additionally, as described in the plea agreement, on two prior occasions, in 2019 and 2021, Targa Badlands LLC had previously agreed to pay civil penalties to the United States—and entered into Consent Agreement and Final Order’s with the EPA—for separate NESHAP violations pertaining to natural gas compressor stations it operates on the Fort Berthold Indian Reservation.
Finally, as noted in the plea agreement, Targa Badlands LLC self-identified, self-reported, and corrected the failure to timely install continuous parameter monitoring systems at the Johnson Compressor Station and has since adopted an implemented policy and procedural best practices to improve its environmental permit review and implementation requirements.
“Today’s sentence underscores the importance of enforcing our environmental laws, which protect the land, water, and communities,” said US Attorney Chase. “At the same time, we recognize that Targa Badlands LLC took responsibility for its actions and self-reported the violation. Natural gas production is vital to our state’s economy, and it must be done responsibly. This case demonstrates that we can support strong energy production while holding companies accountable when they fall short of their legal obligations.”
This case was investigated by the United States Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek.
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Norfolk man sentenced to five years in prison for his role in a cocaine trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Norfolk man was sentenced today to five years in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
“Antonio Saunders has learned that kilogram-level cocaine shipments will not enter the Commonwealth of Virginia without swift and certain consequences," said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. "Our vigilance is unwavering, and we will hold drug traffickers accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to court documents, in September 2021, law enforcement became aware of two parcels suspected of containing narcotics in transit from Texas to Virginia. Investigators interdicted the parcels and located 2.44 pounds of cocaine in the first package. They allowed the second parcel to continue to its intended address in Norfolk.
On Sept. 9, 2021, after the parcel was delivered to the addressed residence and left on the front porch, Antonio Deshaka Saunders, 43, retrieved the parcel, placed it in a vehicle, and attempted to leave. Investigators conducted a traffic stop and recovered the package, which contained one kilogram of cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Halligan; Christopher Heck, Special Agent in Charge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (ICE HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin M. Comstock prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-72.
New York Woman Charged with Smuggling Aliens from Canada for ProfitRead the Press Release
Stacey Taylor, 42, of Plattsburgh, New York, appeared for an arraignment Monday after a federal grand jury in Albany returned an indictment on Oct. 2 charging her for her role in an international alien smuggling conspiracy that brought aliens primarily from India into the United States across the northern border.
According to court records, U.S. Border Patrol agents interdicted the defendant’s vehicle near Churubusco, New York, in the early morning hours of Jan. 20. Upon encountering the defendant, U.S. Border Patrol located four foreign nationals inside her vehicle. Agents then determined the four men, three Indian nationals and one Canadian national, had just crossed the U.S.-Canadian border illegally, without inspection, in the freezing cold. When law enforcement later examined the defendant’s cellphone, they observed text messages that indicated that the defendant had been involved in multiple other smuggling ventures in the days prior. Since her January 2025 arrest, the defendant was subsequently stopped in a suspected alien smuggling venture in August 2025, and was implicated in alien smuggling as recently as September 2025.
According to the indictment, Taylor is charged with conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, and four counts of alien smuggling for profit, with three counts being second or subsequent offenses. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison per count of alien smuggling for profit, and additional time for second and subsequent offenses.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York made the announcement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Rouse’s Point and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Border Patrol Champlain Station are investigating the case. HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington D.C. and CBP’s International Interdiction Task Force provided significant assistance.
The investigation is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the Americas that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, the Northern District of New York, the District of Vermont, and the Southern District of Florida. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 425 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 375 U.S. convictions; more than 325 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
New York Woman Charged with Smuggling Aliens from Canada for ProfitRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Stacey Taylor, 42, of Plattsburgh, New York, appeared for an arraignment Monday after a federal grand jury in Albany returned an indictment on Oct. 2 charging her for her role in an international alien smuggling conspiracy that brought aliens primarily from India into the United States across the northern border.
According to court records, U.S. Border Patrol agents interdicted the defendant’s vehicle near Churubusco, New York, in the early morning hours of Jan. 20. Upon encountering the defendant, U.S. Border Patrol located four foreign nationals inside her vehicle. Agents then determined the four men, three Indian nationals and one Canadian national, had just crossed the U.S.-Canadian border illegally, without inspection, in the freezing cold. When law enforcement later examined the defendant’s cellphone, they observed text messages that indicated that the defendant had been involved in multiple other smuggling ventures in the days prior. Since her January 2025 arrest, the defendant was subsequently stopped in a suspected alien smuggling venture in August 2025, and was implicated in alien smuggling as recently as September 2025.
According to the indictment, Taylor is charged with conspiring with others to engage in alien smuggling, and four counts of alien smuggling for profit, with three counts being second or subsequent offenses. If convicted, she faces a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison per count of alien smuggling for profit, and additional time for second and subsequent offenses.
Matthew R. Galeotti, Acting Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney John A. Sarcone III for the Northern District of New York made the announcement.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Rouse’s Point and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), U.S. Border Patrol Champlain Station are investigating the case. HSI’s Human Smuggling Unit in Washington D.C. and CBP’s International Interdiction Task Force provided significant assistance.
The investigation is a result of the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations and eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating within the Americas that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, the Northern District of New York, the District of Vermont, and the Southern District of Florida. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 425 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 375 U.S. convictions; more than 325 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
Trial Attorney Chelsea Schinnour of the Criminal Division’s HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Stitt for the Northern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
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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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery of A Postal Letter CarrierRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Tajmir Wyles (New Jersey, 31) has pleaded guilty to robbery of a postal mail carrier and receipt, possession or concealment of stolen property of the United States. Wyles faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, on May 15, 2023, Wyles robbed a postal letter carrier of his master keys while he was delivering mail at a shopping center. After a physical altercation over the keys, Wyles successfully fled the scene with the keys. In July 2023, Wyles was arrested in Dallas, Texas. Wyles was found with a binder of checks, stolen from the Middle District of Florida, as well as the master keys stolen in May 2023.
This case was investigated by the Unites States Postal Inspection Service in Tampa, Florida, and Fort Worth, Texas, the Tampa Police Department, and the Dallas Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
Mexican Man Guilty of Federal Controlled Substances Act Violations and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that RODOLFO AVILES-REYES a/k/a “Omar,” (“AVILES-REYES”), age 38, a resident of Mexico, pled guilty on November 19, 2025, before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo to a three-count superseding indictment. Count One charged AVILES-REYES with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, five kilograms or more of cocaine, one kilogram or more of heroin, and four hundred grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A). Count Two charged AVILES-REYES with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(2)(A) and 1956(h). Count Four charged AVILES-REYES with interstate travel in aid of racketeering, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1952(a)(3).
According to court documents, AVILES-REYES, and other co-conspirators, distributed multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin within the Eastern District of Louisiana. Additionally, AVILES-REYES, and other co-conspirators, traveled between New Orleans, and other states, in order to transport U.S. Currency and narcotics on behalf of a Drug Trafficking Organization, from Louisiana to Mexico.
As to Count One, AVILES-REYES faces a minimum term of imprisonment of ten years, up to life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000, at least five years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. As to Count Two, AVILES-REYES faces up to twenty years imprisonment, a fine of up to $500,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. As to Count Four, AVILES-REYES faces up to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF New Orleans comprises agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Bureau of Investigations, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration – New Orleans Field Division Office, and assisted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Border Patrol, the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, the Kenner Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. John’s Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Marion County Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Meet A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Jason Shane Ejmali (51, Silver Springs) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Ejmali faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the plea agreement, from July 24-26, 2025, Ejmali messaged an individual whom he believed was willing to provide their 13 to 14-year-old foster child to engage in sexual activity. That individual was actually an undercover Homeland Security Investigations special agent. Ejmali discussed the type of sexual activity he wanted have with the minor and agreed to meet for that purpose at a location in Marion County. Once Ejmali arrived at that location, law enforcement placed him under arrest.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Marion County Man Indicted for Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest and indictment of Phillip Washington III, a/k/a “Lil Phil” (32, Belleview) charging him with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted, Washington faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Washington is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
According to the indictment, on May 13, 2024, Washington possessed with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. He also possessed 50 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Unified Drug Enforcement Strike Team and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
Manassas fentanyl trafficker sentenced to 15 years in prisonRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Manassas man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Jan. 30, 2024, law enforcement searched the residence of Jeffrey Martinez, 21, and recovered 29,490 dark-blue fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 4.13 kilograms, and 20,114 light-blue fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 2.22 kilograms. The pills were marked “M-30” to mimic Oxycodone. Also from the residence, investigators also recovered approximately $4,980, 2.18 kilograms of marijuana, 107 grams of cocaine, a scale, and four firearms.
“By trafficking tens of thousands of deadly fentanyl pills into Northern Virginia communities while unlawfully possessing firearms, Jeffrey Martinez put our citizens at grave risk," said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. "This substantial sentence underscores the seriousness of such crimes and the consequences of endangering our community. We remain steadfast in our commitment to eradicating the threat posed by armed drug traffickers.”
The same day, law enforcement conducted a stop of a vehicle Martinez was traveling in and arrested him. From Martinez and the vehicle, investigators recovered approximately $1,600, a handgun and approximately 1,200 fentanyl pills marked “M-30.”
U.S. Attorney Halligan and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Leonie M. Brinkema.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Amzallag and Ryan Bredemeier prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-248.
Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Fentanyl Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Dominik Israel Lopez, 24, of Mesa, Arizona, was sentenced on November 24, 2025, by United States District Judge Krissa Lanham to 108 months of prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Lopez pleaded guilty to Distribution of Fentanyl, with death resulting.
In March 2020, a man, was found deceased in his apartment in Gilbert, Arizona. The Maricopa County Medical Examiner ruled the cause of death to be fentanyl toxicity. Law enforcement investigators were able to learn that the victim had contacted Lopez using a messaging app called Whisper. The victim obtained four fentanyl pills from Lopez for $40. The victim used just one of those pills, overdosed, and died.“At the end of every drug overdose death are countless victims,” said United States Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “There are the dead, taken too early, families who lose loved ones, and communities slowly being torn apart. This sentence shows that the Department of Justice will pursue harsh penalties for all drug dealers. I am proud to stand alongside the victim’s family and our law enforcement partners in holding this defendant accountable.”
“Drug traffickers who deal deadly drugs and destroy lives will face justice,” said DEA Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz. “The DEA, alongside our dedicated partners, remains steadfast in our mission to save lives and achieve a Fentanyl-Free America.”
“The Gilbert Police Department works in close partnership with law enforcement agencies in the ongoing fight against illegal drugs, including holding accountable those whose actions result in death through drug distribution,” said Gilbert Police Chief Michael Soelberg. “We remain steadfast in our relentless pursuit of those who victimize our community.”
Fentanyl is a man-made opioid that is 50 times more potent than heroin. Just two milligrams of fentanyl, the small amount that fits on the tip of a pencil, is considered a potentially deadly dose. Fake pills laced with fentanyl are often sold on social media. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), drug overdose and poisoning is the leading cause of death for Americans 18-45 years of age.
Legitimate pharmaceutical pills cannot be bought on social media. The only safe medications are ones prescribed directly to you by a trusted medical professional and dispensed by a licensed pharmacist. For additional information and resources, including a Caregivers Fact Sheet, visit DEA.gov/onepill.
United States Drug Enforcement Administration and The Gilbert Police Department conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys, Brandon Brown and Jason Crowley, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-CR-01093-PHX-KML
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-170_Lopez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Man Charged with Setting Fire to Train with Victim InsideRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), Bryan DiGirolamo, Commissioner of the New York City Fire Department (“FDNY”), Robert S. Tucker, and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), Jessica S. Tisch, announced the filing of a Complaint charging HIRAM CARRERO with arson resulting in injury to another person in connection with a December 1, 2025, incident in Midtown Manhattan. CARRERO was presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert W. Lehrburger.
“As alleged, Hiram Carrero committed a horrific arson, starting a fire inside of a New York City subway car where a victim was sleeping,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As a result of that arson, the victim has suffered severe injuries. The New York City subway is the heart of our City, with millions of people who live and work here relying on it every day. New Yorkers have the right to be safe and feel safe when they ride the subway, and our Office is committed to that result.”
“The swift arrest in this case demonstrates what is possible when our agencies work as one,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo. “ATF New York Special Agents, the NYPD Detectives, and FDNY Fire Marshals brought their unique strengths to bear to identify and locate the suspect responsible for this violent act. The ATF NY Arson and Explosives Task Force is dedicated to protecting this city, and we will continue working with our partners to bring justice to those who threaten public safety. Our partnership with the Southern District of New York remains central to seeking justice.”
“This alleged outrageous and senseless attack received an immediate response from our elite joint task force,” said FDNY Commissioner Robert S. Tucker. “Our Fire Marshals worked side by side with our partners in the NYPD and ATF to identify and apprehend this suspect quickly. Their work has removed a dangerous individual from the streets of New York City and the FDNY will continue to work closely with our public safety partners to keep New Yorkers safe.”
“Hiram Carrero showed a complete disregard for human life when he allegedly set a sleeping New Yorker on fire inside a subway car,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “This attack is among the most serious acts of violence a person can commit, and it has no place in our city—above or below ground. This case also reflects the exceptional work of the NYPD’s Detective Bureau, whose investigators worked closely with our federal partners to identify the individual responsible. And it comes at a time when the last five months have been the safest for subway riders in recorded history. I am grateful to our detectives, our responding officers, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their swift and coordinated work on this case.”
According to the allegations in the Complaint and statements made in open Court:
At approximately 3:03 a.m., CARRERO entered a northbound train at the 34th Street – Penn Station subway stop. He picked up a piece of paper from the subway car (depicted in the screenshot below), lit it on fire near where the victim was sleeping, and jumped out of the car just as the doors were closing.
Video from inside the train car shows that as the train traveled north towards the 42nd Street – Times Square subway stop, the fire flared up, engulfing the victim’s legs and a portion of the train car in flames. When the train arrived at 42nd Street – Times Square, the victim emerged, burning from the train (depicted in a screenshot below).
Law enforcement partners on the platform responded to the victim immediately and extinguished the fire. The victim was rushed to the hospital in critical condition.
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CARRERO, 18, is charged with arson resulting in injury to another person, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison and a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison.
The maximum and minimum 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 the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the ATF and NYPD, and the FDNY Fire Marshals. Mr. Clayton also thanked the United States Marshals Service for their assistance in this case.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron Molis 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.
Kyle Man Sentenced to Nearly 4 years in Federal Prison for Causing Fatal Car Crash While IntoxicatedRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Kyle, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on December 1, 2025.
Kevin Hunter, 33, was sentenced to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hunter was indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter by a federal grand jury in July 2024. He pleaded guilty on September 2, 2025.
On May 15, 2024, near Kyle, South Dakota, Hunter drove his pickup while under the influence of alcohol, reaching speeds over 80 miles per hour. He crossed into the oncoming lane and struck a van, killing the passenger inside. Instead of calling 911 or seeking help, Hunter immediately fled the scene and then lied to investigators about his whereabouts that night. In sentencing him to the top of his Sentencing Guidelines range, Judge Theeler noted that Hunter had a history of previous DUI convictions, concluding such a sentence was necessary to protect the public.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes committed in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Hunter was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Kingsford Man Sentenced to 360 Months in Prison for Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that Dalton Wayne Braun, 36, of Kingsford, was sentenced to 360 months in prison followed by 120 months of supervised release for the sexual exploitation of a child. During sentencing, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker noted that the case involved “truly egregious facts.”
Braun admitted when pleading guilty that he had recorded a video of himself sexually abusing a minor child in July 2024. Braun also admitted that he then distributed that video over the internet.
U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey said, “Dalton Braun repeatedly abused a small child, who was not even old enough to voice the abuse he was suffering. No one should tolerate such abuse and my office certainly will not. I commend my staff and our law enforcement partners for their diligence.”
“Crimes committed against children are some of the most unforgivable and those who commit them deserve severe and lasting consequences,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The maximum sentence imposed on Dalton Braun demonstrates the gravity of his depraved actions and the severe impact it had on children across the United States. I am grateful for the dedicated efforts of FBI Detroit’s Marquette Resident Agency, FBI Milwaukee’s Green Bay Resident Agency, the Michigan State Police, the Kingsford Department of Public Safety, the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for protecting the most vulnerable members in our communities by stopping Mr. Braun before he could commit another heinous offense.”
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led by the Marquette Resident Agency, Michigan State Police, Kingsford Department of Public Safety, and Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. Information obtained as part of this investigation has thus far led to six additional child victims being recovered from abusive situations; five additional federal indictments; and two state or local arrests.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit justice.gov/PSC.
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Justice Department Requires Divestitures to Proceed with Constellation’s Proposed $26.6 Billion Acquisition of CalpineRead the Press Release
Note: View proposed settlement here.
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division, together with the Attorney General of Texas, announced today that it will require divestiture of six power plants in Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Texas to resolve antitrust concerns arising from Constellation Energy Corporation, Inc.’s $26.6 billion acquisition of Calpine Corporation.
The Antitrust Division filed a civil antitrust lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to block the proposed acquisition. At the same time, the Division filed a proposed settlement that, if approved by the court, would resolve the Division’s competitive concerns.
“The price of electricity is a pocketbook issue to American consumers working hard to afford their monthly utility bills. When it comes to their electricity bills, Americans deserve the benefit of robust competition among electricity generators,” said Assistant Attorney General Abigail Slater of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “This settlement includes a six-plant divestiture to an acquisition that risked harming tens of millions of electricity consumers in the mid-Atlantic and Texas. I am appreciative of the partnership with our co-plaintiff, the State of Texas, to secure relief for consumers.”
As detailed in the complaint, the acquisition would create the largest wholesale power generator in the United States and increase the likelihood that the combined firm would profitably withhold electricity from one or more of its plants. The result would be higher electricity prices for customers in Texas, where the electricity grid is operated by the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT), and in New Jersey, Delaware, southeastern Pennsylvania, and the eastern shores of Maryland and Virginia, where the electricity grid is operated by PJM Interconnection LLC (PJM).
The divestitures resolve the Division’s concerns that the acquisition would harm competition and lead to higher prices on consumers reliant on the ERCOT and PJM electricity grids. Specifically, the settlement requires the companies to divest their ownership interests in four electricity plants serving PJM and two electricity plants serving ERCOT. The divested plants are:
- Bethlehem Energy Center, a natural gas combined cycle plant, located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania;
- York Energy Center (York 1 and York 2), a dual-fuel combined cycle plant, located southeast of the city of York, Pennsylvania;
- Hay Road Energy Center, a dual-fuel combined cycle plant, located in Wilmington, Delaware;
- Edge Moor Energy Center, a simple cycle natural gas plant, located in Wilmington, Delaware;
- Jack A. Fusco Energy Center, a natural gas combined cycle plant, located southwest of Houston, Texas; and
- Gregory Power Plant, a natural gas combined cycle plant, located northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.
This is the first settlement consent decree that the Division has filed in an electricity merger in 14 years.
Constellation is a publicly traded Pennsylvania corporation headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. It is one of the largest owners of electric generation assets in the United States. In 2024, the company earned $23.6 billion in revenue. It currently controls more than 20,000 megawatts of generating capacity in PJM and approximately 5,000 megawatts in ERCOT.
Calpine is a privately held Delaware corporation headquartered in Houston, Texas. Calpine is the largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal in the United States. The company controls approximately 9,000 megawatts of generating capacity in ERCOT and 5,000 megawatts in PJM.
As required by the Tunney Act, the proposed settlement, along with a competitive impact statement, will be published in the Federal Register. Any person should submit written comments concerning the proposed settlement within 60 days following the publication to Patricia Corcoran, Acting Chief, Transportation, Energy & Agriculture Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice, 450 Fifth Street NW, Suite 8000, Washington, DC 20530. At the conclusion of the public comment period, the court may enter the final judgment upon finding it is in the public interest.
Constellation Calpine Complaint.pdf Constellation Calpine PFJ.pdfIllinois Precision Machining Company Agrees to Pay $421,234 to Resolve Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Note: View settlement here.
Swiss Automation Inc. has agreed to pay $421,234 to resolve alleged False Claims Act violations relating to its failure to provide adequate cybersecurity for certain drawings of parts that the company machined and supplied to Department of Defense (DoD) prime contractors. Swiss Automation is an Illinois precision machining business that supplies alloy and metal parts to commercial and government customers in many industries, including DoD prime contractors and subcontractors.
The settlement resolves allegations that Swiss Automation caused the submission of false claims by not providing adequate cybersecurity to safeguard certain drawings of parts that the company machined and supplied to DoD prime contractors. Swiss Automation allegedly knew that the requirement to provide adequate security by implementing certain cybersecurity controls applied not only to DoD prime contractors, but also to subcontractors and suppliers to the prime contractors. The obligation to implement security controls specified in National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-171 (NIST SP 800-171) to protect certain DoD information has applied to DoD contracts, subcontracts, and similar contractual instruments since 2017 and will continue under the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program that DoD recently finalized.
“As cyber threats continue to evolve, suppliers to defense contractors must be vigilant and take the steps required to protect sensitive government information from bad actors,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “We will continue our efforts to hold defense contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers accountable when they fail to honor their DoD cybersecurity commitments.”
“Cybercriminals are increasingly targeting government contractors to steal sensitive and valuable information in their possession,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “Defense contractors in particular must maintain robust safeguards against these threats through stringent compliance with federal cybersecurity regulations. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago will continue to work closely with our law enforcement and agency partners to ensure that government contractors protect sensitive information and critical infrastructure in compliance with federal laws and regulations.”
“Protecting our nation’s security includes protecting its data. As cyber threats become more sophisticated, defense contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers must do their part to safeguard sensitive government information,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jason Sargenski, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “We will hold contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers accountable when they fall short of their cybersecurity obligations to the Department of Defense.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which permit private parties to sue on behalf of the government when a defendant has submitted or caused to be submitted false claims for government funds and receive a share of any recovery. The settlement in this case provides for the whistleblower, Jaime Gomez, a former quality-control manager at Swiss Automation, to receive $65,291 as his share of the settlement. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Gomez v. Swiss Automation Inc., No. 1:22-cv-4328 (N.D. Ill.).
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois, with assistance from DCIS, and the Army Criminal Investigation Division.
The matter was handled by Senior Trial Counsel Gregory Pearson of the Justice Department’s Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Kelly for the Northern District of Illinois.
The claims resolved by the United States in the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
Swiss Automation Settlement.pdfIllinois Men Face Additional Charges for Health Care Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Two Illinois brothers were indicted yesterday in a superseding indictment on charges related to a scheme to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and private health care insurers and for participating in a money laundering conspiracy with the fraud proceeds.
“These defendants are charged with a brazen scheme to steal nearly $300 million from vital health care programs by taking advantage of the fear and panic of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These charges make clear that the Criminal Division will never rest in its pursuit of those who try to exploit the most vulnerable members of our society, the elderly and the disabled, for their own personal gain."
“The defendants chose to enrich themselves and deprive the most vulnerable members of society from much needed assistance designed by the U.S. Government to provide critical relief efforts,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas S. DePodesta of the FBI Chicago Field Office. “Health care fraud affects everyone — it costs taxpayers millions of dollars, contributes to rising health insurance premiums, and depletes resources from our vital health care system. The FBI is committed to working with all our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to ensure that anyone who dares to exploit government programs intended to assist the American people will be held fully accountable under federal law.”
“Allegedly billing almost $300 million dollars to taxpayer-funded and private health care programs for services that were never provided is a staggering abuse of resources,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General. “These charges demonstrate HHS-OIG’s unwavering resolve to hold accountable those who exploit federal health care programs and betray the public trust.”
According to court documents, Minhaj Feroz Muhammad, 37, and Sufyan Feroze, 35, both of Naperville, owned and controlled, sometimes through straw owners, four clinical laboratories located in Illinois and California. Their scheme allegedly sought to defraud Medicare, Medicaid and private insurers by submitting fraudulent claims of over $293 million for COVID-19 laboratory testing services that were never provided, for which insurers paid at least approximately $65 million in reimbursements.
Additionally, as alleged in the superseding indictment, the defendants participated in a money laundering conspiracy by transferring fraud proceeds between laboratories and other businesses controlled by the defendants, ultimately using the funds to purchase real estate, including luxury developments overseas, gold bars, luxury watches and luxury vehicles.
Each defendant has been charged with six counts of health care fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy. Feroze has also been charged with one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property in excess of $10,000.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each health care fraud charge and 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to commit money laundering charge. If convicted, Feroze faces an additional 10 years in prison on the engaging in a monetary transaction in criminally derived property charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Kelly M. Warner of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Harrison County Woman Admits to Theft of Public MoneyRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Christina Nolte, 42, of Bridgeport, West Virginia, has admitted to the theft of public money, United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
According to filed documents and statements made in court, Nolte falsified medical records to receive disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Nolte fraudulently used her disability to have her federal student loans in the amount of $242,528 discharged.
As a part of the plea agreement, Nolte has agreed to the forfeiture and a money judgement in amount of $360,466.38.
Nolte 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 Jennifer T. Conklin is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government, and the matter was investigated by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the Department of Education.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Illegal Reentry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Marlon Jefferson Fajardo-Paiz (33, Guatemala) has pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and illegal re-entry by a previously deported alien. Fajardo-Paiz faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the CSAM offense and 2 years on the immigration charge. Fajardo-Paiz is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.
According to the plea agreement, Fajardo-Paiz is a citizen and national of Guatemala. He was previously removed from the United States on July 20, 2018, and has never received permission from the Attorney General or the Secretary of Homeland Security to apply for readmission to the United States. On April 24, 2025, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office interviewed Fajardo-Paiz during an investigation of a Cybertip relating to the upload of CSAM. Fajardo-Paiz told investigators he had participated in viewing, downloading, and transmitting CSAM. A subsequent search of Fajardo-Paiz’s phone revealed at least 20 items of CSAM.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Grand jury indicts Jamestown man on multiple sex trafficking, kidnapping and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Edward E. Leeper, Jr. aka Edward E. Barnes, Jr., 47, of Jamestown, NY, attempted sex trafficking, sex trafficking, kidnapping, aiding and abetting, distribution of fentanyl, and maintaining a drug involved premises, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 90 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the indictment, between 2019 and 2024, Leeper is accused of sex trafficking or attempting to sex traffic and kidnapping a total of eight victims, using force and threats of force. In addition, Leeper used a Broadhead avenue residence for his drug trafficking activities, including fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Leeper is also charged in a separate federal case with narcotics trafficking. He is accused of conspiring with Joseph S. Zaso and others, to sell heroin and fentanyl in the Jamestown area between 2018, and May 26, 2022.
If you have been victimized by Edward Leeper, Jr. in any way or have any additional information regarding his alleged illegal behavior, please call Homeland Security Investigations at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
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 Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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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Georgia Man Pleads Guilty to Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Kimani Brennen Fletcher (26, Covington, GA) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Fletcher faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.
According to court documents, between April 15, 2024, and April 22, 2024, co-conspirators of Fletcher placed telephone calls to victims in which they falsely and fraudulently identified themselves as members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. The victims were told they had outstanding warrants and needed to pay money to avoid arrest. Fletcher posed as a bail bondsman and picked up money from these victims in the Middle District of Florida. Once Fletcher received the fraud proceeds, he provided the money to his co-conspirators. In total, Fletcher obtained approximately $40,800 in fraud proceeds.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Hillsborough County Sherrif office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ilyssa M. Spergel.
Former Senior DEA Official Indicted for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to A Foreign Terrorist OrganizationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Terrance C. Cole, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Office of Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation ("IRS-CI"), Harry T. Chavis, Jr., announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging PAUL CAMPO and ROBERT SENSI with narcoterrorism, terrorism, narcotics distribution, and money laundering charges. CAMPO and SENSI were arrested yesterday afternoon in New York. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Paul G. Gardephe.
“As alleged, Paul Campo and Robert Sensi conspired to assist CJNG, one of the most notorious Mexican cartels that is responsible for countless deaths through violence and drug trafficking in the United States and Mexico,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “As part of that support, the defendants laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars they believed to be CJNG drug proceeds, agreed to launder millions more, and even agreed to use their financial expertise to facilitate cocaine trafficking right here in New York City. By participating in this scheme, Campo betrayed the mission he was entrusted with pursuing for his 25-year career with the DEA. CJNG is a violent and corrupting criminal enterprise that New Yorkers want broken. I commend the extraordinary efforts of the DEA in aggressively pursuing CJNG and those who support their deadly and corrupt efforts, no matter who they may be.”
“The indictment of former Special Agent Paul Campo sends a powerful message: those who betray the public trust—past or present—will be held to account to the fullest extent of the law,” said DEA Administrator Terrance C. Cole. “The alleged conduct occurred after he left DEA and was unrelated to his official duties here, but any former agent who chooses to engage in criminal activity dishonors the men and women who serve with integrity and undermines the public’s confidence in law enforcement. We will not look the other way simply because someone once wore this badge. There is no tolerance and no excuse for this kind of betrayal.”
“It’s alleged Campo betrayed the public’s trust in support of a violent organization like CJNG, but today's indictment demonstrates that criminals who traffic in narcotics and launder illegitimate profits can't evade detection from IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners,” said IRS-CI Special Agent in Charge Harry T. Chavis, Jr. “This is a significant step towards holding the Campo and his coconspirator accountable for their role in conspiring to hide millions of dollars gained from narcotics distribution.”
According to the allegations contained in the Indictment:[1]
CJNG is a Mexico-based transnational criminal group overseen by Nemesio Ruben “El Mencho” Oseguera-Cervantes that controls a significant portion of the narcotics trafficking trade. CJNG illicitly transports cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other controlled substances into the United States. CJNG also engages in money laundering and other criminal activities, including acts of violence and intimidation. On February 20, 2025, the United States Secretary of State designated CJNG as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act.
PAUL CAMPO worked for the DEA for approximately 25 years, first as a Special Agent in New York and eventually rising to become a high-level DEA official, specifically the Deputy Chief of the Office of Financial Operations. CAMPO retired from DEA in or about January 2016.
In late 2024, ROBERT SENSI began meeting with a confidential source working at the direction of law enforcement (“CS-1”), who was posing as a member of CJNG. SENSI told CS-1 that he had a friend who used to be in charge of DEA’s financial operations who could assist CJNG by laundering narcotics proceeds and providing CS-1 with sensitive DEA information about sources and investigations.
After these initial meetings, CAMPO and SENSI together met with CS-1 on several occasions. During these conversations, CAMPO and SENSI agreed to launder money for CS‑1 by, among other things, converting cash into cryptocurrency and making investments in real estate. CAMPO and SENSI further advised CS-1 about fentanyl production and explored procuring commercial drones and military-grade weapons and equipment for CJNG, including AR-15 semi-automatic rifles, M4 carbines, M16 rifles, grenade launchers, and rocket-propelled grenades. As part of these discussions, CAMPO and SENSI often boasted about and relied heavily on CAMPO’s prior federal law enforcement experience and expertise regarding financial investigations and drug cartels.
Regarding the drones, in one meeting, CS‑1 explained to CAMPO, “what we do with the drones, we put explosives and we just send it over there, boom”; in another conversation, CS‑1 asked SENSI how much C-4 explosive the drones could carry, to which SENSI responded, in sum and substance, approximately six kilograms, which is enough to “blow up the whole f------ . . . I don’t want to say.”
As part of the scheme, CAMPO and SENSI agreed to launder approximately $12,000,000 of CJNG narcotics proceeds; laundered approximately $750,000 by converting cash into cryptocurrency; and provided a payment for approximately 220 kilograms of cocaine on the understanding that the payment would trigger the distribution and sale of the narcotics worth approximately $5,000,000, for which CAMPO and SENSI would (i) receive directly a portion of the narcotics proceeds as profit; and (ii) receive a further commission upon the laundering of the balance of the narcotics proceeds.
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CAMPO, 61, of Oakton, Virginia, and SENSI, 75, of Boca Raton, Florida, are each charged with one count of conspiring to commit narcoterrorism, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of conspiring to provide material support and resources to CJNG, a designated foreign terrorist organization, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 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 defendants will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton also expressed appreciation for the assistance of the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of North Carolina, and Eastern District of Virginia, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Varun A. Gumaste is in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney James Donnelly of the Counterterrorism Section.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth below constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Former Cuban Military Sergeant Sentenced to Federal Prison in Pandemic Benefits Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
A former sergeant in the Cuban military, who obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loans and recruited others to do so, was sentenced on December 3, 2025, to four years in federal prison. Yovany Ciero, age 48, from Mason City, Iowa, formerly of Cuba, Colombia, and Venezuela, received the prison term after a May 8, 2025, jury verdict finding him guilty of three counts of wire fraud, 23 counts of money laundering, one count of engaging in a monetary transaction in property derived from specified unlawful activity, and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
Evidence at Ciero’s trial and sentencing showed that Ciero is a former sergeant in the Cuban military who crossed the Mexican border nearly twenty years ago after his request for a visa to enter the United States was denied. In 2020, Ciero was working at an Algona meatpacking plant when the COVID-19 pandemic began. Beginning in July 2020, Ciero and over one hundred other immigrants from Cuba obtained fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans by falsely claiming that they were self-employed and each had earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2019 when they actually worked at the meatpacking plant or elsewhere.
Ciero was one of six “bundlers” in the fraudulent PPP loan scheme. Ciero’s role was to recruit individuals into the scheme, obtain their personal identifying information for the fraudulent loan applications, and then pass that information to others who submitted the fraudulent loan applications to lenders who were participating in the PPP. The evidence established that over $4 million in fraudulent loan PPP applications were submitted, and the government lost over $2.4 million as a result.
Once the individuals received their fraudulent PPP loan funds, typically $20,000 each, Ciero served as a “funnel” in a money laundering conspiracy. Ciero collected fees that the organizers of the scheme charged the applicants, typically $3,000 per $20,000 fraudulent loan.
Ciero also obtained two fraudulent PPP loans for himself and his paramour. Ciero used most of this PPP loan money to purchase a semi-truck. After obtaining the PPP money, Ciero also obtained a Federal Housing Administration loan for the purchase of a home in Mason City. The district court judge found that Ciero had obstructed justice when he testified falsely at trial.
Ciero is the fifth former Iowa meatpacking plant worker sentenced in the PPP scheme:
● In December 2024, Dinneris Matos Delgado, age 41, from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, formerly of Storm Lake and Algona, Iowa, and Cuba, was sentenced to ten months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $60,744 in restitution, after she pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.
● In December 2024, Ada Irma Rodriguez Fontaine, age 59, from Auburndale, Florida, formerly of Storm Lake, Iowa, and Cuba, was sentenced to six months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $75,417 in restitution, after she pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.
● In May 2025, Yordanis Perez Velazquez, age 41, from Tampa, Florida, formerly of Algona, Iowa, and Cuba, was sentenced to five months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $111,195 in restitution, after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud.
● In July 2025, Maikel Sanchez Garcia, age 44, from Tampa, Florida, formerly of Algona, Iowa, and Cuba, was sentenced to 11 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay $138,662 in restitution, after he pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of money laundering.
Ciero was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ciero was sentenced to 48 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to make $212,293 in restitution to the SBA. He must also serve a two-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Ciero is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Daniel A. Chatham and investigated by the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Storm Lake Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-3013.
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Former Bank Vice President Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Fraudulent PPP and EIDL Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A former bank vice president in Wichita Falls, Texas was sentenced to four years in federal prison for a fraud scheme involving fraudulent Paycheck Protection Plan and Economic Injury Disaster loans, announced United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould.
Kaylee Ree Lunn, 37, of Holliday, Texas, pled guilty to one count of wire fraud in July 2025 related to several fraudulent PPP loans she submitted in 2020 and 2021. On Friday, December 5, 2025, Lunn was sentenced to forty-eight months’ imprisonment by Chief United States District Judge Reed C. O’Connor, who also ordered Lunn to pay restitution of $573,444 to the Small Business Administration and more than $19,000 to her former employer, Prosperity Bank (formerly First Capital Bank).
According to court records, Lunn admitted that, while she was vice president of commercial lending at the Wichita Falls branch of First Capital Bank, she accessed and unlawfully used the personal and business financial information of certain bank customers to apply for a series of four fraudulent PPP loans and a commercial loan in late 2020 through mid-2021. Lunn admitted that she used false or inflated income and payroll expense figures and diverted loan proceeds totaling more than $276,000 to bank accounts she controlled, all without the customers’ knowledge or consent.
Court records also reflect that Lunn applied for and received more than $140,000 in fraudulent PPP loans falsely reflecting the business entities as her husband’s. Throughout this time period, Lunn also made failed attempts to obtain several Economic Injury Disaster loans of over $890,000, which were ultimately rejected because they were associated with fraudulent information. According to plea documents, Lunn spent thousands of dollars of the fraudulently-obtained loan proceeds on her personal and lifestyle expenses.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office through the Amarillo Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorney Mark (“Mac”) McDonald prosecuted the case.
Florida, Virginia Residents Indicted in $26 Million Wire Fraud and Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Orlando, Florida, and a resident of Vienna, Virginia, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today.
The six-count Indictment named Trevaughn J. Yearwood, a/k/a Larry Wood, 28, of Florida, currently in custody in the Clearfield County Jail on unrelated state charges, and Amit Kumar Jain, a/k/a Buddy Patel, 46, of Virginia, as defendants.
According to the Indictment, which was unsealed following Jain’s arrest today in Virginia, Jain and Yearwood conspired to defraud senior citizens in Western Pennsylvania and throughout the United States in an elder fraud scheme in which conspirators used deceptive emails that led victims to give Yearwood, Jain, and their co-conspirators tens of thousands of dollars in cash or to make substantial deposits of cash into bitcoin ATMs. The Indictment alleges that, between January 2024 and August 2025, Jain and his co-conspirators operated fictitious entities through which Jain and others laundered approximately $26 million of victim funds through accounts held at a Vienna, Virginia, bank.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $1 million, or both for Jain, and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both for Yearwood. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Mt. Lebanon (Pa.) Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Florida Man Sentenced to 8 Years Imprisonment for Embezzlement and FraudRead the Press Release
Savannah, GA: A former employee of a manufacturing company with a plant in Savannah, GA, was sentenced to 96 months of confinement for embezzlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars.
John Laakso, also known as John Trebesch, age 57, of Savannah, GA, was charged in November 2024 with one count of Wire Fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343. On December 2, 2025, following a guilty plea, Laakso was sentenced to 96 months of imprisonment by the Honorable R. Stan Baker, Chief Judge for the Southern District of Georgia.
“Our business partners in this District are the bedrock of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Margaret E. Heap. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Southern District of Georgia will continue to ensure that those who abuse trust for personal gain will face justice, and that our community will be protected.”
According to court documents and in court testimony, Laakso was a former Engineering Manager for the local company. Using that position, he defrauded his employer of nearly $500,000. He did so by secretly awarding lucrative contracts to his own pass-through companies, both for services that Laakso never provided, and for goods and services that Laakso secretly billed to his employer at a fraudulent rate.
“John Laakso betrayed his employer and fellow employees in this secretive and organized effort,” said FBI Atlanta Special Agent in Charge Paul Brown. “Anyone who steals funds and unlawfully profits at the expense of others will be held accountable.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Darron J. Hubbard and Bradford C. Patrick.
For any questions, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (912) 652-4422.
Florida Man Sentenced to 2 Years in Prison for Tax Evasion and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Florida man was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for attempting to evade federal taxes and engaging in fraudulent transfers and concealment in a bankruptcy proceeding.
U.S. District Judge Stacy D. Neumann sentenced Paul Archer, 46, formerly of Hampden and Orrington, to 24 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release.
According to court records, Archer operated a profitable online marketing business for software installation on computers, earning several million dollars from 2013 through 2015. After an IRS audit in 2016 assessed a federal tax debt totaling approximately $1 million for those years, Archer concealed and transferred assets through two LLCs he controlled and began using third-party bank accounts to evade paying the tax debt.
From April 2018 through November 2019, Archer transferred and concealed assets and income by using a series of bank accounts held in the names of Max Tune Up, LLC, Stealth Kit, LLC, his father, and his spouse. Using a bank account held by Stealth Kit, LLC, for instance, Archer received income via direct deposits, initiated and received over $2 million in wire payments, and used cryptocurrency trading platforms and online payment systems to transfer funds. Archer transferred an investment account held in his own name to an account held in the name of Stealth Kit, LLC, then engaged in trading activity, stock ownership, and dividend/interest distributions. Archer further owned and transacted in Bitcoin using two different cryptocurrency exchanges, purchasing and later trading several hundred thousand dollars in cryptocurrency.
In March 2019, Archer filed a Chapter 7 bankruptcy proceeding. In his Chapter 7 petition and schedules, Archer falsely claimed less than $50,000 in assets; a single checking account; no other assets or property interests; no recent asset transfers; and no connections to any businesses or memberships in any LLCs. Archer repeated these falsehoods under oath during meetings of creditors convened by a Chapter 7 Trustee, as well as in statements made to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maine.
IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI investigated the case.
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Federal Jury Convicts Man of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey announced that a federal jury convicted Kyle Lee Dean, (45, L’Anse, Michigan) of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Dean will be sentenced in 2026.
On January 20, 2024, Dean went to the victim’s house that is inside the L’Anse Reservation of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community, got into a fist fight, and then stabbed the victim nearly a dozen times. Based on the testimony at trial, but for the work of first responders and the doctors at Baraga County Memorial Hospital and Upper Peninsula Health System (UPHS) – Marquette, the victim would have died from his injuries.
“My office will work tirelessly to prosecute those people who commit violent crimes within Indian Country,” said U.S. Attorney VerHey. “We prioritize ensuring that our tribal communities are safe and will hold individuals like Dean accountable to ensure that safety.”
“FBI Detroit works tirelessly to investigate violent crimes committed on Indian Reservations. The conviction of Kyle Dean for his brutal and malicious attack within the L’Anse Reservation of the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community sends a clear message that the FBI will be relentless in pursuing those who bring harm to tribal communities and securing justice for their victims,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “I am grateful for the partnership and dedicated investigative work from the members of our FBI Marquette Resident Agency, the Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, the Village of L’Anse Police, and the Michigan State Police. We also recognize the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for securing this important conviction.”
The FBI, Michigan State Police, Keweenaw Bay Indian Community Tribal Police, and Village of L’Anse Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hanna Rutkowski and Theodore Greeley are prosecuting it.
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Father and Son Leaders of Transnational Criminal Organization Sentenced to Prison for Violations of Kingpin Statute and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Phoenix, Arizona, and a Mexican national illegally residing in Phoenix were sentenced in federal court to charges of violating the federal “Kingpin” drug-trafficking statute for operating a continuing criminal enterprise as well as money laundering, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. The defendants were among 35 individuals charged in a Second Superseding Indictment unsealed in January 2024 for their participation in a domestic and international narcotics and money laundering conspiracy involving substantial quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine (read the Second Superseding Indictment news release here).
The sentences imposed by United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan were:
DefendantAgeResidenceSentenceMarcos Monarrez Jr.26Phoenix, ArizonaLife imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised releaseMarcos Monarrez-Mendoza55Mexico15 years of imprisonment, to be followed by deportation to MexicoIn connection with the guilty pleas, the Court was advised that, at various times from September 2022 to November 2022, Monarrez Jr.—a co-leader, along with his father Marcos Monarrez-Mendoza, of the Phoenix-based Monarrez Drug Trafficking Organization—was intercepted over a federal wiretap obtaining hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, millions of fentanyl pills, and kilograms of cocaine from a Mexican national drug supplier. Monarrez Jr. and Monarrez-Mendoza provided the drugs to a network of subordinate drug traffickers who redistributed them throughout the country, including into western Pennsylvania. Additionally, Monarrez Jr. provided over $10,000 and Monarrez-Mendoza provided over $100,000 in proceeds from the drug sales to couriers, who smuggled the money into Mexico to promote the drug trafficking operation.
“The sentencings of the father/son leaders of this transnational criminal organization today, in addition to the earlier sentencings of nearly two dozen of their co-defendants in the case, are reflective of the extremely serious nature of these charges and the magnitude of the destruction such groups inflict upon our communities,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Rivetti. “The Monarrez TCO introduced massive amounts of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into neighborhoods throughout the country, using violence and money laundering to help carry out their drug trafficking. We remain resolute in standing with our law enforcement partners at all levels to investigate and dismantle such networks and protect our communities from these predators.”
“Today’s sentencings send a clear message: the FBI and our partners will not allow organized drug networks to crisscross this continent,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “The flow of these deadly poisons across the border ends right here in our communities where families and lives are destroyed. It fuels addiction, overdoses, and violence. Those who think they can peddle these drugs will be put away for a very long time.”
“With Marcos Monarrez Jr. and his father, Marcos Monarrez-Mendoza, heading to federal prison, the dismantling of this father-and-son trafficking enterprise has proven that no one is beyond the reach of justice,” said Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Eric McLoughlin. “By working in lockstep with the FBI, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Pennsylvania, and our state and local partners, HSI cut off a pipeline responsible for distributing millions of fentanyl pills, hundreds of pounds of methamphetamine, and multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine into communities here in western Pennsylvania and across the nation. Today’s sentencings demonstrate our unwavering commitment to protect the public and to hold transnational criminal networks fully accountable for the devastation they inflict.”
Monarrez Jr. was also sentenced at the same proceeding to a charge from the Eastern District of Michigan of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl from in and around February 2019 to on or about December 14, 2021. Additionally, Monarrez Jr. pleaded guilty at the same proceeding to a charge of violating RICO racketeering acts involving bribery conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute K2, and money laundering. While detained at the Cambria County Prison in the Western District of Pennsylvania from in and around July 2023 to on or about December 19, 2023, Monarrez Jr. used contraband cell phones to communicate with other co-conspirators outside of the jail facility in an effort to direct the continued operations of the Monarrez DTO. Specifically, Monarrez Jr. coordinated the distribution of approximately 500,000 fentanyl pills and kilogram-quantities of fentanyl powder throughout the United States. Sentencing for the latter offense is scheduled for April 13, 2026. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both.
To date, 33 of the 35 defendants charged in the Second Superseding Indictment have pleaded guilty or been convicted in this case, with 25 now having been sentenced. Two of the defendants were convicted during a jury trial in September 2025 and are pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorneys Arnold P. Bernard Jr. and Katherine C. Jordan are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of the defendants. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, FBI Safe Streets Task Force, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Prison, and other local law enforcement agencies.
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.
Ecuadorian National Sentenced to 18 Months in Federal Prison for Illegally Reentering U.S. after Sex Assault ConvictionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ROBERTO MUY, 35, a citizen of Ecuador last residing in Torrington, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 18 months of imprisonment for illegally reentering the United States after being deported.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in February 2006, Muy was admitted to the U.S. using a fraudulent visitor visa under the alias of a Peruvian citizen. In June 2012, he was convicted in Connecticut Superior Court in Torrington of sexual assault of a minor in the second degree, and was sentenced to 10 years of incarceration, suspended after 15 months, and 25 years of probation. In June 2013, Muy was removed to Ecuador.
Muy illegally reentered the U.S. and, on November 9, 2024, was arrested by the Torrington Police Department and charged with illegal operation of a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol/drug. On March 18, 2025, he was sentenced in state court to two years of incarceration for violating his state probation related to his 2012 conviction, and a concurrent two days of incarceration for the 2024 motor vehicle offense.
Muy has been detained since his arrest. He pleaded guilty to illegal reentry on August 18, 2025.
This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary G. Vitale.
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.
District of Arizona Charges 242 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from November 29, 2025, through December 5, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought im-migration-related criminal charges against 242 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 111 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 118 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlaw-ful immigration, the United States filed 12 cases against 13 individuals responsible for smug-gling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immi-gration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Admin-istration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Dulce Haglaen Durazo-Torres: On December 4, 2025, Dulce Haglaen Durazo-Torres was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. An AZ DPS trooper observed Durazo-Torres driving slowly on I-10 Westbound. The trooper suspected the vehicle was attempting to avoid detection and ran a vehicle registration check. The check confirmed that the vehicle’s plates were suspended, and the trooper initiated a traffic stop. The trooper observed Durazo-Torres, one man in the passenger seat, and one man in the backseat of the car. The two passengers admitted to entering the United States without legal authorization, and Du-razo-Torres admitted to transporting the passengers into the United States. Immigration checks confirmed that Duraz-Torres and the two passengers are citizens of Mexico, unlawfully present in the United States. Case Number: 25-MJ-08581-PHX-JZB
United States v. Edgar Eduardo Quiroz-Otero: On December 1, 2025, Edgar Eduardo Quiroz-Otero was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien. Quiroz-Otero was previously removed from the United States in July 2024 after being convicted of Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, a felony, in the United States District Court, Southern District of Ohio. In that case, Quiroz-Otero was sentenced to 30 months of im-prisonment followed by three years of supervised release. Case Number: 25-MJ-08558-PHX-JZB
United States v. Joseph Tunon Esteban-Seanez: On December 1, 2025, Joseph Tunon Esteban-Seanez and Jesus Francisco Pena-Valenzuela, both Mexican citizens illegally present in the United States, were charged with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit. During a vehicle stop on suspicion of alien smuggling, agents requested the driver, Esteban, to put his Jeep in park. Instead, Esteban drove away. Agents pursued but ultimately terminated the pursuit because of the Jeep's speed. Agents then found the Jeep parked in front of a store and arrested Esteban inside the store and Pena with two other aliens some distance away from the store, hid-ing in the brush. Esteban and Pena had agreed to pick up and transport other aliens because they had been fired from their jobs and saw the opportunity to make money. Case Number: 25-MJ-01360-TUC-BGM
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-171_December 5 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Defendant Indicted for Attempting to Meet A Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Ismael Osbaldo Pedro Tomas (23, Guatemala) with attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Pedro Tomas faces a minimum sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between July 22 and August 11, 2025, Pedro Tomas attempted to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual whom he believed had not yet attained the age of 18 years to engage in prostitution and sexual activity.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
DC Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Involuntary Manslaughter Charges in Connection with Fatal Crash on Clara Barton ParkwayRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis sentenced Jordan Johnson, 28, of Washington, D.C., today, to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter. Additionally, Judge Xinis ordered Johnson to pay $12,000 of restitution to the family. The sentence is in connection with a fatal car crash on the Clara Barton Park that claimed the life of a 23-year-old man.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Chief Scott Brecht, United States Park Police (USPP).
On March 20, 2022, at about 4:45 a.m., Johnson was driving on the Clara Barton Parkway, in Montgomery County, Maryland, when he struck two vehicles that were in the roadway. Both cars were involved in a separate crash. Victim 1 was one of the individuals involved in the original car crash, but died on impact when struck by Johnson’s vehicle. Victim 1 was pronounced dead at the scene.
Immediately following the crash, Johnson and his passenger walked away from the scene towards Washington, D.C., where Johnson resides. Law enforcement responded to the scene of the collision and broadcasted a description of Johnson and his passenger to local law enforcement agencies. Then USPP spotted them approximately a half mile away from the crash scene.
Johnson’s passenger told law enforcement officers that as she and Johnson walked away from the crash site, she saw the victim on the ground bleeding. Johnson later told law enforcement that they left the scene because he knew authorities would identify him from the paperwork associated with the apartment complex that he borrowed the car from.
A USPP crash reconstructionist concluded that Johnson traveled between 95 and 99 miles per hour in the five seconds prior to the crash. The posted speed limit is 35 miles per hour. As result of the speed he was driving, Johnson was unable to observe and perceive the vehicles stopped ahead. Additionally, Johnson drove recklessly during the entirety of his recorded trip, spanning approximately 40 minutes prior to this crash. The crash reconstructionist concluded that Johnson’s high rate of speed was a major contributing factor to the crash.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPP for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaShanta Harris and Ellen Nazmy who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Downloading Thousands of Images and Video of Children Being Sexually AbusedRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Michael Hochman, 52, of Warminster, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 240 months in prison and 10 years of supervised release by United States District Judge Kelley Brisbon Hodge for downloading and collecting thousands of images and video of child sexual abuse material.
The defendant was charged by information with receipt of child pornography and pleaded guilty in June.
In 2002, Hochman was convicted in the state of Kansas of aggravated indecent liberties with a child, for which he was sentenced to 55 months’ imprisonment. In that case, he communicated online with a 13-year-old girl, manipulated her into producing sexually explicit images, and traveled to Kansas and engaged in sex with the child on multiple occasions.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Fort Washington Resident Agency and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Chinese Nationals Plead Guilty to Harboring and Employing Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – On December 4, 2025, Xue Rong Wu, 44 and, Xiong Wei Yang, 44 currently of Elizabethton, Tennessee entered guilty pleas to one count of conspiracy to harbor aliens for the purpose of commercial advantage and private financial gain in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324(a)(1)(A)(iii) and (v)(I), (a)(1)(B)(i) and one count of aiding and abetting the practice and pattern of hiring for employment aliens not authorized to be employed in the United States in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324a(a)(1)(A) and (f)(1), 18 U.S.C. § 2, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Greeneville. Sentencing has been set before the Honorable Clifton L. Corker, United States District Judge, on April 8, 2026, at 11:00am in United States District Court at Greeneville.
They each face a term of imprisonment of up to 10 years followed by a term of supervised release up to three years, and a fine up to $250,000.00, as to the first count and up to six months imprisonment or not more than $3000 fine for each unauthorized alien or both, a term of probation up to five years, and a fine up to $5,000.00 as to the latter count.
According to filed court documents, Wu and Yang, who are married, run the Red Ginger Buffet in Elizabethton. They converted a single-family residence in Elizabethton into numerous single person rooms where their employees lived. During a traffic stop on March 20, 2025, agents stopped Wu’s vehicle leaving the residence heading to the Red Ginger Buffet. Wu was driving the vehicle occupied by seven other passengers. The five male passengers each spoke Spanish, and only three were able to produce identification. The other two stated their identification was with their belongings at the residence. Four of the five male passengers confirmed they were from Mexico, and the other confirmed he was from Guatemala. The two female passengers were each confirmed to be from China, spoke very little English, and provided Tennessee identification cards. The five male passengers confirmed that they were employed at the Red Ginger Buffett, did not have to prove their citizenship or identity for employment and were allowed to live at the home for free. A records check confirmed that the five male passengers were in the country illegally.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; and Acting Special Agent in Charge, Colin Jackson, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
This prosecution is the result of an ongoing investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations.
Meghan L. Gomez, Assistant United States Attorney represented the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Cedar Park Man Arrested, Charged with Defrauding InvestorsRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Cedar Park man was arrested Thursday on criminal charges related to his alleged wire fraud.
According to court documents, from no later than 2018 through September 2023, Daniel Vincent Attridge, 48, allegedly defrauded multiple individuals whom he convinced to lend him money. An indictment filed earlier this week alleges that Attridge told the individuals that he traded commodities such as petroleum, precious metals and cryptocurrencies through his company called Nilsatis, Inc. He allegedly told them that, if they lent him money, he would use the funds to trade said commodities and that he could pay interest on the funds at relatively high rates due to the profits he would earn from trading.
The indictment alleges that Attridge entered into loan agreements with the individuals, some of which listed Nilsatis, Inc. as the borrower and others which listed Attridge named himself as the borrower. In one agreement, Nilsatis, Inc. allegedly agreed to repay a loan of $150,000 plus 3% monthly interest or at an interest rate “reflective of trade performance” after 24 months. In another agreement, Nilsatis, Inc. allegedly agreed to pay 9.1% interest for a six-week period on a $20,000 loan. Attridge allegedly agreed to pay interest of at least 25% on a $50,000 loan for the period of Dec. 5, 2022 to June 1, 2023. And in two other agreements, Nilsatis, Inc. and Attridge allegedly agreed to repay loans of $125,000 and $10,000 with 21% interest each.
The indictment alleges that Attridge used only a small fraction of the loan proceeds to trade commodities and used the majority to pay personal living expenses or to pay principal and interest to lenders, failing to disclose that he had spent and would spend most of their money in way that did not generate profits.
Attridge is charged with five counts of wire fraud. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI San Antonio White Collar Crime Task Force is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Buie is prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know has been a victim of a scam or fraud scheme, report it to ic3.gov, the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3).
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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Carter County Resident Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Michael Paul King, age 50, of Lone Grove, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Indictment charged King with knowingly possessing a 7.62x25mm semi-automatic pistol and a .22 caliber semi-automatic pistol on June 30, 2024, after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Ardmore Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report.
A U.S. District Court Judge will determine the sentence to be imposed after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
King will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan Conway represented the United States.
California Man Sentenced to Life in Federal Prison for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Tulare, California man was sentenced on December 2, 2025, to life in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at trial, Brian Joaquin Alvarado, 40, was the leader of an extensive drug trafficking organization that sold large amounts of methamphetamine in the Des Moines area and transported firearms to California. Alvarado, who was serving a prison sentence in California, organized and coordinated shipments of methamphetamine and firearms with the assistance of at least five co-defendants, including his then 18-year-old son. In July 2025, following a two-day trial, a jury convicted Brian Joaquin Alvarado of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
The co-defendants were sentenced as follows:
• Brian Crimson Alvarado, 20, was sentenced to 100 months in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release, on November 5, 2025;
• Jose Martine Alejo Galan, 29, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release, on February 27, 2025;
• Linda Roseanne Gonzalez Gayton, 37, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release, on August 28, 2025;
• Gregory Paul Shiner, 25, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison, followed by a five-year term of supervised release, on November 21, 2025; and
• Kassianne Kay Timm, 30, was sentenced to a time-served sentence, followed by a three-year term of supervised release, on December 18, 2024.
There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Department of Public Safety – Division of Narcotics Enforcement and United States Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jon Holscher.Armed Baldwin County Methamphetamine Dealers Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Two Baldwin County men were sentenced in late October 2025 to serve 235 months and 60 months in prison for trafficking methamphetamine and illegally possessing firearms as convicted felons.
According to court documents, Boniface Denton Buchanan, 56, and Samuel Earl Crook, Jr., 43, each of Bay Minette, admitted to distributing bulk amounts of methamphetamine to various individuals in north Baldwin County between May 2023 and November 2023. On multiple occasions, narcotics agents used confidential informants to purchase methamphetamine from Buchanan and Crook. Based on these controlled purchases of drugs and other evidence, agents obtained federal warrants to search Buchanan’s and Crook’s residences in Bay Minette.
On November 8, 2023, agents executed the search warrants. When agents encountered Buchanan at his home, he attempted to flee and agents had to wrestle him to the ground. Agents searched Buchanan’s house and found methamphetamine and a loaded shotgun. Buchanan admitted that he had multiple prior felony convictions that made his possession of the shotgun illegal under federal law. When agents tried to interview Buchanan, he responded, “I’ll do my time.” Agents seized and searched Buchanan’s cell phone, which contained numerous text messages and other evidence regarding his drug trafficking.
That same day, agents searched Crook’s residence. Crook admitted to agents that he had methamphetamine, MDMA, and blue “Roxy” pills in his trailer, which agents recovered. Crook further admitted that he had sold several pounds of methamphetamine with Buchanan. While searching Crook’s trailer, agents found a 9mm pistol in his bedroom. In Crook’s truck, agents also found more than $33,000 in cash and a loaded shotgun. Crook admitted that the cash was drug proceeds. He also admitted that he had prior felony convictions and was not allowed to possess guns.
United States District Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Buchanan and Crook to serve 235 months and 60 months in prison, respectively. In addition to the prison terms, Judge Moorer ordered Buchanan and Crook each to serve five-year terms of supervised release upon their release from prison, during which time they will be subject to drug testing and treatment. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Moorer ordered the defendants to pay a total of $400 in special assessments. The court also forfeited the defendants’ guns and cash to the United States.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Mobile comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and various state and local law enforcement partners, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Alabama.