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28 January 2026
Financial Planner Who Did Not File Tax Returns or Pay Income Tax on Nearly $1,500,000 in Income Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A financial planner who failed to file income tax returns for eight years after failing to do so for seven earlier years was sentenced today to three months in federal prison.
Matthew Westberry, age 43, from Marion, Iowa, received the prison term after a July 22, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of failure to file a tax return.
In a plea agreement, Westberry admitted that he did not file a tax return from 2006 to 2012. After being contacted by tax authorities in 2013, Westberry filed delinquent returns for those years and a tax return for 2013. However, he did not pay the income tax he owed for 2008 through 2013.
After filing a tax return in 2013, Westberry stopped filing tax returns. He did not file a tax return for any year between 2014 and 2021. During those years, Westberry had gross income of nearly $1,500,000 from his work as a financial planner. He paid no income tax on those earnings during those years. Westberry should have paid more than $250,000 in federal income tax for that income.
As a result of his failure to pay income taxes for 2008 to 2013, the IRS placed two liens on a piece of property Westberry had agreed to purchase. Westberry did not go through with the purchase but did not have the liens removed from the property. When the property owner tried to sell the property to someone else, the owner discovered the IRS liens in Westberry’s name. To get the liens off the property, Westberry filed false lien releases with the Linn County Recorder’s Office. He prepared the lien releases to look like they came from the IRS. Westberry was convicted of forgery in state court for filing the false lien releases.
Westberry was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States Magistrate Judge Mark Roberts. Westberry was sentenced to three months’ imprisonment. Once he is released from prison, he will have to serve an additional three months of home confinement. He was ordered to make $264,502 in restitution to the IRS. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Westberry had paid approximately $36,000 towards restitution prior to his sentencing. There is no parole in the federal system.
Westberry was released on the bond previously set and is to surrender to the Bureau of Prisons on a date yet to be set.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Anthony Morfitt and investigated by the Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-cr-00054.
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Felon Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man living in Tulsa and previously convicted of raping a teenage girl was sentenced today for failing to register as a sex offender, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Antonio Juan Paredes, 36, to 21 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Upon his release, Paredes will also be required to register as a sex offender.
In 2014, Paredes pled guilty to forcibly raping a 13-year-old in McCurtain County. He was sentenced for first-degree rape and ordered to serve 15 years, with the first 10 years being suspended. In 2015, Paredes was charged in federal court with Assault with a Dangerous Weapon in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. He pleaded guilty in 2016 and was ordered to serve 24 months' imprisonment. Paredes McCurtain County sentence was revoked, and he was ordered to serve two years concurrently with the Eastern District of Oklahoma sentencing.
Paredes was rearrested in 2022 and charged in federal court for failing to comply with the terms of his supervision by quitting his job and moving to Arkansas. He was additionally charged with failing to register as a sex offender and pleaded guilty in both cases. Paredes was ordered to serve 24 months’ imprisonment for both charges.
Court documents show that Paredes was released in March 2024 and failed to report to the U.S. Probation and Parole Offices and that he failed to register as a sex offender, again. He was ordered to serve 12 months’ imprisonment. In August 2025, the marshals found that Paredes had been living in an apartment in Tulsa since his release in 2024. He was charged and arrested in the Northern District of Oklahoma for failing to register as a sex offender.
Paredes will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The U.S. Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough prosecuted the case.
Felon Sentenced for Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tyrone Noble, age 59, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Okfuskee County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Lighthorse Tribal Police Department.
On June 25, 2025, Noble pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 2, 2024, law enforcement discovered Noble in possession of a 12-gauge shotgun and 5 rounds of Winchester 12-gauge ammunition. At the time, Noble had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable Robert J. Shelby, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of Utah, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Noble will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.
Federal, State, and Local Officials Gather to Combat Violent Crime, Narcotics Traffickers, and Child Sex Offenders at Hudson Valley Law Enforcement SymposiumRead the Press Release
On January 27, 2026, over 100 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials gathered at the Orange County Government Center to discuss their efforts to combat crime on behalf of the people of New York. Participants included, among many others, the U.S. Attorneys for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, leaders of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), District Attorneys and Sheriffs from Albany County, Rockland County, Orange County, Westchester County, Dutchess County, Greene County, and Rensselaer County, and senior leaders of the New York State Police.
The presentations and discussions focused on combining resources across offices and departments to combat the greatest threats to the quality of life and safety of the good people of the Hudson Valley. Areas identified as requiring a collective effort included:
- Removing gun-toting career criminals from our streets;
- Dismantling sophisticated narcotics production and distribution enterprises, including the violent transnational gangs that have invaded communities across the Hudson Valley; and
- Protecting our children from sexual predators.
Several case studies involving multi-agency efforts that led to highly successful prosecutions were discussed with an eye toward greater cooperation in the future. The participants also discussed community engagement and community priorities, including “hot spots” where the need for a combination of federal, state, and local resources is most acute.
“It is invaluable to hear directly from our state and local partners,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Jay Clayton. “Our principal objective is to deliver a better quality of life, including safe streets, for the people of the Hudson Valley, and we can best achieve that objective if we work in concert with our state and local partners. Together, we have brought—and will continue to bring—our most violent and most dangerous criminals to justice.”
“Public safety does not stop at district or county lines,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of New York John A. Sarcone III. “This symposium underscores the power of strong partnerships among federal, state, and local law enforcement to confront the most serious threats facing our communities—violent crime, narcotics trafficking, and the exploitation of children. By sharing intelligence, coordinating resources, and aligning our priorities, we are better positioned to dismantle criminal organizations, protect the most vulnerable, and deliver real results for the people we serve.”
“Drugs, guns, and violent crime are endemic public safety concerns that know no boundaries,” said Orange County District Attorney David M. Hoovler. “In order to best protect the residents of Orange County from these ever-present dangers, we must work with our law enforcement partners, near and far. I am grateful not only for all of the law enforcement professionals who attended the symposium, but also for the commitment to work together to serve the residents of the Hudson Valley. This historic event highlights the importance of collaboration in effective law enforcement in the 21st century.”
“This meeting was a tremendous opportunity to gather officials from federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to share information and ideas on how we can leverage our resources to identify, investigate, and bring to justice the dangerous criminals bringing harmful narcotics and weapons into our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albany Field Office Craig Tremaroli. “I’m incredibly grateful to all the partners who made the time to attend this important discussion, and I look forward to working together to achieve our shared goal of keeping all our communities safe.”
“DEA New York remains steadfast in our commitment to working alongside our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to target those looking to distribute illicit narcotics throughout the Hudson Valley region,” said DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “These symposiums provide us the opportunity to gather and collaborate with our partners, which helps strengthen our resolve to enhance public safety and helps protect our communities from drug poisonings which are harming our neighbors.”
“HSI New York was honored to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our fellow law enforcement leaders at the Hudson Valley Law Enforcement Symposium, united by our shared commitment to protecting our communities,” said HSI New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Alfonso. “Bringing together the strength and expertise of federal, state, and local partners is how we turn the tide against violent crime, drug traffickers, and those who prey on our children. When we unite our resources and resolve, we deliver real results—making the Hudson Valley a safer place for every New Yorker.”
“We appreciate our U.S. Attorneys for hosting and participating in this collaborative effort,” said Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s New York Division Bryan DiGiralamo. “ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence, when combined with strong partnerships across all levels of law enforcement, enhances investigations and plays a critical role in reducing violent gun crime and keeping our communities safe.”
“Special thanks to our United States Attorneys for the Southern and Northern Districts of New York, and the Orange County District Attorneys’ Office, for bringing together our federal, state and local law enforcement partners for this meeting,” said DEA Northeast Regional Associate Chief of Operations Frank Tarentino. “The DEA is committed to working with all our law enforcement partners across the region in targeting those drug trafficking organizations and individuals who are responsible for the most harm. This is the DEA’s focus, both here and abroad, and we will continue this fight until we have a fentanyl-free America.”
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Extorting Money from Chicago RestaurateurRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man on extortion charges for threatening and assaulting a Chicago restaurateur to collect a debt.
JAWAD FAKROUNE, also known as “Angelino Escobar” or “Anjelino Escobar,” 46, was found guilty on both extortion counts against him. The jury returned its verdicts after a week-long trial in federal court in Chicago. Each count is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Manish S. Shah set sentencing for June 30, 2026.
Fakroune is a foreign national who recently resided in the Chicago area. Evidence at trial revealed that in 2023 and 2024, Fakroune loaned approximately $405,000 to the restaurateur to develop and open a new restaurant in the Lincoln Park neighborhood of Chicago and to pay back taxes. In November 2024, Fakroune began to threaten the restaurateur about repayment of the loan. On the evening of Nov. 25, 2024, Fakroune confronted the restaurateur and threatened him over the manner and nature of the repayments. Fakroune choked, kicked, and punched the restaurateur, while continuing to demand money and repeatedly threatening the lives of the restaurateur and his family.
The guilty verdicts were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Hennessy and Richard M. Rothblatt.
Everett Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Everett man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for possessing, distributing and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The defendant committed these offenses within months of being released from federal prison.
Robert Sokolowski, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In September 2025, Sokolowski pleaded guilty to one count each of possession of child pornography; distribution of child pornography; and receipt of child pornography.
In September 2024, Sokolowski lost his cell phone on an MBTA Green Line trolley. After the phone was turned in, an employee attempting to identify the owner of the lost phone discovered images of CSAM on the phone. The phone was found to contain hundreds of images and videos depicting CSAM, depicting children as young as toddlers.
This case is Sokolowski’s third federal conviction for CSAM offenses. In 2015, Sokolowski was convicted in U.S. District Court for possession of CSAM and was sentenced to 46 months in prison. In 2015, Sokolowski was convicted a second time in U.S. District Court for possession of CSAM and sentenced to 150 months in prison. He committed the offenses in this case seven months after being released from prison for the 2015 offense.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the MBTA Transit Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren Maynard and Eric L. Hawkins of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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.
Eastern District of Louisiana U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects over $900,000,000 in Civil and Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle announced today that the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana (“USAO”) collected $898,444,168.50 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year (“FY”) 2025. Of this amount, $27,361,565.95 was collected in criminal actions and $871,082,602.55 was collected in civil actions, through the efforts of the Office’s Monetary Penalties and Recovery Unit (MPRU).
Further, the MPRU, as detailed below, also collected $3,700,536.80 in forfeited assets.
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the Department of Justice’s (“Department”) litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the United States, as well as criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, that distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and assistance programs.
In addition to those amounts, the MPRU, working with partner agencies and divisions, also separately forfeited $3,700,536.80 in assets and 200 firearms connected to criminal activity in FY 2025. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department’s Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.
Representative examples of the MPRU’s collection and forfeiture efforts include:
- In April 2025, the USAO recovered $868,965,517.00 from BP Exploration & Production Inc. that was imposed as a result of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
- The MPRU collected approximately $15 million in fines and restitution on behalf of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) and First National Bank of Pennsylvania following a guilty plea from a corporate entity, Murex Management, LLC, for violations of 18 U.S.C.§§ 1005, and 2, as it relates to a fraudulent transaction with a financial institution and aiding and abetting.
- From October 2024 to April 2025, the MPRU collected approximately $4.7 million in restitution on behalf of Medicare from the sale of defendant Shiva Akula’s healthcare agencies, following the filing of Writs of Execution after Akula was found guilty at trial of healthcare fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1347.
- As part of the investigation and prosecution of defendant Joseph West, Jr., the MPRU successfully seized and forfeited $162,597.27 in fraud proceeds tied to the defendant’s wire-fraud conspiracy.
- In connection with a narcotics investigation, the MPRU identified and forfeited real property connected to the drug-trafficking activities of defendant, Curtis Williamson, Jr., effectively depriving him of the proceeds and instrumentalities of his crime.
“These statistics demonstrate the steadfast commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana to seek financial restitution for victims of civil or criminal wrongdoing. Our office achieves such financial justice through the aggressive collection of civil judgments, through criminal fines and restitution, through the seizure of criminal proceeds, as well as through the forfeiture of firearms used to commit crimes” said U.S. Attorney David I. Courcelle. “In accordance with our mission to protect the public, our Monetary Penalties and Recovery Unit will continue, not only to hold accountable those who have profited from their crimes, but also to take guns out of the hands of those who used them to victimize others.”
U.S. Attorney Courcelle thanks Asset Forfeiture Assistant United States Attorney Alexandra Giavotella, Financial Litigation Assistant United States Attorney Churita Hansell, as well as the Office’s outstanding support professionals Jerrilyn A. Dufauchard, Laquana Bates, Christina Garcia, Danielle Smith-Graham, Daishawn Smith, and David Vigier for their hard work and dedication to the pursuit of justice.
Eagle Butte Man Found Guilty of Threatening Federal OfficialRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced that a jury has convicted Joseph Lafferty, age 68, of Eagle Butte, South Dakota, of one count of Threatening a Federal Official following a 3-day jury trial in federal district court in Pierre, South Dakota. The verdict was returned on January 23, 2026.
The charge carries a maximum penalty of six years in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, three years of supervised release, with a violation of a condition of release possibly resulting in two years of additional incarceration on any such revocation, and a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
Lafferty was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2025.
The evidence presented at trial established that on July 21, 2025, Lafferty threatened to get his gun and kill a federal official employed by Indian Health Service, an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. The Defendant made the threat in Eagle Butte, in the Cheyenne River Sioux Indian Reservation.
“This jury verdict should send a clear message,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “We take threats of violence against public officials very seriously and they will be investigated and swiftly prosecuted under the full force of the law.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wayne Venhuizen prosecuted the case.
A presentence investigation was ordered. Sentencing has been scheduled for April 20, 2026. The defendant was continued on release pending sentencing.
Drug Dealer Kills Victim with Fentanyl, Will Spend 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced James Mason Daugherty, 33, to 25 years in federal prison for selling fentanyl which killed a 33-year-old man. Inmate Daugherty pleaded guilty on May 22, 2025.
According to the court documents and other information presented in court, in December of 2021, the New Bern Police Department (NBPD) learned Inmate Daugherty sold fentanyl in New Bern. Law enforcement conducted seven controlled purchases of fentanyl from Inmate Daugherty. On May 16, 2022, the 33-year-old victim died from fentanyl Inmate Daugherty sold him.
Inmate Daugherty admitted this about his victim “that’s the third person I killed off a dope.” Daugherty named the additional two victims he admitted killing with fentanyl saying, “I gave them the dope that killed ‘em.” Daugherty also admitted to selling fentanyl to another person on the same day, and first responders rushed to administer Narcan narrowly saving another victim from dying.
State officials arrested Inmate Daughtery, released him on bond, and ultimately gave him just a probationary sentence for selling fentanyl. Then, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the EDNC federally indicted him for killing the 33-year-old-victim. When the feds arrested him, he remained detained. Following his arrest, law enforcement located and searched his cell phone and discovered that he knew he had killed three people with the fentanyl he sold them, he continued to sell fentanyl while on release and probation from the state, up until his federal arrest and detention.
“Fentanyl kills everyone it touches. These filthy drug dealers know how deadly it is, and they just don’t care. The only way to stop a murderous greedy pig like this is to remove him off the streets, away from our children and families. This murdering drug dealer won’t kill anyone else’s family member until 2050, at least. Good riddance.” said US Attorney Ellis Boyle.
W. Ellis Boyle, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Chief District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, the New Bern Police Department, and Craven County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant United States Attorneys Katherine Englander and Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 4:24-CR-00013-M-RN.
Charlotte Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 21+ Years After Being Arrested with Large Quantities of Methamphetamine, Fentanyl, Two Firearms, $10,000 in Cash, and A Stolen VehicleRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte drug trafficker was sentenced to 262 months in prison today following a federal investigation that resulted in the seizure of large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, two firearms, more than $10,000 in cash, and a stolen vehicle, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. In addition to the prison term imposed, Deontaye Smith, 32, was ordered to serve five years of supervised release. Smith pleaded guilty to three counts of distributing methamphetamine.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, joins U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on March 27, 2024, investigators became aware that an individual known as “Taye,” later identified as Deontaye Smith, was selling large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl, and firearms in the Charlotte area. Using a confidential informant, investigators arranged multiple drug buys with Smith, during which they purchased significant quantities of methamphetamine. Court records show that, on July 16, 2024, Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury. On July 25, 2024, ATF agents arrested Smith at his residence. During a subsequent search, investigators recovered approximately 1.6 kilograms of methamphetamine, 633 grams of fentanyl, $10,099 in cash, two scales, and a stolen Dodge Charger parked at the residence. In addition to the drugs, law enforcement recovered powder used to dilute the drugs. Law enforcement further seized two firearms and several rounds of assorted caliber ammunition. One of the firearms was fitted with a machinegun conversion device, or “Glock switch,” and was equipped with a 31-round extended magazine.
Smith is in federal custody and will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prison upon designation of a federal facility.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson commended the ATF.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Nicholas Kagen Woodin, 34, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 22, 2024, law enforcement officers went to Woodin’s residence to arrest him for alleged violations of his parole. Officers recovered a Hi-Point model C9 9mm pistol under the pillow of Woodin’s bed in his bedroom.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Woodin knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for first-degree robbery in Putnam County Circuit Court on January 17, 2018, possession of a stolen vehicle in Kanawha County Circuit Court on September 6, 2018, and escape from custody in Fayette County Circuit Court on September 13, 2020.
Woodin is scheduled to be sentenced on May 18, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), West Virginia Parole Services, and the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-178.
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Carrollton woman pleads guilty to harboring illegal aliens and participating in massive methamphetamine distribution operationRead the Press Release
Atlanta – Jackelyne Marroquin has pleaded guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute over 760 pounds of methamphetamine and harboring illegal aliens to facilitate the drug trafficking operation.
“Marroquin harbored illegal aliens to operate a metro-Atlanta drug distribution ring,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “As a result of unwavering law enforcement dedication, this insidious trafficking network has been dismantled, and well over a million dollars’ worth of lethal drugs have been removed from our streets. The Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners will continue to protect the public by ensuring North Georgia is never a haven for criminal cartels.”
“Today’s guilty plea reinforces that DEA will not tolerate drug traffickers,” said Jae W. Chung, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division. “Those who fuel the drug trade while putting communities and vulnerable individuals at risk will face serious consequences.”
“Jackelyne Marroquin trafficked illicit drugs and utilized illegal aliens in the furtherance of that crime,” said John B. Stevens, Chief Deputy U.S. Marshal. “The U.S. Marshals, along with our partners in the U.S. Attorney's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, will never stop our pursuit of criminals. The mission of enhancing public safety is vital, and we are honored that it is our responsibility. No matter how long a criminal runs, we will find them, and they will pay.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: In March of 2024, Marroquin rented a home in Stone Mountain, Georgia that was used by a drug trafficking organization to store and distribute large amounts of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed that the methamphetamine was imported from Mexico in bags of charcoal. During the investigation, agents found buckets of methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) at multiple stash houses used by the organization, including the Stone Mountain stash house. MSM is a dietary supplement drug traffickers use to “cut” or mix with methamphetamine to maximize profits.
On April 2, 2024, the DEA and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Stone Mountain residence. Inside of the residence, law enforcement found approximately 760 pounds of 99 percent pure methamphetamine, with a street value of between $1,450,000 and $1,900,000. Agents discovered that two illegal aliens from Mexico, Jonathan Guzman Esquivel and Alfonso Calderon-Rodriguez, had been living at and trafficking drugs from the residence, the inside of which was sparsely furnished and covered with charcoal dust. The investigation revealed that Marroquin had provided the two illegal aliens with the use of her rented residence as well as money for expenses.
Sentencing for Jackelyne Marroquin, 33, of Carrollton, Georgia, is scheduled for April 23, 2026, at 10:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Steven D. Grimberg. In determining the actual sentence, the Court will consider the United States Sentencing Guidelines, which are not binding but provide appropriate sentencing ranges for most offenders.
Jonathan Guzman Esquivel, 34, and Alfonso Calderon-Rodriguez, 30, both of Uruapan, Mexico, previously pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and were each sentenced in the fall of 2024 to serve five years and ten months in federal prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
This case is being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the U.S. Marshals Service, with valuable assistance provided by the DeKalb County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Unit and the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew LaGrone is prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy M. Palumbo.
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.
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. The Atlanta Wilhelm HSTF is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, CGIS, DEA, FBI, ICE-HSI, IRS-CI, DOL-OIG, DSS, USMS, USPIS, and USSS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga
Buffalo man going to prison on fentanyl chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Alexis Perez, Jr., 22, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 40 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that on November 6, 2024, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of Perez’s vehicle and executed a search warrant, seizing a shotgun and ammunition. Investigators then searched his Cambridge Avenue residence, recovering 28 grams of fentanyl, 89 grams of a mixture of fentanyl and cocaine, and 24 grams of cocaine.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Farhana Islam, New York Enforcement Division, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons.
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Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Murder-for-Hire Plot and Stalking a Journalist and Prominent Critic of the Iranian GovernmentRead the Press Release
Today, convicted murderer Carlisle Rivera, also known as “Pop,” was sentenced to 15 years in prison for his participation in a murder-for-hire plot directed by the Government of Iran targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist. Rivera previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to commit stalking before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman for the Southern District of New York, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Today’s sentence underscores the consequences of conspiring with a regime that relies on violence and intimidation to survive,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work tirelessly with its partners to detect and protect against such plots and to hold accountable those who try to achieve the vile ends of the Iranian regime.”
“The Iranian government repeatedly targeted a journalist and human rights activist living in New York, but thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners those efforts failed,” said Assistant Director Donald Holstead of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division. “Today's sentencing sends a strong message that anyone who conspires with foreign powers to harm people living in the United States will be held accountable.”
“The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, has engaged in a campaign of assassination plots in the United States and abroad targeting those who oppose the regime,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton for the Southern District of New York. “The Government of Iran hired Rivera through an associate living in Iran to locate and murder Masih Alinejad in cold blood, right here in New York City. The Government of Iran has long sought to murder Ms. Alinejad, a U.S. citizen residing in New York City, because of her efforts to stand up to the Iranian regime and expose its discriminatory treatment of women, corruption, and human rights abuses. Today’s sentence should be a warning to anyone who would cast their lot with the brutal Iranian regime and seek to do their murderous bidding, especially on American soil: You will be stopped, you will be arrested, and you will be brought to justice.”
“The Iranian government enlisted a convicted killer to stalk and murder an American journalist and activist, Masih Alinejad, in an effort to forever silence her vocal criticism of its regime,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Carlisle Rivera served as a hired gun to facilitate the political assassination attempt ordered by an international adversary. May today’s lengthy sentence reflect the FBI’s unwavering stance against any domestic or foreign actor seeking to target our nation’s residents for nefarious agendas.”
As reflected in the charging instruments, other public filings, and statements in public court proceedings, in 2024, Rivera was hired by his criminal confederate, Farhad Shakeri, to murder Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The IRGC is a military and intelligence organization that directly reports to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is the Government of Iran’s primary instrument for providing financial and lethal aid to proxy terror groups in the Middle East. Among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting, among others, U.S. citizens residing abroad and in the United States.
Alinejad is one of the IRGC’s principal targets. The IRGC and the Government of Iran’s intelligence services have long sought to kidnap or murder Alinejad because of her efforts to promote gender equality and civil liberties in Iran and to expose the regime’s corruption, oppression, and terrorism to the international community. In 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Alinejad in the U.S. for rendition to Iran; then, in 2022, the IRGC hired powerful, violent members of the Russian Mob to murder Alinejad. After those efforts failed, the IRGC turned to Shakeri, who hired Rivera to kill Alinejad.
Rivera and Shakeri were incarcerated together in the New York State prison system after Rivera’s 1994 conviction for murder and Shakeri’s 1991 conviction for manslaughter. In 2024, Shakeri was living in Iran and was an IRGC asset. Shakeri offered Rivera $100,000 to locate and kill Alinejad, and Rivera agreed. Rivera then recruited his friend, co-defendant Jonathon Loadholt, to assist him in the murder plot. Using money sent by Shakeri, Rivera and Loadholt purchased a firearm and “burner” cellphones. The two men then spent several months attempting to find and kill Alinejad, including by following her to a public speaking event and repeatedly stalking the Brooklyn house where Shakeri and the IRGC believed Alinejad lived.
During their efforts to locate and kill Alinejad, Rivera and his co-conspirators shared messages about their progress and photographs relating to their murder plot. For example, in or about February 2024, Rivera and Loadholt messaged about an incoming payment from Shakeri, and then traveled to Fairfield University, where Alinejad was scheduled to appear, and took photographs on campus. In April 2024, Rivera and his co-defendants exchanged a series of voice notes discussing their efforts to locate and kill Alinejad. In one voice note, Rivera told Shakeri that Alinejad was “hard to catch, bro. And because she hard to catch, there ain’t gonna be no simple pull up, unless there[’s] the luck of the draw.” In a subsequent voice note, Rivera referred to the “slammer,” meaning a firearm he had obtained to kill Alinejad.
On Nov. 7, 2024, before he could complete his plan to kill Ms. Alinejad, Rivera was arrested. At Rivera's residence, law enforcement agents recovered, among other things, a firearm with a partially obliterated serial number.
In addition to the prison term, Rivera, 50, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
In January 2026, Loadholt pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. Loadholt is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Liman in April 2026. Shakari remains at large.
Investigative work in this case was conducted by the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents and analysts from the FBI’s New York and Washington Field Offices and detectives from the New York City Police Department. The Department of Justice’s National Security Division (NSD), U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s New York Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, and the New York State Police provided assistance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and Michael D. Lockard for the Southern District of New York, with assistance from Leslie Esbrook of NSD’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Paul Casey of NSD’s Counterterrorism Section.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Murder-For-Hire Plot and Stalking A Journalist and Prominent Critic of the Iranian GovernmentRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, Assistant Director of the Counterterrorism Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Donald Holstead, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI New York Field Office, James C. Barnacle, Jr., and Commissioner of the New York City Police Department, Jessica S. Tisch, announced that CARLISLE RIVERA, a/k/a “Pop,” was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for his participation in a murder-for-hire plot directed by the Government of Iran targeting Masih Alinejad, a journalist, author, and human rights activist. RIVERA previously pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit murder-for-hire and one count of conspiracy to commit stalking before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman, who imposed today’s sentence.
“The Government of Iran, a sponsor of terrorism, assassination, and espionage around the globe, has engaged in a campaign of assassination plots in the United States and abroad targeting those who oppose the regime,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “The Government of Iran hired Rivera through an associate living in Iran to locate and murder Masih Alinejad in cold blood, right here in New York City. The Government of Iran has long sought to murder Ms. Alinejad, a U.S. citizen residing in New York City, because of her efforts to stand up to the Iranian regime and expose its discriminatory treatment of women, corruption, and human rights abuses. Today’s sentence should be a warning to anyone who would cast their lot with the brutal Iranian regime and seek to do their murderous bidding, especially on American soil: You will be stopped, you will be arrested, and you will be brought to justice.”
“Today’s sentence underscores the consequences of conspiring with a regime that relies on violence and intimidation to survive,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg. “The National Security Division will continue to work tirelessly with its partners to detect and protect against such plots and to hold accountable those who try to achieve the vile ends of the Iranian regime.”
“The Iranian government repeatedly targeted a journalist and human rights activist living in New York, but thanks to the good work of the FBI and our partners those efforts failed,” said FBI Assistant Director Donald Holstead. “Today's sentencing sends a strong message that anyone who conspires with foreign powers to harm people living in the United States will be held accountable.”
“The Iranian government enlisted a convicted killer to stalk and murder an American journalist and activist, Masih Alinejad, in an effort to forever silence her vocal criticism of its regime,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge James C. Barnacle, Jr. “Carlisle Rivera served as a hired gun to facilitate the political assassination attempt ordered by an international adversary. May today’s lengthy sentence reflect the FBI’s unwavering stance against any domestic or foreign actor seeking to target our nation’s residents for nefarious agendas.”
“The defendant in this case showed a pitiless, calculated disregard for human life—and today’s sentencing is the culmination of a coordinated, comprehensive effort to bring him and his co-conspirators to justice,” said NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch. “The plot to murder Masih Alinejad, directed by the government of Iran and its terrorist proxy, is further proof that the work of our Joint Terrorism Task Force is as important and relevant as ever. I want to thank all of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners for their work on this critical, wide-ranging case.”
As reflected in the charging instruments, other public filings, and statements in public court proceedings:
In 2024, RIVERA was hired by his criminal confederate, FARHAD SHAKERI, to murder Masih Alinejad on instructions from high-ranking members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (“IRGC”). The IRGC is a military and intelligence organization that directly reports to the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran and is the Government of Iran’s primary instrument for providing financial and lethal aid to proxy terror groups in the Middle East. Among its activities, the IRGC plots and conducts attack operations outside Iran targeting, among others, U.S. citizens residing abroad and in the United States. Ms. Alinejad is one of the IRGC’s principal targets. The IRGC and the Government of Iran’s intelligence services have long sought to kidnap or murder Ms. Alinejad because of her efforts to promote gender equality and civil liberties in Iran and to expose the regime’s corruption, oppression, and terrorism to the international community. In 2020 and 2021, Iranian intelligence officials and assets plotted to kidnap Ms. Alinejad in the U.S. for rendition to Iran; then, in 2022, the IRGC hired powerful, violent members of the Russian Mob to murder Ms. Alinejad. After those efforts failed, the IRGC turned to SHAKERI, who hired RIVERA to kill Ms. Alinejad.
RIVERA and SHAKERI were incarcerated together in the New York State prison system after RIVERA’s 1994 conviction for murder and SHAKERI’s 1991 conviction for manslaughter. In 2024, SHAKERI was living in Iran and was an IRGC asset. SHAKERI offered RIVERA $100,000 to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad, and RIVERA agreed. RIVERA then recruited his friend, co-defendant JONATHAN LOADHOLT, to assist him in the murder plot. Using money sent by SHAKERI, RIVERA and LOADHOLT purchased a firearm and “burner” cellphones. The two men then spent several months attempting to find and kill Ms. Alinejad, including by following her to a public speaking event and repeatedly stalking the Brooklyn house where SHAKERI and the IRGC believed Ms. Alinejad lived.
During their efforts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad, RIVERA and his co-conspirators shared messages about their progress and photographs relating to their murder plot. For example, in or about February 2024, RIVERA and LOADHOLT messaged about an incoming payment from SHAKERI, and then traveled to Fairfield University, where Ms. Alinejad was scheduled to appear, and took photographs on campus. In April 2024, RIVERA and his co-defendants exchanged a series of voice notes discussing their efforts to locate and kill Ms. Alinejad. In one voice note, RIVERA told SHAKERI that Ms. Alinejad was “hard to catch, bro. And because she hard to catch, there ain’t gonna be no simple pull up, unless there[’s] the luck of the draw.” In a subsequent voice note, RIVERA referred to the “slammer,” meaning a firearm he had obtained to kill Ms. Alinejad.
On November 7, 2024, before he could complete his plan to kill Ms. Alinejad, RIVERA was arrested. At RIVERA’s residence, law enforcement agents recovered, among other things, a firearm with a partially obliterated serial number.
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In addition to the prison term, RIVERA, 50, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
In January 2026, LOADHOLT pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit stalking and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. LOADHOLT is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Liman in April 2026. SHAKERI remains at large.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which principally consists of agents and analysts from the FBI and detectives from the New York City Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office. Mr. Clayton also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection New York Field Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration New York Division, and the New York State Police.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob H. Gutwillig and Michael D. Lockard are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Leslie Esbrook of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, as well as the Counterterrorism Section of Department of Justice’s National Security Division.
Brandon, Vermont Man Sentenced to 35 Months for Unlawful Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on January 27, 2026, Christopher Rantanen, 40, of Brandon, Vermont, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 35 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Rantanen previously pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, in September 2024, Rantanen was involved in a single car accident on U.S. Route 7 in Pittsford, Vermont. Rantanen denied any drug or alcohol use to responding law enforcement. While an officer wrote Rantanen tickets for numerous traffic infractions related to the crash, fire department officials on the scene alerted law enforcement that Rantanen was slumped over on a nearby bench. Thereafter, officers again asked Rantanen about his drug use, and Rantanen again denied any drug use that day. While waiting for a tow truck to arrive, law enforcement observed drug paraphernalia in plain view inside and around Rantanen’s car. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Rantanen’s car, and located inside the vehicle two handguns (including a privately manufactured firearm), ammunition, fentanyl, cocaine, and assorted drug paraphernalia. A few weeks later, in November 2024, law enforcement encountered Rantanen and another person in a car in Rutland, Vermont when responding to a drug-related complaint. Once Rantanen and the other person were out of the car, law enforcement observed a Glock pistol in the area near where Rantanen had been seated. A search of this car revealed approximately 13 grams of fentanyl and approximately 19 grams of crack cocaine in the area around where Rantanen was seated.
First Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Pittsford Police Department.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Arra. Rantanen was represented by Lisa Shelkrot, Esq.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Brandon Woman Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Cocaine and MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – Temeko Evans (47, Brandon) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and the distribution of cocaine and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Evans pleaded guilty on October 2, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court records, Evans conspired with her co-defendant, Torrey Taylor, to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine. Between February 11 and March 26, 2025, detectives from the Tampa Police Department conducted a series of controlled purchases from Evans and Taylor, including approximately two ounces of crack cocaine and two ounces of methamphetamine.
Taylor was sentenced to six years in federal prison on November 20, 2025.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Tampa Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Threatening a Federal Law Enforcement OfficerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man has pleaded guilty to threatening a federal law enforcement officer.
Kenneth Pacheco, 22, pleaded guilty on Jan. 23, 2026 to one count of threatening a federal law enforcement officer before U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick who scheduled sentencing for April 28, 2026. Pacheco was arrested and charged in October 2025. He remains in custody.In May 2025, law enforcement received a tip from an anonymous complainant alleging that an individual using the online moniker “Amir Haqqani” was using a Facebook account to make threats against the complainant and other individuals. In response, Pacheco was interviewed by law enforcement. In July 2025, a relative of Pacheco expressed concerned that Pacheco may pose harm to himself and in response, law enforcement spoke with Pacheco again. On Oct. 7, 2025, Pacheco responded to these interventions by lashing out with threats aimed at friends, acquaintances and a federal agent. Specifically, Pacheco threatened that people would “get hurt,” that he would “put people in the [] hospital” and that he would “blow” the agents “brains out.”
The charge of threatening a federal law enforcement officer provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Looney of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case.
Billings woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for distributing methamphetamineRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A Billings woman who trafficked methamphetamine was sentenced today to 60 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Stephanie Marie Nava, 37, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on June 26, 2023, the Billings Police Department determined an apartment belonging to Stephanie Nava was used for storing drugs by Nava’s co-defendant. A state search warrant was executed. Nava was present and said she didn’t know what her co-defendant stored at her place. During the search, officers located 7 grams of fentanyl pills and 16.7 grams of meth in a back bedroom.
Law enforcement officers served a search warrant on a hotel room in Billings where approximately 2.77 pounds of methamphetamine was seized. Officers determined this was originally 8 pounds, but the rest had been distributed to others. Law enforcement executed another search warrant at a residence and seized eight ounces of meth. The original 8 pounds and the redistributed quantities were coordinated through Stephanie Nava and a co-defendant, both of whom were in Mexico.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The DEA and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Arizona Man Who Shot at Border Patrol Agents Charged with Assault on a Federal Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks Full AccountabilityRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – An Arizona man has been charged with Assault on a Federal Officer after he shot at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter that was assisting in his apprehension.
“There is no ambiguity here, shooting at any law enforcement officer—including federal agents—is a violent felony that attacks the rule of law and undermines universal American values. We will pursue every available charge to ensure the subject is held fully accountable under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine. “The quick and coordinated reaction to the threat posed by this subject from all levels of Arizona law enforcement was key and demonstrates why local and federal cooperation keeps communities safer.”
According to the criminal complaint, filed in federal District Court on Jan. 27, U.S. Border Patrol agents were involved in a reactive human trafficking pursuit in rural southern Arizona, near Arivaca, when the suspect allegedly opened fire on the helicopter, manned by a U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent.
A Border Patrol agent on the ground then engaged and shot at the suspect, Patrick Gary Schlegel, 34, of Sahuarita. He was taken into custody, treated for his wounds and transported to a local hospital.
Through the cooperative efforts of federal and local law enforcement, it was determined that Schlegel was also wanted on a federal warrant for escape from custody, was convicted of multiple felonies—including alien smuggling—and has an order of protection against him in Pima county.
The complaint alleges violations of 18 USC 111 (Assault on a Federal Officer), 18 USC 922(g) (Prohibited Possession of a Firearm), and 8 USC 1324 (Transportation of an Illegal Alien). The United States Attorney’s Office is continuing to investigate further violations of federal law.
A criminal complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The FBI, Tucson office, is investigating the incident with assistance from Pima County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
CASE NUMBER: 26-01491MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-010_ Schlegel
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
27 January 2026
Woman Who Posed as Licensed Registered Nurse Sentenced to 75 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Leticia Gallarzo Repeatedly Assumed the Identities of Licensed Registered Nurses to Work at Health Care Facilities in Michigan and Other States
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Timothy VerHey today announced that Leticia Gallarzo, age 51, formerly of Wayland, Michigan, was sentenced yesterday to 75 months in prison for creating false medical records indicating that she was licensed as a registered nurse. She was also sentenced for committing aggravated identity theft after fraudulently assuming the identity of a real nurse licensed in Michigan.
Between August 2022 and May 2023, Gallarzo worked as a registered nurse at a nursing home in the Western District of Michigan. Gallarzo obtained her employment through Indeed.com by assuming the identity of a registered nurse licensed in Michigan. Gallarzo created a fake nursing license, diploma, and identification documents to make it appear to the nursing home that she was in fact an individual trained and licensed as a registered nurse. After obtaining employment, Gallarzo applied for and obtained a promotion to the position of unit manager, meaning she supervised other health care professionals in the care they provided to the nursing home residents. Gallarzo performed patient assessments, administered medications, started intravenous lines, and carried out other nursing duties. As Gallarzo’s performance as a nurse faltered, the nursing home demoted her, and she began to look for another nursing job. Fortunately, her prospective employer uncovered her real identity and reported her to authorities.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan charged Gallarzo with fraud and aggravated identity theft on September 26, 2023. She pled guilty in October 2023. After entering a guilty plea and while awaiting her sentencing hearing, Gallarzo fled the jurisdiction and again fraudulently obtained employment as a physician assistant and registered nurse in Illinois and California. She was finally apprehended near Los Angeles, California, and transported back to the Western District of Michigan for yesterday’s sentencing hearing.
The current case represents the third time Gallarzo has been convicted of falsely representing herself as a nurse. This was not the first time Gallarzo had committed this crime. In 2016, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office convicted Gallarzo of fraudulently impersonating a licensed nurse. In 2017, Gallarzo was convicted of this again by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Despite her convictions by those authorities, Gallarzo was not deterred.
U.S. Attorney VerHey said, “This is far more than a fraud case. Nurses make life and death decisions for the people under their care, and everyone has the right to expect that their health is being attended to by a person with extensive medical training. It is shocking that Gallarzo would repeatedly put herself in such a position, without any of the necessary training, just because she wanted money. I am very happy to say that our investigation has not disclosed anyone physically harmed by Gallarzo’s conduct, but that is just a happy accident and not because of anything she did. Gallarzo richly deserved the 75-month sentence imposed by Judge Maloney.”
"This 75-month federal prison sentence sends a clear and unmistakable message: no one gets to lie about their credentials, falsify medical records, or steal identities without facing serious consequences,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Leticia Gallarzo abused the trust placed in medical professionals and put patients at risk. Because of the relentless work of the FBI Grand Rapids Resident Agency, she can no longer fraudulently perform patient assessments or endanger this community. I commend the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for its strong partnership and successful prosecution."
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, Grand Rapids Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Stella prosecuted the case.
Undocumented Immigrant Who Stole $161,000 from Stores Across the Country SentencedRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a Romanian national who has repeatedly entered the United States illegally to 27 months in prison for stealing $161,000 from stores across the country with a sleight-of-hand fraud.
Judge Ross also ordered Adrian Stoica, 47, to repay the money.
Stoica conducted at least 170 transactions in stores in 20 states between November 2021 and March 2025. After cashiers scanned merchandise, prepaid gift cards, and electronic money transfers, Stoica would count cash into piles to trick cashiers into believing that he was paying the full price. He collected the piles and then slipped bills from the bottom of the stack into his pocket, short-changing the stores by hundreds of dollars or more in each transaction. Stoica would then move on and victimize a different store. On Feb. 17, 2023, he shortchanged the cashier of a Chesterfield store by approximately $860. On Sept. 7, 2023, his scheme cost a store in O’Fallon, Missouri about $690. The next day, he cost a Fenton store about $660.
Stoica has illegally entered the country three times since 2016. He was ordered removed from the country in May of 2018 and deported in February of 2020. Stoica has used the names Boeri Kvec, Borri Kvec, Boeri Stoica and Adrian Anghel.
Stoica pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of wire fraud and one count of illegal entry into the United States.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects Nearly $27 million for Federal Taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Leif Olson announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Iowa collected almost $27 million on behalf of federal taxpayers in Fiscal Year 2025. This amount is made up of civil and criminal debts owed to the federal government, restitution to be paid to victims of crime, and assets forfeited because they were used in criminal activity.
The Office collected $2,675,113.02 in criminal actions, $23,640,993.02 in civil actions, and $647,230 in forfeited assets. The forfeited assets, $9,163,842.42 in civil cases, and $2,668,589.60 in criminal cases were recovered by the Office alone. The remaining amounts were recovered jointly with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice.
“Holding wrongdoers responsible for their actions is a crucial part of our mission,” Olson said. “That means making sure that people make good on the amounts they owe to the federal government, especially criminals who’ve been ordered to pay fines and victim restitution. We will continue to work diligently to collect money for the federal treasury and return money to victims of crime.”
U.S. Attorney’s Offices are among the Department of Justice components responsible for enforcing and collecting debts owed to the federal government and criminal debts owed to victims of federal crimes. Those convicted of certain federal crimes must pay restitution to victims who suffered a physical or financial injury. Criminal fines and assessments go to the Department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes funds to federal and state victim-compensation and victim-assistance programs. Forfeited assets go to the Department’s Assets Forfeiture Fund, which is used for crime victims and a variety of other law-enforcement purposes.
Two Bangor Area Men Indicted for Sex Trafficking and Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: On November 12, 2025, a federal grand jury sitting in Bangor indicted Agasha Carvalho and Donovan Miller on charges related to child exploitation and sex trafficking.
According to court records, Carvalho, 45, of Bangor, was indicted for production of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion. Miller, 38, of Milford, was indicted for conspiracy to commit sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; four counts of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion; and production of child pornography.
On November 18, 2025, Carvalho appeared in the U.S. District Court for an arraignment and pleaded not guilty. Miller appeared in U.S. District Court on November 20, 2025, for his arraignment and pleaded not guilty.
The FBI investigated the case with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Penobscot County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bangor Police Department.
If you believe that you may be a victim of the alleged crimes, please reach out to the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force by filling out this short form. If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact the FBI using this link.
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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Three California Drug Traffickers Sentenced to Prison for Transporting Six Kilograms of Methamphetamine and A Kilogram of Fentanyl in Checked LuggageRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Three drug traffickers from California who were arrested after they tried to smuggle six kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of fentanyl through the Charlotte Douglas International Airport have been sentenced to prison, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Dericc Milford Adams, 35, of Long Beach, California, was sentenced to 132 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Anthony Quintin Boyd, 30, of Compton, California, was ordered to serve 120 months in prison followed five years of supervised release. David Anton Stallworth, 37, also of Compton, California, was sentenced to 108 months in prison and three years of supervised release.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on August 1, 2023, Adams, Boyd, and Stallworth boarded a flight from California to Charlotte, with fentanyl and methamphetamine hidden in luggage. When they arrived at Charlotte Douglas International Airport, a drug detecting canine alerted the presence of narcotics in two checked suitcases. One of the suitcases was checked by Boyd and the other by Adams. Law enforcement discovered hidden in the luggage more than six kilograms of methamphetamine and nearly a kilogram of fentanyl. Included in the seizure were gallon-sized plastic baggies of methamphetamine hidden in Welch’s Fruit Snack boxes.
In addition to the conduct described above, Stallworth was also convicted and sentenced for trafficking approximately three and a half kilograms of methamphetamine and 100 grams a fentanyl in Little Rock, Arkansas.
Adams and Boyd pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Adams also pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. Stallworth pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to possess and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. One count for the North Carolina conduct and a second count for the Arkansas offense. The defendants are in federal custody and will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked Homeland Security Investigations and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Field Office in Arkansas.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte handled the prosecution.
Tacoma man who persisted in drug trafficking despite being stopped with more than 25 pounds of meth sentenced to 66 months in prisonRead the Press Release
Seattle –A Tacoma man who continued to distribute large amounts of fentanyl pills even after being found with a large load of methamphetamine was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 66 months in prison, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Rogelio Pena, 22, is one of thirteen people who was indicted in the case in May 2024. The 18-month wiretap investigation revealed that Pena was a trusted member of the conspiracy both for delivering drugs and for having access to the group’s stash house. At sentencing U.S. District Judge Kymberly K. Evanson said, “This was a lot of drugs and a large conspiracy… The impact on the community is significant.”
“Whether riding with 28-pound load of methamphetamine, or attempting to deliver 20,000 fentanyl pills, this defendant did not let intervention by law enforcement stop him,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Those who deliver these poisons to our communities face significant time in prison.”
In the wiretap investigation law enforcement seized approximately 81 kilograms of methamphetamine, 49 kilograms of fentanyl pills, and 15 kilograms of cocaine. On June 28, 2023, Pena was a passenger in a vehicle stopped by law enforcement that contained more than 25
pounds of methamphetamine. But even after this traffic stop, Pena was heard on the wiretap arranging the delivery of 20,000 fentanyl pills. Pena was so trusted by the drug trafficking organization that he managed the possession of keys to the storage area where the group kept its drug supply.
As more rental cars were stopped with drug loads on the way north, conspirators began bringing drugs to the Seattle area via bus. On April 11, 2024, the Portland Police Department seized 7.5 kilograms of fentanyl laced pills from a bag that had been abandoned at a bus station by one of the coconspirators. In early May 2024 law enforcement moved in and made arrests.
In asking for a 66-month sentence prosecutors wrote to the court, “Pena, along with his co-conspirators, were responsible for flooding these highly dangerous and addictive substances into the community for profit and contributed to the addiction of an unknown number of individuals. The drugs that Pena was peddling caused irreparable harm to the community in general as well as to the families whose members are addicted to controlled substances. During 2023, when Pena was actively engaged in drug trafficking, there was an overwhelming 1,340 fatal overdose deaths in King County alone.”
“This drug trafficking organization flooded the Pacific Northwest with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine,” said Robert A. Saccone, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The fentanyl alone seized in this case contained enough lethal doses to kill more than 200,000 people in Western Washington. The Drug Enforcement Administration is thankful to our Federal, state, and local partners who worked with us tirelessly on this case to help save American lives as we work together to make America Fentanyl Free.”
“Pena and his co-conspirators were caught trafficking kilogram quantities of illegal drugs into Washington state on multiple occasions in 2023 and 2024," said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. "Today’s sentence holds Mr. Pena accountable for his role in this conspiracy that threatened our communities with dangerous drugs and high-powered firearms. FBI Seattle is grateful for the many federal, state, and local partners, including those in other states, who work with us to protect the people of the Pacific Northwest.”
This investigation is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), Seattle Police Department, Oregon State Police, Portland Police Department, California Highway Patrol, the Los Angeles Strike Force, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and Centralia Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Elyne Vaught.
Syracuse area man pleads guilty to operating kickback scheme involving Medicare and MedicaidRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Timothy Klein, 49, of Fayetteville, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to conspiracy to pay and receive health care kickbacks, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Franz M. Wright and Paul E. Bonanno, who are handling the case, stated that between February 2017, and September 2018, Klein conspired with others to defraud Medicare and Medicare drug plan sponsors. Klein, who operated JRS Group, LLC, and his co-conspirators enriched themselves by, among other things, submitting prescription drug claims to Medicare and Medicare drug plan sponsors for items that were medically unnecessary and procured through kickbacks and bribes, and diverting fraud proceeds for their own personal use and benefit. As part of the conspiracy:
- Klein through his company, JRS, recruited insurance brokers to contact Medicare beneficiaries and offer them prescription medicines at no cost, without regard to any actual medical necessity. Klein paid kickbacks and bribes to the insurance brokers, for Medicare prescriptions paid for through the beneficiaries' Part D plan, a federal funded program.
- Klein paid an individual and their company, Advanced Telehealth, to provide doctors to perform telemedicine visits with the beneficiaries recruited by insurance brokers. Following the telemedicine visits, the doctors would sign prescriptions for the beneficiaries, which prescriptions had been preselected and/or filled out by Klein.
- Klein entered into agreements with ProRX and SunRise Pharmacy, whereby the pharmacies paid Klein a sum of money for each filled prescription. For instance, on or about September 17, 2018, the defendant received a check totaling $95,479.05 from ProRx representing payments for prescriptions referred to ProRx.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Naomi Gruchacz, the New York State Department of Financial Services, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Kaitlin Asrow, the U.S. Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher M. Silvestro, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service Boston Division, under the direction of Acting Inspector-in-Charge Nicholas J. Bucciarelli.
Sentencing is scheduled for June 2, 2026, before Judge Vilardo.
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Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 48 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting a MinorRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man has been sentenced to 48 years in federal prison for enticing a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct.
TERCALO E. THOMAS enticed, persuaded, and used a prepubescent minor to engage in illegal sexual conduct, which he recorded. Thomas then trafficked the images as barter to amass a vast collection of images of other children’s sexual abuse. At the time of his arrest in April 2022, Thomas possessed on his cell phone more than 1,500 images depicting child sex abuse.
Thomas, 35, of Park Forest, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Steven C. Seeger imposed the 48-year prison sentence during a hearing on Jan. 22, 2026, in federal court in Chicago.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI.
“Defendant was an avid collector of child exploitation images, particularly of prepubescent children,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Elly Moheb argued in the government’s sentencing memorandum. “Unsatisfied by his depraved collection, he created his own. The seriousness of this offense cannot be overstated.”
If you believe you are a victim of sexual exploitation, you are encouraged to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children by logging on to www.missingkids.com or by calling 1-800-843-5678. The service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Southwest Georgian Faces 30 Years in Prison for Teenage Sextortion CrimeRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A Berrien County, Georgia, man is facing up to 30 years in prison for attempting to sextort a teenager he met over Snapchat.
Cenobio Olguin, Jr., 24, of Lenox, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted production of child pornography before Senior U.S. District Judge Louis Sands on Jan. 27. Olguin, Jr. is facing a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison up to a maximum of 30 years in prison to be followed by a maximum lifetime of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. A sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Sextortion of children on social media is a serious crime that requires constant vigilance from parents and caregivers,” said U.S. Attorney William R “Will” Keyes. “Law enforcement will aggressively pursue online predators, and our office will seek the toughest penalties for those who exploit children. We urge everyone to stay informed about online dangers and to report any suspected sextortion or exploitation immediately.”
“This defendant used fear, manipulation and threats to sexually exploit a minor, causing real and lasting harm,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Sextortion is a predatory crime, and the FBI will aggressively pursue anyone who targets children online. We urge parents, teens and caregivers to report suspicious or coercive online behavior immediately—
early reporting can stop abuse and protect victims.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Olguin, Jr. met a 16-year-old female on Snapchat in 2024. He requested that she send snaps of herself at various stages of undress, and she complied. She then blocked Olguin. Months later, Olguin contacted the teenager on Snapchat and sent her the nude photos she had previously shared with him. Olguin threatened to release the photos to her high school friends if she did not continue sending him nude photos.
Olguin, Jr., continued to make various threats to the teenager, including posting her nude photos as a public story on Snapchat. In addition, Olguin, Jr., mentioned another girl he previously extorted. He claimed he sent the nude photos of this other victim to a few boys at her school and ordered the boys to rape her.
The 16-year-old then complied with Olguin, Jr.’s threats and sent additional nude and explicit images on Snapchat. Olguin, Jr. told her if she ever blocked him, un-added him, reported him or talked to the police, she “knew what would happen.”
The Dayton, Ohio, FBI Resident Agency received a tip in December 2024 that the teenager was a victim of sextortion. The victim was interviewed; a subsequent investigation led to Olguin, Jr. A search warrant was issued at Olguin, Jr.’s Berrien County residence in the Middle District of Georgia on May 5, 2025. Agents found 91 images and 29 videos of child pornography on Olguin, Jr.’s cell phone. Agents recovered the Snap messages between the defendant and his teenage victim, including the child sexual assault material Olguin. Jr. sextorted from the victim.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI Valdosta Resident Agency and the Berrien County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sonja Profit is prosecuting the case for the Government.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 2 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Kerry T. Hancock, 34 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to embezzlement by a bank employee, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Hancock was sentenced to 2 months imprisonment followed by 8 months of supervised release with the first 3 months served on home detention and ordered to pay $115,864.84 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, Hancock worked as a bank teller in Mishawaka when he forged the signature of a bank account holder to withdraw $185,864,84 in cash from a rarely used bank account. He then stashed the stolen bundles of cash in his house.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.
Slovakian Man Admits Aiding Darknet Market that Sold Drugs and Stolen Personal InformationRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Slovakian man on Tuesday admitted involvement in a darknet market that sold drugs and stolen personal information.
Alan Bill, 33, of Bratislava, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one felony count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. He admitted involvement in the operation of Kingdom Market, a darknet marketplace that operated between March 2021 and December 2023. Kingdom users sold and bought illegal goods and services, including fentanyl, methamphetamine and other drugs, stolen financial information and identification documents, via cryptocurrency and anonymous or semi-anonymous accounts. Bill admitted assisting others in maintaining or operating Kingdom by providing or procuring web-administration services. He also admitted receiving cryptocurrency from a wallet associated with Kingdom, assisting with the creation of Kingdom’s forum pages on websites such as Reddit and Dread, having access to Kingdom usernames that made postings on behalf of Kingdom on social media accounts and communicating with others regarding certain Kingdom transactions.
Beginning around July 2022, undercover federal investigators made purchases from Kingdom market, including fentanyl, meth and a United States passport, that were shipped to the Eastern District of Missouri. Bill was arrested Dec. 15, 2023, at Newark Liberty International Airport after a customs inspection found two cellular telephones, a laptop, a thumb drive and a hardware wallet used to store cryptocurrency private keys. The electronics contained evidence of his involvement with Kingdom.
As part of his plea agreement, Bill also agreed to forfeit five different types of coins in a cryptocurrency wallet, as well as the Kingdommarket.live and Kingdommarket.so domains, which have been shut down by authorities.
Bill is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5. The drug trafficking conspiracy charge carries a penalty of at least five years in prison, with a maximum of 40, and the possibility of a fine of up to $5 million.
IRS Criminal Investigation, the FBI, Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, the Bureau of Diplomatic Security and the Missouri Department of Revenue investigated the case. The investigation also involved numerous foreign law enforcement agencies, including the German Federal Criminal Police, or Bundeskriminalamt, the Frankfurt am Main Public Prosecutor's Office - Central Office for Combating Internet Crime (ZIT) as well as law enforcement agencies from Switzerland, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman is prosecuting the case.
Serial rapist to serve 25 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Jacques Jackson, who raped three teenage girls he met on Instagram, has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison.
“Our community is safer today because law enforcement agencies from around the country collaborated to put an irrepressible sexual predator in prison for a quarter century,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “This case is an important reminder that social media is often an abuser’s preferred means to manipulate, exploit, and victimize unsuspecting children. I urge parents to monitor their kids’ online activity vigilantly.”
“Jacques Jackson’s actions were reprehensible and justice was served,” said Peter Ellis, Acting Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This predator exploited social media to devastate vulnerable minors, and we will not tolerate such abuse. The FBI, in partnership with local law enforcement, will relentlessly pursue those who prey on our children.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Law enforcement first encountered Jackson in Decatur, Georgia in August 2018, after DeKalb County police officers rescued one of his victims, a 15-year-old girl. Jackson and the minor were at a grocery store when the minor, with the help of a bystander, got the attention of a police officer. Jackson was arrested and confessed to meeting the minor on Instagram, knowing she was 15, blackmailing her to coerce her to meet him out of state, punching her, destroying her cell phone, and having sex with her multiple times. Although officers arrested him then, Jackson was released on bond approximately six months later.
On October 1, 2021, the Elberton, Georgia, Police Department received a report concerning a missing 15-year-old girl. Investigators learned that the missing girl had used her younger brother’s phone to communicate with Jackson. They discovered that Jackson and the minor exchanged sexually explicit videos with each other. On October 5, the minor returned to her family and explained that, after she met Jackson on Instagram, Jackson sent an Uber for the minor and they stayed at a motel where Jackson had sex with her multiple times, knowing she was 15.
Over several months, the FBI tried to find Jackson. In June 2022, agents learned that Jackson was on a Greyhound bus headed west from Atlanta. On June 8, 2022, local law enforcement arrested Jackson at a bus station in Big Spring, Texas. Jackson had a gun and $3,500 cash, and he was accompanied by a runaway child. The child disclosed to investigators that she met Jackson on Instagram and told him she was 16, that they had sex several times at an Atlanta area hotel, and that Jackson recorded a video of them having sex at least once.
The investigation also revealed that Jackson was linked to an unsolved July 2015 forcible rape of a 15-year-old girl in Atlanta. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, DNA samples collected from the victim in 2015 matched a DNA sample taken from Jackson following his arrest in 2018.
On January 23, 2026, U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. sentenced Jacques Jackson, 30, of Atlanta, Georgia, to 25 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release. On May 8, 2025, Jackson pled guilty to one count of interstate transportation of a minor to engage in unlawful sex and two counts of enticing minors to engage in unlawful sex. Jackson has been in custody since his arrest in June 2022.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with valuable assistance from the DeKalb County Police Department, Baton Rouge (LA) Police Department, Big Spring (TX) Police Department, Elberton (GA) Police Department, and Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex R. Sistla and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise K. Peters prosecuted this case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Sacramento Man Sentenced to over 19 Years in Prison for Distribution of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orest Shaynyuk, 33, of Sacramento, was sentenced today by Senior U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to 19 years and seven months in prison and for distribution of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), United States Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, in 2013, Shaynyuk was convicted of possession of CSAM. After serving his sentence and while on supervised release, his probation officer found him to be in possession of an iPhone that contained CSAM. Simultaneously, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was investigating a tip from an internet communications platform that Shaynyuk was trafficking CSAM. Forensic reports and data from the communications platform showed that Shaynyuk distributed CSAM to other users of the communications platform.
“This sentence reflects the gravity of the defendant’s repeated crimes and the lasting harm caused to the most vulnerable members of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Grant. “When individuals continue to exploit children despite prior convictions, they demonstrate a clear danger to the public. Our office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue repeat offenders and ensure they are held fully accountable under the law.”
“This case reflects the strength of coordinated law enforcement efforts focused on protecting children,” said FBI Sacramento Special Agent in Charge Sid Patel. “Working alongside our local, state, and federal partners, investigators disrupted criminal activity tied to the sexual exploitation of minors. The 235-month federal prison sentence underscores the FBI’s relentless pursuit of offenders who harm children and threaten the safety of our communities.”
The Sacramento Sheriff’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Probation, and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Roger Yang prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. Click on the “resources” tab for information about internet-safety education.
Rocky Ford Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Firearm and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mario Rocha, 27, Rocky Ford, Colorado, pleaded guilty to three counts of possessing controlled substances with the intent to distribute them, one count of knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm or ammunition, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled shotgun.
According to the plea agreement, in August 2025, investigators learned that Rocha was distributing large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine out of his Rocky Ford home and that he was in possession of numerous firearms. After obtaining a search warrant for his residence, FBI agents recovered 1169.3 grams of cocaine, 4742.3 grams of fentanyl (approximately 45,000 individual pills) and 1,236 grams of methamphetamine, all of which Rocha possessed with the intent to distribute. Agents also found a large amount of United States currency, and seventeen firearms which included a short-barreled shotgun and a short-barreled rifle in Rocha’s home.
Chief United States District Judge Philip A. Brimmer presided over the hearing. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for May 29, 2026.
The FBI Denver Field Office and the Rocky Ford Police Department handled the investigation.
The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 25-cr-00265-PAB
Repeat felon sentenced to 10 years for illegal possession of firearmsRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 38-year-old Corpus Christi resident has been ordered to federal prison for possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Ramsey Guerrero pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Guerrero to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard about Guerrero’s flight from law enforcement during a traffic stop and his resistance to arrest on a separate occasion while facing active warrants. In handing down the sentence, Judge Ramos cited Ramos’ lengthy criminal history, including three prior state convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On June 10, 2025, authorities conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Guerrero was driving. They noticed the odor of marijuana and requested to search the car. Guerrero refused, fled the scene and eventually crashed his vehicle into a field near the highway before escaping on foot. Inside the car, authorities found two pistols, a rifle and a shotgun, as well as nearly 300 rounds of ammunition, a full set of body armor, methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.
Law enforcement eventually located Guerrero as the passenger in a parked car and attempted to arrest him based on his active warrants. When officers approached, he resisted, and authorities discovered Guerrero had another loaded firearm located directly beneath his seat.
As a convicted felon, Guerrero is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law.
He has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of U.S. Marshals Service and Texas Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
Repeat Mail Thief Who Fled to Mexico to Avoid Prosecution Appears in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A repeat mail thief who fled to Mexico to avoid prosecution appeared in court today on new federal charges, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Erik Magana, 41, of Charlotte, is charged with bank fraud and two counts of receipt and possession of stolen mail.
In 2020, Magana was convicted of stealing thousands of pieces of mail in North and South Carolina, and was sentenced to prison followed by a term of supervised release. Beginning in 2024, after Magana was released from prison and no longer was under court supervision, he allegedly began to steal large quantities of mail, from mailboxes around Mecklenburg, Union, and Gaston Counties, and elsewhere. Magana allegedly stole business and individual checks, credit cards, tax forms, financial statements, packages, and other documents containing victims’ personal identifying information. Magana used the stolen mail to engage in a bank fraud scheme by depositing stolen and forged business and individual checks into bank accounts he controlled and then withdrawing as much of the funds as possible before the fraud was detected.
Magana fled to Mexico prior to being indicted in September 2024. The U.S. Marshal’s Service facilitated Magana’s arrest and return from Mexico to the United States to face prosecution.
Following today’s arraignment in federal court, Magana was remanded into custody. If convicted, he faces up to five years in prison for each mail theft charge, and up to 30 years in prison for the bank fraud offense. A federal district court judge will determine the ultimate sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service for their investigation of the case. Ferguson also commended the U.S. Marshals Service for securing Magana’s return to the Western District of North Carolina and recognized the Union County Sheriff’s office for assisting in this case.
The charges against the defendant are merely allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to More Than 2 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 26, 2026.
Jonathan Bagola, 38, was sentenced to two years and six 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.
Bagola was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on October 24, 2025.
On January 25, 2025, in Rapid City, Bagola was discovered to be in possession of a pistol with an obliterated serial number while police officers conducted a traffic stop. Bagola was previously convicted of a crime punishable beyond a year in prison and, as a result, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
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). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Bagola was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Providence Man Sentenced for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Providence man has been sentenced in federal court in Rhode Island for trafficking kilos of cocaine, announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Eluid Rosa-Escudero, 35, was sentenced on January 21, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to 24 months of incarceration followed by three years of supervised release. Rosa-Escudero pleaded guilty on September 10, 2025, to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.
Court documents reflect that a three-month, multi-agency investigation into Rosa-Escudero’s drug trafficking activities culminated on April 10, 2025, with the execution of a court-authorized seizure of a package containing over two kilograms of cocaine and a search of his Providence residence, resulting in the seizure of over $10,000 in cash and other items associated with narcotics trafficking.
Leading up to the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement intercepted a package containing the cocaine, which was removed from the package. Law enforcement then surveilled the retrieval of the same package (with the cocaine removed) delivered by the U.S. Postal Service to the front porch of a Providence residence. The package was retrieved by an individual who arrived by car and later drove to a nearby gas station, where the driver met with Rosa-Escudero, who was travelling in a separate vehicle. As the two vehicles departed, a law enforcement surveillance team followed Rosa-Escudero to his residence. East Providence Police subsequently conducted an investigative stop of the vehicle driven by the individual who retrieved the package from the porch of the residence, who was identified as a 15-year-old juvenile.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and G. Michael Seaman.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service Contraband Interdiction and Investigations Task Force, with the assistance of the Providence, East Providence and Pawtucket Police Departments, and the Rhode Island State Police.
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).
Prewitt Woman Charged in AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Prewitt woman is facing federal charges after allegedly stabbing a man during a dispute.
According to court records, on January 6, 2026, Naomi Martinez, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, allegedly assaulted John Doe with a knife during a dispute, causing serious bodily injury.
Martinez is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. She will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Martinez faces 20 years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Pahl is prosecuting the case.
A complaint or indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Polk County Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 18 YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Wesley Anderson (Lakeland, 46) has been sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kathryn Mizelle to 18 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Anderson pleaded guilty on August 20, 2025. U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe made the announcement.
According to court documents, on January 4, 2024, Anderson was arrested outside of a Lakeland hotel pursuant to an unrelated warrant. The hotel manager asked officers to clear the room. The officers encountered a customer who was waiting for Anderson to return to purchase narcotics from him. A search of the room recovered a backpack with over 1,300 grams of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lakeland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Kenneth.
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 Neighborhoods (PSN).
Pensacola Pharmacist and Conspirator Charged with Illegal Drug Diversion ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Douglas Craig Reid Jr., 47, and Martrice Lamar Portis, 47, both of Pensacola, have been charged in federal court with conspiracy to unlawfully dispense and distribute controlled substances and to obtain controlled substances by fraud. The charges were announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Trial for both defendants is currently set for March 2, 2026, before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Drug Enforcement Administration Diversion Control Division, with assistance from the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force. According to court documents, this case is related to a prior case that was indicted as part of the Department of Justice’s 2025 National Health Care Fraud Takedown. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Pensacola Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery and Shooting OffensesRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ulysses Robinson, Jr., 41, of Pensacola, Florida, was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for interference with commerce by threat or violence, discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly proud to deliver yet another successful prosecution under Operation Take Back America, which was launched at the direction of President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to unleash the full power of the Department of Justice to incapacitate violent offenders, like these defendants, who have terrorized our communities with their crimes. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute and send to federal prison every dangerous felon who dares to threaten the safety of our residents.”
Court documents reveal that on December 16, 2024, Robinson and his partner, Ladarryl Paige – who previously pleaded guilty to the same offenses – entered a business on North Davis Highway and held multiple individuals at gunpoint. Robinson and Paige then robbed these individuals of approximately $10,000 in United States currency as well as the marijuana that was present on scene. During the armed robbery, Robinson forced the victims to comply with orders at gunpoint and discharged his firearm. Law enforcement identified both Robinson and Paige through video surveillance and forensically derived electronic evidence. Robinson is a previously convicted felon who served time in state prison.
“This is an incredible public safety win for residents of Northwest Florida,” said ATF Tampa Field Division’s Acting Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Harrell. “We’re proud to have leveraged our expertise to help Pensacola Police Department bring this violent offender to justice.”
The case involved a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Pensacola Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
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, human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Opa-Locka Aviation Company to Pay $109,618 to Resolve Allegations of Improper Maintenance of Coast Guard AircraftRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Sherwood Avionics and Accessories, Inc. (Sherwood), headquartered in Opa-Locka, has agreed to pay $109,618 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by failing to use contractually required and updated technical manuals when performing repairs on U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) C-130 aircraft landing gear.
“The False Claims Act protects more than taxpayer dollars—it safeguards the integrity of federal missions that depend on safe, reliable equipment,” said U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida. “Our Office will continue working with our partners to enforce procurement standards and ensure accountability in defense and homeland security contracting.”
“The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service is committed to ensuring the integrity of procurements by the U.S. Coast Guard,” said Assistant Director Josh Packer of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS). “We will continue to work diligently with our partners to protect taxpayer resources and uphold the highest standards in government contracting.”
According to the settlement, in September 2016, Sherwood entered into a contract with the USCG to perform repair and overhaul work on various components of C-130H and C-130J aircraft landing gear in accordance with specific technical and contractual requirements. The USCG relies on C-130 aircraft for a variety of critical missions, including law enforcement operations and search-and-rescue efforts.
From September 2017 through September 2021, Sherwood performed overhaul and maintenance work on USCG C-130 landing gear but failed to obtain and use the most current U.S. Air Force Technical Orders required under the contract. These Technical Orders provide mandatory instructions for conducting repairs safely and properly.
Enacted during the Civil War, the False Claims Act is the government’s primary civil tool to combat fraud and abuse in federal programs and procurement.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones and Assistant Director Josh Packer, CGIS, Southeast Region, made the announcement.
CGIS, Southeast Region investigated the matter, with assistance from the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney John Ghannam handled the matter.
Note: See the settlement agreement here.
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Missouri Sex Offender Sentenced to 15 Years for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a sex offender who was caught again with child sexual abuse material to 15 years in prison followed by a life term of supervised release.
Paul Lewis Sanders, 41, of Warren County, Missouri, pleaded guilty in September in U.S. District Court to one count of receiving child pornography. He admitted that after an investigation triggered by a complaint to the Warren County Sheriff’s Department in February of 2023, child sexual abuse material was discovered on Sanders’ cellular phone.
In 2004, Sanders was convicted of the felony offense of aggravated criminal sexual abuse in Macoupin County, Illinois.
The Warren County Sheriff’s Department and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations handled the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Drake prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mexican National with Multiple Felony Convictions and 11 Prior Deportations Charged for Illegally Reentering the United StatesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Mexican national made his initial court appearance Monday to face charges of illegally reentering the United States after previously being removed from the country.
Ulian Ohye-Michiko, 48, is charged with one-count of deported alien found in the United States. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for February 9, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Brenda N. Weksler.
According to allegations contained in the criminal complaint and statements made during court proceedings, Ohye-Michiko is a citizen and national of Mexico who was previously deported on 11 prior occasions since 2008 and reentered the United States illegally after his most recent removal in 2020.
On December 27, 2025, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police arrested Ohye-Michiko for child abuse or neglect, domestic battery, false statement to or obstruct public officer, driving without a driver's license, driving under the influence and operator - proof of insurance required. On January 13, 2026, Ohye-Michiko was remanded to ICE Las Vegas, Nevada, custody on an immigration detainer. Ohye-Michiko also has four prior felony convictions: Aggravated Assault- Law Enforcement Officer, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and two more for illegally returning to the United States after a removal.
If convicted, Ohye-Michiko faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison, a three-year term of supervised release, a $250,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment. After serving his sentence, Ohye-Michiko will be deported to Mexico for a twelfth time.
First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada and Salt Lake City Acting Field Office Director Brian Henke made the announcement.
The ICE Salt Lake City, Las Vegas Sub-Office investigated the case; and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada is prosecuting the case.
Members of the public can report crimes and suspicious activity by dialing 866-DHS-2-ICE (866-347-2423) or completing the online tip form.
A complaint is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Member of Makah Tribe sentenced to two years in prison for knife attack on intimate partnerRead the Press Release
Tacoma –A 20-year-old member of the Makah Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to two years in prison for assaulting an intimate partner with a knife, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Peyton Blaise Watson stabbed his intimate partner in the neck while on property within the Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Tiffany M. Cartwright said, the assault was “violent and extremely dangerous…” The victim “was stabbed in the neck in a fit of rage that was uncontrolled. It was not due to care or avoidance of more serious injury, but really only a matter of luck that we are not here today on a much more serious charge.”
“This case exemplifies our commitment to addressing crime on tribal lands – especially violent crime against vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “This was a shocking and unprovoked assault that easily could have been fatal. A term of incarceration will serve to protect the public and the victim. I hope that time in custody will give Watson an opportunity to reform his behavior.”
According to records filed in the case, in the early morning hours of May 9, 2025, Lower Elwha Police and Clallam County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a home on the Lower Elwha Klallam Reservation where a witness called 911 to report that Watson had stabbed an adult female victim in the neck. Officers found the victim standing a few feet from Watson. Once Watson was removed from the victim’s presence, she began crying and identified Watson as her assailant and that he had stabbed her in the neck. The victim was taken by ambulance to Olympic Medical Center in Port Angeles where she required surgery. Watson was booked into the Clallam County Jail on tribal charges. He has been in custody since the assault.
The FBI joined the investigation and secured items of evidence from the scene including a black folding knife about three inches long, an item identified by the victim and witness as the weapon.
The victim was hospitalized for five days as she recovered from her injuries. At the hospital she was able to describe for investigators how Watson attacked her and allegedly threatened to kill her.
In asking for a sentence at the low end of the sentencing guidelines range, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Crafting a sentencing recommendation in this case is difficult, because Watson easily could have killed [the victim] when he stabbed her in the neck with a deadly weapon. However, this appears to be an isolated incident of extreme violence. Prior to nearly killing [the victim], Watson was not known to be violent. Moreover, at the time of the offense he was (and is) quite young and had no criminal history.”
Watson will be on three years of federal supervision including mental health monitoring and drug treatment following his prison term.
The case was investigated by the FBI and the Lower Elwha Klallam Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee. Ms. Lee serves as a Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
Middle District of Louisiana Recognizes National Human Trafficking Prevention MonthRead the Press Release
Today the Middle District of Louisiana observes National Human Trafficking Prevention Month and joins the Departments of Justice (DOJ) and Homeland Security (DHS) in reaffirming the administration’s commitment to combating all forms of human trafficking and protecting victims and survivors. Human Trafficking Prevention Month presents an opportunity for DHS and DOJ, through Homeland Security Task Forces (HSTFs) to intensify operational efforts, raise public awareness, and strengthen partnerships across federal, state, and local agencies to disrupt trafficking networks, protect vulnerable individuals, and ensure traffickers are brought to justice.
“This Department of Justice is working tirelessly alongside our partners to dismantle human trafficking networks, help survivors, and protect vulnerable populations from being exploited,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Under this administration we have seen an increase in human trafficking prosecutions, and during Human Trafficking Prevention Month we reaffirm our commitment to prosecuting traffickers and encourage Americans to report instances of human trafficking in their communities.”
“Through the Homeland Security Task Force, President Trump is taking the fight directly to human trafficking networks and disrupting their modern-day slave trade while seizing their assets and arresting their kingpins and foot soldiers. The American people should not have to live in fear of cartels, gang bangers, and foreign terrorists preying upon the most vulnerable among us,” the United States Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a statement. “The Homeland Security Task Force is the largest coordinated campaign against transnational criminal organizations in U.S. history, and I’m proud to co-lead it with Attorney General Bondi.”
“During Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the FBI reiterates our work with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies and national victim-based advocacy groups in joint task forces to protect our communities across the country,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “The horrifying reach of human trafficking spreads far and wide. Homeland Security Task Forces are fighting back to disrupt these perilous networks and put a stop to that reach. The FBI will continue our investigations and bring justice to those exploited by human traffickers.
“I am thankful that this President has made the prosecution and elimination of human trafficking such an important priority,” stated U.S. Attorney Wall. “Our office will continue to aggressively support that mission.”
In January 2025, President Donald J. Trump signed Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. Section 6 of this order directed the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security to jointly establish HSTFs in every state nationwide. The HSTF objective is to end the presence of criminal cartels, foreign gangs, and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) throughout the United States; dismantle cross-border human smuggling and trafficking networks; end the scourge of human smuggling and trafficking, with a particular focus on such offenses involving children; and ensure the use of all available law enforcement tools to faithfully execute the immigration laws of the United States.
Since January 20, 2025, the Middle District of Louisiana has:
- Indicted Maurilio Lazcano-Vargas, age 45, of Mexico; Zabdi Guzman-Diaz, age 40, of Mexico; and Edyn Efrain-Arevalo, age 52, of Guatemala, charging them with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking, and coercing and enticing another to travel interstate for prostitution. Each defendant is an illegal alien who is present in the United States without authorization. If convicted of the sex trafficking charges, each defendant faces a minimum of fifteen years and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. They are also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing any sentences imposed. This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Edward Warner and Stephen Vick, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross are prosecuting this matter.
- Indicted Jesus Lopez, age 45; Zaira Lopez-Oliva, age 24; and Kirsis Castellanos-Kirington, age 30, charging them with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, sex trafficking, and coercing and enticing another to travel interstate for prostitution. Each defendant is a Honduran national that is present in the United States without authorization. If convicted of the sex trafficking charges, each defendant faces a minimum of fifteen years and up to life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and five years of supervised release. They are also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing any sentences imposed. This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Edward Warner and Stephen Vick, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Allen Ross are prosecuting this matter.
- Secured a guilty plea against Josmar Jesus Zambrano-Chirinos, age 25, a Venezuelan national who is present in the United States without authorization, for sex trafficking by force, fraud, and coercion. Zambrano-Chirinos’s conviction is punishable by a minimum of fifteen years and a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. The conviction also includes sex offender registration requirements. He is also subject to removal or deportation from the United States upon completing his sentence. This matter is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, and East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys Alan Stevens and Benjamin Anderson are prosecuting this matter.
In January 2026, DHS and DOJ are surging resources to fight and raise awareness about human trafficking, including by:
- Identifying on-going investigations and prioritizing featured operations across 45 federal locations and 10 state locations with an emphasis on border states.
- Coordinating with FBI Human Trafficking Squads and multi-agency Human Trafficking Task Forces to conduct victim recovery.
- Partnering with AMTRAK and FAMS to increase law enforcement resources and distribute posters with QR codes for reporting human trafficking in all station bathrooms and trains.
- Running advertisements related to the $250 million recovery from Backpage to distribute to victims and additional victim restitution efforts by DOL-OIG.
- Organizing Human Trafficking seminars and outreach events with DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking at high schools and colleges to highlight the role of HSTFs in addressing human trafficking.
On August 25, 2025, the HSTFs officially launched their efforts to protect the Homeland with a September Surge encompassing 400 operations nationwide. In just 43 days, HSTF nationwide operations resulted in 3,266 arrests and seizures, including:
- 1,041 Sinaloa members,
- 856 Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación (“CJNG”) members,
- 641 MS-13 members,
- 456 Tren de Aragua members,
- 1,067 weapons,
- More than $3,250,000 in currency, and
- Approximately 91 metric tons of narcotics
Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Sending a Dozen Payments to Suspected ISIS Terrorists and Illegally Possessing Homemade BombRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for sending a dozen payments to suspected members of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), a designated foreign terrorist organization, and for illegally possessing a homemade bomb.
Mark Lorenzo Villanueva, 29, pleaded guilty to one count of attempting to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Villanueva has been in federal custody since August 2025.
According to his plea agreement, Villanueva began communicating in February 2025 over a social media messaging platform with an individual who represented himself to be an ISIS fighter living in Syria. This individual told Villanueva how to send him money in Syria.
Based on these instructions, Villanueva sent more than $1,600 with the understanding that the money would be spent on ammunition, weapons, and other supplies in order for ISIS to conduct operations. Villanueva also discussed conducting operations for ISIS in the United States.
During a search of Villanueva’s home in August 2025, law enforcement found a manufactured bomb packed with large amounts of ball bearings and other metal objects, including nails, screws, and nuts. At all relevant times, Villanueva knew the bomb was considered a firearm and a destructive device under federal law, and the device was not federally registered as required by law.
At the time Villanueva possessed the homemade bomb, he knew he had been convicted of felony stalking in Los Angeles Superior Court in September 2017 and was prohibited from possessing any firearm.
United States District Judge Anne Hwang scheduled a June 17 sentencing hearing, at which time Villanueva will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for attempting to provide material support to a federal terrorist organization, and up to 15 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Colin S. Scott of the National Security Division is prosecuting this case, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorneys Patrick Cashman and Matt Hracho of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Jury Convicts Omaha Man for Distribution of Fentanyl Causing DeathRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that on January 23, 2026, following a jury trial in Omaha, Nebraska, Paul “Tony” Billingsley, 65, of Omaha, was found guilty of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death stemming from a May 6, 2024, incident, and distribution of fentanyl stemming from a May 24, 2024, incident. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. presided over the trial. Billingsley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison for the distribution causing death charge and a maximum sentence of 20 years for the distribution of fentanyl charge.
Evidence at trial revealed that on May 6, 2024, Billingsley sold fentanyl to co-defendant Elissa Larson. Within the hour, Larson distributed the fentanyl to a victim who overdosed and died. A family member later found the victim. Following the victim’s overdose death, law enforcement utilized a confidential informant to conduct a controlled purchase of fentanyl from Billingsley on May 24, 2024. Law enforcement arrested Billingsley on June 3, 2024, and located more fentanyl in Billingsley’s possession.
Billingsley will be sentenced on April 17, 2026, before Chief Judge Rossiter. Co-defendant Larson has pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and will be sentenced on February 20, 2026.
This case was investigated by the Overdose Drug Taskforce comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Nebraska State Patrol, Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Omaha Police Department.
Johnston County Man Sent to Federal Prison for 10 Years for Child Porn Found During Investigation into Torturing a CatRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Nathaniel Rogers Truitt, 23, to 10 years in federal prison followed by 10 years of supervised release for Receipt of Child Pornography.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Johnston County Sheriff’s Office initially investigated Inmate Truitt for domestic violence. Inmate Truitt called 911 claiming a family member pepper sprayed him. The family member found videos of Inmate Truitt torturing and murdering the family cat. Inmate Truitt confessed that he videoed himself killing the family cat at the request of a stranger on the internet. Inmate Truitt also confessed to killing stray cats and to engaging in sexual acts with these dead animals at the request of an online stranger. Law enforcement seized and searched his digital devices, which revealed child sexual abuse material, along with animal cruelty videos. Truitt’s state charges for crimes against nature and cruelty to animals remain pending.
“This reprehensible crime disgusts every law-abiding citizen. Engaging in this behavior allows spiders to target more children for demonic acts. We will stomp out anyone doing this in Eastern North Carolina, without remorse. Please monitor your family members and don’t let them get entangled in the evil that lurks in the web.” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle.
W. Ellis Boyle U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan presided over the sentencing. The Johnston County Sheriff’s Office and SBI investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charity Wilson and Ashley Foxx prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-329-FL-RN.