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Wednesday 26 November 2025
Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of a Firearm by a FelonRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Jeffrey Hernandez, 40, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 120 months in prison, the statutory maximum sentence allowed by law, and three years of supervised release by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone for illegal possession of a firearm by felon.
Hernandez was charged by superseding information and pleaded guilty in August of this year.
As detailed in case filings and admitted to by the defendant, Hernandez possessed a 9mm semiautomatic pistol loaded with 30 live rounds of ammunition, despite knowing that he was not permitted to possess a firearm given his status as a convicted felon.
As further detailed in court documents and hearings, Hernandez was found in possession of the firearm after the FBI and Philadelphia police received credible information that the defendant and three other men were on their way to kill someone in retaliation for an earlier shooting.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the FBI, and the Philadelphia Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Martin and Special Assistant United States Attorney Meagan Gordon.
Pensacola Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawful Possession of Firearms and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Donavon Idris Ellis, 27, of Pensacola, was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of firearms and ammunition 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: “My office is committed to supporting the work of our brave local, state, and federal law enforcement partners who keep our communities safe. We will continue to aggressively prosecute all violations of our laws and hold offenders accountable.”
Court documents reflect that a search warrant was executed at the defendant’s residence in March 2024, during which law enforcement found and seized two loaded firearms, boxes of bulk ammunition, and multiple magazines, including a large capacity drum magazine. The defendant admitted to law enforcement that the two firearms were his. In 2021, the defendant was federally convicted of three counts of distribution of carfentanil,
The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pensacola Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia Forbes.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Nigerian Man Convicted in Federal Trial of Fraud and Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – A federal jury convicted Saheed Sunday Owolabi, 34, from Nigeria on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering for his role in several cyber fraud schemes.
“Fraud schemes like this drain millions from hardworking people in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “We will continue to work with our federal partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute those who abuse the anonymity of the internet to enrich themselves by stealing from our citizens.”
According to court records and trial evidence, Owolabi pretended to be a woman to build online relationships with men in the United States, a scheme known as a romance scam. He and his co-conspirators used these fake relationships to convince victims to send money and personal information. Owolabi and others used bank accounts provided by the victims to launder money from other fraudulent operations. Owolabi joined a scheme that stole and laundered more than $120,000 from a victim in the Eastern District of North Carolina and defrauded hundreds of others. During the COVID-19 pandemic, fraudsters gained unauthorized access to information about a pending home closing and sent spoofed emails instructing the victim to transfer funds to a bank account they controlled. When the victim complied, the money went to accounts linked to Owolabi and his associates. Owolabi then directed others on how to move and distribute the money, including sending portions to himself. Investigators recovered chat messages in which Owolabi admitted he was running a romance scam until he realized he was actually communicating with another fraudster. That individual mocked Owolabi’s efforts and told him to “learn how to do a clean job.”
Owolabi faces up to 40 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release when sentenced in January 2026.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad DeVoe is prosecuting the case, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-CR-137-M.
New York City Based Drug Supplier Pleads Guilty for Role in Ulster County Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Defendant, Cecilio Wareham, age 48 of Queens, New York, pled guilty in October to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine.
The announcement was made by Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III; William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New York; and Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa, whose office leads the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT).
In April 2025, ten defendants, including Wareham, were indicted for their roles in drug trafficking organizations that distributed large quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine in and around Kingston, New York and other areas of Ulster County. The organizations are alleged to have distributed over 11 kilograms of cocaine and hundreds of grams of cocaine base. Through the execution of search warrants in Ulster County and additional enforcement actions, law enforcement seized over five kilograms of cocaine and 270 grams of cocaine base.
As part of his guilty plea, Wareham admitted to supplying his co-conspirator, Greg Tejada, with quantities of cocaine for redistribution, including over 2 kilograms of cocaine that were seized from Tejada in October 2024.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III stated: “This guilty plea sends a clear and unequivocal message: we will aggressively dismantle the drug-trafficking networks that threaten the safety of our communities. Our work is far from finished, but this case proves that those who choose to spread dangerous narcotics will face decisive accountability. I strongly commend our federal, state, and local partners for their unwavering dedication and coordination throughout this investigation.”
HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel stated: “This plea is the result of a sustained, collaborative investigation aimed at dismantling criminal networks that traffic dangerous drugs into our communities. HSI New York and our law enforcement partners will continue to target the supply chains, distributors, and organizations responsible for fueling addiction and violence. Our efforts will remain relentless as we work to safeguard the public.”
Ulster County Sheriff Juan Figueroa stated: “URGENT and our partnering agencies remain committed to protecting Ulster County from the destructive impact of narcotics trafficking. This case highlights the strength of interagency cooperation and the dedication of our investigators. We will continue to pursue those who bring illegal drugs into our neighborhoods and ensure they are brought before the justice system.”
Sentencing is scheduled for February 26, 2026, before United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino. Wareham faces a prison term of at least 10 years and up to life, a fine of up to $10 million, and a supervised release term of at least 5 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is convicted of violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
The remaining defendants, all of whom are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance, would face the following minimum and maximum terms of imprisonment upon conviction:
NameAgeResidenceMinimum Term of ImprisonmentMaximum Term of ImprisonmentDamon Dunn, aka “Moe”48Tilson, New York10 yearsLifeGreg Tejada, aka “Bear,48Highland Lakes, New Jersey10 yearsLifeRichard Johnson35New York, New York10 yearsLifeKevin Dunn52New York, New York5 years40 yearsAidan White23Kingston, New York5 years40 yearsKristine Scibelli41Middletown, New York5 years40 yearsXavier Patterson, aka “Xay”28New York, New York5 years40 yearsAllen McGraw, aka “Snoop”44Utica, New YorkNone20 yearsRaymond Robinson53Kingston, New YorkNone20 yearsAdditionally, Damon Dunn, Raymond Robinson, Greg Tejada, Kristine Scibelli, Xavier Patterson, and Richard Johnson are charged with Distribution of a Controlled Substance, and Aidan White and Damon Dunn are charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance.
The charges in the indictments are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by HSI; the Ulster County Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with URGENT (the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement and Narcotics Team); Federal Bureau of Investigation, and New York State Police Special Investigations Unit, Valhalla.
Assistant United States Attorney Ashlyn Miranda is prosecuting the case.
These prosecutions are 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.
New Jersey Doctor Charged with Unlawfully Distributing Adderall and XanaxRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey doctor was arrested on November 4, 2025, for unlawfully prescribing Adderall, a Schedule II controlled substance, and Xanax, a Schedule IV controlled substance, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
David Holbrook, 70, of Bloomsbury, New Jersey was charged by Indictment with nine counts of unlawfully distributing and dispensing controlled substances, each in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). Holbrook appeared on November 4, 2025, for his initial appearance and arraignment in federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa. The defendant was released on a $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On nine occasions between or around January 2021 and September 2022, Holbrook, a licensed psychiatrist, prescribed Adderall and Xanax to multiple patients outside the usual course of professional practice and not for a legitimate medical purpose. If convicted, Holbrook faces a statutory maximum sentence of twenty years in prison and a $1 million fine on each count.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents, task force officers, and diversion investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, New Jersey, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jake A. Nasar of the Office’s Health Care Fraud and Opioid Enforcement Unit.
Victims with any information regarding Dr. David Holbrook may contact the DEA New Jersey Field Division at 571-362-3700.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel: Jay Surgent, Esq.
holbrook.indictment.pdfMonmouth County Man Sentenced to 63 Months’ Imprisonment for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Monmouth County man was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment for armed bank robbery, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
Jeffrey L. Kniffin, 51, of Wall Township, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court on July 22, 2025, to a one-count Information charging him with armed bank robbery. U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi imposed the sentence on November 24, 2025 in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On October 23, 2024, Kniffin entered a bank in Wall Township, New Jersey armed with a loaded handgun, approached a bank teller, and demanded cash from the teller. After demanding the money, Kniffin removed the handgun from his pocket and displayed it towards the teller. During his interaction with the teller, Kniffin instructed multiple times, “Don’t do anything stupid.” Kniffin received approximately $27,072 in cash from the teller and then fled the bank. He was apprehended and arrested by law enforcement several minutes later. At the time of his arrest, law enforcement recovered from Kniffin and his immediate surroundings a loaded handgun and more than $25,000 in cash.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Quraishi sentenced Kniffin to three years of supervised release following Kniffin’s term of imprisonment, ordered forfeiture of Kniffin’s robbery proceeds and crime gun, and ordered restitution in the amount of $1,938.
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited task force officers with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the sentencing. She also thanked the Wall Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sean O’Halloran, and the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago, for their assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
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Defense counsel: John M. Holliday, Esq.
Mexican Nationals Arrested and Charged in Million-Dollar Real Estate SchemeRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO –Victor Hugo Villalobos Almazan and Nayeli Noemi Montoya Rodriguez, both Mexican nationals, were arrested by federal agents Tuesday and charged with fraudulently selling properties they did not own.
The defendants were taken into custody upon their arrival at George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston after arriving from Mexico. They appeared in federal court in Houston today to face wire fraud conspiracy and aggravated identity theft charges. An identity and detention hearing is scheduled for Wednesday in Houston.
According to the complaint, the defendants pretended to be the owners of vacant or undeveloped plots of real estate and sold the properties to unwitting third parties by forging signatures of notaries and wiring the proceeds abroad to bank accounts in Mexico and Jordan. According to the complaint, the defendants netted nearly $1 million from two illegal real estate sales.
The complaint alleges that between March and April 2023, Villalobos impersonated the recorded owner of a parcel of vacant land in San Diego for purposes of selling the property and collecting the proceeds. Villalobos allegedly opened a bank account in his own name, with the indication that he was “doing business as” the entity that was the recorded owner of the real property. Villalobos then directed the escrow company to wire the proceeds from the sale into his bank account and then wired nearly all of the illicit proceeds to bank accounts in foreign countries.
Photo evidence shows Villalobos dropping off forms necessary to complete the fraudulent sale of the real property at the escrow company responsible for facilitating the sale.
According to the complaint, Montoya executed a similar scheme in March 2023. She impersonated the recorded owner of real estate with a vacant structure, selling it for approximately $400,000. The complaint said she opened a bank account in her own name, “doing business as” the recorded owner of the property, and directed the proceeds of the sale into that account. Once the proceeds were deposited, Montoya wired most of the money into foreign bank accounts within days. She also withdrew several thousand dollars of the money at various ATMs in San Diego. She was seen on bank surveillance cameras withdrawing money from the account, both alone and with Villalobos.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Beeler and David Kete.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 25-mj-6506-AHG
Victor Hugo Villalobos Almazan Age: 48 Mexico
Nayeli Noemi Montoya Rodriguez Age: 48 Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $250,000 fine
Aggravated Identity Theft – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1028A
Maximum penalty: Two years in prison, consecutive to the underlying felony
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigations
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Mexican Man Charged with Entering United States Illegally and Eluding Examination by Immigration OfficersRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that Vicente De La Cruz-Rodriguez, 28, of Mexico, has been charged by criminal complaint with illegal entry into the United States and eluding examination by immigration officers.
On November 24, 2025, Rodriguez appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle, who ordered that Rodriguez be detained during the pendency of this matter.
According to court records, Rodriguez illegally entered the United States from Mexico via Texas in October 2022. Thereafter, Rodriguez travelled to and lived in Addison County, Vermont. On November 10, 2025, Rodriguez was convicted of first degree aggravated domestic assault in Vermont Superior Court, Addison County, and sentenced to 59 to 60 days’ imprisonment. On November 21, 2025, special agents of Homeland Security Investigations arrested Rodriguez in Rutland, Vermont. At no time did Rodriguez present himself for examination or inspection by an immigration officer as required by federal law.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that the complaint contains allegations only and that Rodriguez is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Rodriguez faces up to six months’ imprisonment and a $5,000 fine if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations.
The prosecutor is Special Assistant United States Attorney Craig S. Nolan. Rodriguez is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Charles N. Curlett, Jr.
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.
Memphis Company Sentenced for Violations of the Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis company that specialized in repairing diesel engines was sentenced to pay a fine in the amount of $150,000 for violations of the Clean Air Act. P.T. Services, Inc. entered a guilty plea to the violations in September. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court at the plea hearing, between June 2023 and August 2024, P.T. Services, Inc. modified and deleted emissions control monitoring devices from diesel engines. Under provisions of the Clean Air Act, it is a crime to falsify, tamper with and render inaccurate emissions control monitoring devices.
The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Mark S. Norris on November 25, 2025. In addition to the $150,000 fine, as part of the plea agreement, the company was ordered to participate in a compliance program and be subject to unannounced inspections by the Environmental Protection Agency.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "The U.S. Attorney’s Office is a full-service federal prosecution office, and we have the ability and intention to charge any violations of federal law, no matter where or how they occur in the Western District of Tennessee. This prosecution demonstrates our commitment to upholding the rule of law, and to pursuing any cases that harm and impact our air quality and environment."
“This sentence should send a clear message that companies who break environmental laws will be held accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the FBI Nashville Field Office. “Modifying and deleting emissions control monitoring devices from diesel engines can lead to poor air quality and health risks. The FBI and our partners will continue to work together to hold accountable individuals who disregard health and environmental laws designed to protect our communities.”
The case was investigated by agents with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carroll L. André III.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Mason City Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine Distribution and Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Darius Stackhouse, age 33, from Mason City, Iowa, was sentenced October 1, 2025, to 25 years in federal prison after a March 12, 2025, jury verdict where he was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, four counts of distribution of methamphetamine, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Evidence at trial showed that between June 2021 and March 2023, Stackhouse was part of an ongoing drug conspiracy based in Mason City, Iowa to distribute methamphetamine. Stackhouse sold more than 40 pounds of methamphetamine throughout the conspiracy and three pounds to sources working with law enforcement. During the execution of several search warrants, more than $30,000 cash was located in Stackhouse’s residence, as well as additional methamphetamine, other controlled substances, and a firearm.
Stackhouse was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 300 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Stackhouse is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-3001.
Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Man from Ecuador charged with being an alien in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Victor Jose Marino Pullo, 24, a native and citizen of Ecuador, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with being an alien in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, late in the morning on November 25, 2025, Custom and Border Protection (CBP) officers encountered Marino Pullo at the Peace Bridge Port of Entry as he operated a U-Haul box truck. Marino Pullo and another individual were moving from Connecticut to Buffalo. Marino Pullo was following a Global positioning system (GPS) and was directed on to the Peace Bridge. Marino Pullo did not enter Canada, however. Instead, Marino Pullo turned around on the bridge, where he was inspected by CBP officers. Marino Pullo and his companion were sent to secondary inspection for not having proper immigration documents. During secondary inspection, an officer discovered pictures of Marino Pullo holding a pistol on his cell phone. During a search of the U-Haul truck, officers recovered the loaded pistol in a cardboard box filled with clothes. Record checks reveal that Marino Pullo was encountered by U.S. Border Patrol on four previous occasions and was removed from the United States.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Man Living in Ochelata Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A man living in Ochelata was sentenced today for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Ramey Joe-Dawn Dill, 38, to 24 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
Court records show that Dill raped an unconscious girl and was convicted of second-degree rape in 2007 in State court. He was sentenced to 12 years, with 9 years being suspended, and is required to register as a sex offender. Dill’s criminal history includes 15 convictions over the last 19 years. His convictions include rape, DUI, malicious injury, burglary, and failing to register as a sex offender.
In 2023, Dill was convicted in federal court for failing to register as a sex offender. After being released in 2025, Dill failed again to keep his address up to date with the sex offender registry.
Dill has used several aliases over the years. Court records show that he has gone by Ramey Joedon Dill and Ramey Joe-Don Dill. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons and is still required to register as a sex offender.
The United States Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michele Hulgaard and Charles Greenough 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Local Man Sentenced to over 20 Years in Federal Prison for Multiple CarjackingsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Derrion Turner, 20, of Memphis, was sentenced in federal court after being convicted of two carjackings, an attempted carjacking, and related firearm offenses. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on August 25, 2023, Turner took a 2016 Ford Mustang from a victim that was in the parking lot of a Circle K located on Highway 64. Turner pointed a handgun at the victim’s chest and demanded the victim’s wallet and keys.
On August 31, 2023, Turner took a 2018 Nissan Rogue inside of an apartment complex near Steel Manor Drive. After Turner snatched the victim’s iPhone from her hand, he then pressed a handgun against her head and told her to move away from the vehicle.
On September 3, 2023, Turner approached a male while holding a gun at a service station located on Third Street and demanded his 2022 Dodge Charger. When Turner turned his head for a moment, the victim fought Turner over the gun. During the struggle, a shot was fired. The victim was able to take the gun from Turner and subdue him until police arrived. Turner later confessed to both robberies and the attempted robbery and plead guilty earlier in the year.
On November 17, 2025, United States District Court Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Turner to 246 months' imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, "Our office is continuing to coordinate with our federal and local law enforcement partners to prioritize and target carjacking cases for aggressive federal prosecution. This 20-year sentence confirms that there is a significant consequence for sowing lawlessness and violence in our communities, and Turner will now reap a long prison sentence for his brazen and dangerous behavior that victimized innocent citizens."
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, as well as the Memphis Police Department’s Violent Crimes Unit.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Leader of Colombian Money Laundering Organization Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Laundering Drug ProceedsRead the Press Release
A Colombian national was sentenced today to 60 months in prison for conspiring to launder drug proceeds. He was also ordered to forfeit $1.2 million.
According to court documents, Michael Nunez Daza, also known as “Luky,” 49, led a transnational money laundering organization operating in Colombia, Mexico, and the United States. Nunez Daza orchestrated bulk cash pickups involving drug trafficking proceeds from Mexico across multiple U.S. cities. After the bulk cash was picked up, Nunez Daza arranged for the illicit funds to be deposited into U.S. bank accounts registered in the names of other individuals and companies before they were further transferred to Colombia. Within days of the bulk cash being delivered and deposited in the United States, corresponding bulk cash in the form of Colombian pesos was delivered in Cali, Colombia, directly to Nunez Daza and his couriers. In just eight months in 2017 and 2018, Nunez Daza laundered at least $1.2 million for his Mexico-based co-conspirators. Nunez Daza was previously convicted of conspiracy to distribute cocaine and was deported to his native country Colombia in 2004.
Nunez Daza was indicted on the money laundering charges in January 2023 and extradited to the United States in April 2025. Nunez Daza pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy on Aug. 14, 2025.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy of the FBI Newark Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI investigated the case.
The Criminal Division’s Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section prosecuted the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida provided significant assistance. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and Judicial Attaché Office in Bogotá, Colombia, worked with law enforcement partners in Colombia to secure the arrest and extradition of Nunez Daza.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Homeland Security Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Kansas farmer indicted for insurance fraudRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging a Kansas farmer for filing a crop loss insurance claim and receiving payment after allegedly failing to disclose the sale of thousands of bushels of wheat that he reported as ruined.
According to court documents, David L. Mongeau, 54, of Holcomb was indicted on two counts of making a false statement and 17 counts of bank fraud/attempted bank fraud.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case
OTHER INDICTMENTS
Edgar Cuellar-Ortega, 45, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
Miguel Modesto-Cesario, 26, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
Lazaro Rodriguez-Hernandez, 35, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gordon is prosecuting the case.
Jose Guillermo Uribe Perez, 38, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
Enrique Villareal-Varela, 53, a Mexican national residing illegally in the United States was indicted on one count of unlawful reentry after deportation. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Larry Fadler is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Kansas City Woman Sentenced to 5 Years for EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., woman was sentenced yesterday to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for a fraud scheme in which she embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from her employer.
Jennifer L. Cabral, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough, to 60 months in federal prison on for one count of bank fraud and one count of money laundering to run concurrently and ordered her to pay restitution in the amount of $306,034.28 to her former employer and to forfeit $1,393.50.
As part of her plea, Cabral admitted that she stole money from the checking account of her employer and used those funds for her personal benefit, including purchasing a 2019 Mazda CX-9 automobile, in which she has since agreed to forfeit all interests.
According to information presented in court, Cabral made unauthorized Automated Clearing House (ACH) payments to herself using her employer’s online account at a local financial institution. Cabral accessed her employer’s accounting software and directed payments to her personal bank accounts at two other financial institutions. Once those funds were deposited in her personal accounts, she used them for various personal benefits including vehicle payments toward the purchase of her car.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rudolph R. Rhodes IV. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Grandview, Mo. Police Department.
Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division Highlights to D.C. Appeals Court the Illegality of 2024 EPA RuleRead the Press Release
Earlier this week, the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) urged the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to void the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s 2024 air quality standard for particulate matter, because EPA recognizes that it took an unlawful regulatory shortcut in imposing the rule.
The Clean Air Act requires the EPA to conduct a thorough review of the underlying science before revising an air quality standard. Under the previous administration, the EPA decided it could not be bothered to do the science, so it took an illegal regulatory shortcut to adopt a stifling and costly national air quality standard for particulate matter through a truncated reconsideration process.
Under President Donald J. Trump’s Administration, the EPA has renewed its commitment to following the law. ENRD’s filing this week concedes the illegality of the 2024 rule. During the Biden Administration, EPA violated the Clean Air Act by issuing its rule without a thorough review of the science and without considering the costs of its shortcut. Discarding the rule would bring EPA back into compliance with the Clean Air Act and protect Americans from burdensome environmental standards that may ultimately do more harm than good.
Jamestown woman arrested for meth possessionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Micayla L. Blair, 23, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that on October 30, 2025, investigators executed a search warrant at a William Street residence connected to Blair. During the search, investigators recovered a quantity of suspected crystal methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a pistol.
Blair made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was detained.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Jamestown man pleads guilty for his role in Jamestown drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Jaquez Thomas, 22, of Jamestown, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua A. Violanti, Stacey Jacovetti, and Louis A. Testani, who are handling the case, stated that between 2020 to 2022, Thomas distributed quantities of fentanyl and cocaine he received from Joseph Zaso. Thomas utilized Facebook and Cash App to conduct his drug trafficking activities. During the conspiracy, he supplied quantities of fentanyl to Justin Yuchnitz and Joseph Thayer.
Thomas also conspired with Jose Maisonet in 2022. In Spring of 2022, Jamestown Police officers conducted three controlled purchases from Jose Maisonet. In July 2022, a search warrant was executed at Thomas’ Allen Street residence. During the search a loaded handgun, and drug paraphernalia were seized. A search warrant was also executed at Maisonet’s Forest Avenue residence, during which quantities of suspected crack cocaine and methamphetamine, digital scales, cell phones, and $2,715.00 in cash was seized.
Joseph Zaso, Joseph Thayer, and Justin Yuchnitz were previously convicted and are awaiting sentencing. Jose Maisonet was previously convicted and sentenced in a separate 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. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
Sentencing is scheduled for March 20, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Jamestown man arrested, charged with fentanyl possessionRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. –U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Russell Sims, 32, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katerina F. Powers and Joshau A. Violanti, who are handling the case, stated that in the early morning hours of July 20, 2025, a Jamestown Police officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in the vicinity of East 6th Street. Sims was a passenger in the vehicle. After noticing that Sims was agitated, the officer ordered him and the driver out of the vehicle. Sims and the driver were interviewed separately, giving inconsistent details. A search of the vehicle recovered a quantity of cocaine and fentanyl, drug paraphernalia, and four cell phones. Fentanyl was also located on Sims’s person.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Jacksonville Man Indicted for Distributing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe has announced that Tyler Bruce McClure (24, Jacksonville) has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of distributing and possessing child sexual abuse materials using the internet. McClure faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, and up to 40 years, in federal prison, and a potential life term of supervised release. McClure was arrested on November 17, 2025, by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and made his initial appearance in federal court in Jacksonville the next day. He was ordered detained pending trial.
According to the indictment, on or about September 26, 2025, McClure knowingly distributed over the internet the visual depiction of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. On October 7, 2025, the defendant possessed on a cellular telephone visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
An indictment is only an allegation, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify, rescue, and seek justice for child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
International Audio Electronics Company Harman Pays $11.8 Million to Settle Fraud Allegations for Evading Customs Duties on Chinese Extruded AluminumRead the Press Release
DETROIT – United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced today that Harman International Industries, Inc. (Harman), a leading audio electronics company for automakers, consumers, and enterprises worldwide, and whose portfolio of brands includes Harman Kardon®, JBL®, and Mark Levinson®, has agreed to pay $11,809,628 to settle allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and other statutes by evading antidumping and countervailing duties on goods made of extruded aluminum from the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
To enter goods into the United States, an importer must declare, among other things, whether the goods are subject to duties and the amount of duties owed. The Department of Commerce assesses, and U.S. Customs and Border Protection collects, antidumping and countervailing duties (AD/CVD) to level the playing field for American companies. Antidumping duties protect against foreign companies “dumping” products on U.S. markets at prices below cost, while countervailing duties offset foreign government subsidies. During the relevant time period, heat sinks containing extruded aluminum, which are common thermal controlling devices in the electronics industry, were subject to significant antidumping and countervailing duties.
The settlement resolves allegations that, from June 1, 2011 through March 31, 2023, Harman knowingly imported heat sinks that contained extruded aluminum from the PRC without paying the required AD/CVD. The United States further contended that when confronted with its failure to pay required AD/CVD for the heat sinks, Harman concealed and decided not to disclose its knowing avoidance of AD/CVD to the United States.
“For more than a decade, Harman knowingly evaded duties designed to prevent unfair foreign subsidies and trade practices,” said United States Attorney Gorgon. “But we will use the law to protect our American companies against cheaters. And when we catch them, they will pay for it.”
"CBP played a critical role in assisting with DOJ’s investigation concerning Harman’s failure to pay antidumping and countervailing duties on imported electronic components, resulting in a settlement of $11.8 million to resolve its civil liability under the False Claims Act and the customs laws,” said Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner Susan S. Thomas, of CBP’s Office of Trade. “This case underscores CBP’s commitment to enforcing the customs and trade laws and ensuring the protection of revenue to promote U.S. economic security.”
“We commend the sustained effort and diligence of DOJ and CBP in maintaining the integrity of AD/CVD orders,” said Christopher Abbott, performing the duties and functions of the Assistant Secretary of Enforcement and Compliance at the Department of Commerce. “Their work ensures that American industries and workers receive the relief they are entitled to under the law.”
“This settlement reflects the strong partnership between the Department of Commerce OIG, our law enforcement partners, and the Department of Justice to ensure the integrity of U.S. trade laws and hold companies accountable when they circumvent duties designed to protect American industries,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Laura Barsczewsk of the U.S. Department of Commerce Office of Inspector General. “We will continue to work together to uphold integrity in public service.”
The allegations resolved by this settlement arose from a whistleblower lawsuit filed under the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Jesrel Mitre v. Harman International Industries, Inc., Case No. 2:20-cv-12487. The whistleblower will receive $2,302,877.46 of the settlement proceeds.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the U.S. Department of Justice, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Department of Commerce. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Gentner from the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan.
The pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating fraud, waste, and abuse. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential customs fraud can be reported to CBP at www.help.cbp.gov/s/tip
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability
Gainesville Man Pleads Guilty to Carrying Multiple Firearms While Selling DrugsRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Kendrick J. Hills Jr., 23, of Gainesville, Florida, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute marijuana and carrying a firearm during a drug-trafficking crime. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Thanks to the outstanding work of our state and federal law enforcement partners, this drug dealer has been taken off our streets and now faces an extended stay in federal prison. My office is committed to aggressively prosecuting these cases to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the drug traffickers and violent felons who have plagued our communities for too long.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant was pulled over for multiple traffic violations. During the traffic stop, law enforcement smelled and observed marijuana in his vehicle. The presence of illegal narcotics was also confirmed by a K9 on scene. During a search of the vehicle, officers located a stolen 9-millimeter pistol on the driver’s floorboard, a .40-caliber pistol with an extended 22-round magazine under the driver’s seat, and a backpack filled with almost a pound of marijuana and drug-distribution paraphernalia, such as scales and baggies. The defendant later admitted that he possessed the firearms to protect himself, including protecting himself from the risk of drug-related robberies.
Hills faces a minimum of five years and up to life in federal prison. Following his release, he will be on supervised release for at least two years.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Alachua County Sherriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Hapner and James McCain.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 10, 2026, at 11:00 am in Gainesville, Florida, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Fort Thompson Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a man from Fort Thompson, South Dakota, convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on November 25, 2025.
Michael Lovejoy, Jr., age 43, was sentenced to time served in custody through January 2, 2026, equal to approximately ten months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lovejoy was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 14, 2025.
Lovejoy was convicted of Third Degree Rape in Pennington County, South Dakota, in August 2005. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or change in employment or student status. In November 2024, Lovejoy began a period of supervised release, and he updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Fort Thompson. Lovejoy did not thereafter reside at the residence. An arrest warrant was subsequently issued, and on March 13, 2025, Lovejoy was arrested in Fort Thompson.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.
Lovejoy was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Former State Representative Pleads Guilty to Offenses Related to Cancelled State Audit of Medicaid Provider, Bank FraudRead the Press Release
CHRISTOPHER ZIOGAS, 74, of Bristol, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to offenses related to interference with a state audit into a Medicaid provider who engaged in health care fraud, as well as a separate bank fraud offense.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between January and June 2020, Ziogas, who served as a State Representative for Connecticut’s 79th Assembly District, engaged in a scheme in which Konstantinos Diamantis, a senior official in the State’s Office of Policy and Management (“OPM”), solicited and received corrupt payments and benefits from Ziogas’s fiancée, Helen Zervas, an optometrist and owner of Family Eye Care in Bristol, in exchange for official acts concerning a state audit of Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid overbilling.
As part of the scheme, in January 2020, an official with Connecticut’s Department of Social Services (DSS) provided notice that it would perform an audit of Zervas’s and Family Eye Care’s Medicaid billing. Zervas, who knew that she had fraudulently overbilled Medicaid for medical services that she had not provided, or that were not medically necessary, sought assistance from Ziogas to prevent the DSS audit from proceeding. Ziogas, in turn, sought help from Diamantis in his role as a senior OPM official. In exchange for payments from Ziogas and Zervas, Diamantis undertook official acts and pressured other state officials to undertake official acts aimed at favorably resolving Zervas’s DSS audit.
On March 4, 2020, Ziogas made a $20,000 bribe payment to Diamantis. On that date, Zervas’s attorney emailed a DSS official with a settlement offer to resolve DSS’s audit. The next day, Zervas reimbursed Ziogas with a $25,000 check from Family Eye Care. On March 12, 2020, Ziogas made a $10,000 bribe payment to Diamantis, and was subsequently reimbursed by Zervas. After having been advised and pressured directly by Diamantis and indirectly by him through officials at OPM and DSS, the DSS official cancelled the DSS audit and, on May 1, 2020, accepted Zervas’s settlement proposal.
On May 12, 2020, Ziogas and Diamantis delivered a settlement check from Family Eye Care in the amount of $599,810 to DSS. On May 15, 2020, Ziogas, through Zervas, made a final bribe payment of $65,000 to Diamantis.
Ziogas made a false statement when interviewed by federal agents during the investigation of this matter.
Ziogas also separately committed bank fraud. Ziogas was the trustee of a client trust, identified in court documents as “Trust-1.” In November 2019, Ziogas prepared and caused to be negotiated a check from Trust-1 in the amount of $5,500 made out to Diamantis.
Ziogas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, making false statements, which carries maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
Ziogas is released on a $500,000 bond pending sentencing, which is currently scheduled for February 18 before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport.
Zervas previously pleaded guilty to related charges and is awaiting sentencing.
Diamantis has been charged by indictment and is awaiting trial in this matter, which is scheduled for January 30 in Bridgeport. The U.S. Attorney’s Office stressed that an indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan N. Francis and Paul A. Riley.
Felon Sentenced for Unlawfully Possessing a Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – An Oklahoma man was sentenced today for being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Christopher Allen Thetford, 31, to 30 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release.
In April 2024, Broken Arrow Police officers observed a vehicle with a smashed windshield pull into a hotel parking lot, in an area known for high crime and illicit drugs. When the vehicle left the hotel, officers pulled it over. When officers approached the vehicle, they could smell marijuana, and Thetford was in the passenger seat. An officer asked Thetford if there was a firearm in the vehicle, and he said no.
After Thetford got out of the vehicle, officers found a baggie with methamphetamine in his pants. When officers searched the vehicle, they found more bags of methamphetamine and a firearm under the passenger seat where Thetford was sitting.
Court records show that Thetford has prior felony convictions in Missouri and Oklahoma. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Broken Arrow Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Dowdell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
El Cajon Company and its and Human Resources Manager Plead Guilty to Engaging in Practice of Employing Aliens; Company to Forfeit More than $200,000Read the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – El Cajon-based San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings and the company’s hiring manager, Karli Buxton, pleaded guilty in federal court today to engaging in a pattern or practice of hiring undocumented immigrants without authorization to work in the United States. The plea follows a worksite enforcement action which occurred on March 27, 2025, at San Diego Powder & Protective Coatings’ facility.
The company, a government contractor, also agreed to forfeit $230,000 that it gained from engaging in the practice.
As part of the plea agreement, the company admitted that its operations manager, John Washburn, and others recruited undocumented immigrants who did not have authorization to work in the United States. Washburn pleaded guilty in June.
Since 2023, Buxton was responsible for verifying that new employees were eligible to work in the United States. As part of her plea agreement, she admitted that she was aware certain employees were presenting fraudulent documents to show their authorization to work in the United States, but she accepted the documents and hired them for employment at the company.
The company further admitted that it had frequently sent employees to work in secure locations such as military bases or ports of entry and avoided sending any employees working illegally to these secure locations where they would be subject to further screening. The company also admitted the aliens it employed in its warehouses often had access to military equipment such as components for submarines or aquatic vehicles used by the United States Navy.
As part of its plea agreement, the company agreed to participate in the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers (IMAGE) program. The IMAGE program serves the business community by strengthening hiring and employment verification practices by providing guidance on topics such as the use of fraudulent documents and forced labor. IMAGE program participants agree to submit to an audit of their Form I-9s (Employment Eligibility Verification Form) to ensure the integrity of their workforce and that they are only employing individuals authorized to work in the United States. As part of its plea agreement, the company also agreed to use the E-Verify system to check the eligibility of all new employees for the next two years.
“Here’s my advice to the business community and to the lawyers who advise them: enroll in IMAGE,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon, “There are numerous tangible benefits to enrolling your company in IMAGE and ensuring the integrity of your workforce. The Department of Justice has and will continue to prioritize investigations into businesses that are employing individuals without authorization to work in the United States.”
“Worksite enforcement operations like these deter illegal immigration, ensure employer accountability, and protect the US Workforce,” said HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “HSI is committed to investigations that hold companies like SDPC accountable for their criminal actions.”
“Bypassing required vetting processes and exposing Department of the Navy resources and information to individuals with insufficient or fraudulent documentation threatens warfighter safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain dedicated to safeguarding Department of Navy installations, personnel, and assets against any threat to our national security.”
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Henry F.B. Beshar and Michael A. Deshong.
DEFENDANT Case Number 25 CR 4519
BJS & T Enterprises Inc.,
Dba San Diego Powder & Protective Coating
Karli Buxton Age: 41
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Engaging in a Pattern or Practice of Employing Aliens, in violation of Title 8 U.S.C. § 1324a(a)(1)(A) and (f); Maximum Penalty: Six months in prison; $3,000 fine per alien.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Office of Inspector General
General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General
Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General
Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General
Enforcement and Removal Operations, Department of Homeland Security
Drug Enforcement Administration
Bureau Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms and Explosives
U.S. Border Patrol
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
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.
Canadian National Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, and Distributing, Transporting and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that James Hjelmeland (30, Canada) today pleaded guilty to one count of attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, as well as two counts of distributing, one count of transporting, and one count of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Hjelmeland faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison for his attempted enticement of a minor, a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years, for each distribution and transportation offense, and up to 20 years’ imprisonment for the possession offense.
According to the plea agreement, on December 29, 2024, an Orange County Sheriff’s Office undercover detective posed as the guardian of a 12-year-old fictional child. Hjelmeland engaged in sexually explicit conversation with the undercover detective and made plans to travel from Canada to Orlando, Florida to have sex with the child. During the course of the conversation, Hjelmeland distributed CSAM to the undercover detective. When Hjelmeland was arrested in Orlando, Florida, he possessed CSAM material on his cellular phone that he had transported to the United States involving children who had not attained 12 years of age.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, United States Customs and Border Patrol, and the Southern Alberta Internet Child Exploitation Team. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kaley Austin-Aronson.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Attack on U.S. Postal Service Mail Carrier Lands Oklahoma City Man in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – KANTRELL DAWAN HENDERSON, 34, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 18 months in federal prison for assault on a federal officer or employee, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
According to public record, on October 19, 2024, Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) officers responded to a metro neighborhood regarding an assault on a U.S. Postal Service Mail Carrier. Witnesses reported that, while the Mail Carrier was delivering mail on his route, Henderson confronted and placed the Mail Carrier in a chokehold. A passerby pulled Henderson off the Mail Carrier, which allowed him to escape. Officers located and arrested Henderson following a brief confrontation.
On August 6, 2025, Henderson was charged by Superseding Information with assault on a federal officer or employee. He pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025, and admitted he assaulted a federal employee who was engaged in their official duties.
At the sentencing hearing on November 25, 2025, U.S. District Judge David L. Russell sentenced Henderson to serve 18 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Russell noted the seriousness of the offense and Henderson’s criminal history. Public record reflects that Henderson has felony convictions for Arson in the Second Degree in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2016-9248 and Possession of a Controlled Substance in Oklahoma County District Court case number CF-2016-9100. He was under 10-year suspended sentences in these cases at the time of the assault.
This case is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Nichols, Jr., prosecuted the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Alleged Drug Trafficker Extradited from GuatemalaRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Erick Alexander Granados Garcia, who is believed responsible for trafficking large amounts of cocaine into the United States from Colombia, Ecuador and Mexico, appeared in federal court yesterday following his extradition from Guatemala.
Granados Garcia was indicted by a federal grand jury in the Southern District of California in June 2017 for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine on Board a Vessel. Granados Garcia was apprehended by Guatemalan authorities on August 21, 2017, and Guatemala granted the United States’ extradition request on October 29, 2025. The defendant arrived in San Diego on Monday.
At yesterday’s hearing, Granados Garcia was arraigned and entered a not-guilty plea before U.S. Magistrate Judge Allison H. Goddard.
This case stemmed from a long-term investigation targeting high-level organizations operating Colombian, Ecuadorian, and Guatemalan-based cocaine production and transportation organizations. These organizations historically transported cocaine into Guatemala and Mexico and then to locations in San Diego and Los Angeles. From there, traffickers delivered the drugs to distributors throughout California and the East Coast of the United States. Investigators learned that the targets use commercial and private airplanes, fishing vessels, go-fast boats, and maritime containers for the illicit movement of narcotics and narcotics proceeds. Agents coordinated the interdiction of at least 45 bulk cocaine shipment events conducted in multiple jurisdictions and multiple foreign countries. Thus far, these operations have resulted in the seizure of approximately $4.7 million and 60,230 kilograms of cocaine from 93 bulk seizure events.
The Justice Department extends its gratitude to the Government of Guatemala and its prosecutorial and law enforcement authorities for making the extradition possible. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala provided significant assistance in securing the defendant’s arrest and extradition from Guatemala. The U.S. Marshals Service assisted in bringing the defendant back to the United States. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle B. Martin.
DEFENDANT Case Number 17-cr-01465-JES
Erick Alexander Granados Garcia Age: 46 Guatemala
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine on Board a Vessel – Title 46, U.S.C., Sections 70503 and 70506(b). Term of custody including a mandatory minimum 10 years and up to life imprisonment, $10 million fine.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Drug Enforcement Administration
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation
United States Marshals Service
United States Coast Guard
Customs and Border Protection
United States Border Patrol
The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF San Diego comprises agents and officers from FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals, Department of Defense, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, IRS Criminal Investigation, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Interpol, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of California.
188-Month Sentence in Kidnapping, Carjacking and Gunpoint AssaultsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Marquette Jackson, 25, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced November 24 in U.S. District Court to 188 months in prison in connection with his role in the June 2023 kidnapping, carjacking, and gunpoint assaults of two victims in Northeast Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Jackson – aka “Glocky” and “Twin” – pleaded guilty on May 21 to kidnapping and aiding and abetting. In addition to the 188 month prison term, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Jackson to serve five years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department
According to court documents, on June 8, 2023, Jackson and others attended a birthday celebration at a Northwest nightclub then, in the early morning hours, returned to 4400 block of F Street SE.
The victims arrived on the block about 3 a.m. and entered a Mercedes SUV that belonged to one of them. Jackson and others attacked the two victims, removed their clothing, and confined them to prevent them from fleeing.
Jackson and others drove to a nearby area where at gunpoint they threatened and assaulted the victims at gunpoint. Jackson and others then drove one of the victims into Maryland. About 4:40 a.m., Jackson and his group arrived at an apartment complex in Suitland, Maryland, where one of the victims had a residence. Jackson and others burgled the victim’s apartment. An hour later, Jackson and the group arrived at another of the victim’s apartments in Waldorf. Jackson and the group staged an armed robbery at the residence and the occupant of the apartment as other members of the group held the victim in his Mercedes.
About 5:45 a.m., surveillance cameras recorded three individuals engaging in a shootout with the victim. The shootout left the victim and another individual fatally wounded. About 6:45 a.m., first responders found the victim’s Mercedes engulfed in flames in Capitol Heights, Maryland.
On Jan. 31, 2024, law enforcement arrested Jackson at his apartment on the 4900 block of Nash Street NE, and recovered a Glock 22C .40 caliber firearm equipped with a machine gun conversion device.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force and Safe Streets Task Force, the Charles County Sheriff’s Office, the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Crabb Jr. and Anthony Scarpelli of the Violence Crimes and Narcotics Trafficking section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Tuesday 25 November 2025
“OPERATION BRIGHTSIDE” - Multi-Agency Warrant Sweep Columbia, MORead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, Mo. - In December of 2024, the United States Attorney's Office established a coalition of Missouri-based federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to form a Violent Crime Abatement Team (VCAT) in response to ongoing violence and gun crimes. The goal of this team is to bring significant, coordinated resources to address violent crime in the mid-Missouri area. In practice, the team works to identify local violent offenders and determine which cases may be appropriate for federal prosecution.
On Nov. 20 and 21, “Operation Brightside” was an enforcement effort to identify, apprehend, and initiate prosecution against some of the most violent offenders in the Columbia metropolitan area. Its mission was straightforward: use existing Missouri law-enforcement resources in a coordinated way to serve warrants across partner agencies, arrest individuals wanted for serious crimes, and identify additional evidence that supports successful prosecution.
Partner agencies in this coordinated effort include:
- Boone County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO)
- Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)
- Columbia Police Department (CPD)
- Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
- Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
- Missouri State Highway Patrol (MSHP)
- United States Marshals Service (USMS)
“Operation Brightside is an example of the extraordinary impact that law enforcement, at all levels of government, can have when we combine our resources and focus collectively on violent crime,” said U.S. Attorney R. Matthew Price. “This approach is not new, but rather a hybrid of proven strategies that have delivered results across the country. When we work together, we can make communities measurably safer.”
Price continued, “Violence in our community is unacceptable, especially when innocent people are harmed. Enough is enough. Every agency in this coalition is committed to using all appropriate tools and resource to confront and reduce violent crime in Columbia.”
The following is a breakdown of the “Operation Brightside” effort:
- 33 Individuals Arrested (all but 1 are facing felony charges)
- 19 Federal Indictments
- 21 Felony State Warrants
- 6 Residential Search Warrants
The charges contained in any charging document are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
Wilburton Resident Sentenced to Sixty Years for MurderRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tracy Ann Mannon, a/k/a Tracy Ann Moore, a/k/a Tracy A. Carter, age 53, of Wilburton, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 720 months in prison for one count of Murder in Indian Country - Second Degree.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Wilburton Police Department, and the Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police.
On April 21, 2025, Mannon pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on February 26, 2024, Mannon bludgeoned and stabbed the victim to death at a Wilburton residence. The crime occurred in Latimer County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable John C. Coughenour, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Western District of Washington, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing. Mannon 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.
White Supremacist Sentenced to 8 ½ Years Imprisonment on Firearms, Ammunition, and Drug-Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Andrew David Munsinger, 41, of Redwood Falls, Minnesota, has been sentenced to 104 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release following an April jury trial where he was found guilty of being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute 5.5 pounds of marijuana, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen.
According to evidence presented at trial, Munsinger was a member of the Aryan Freedom Network, a white supremacist organization. During a year-long investigation by the FBI, evidence gathered included audio- and video-recordings of Munsinger possessing and shooting firearms, purchasing and using ammunition, possessing over 5 pounds of marijuana in heat-sealed bags, discussing his history of marijuana trafficking and his profits, and admitting on more than one occasion that he knew he could not legally possess a firearm.
On February 7, 2024, the FBI executed simultaneous search warrants at Munsinger’s residence, his vehicles, and a farm where he was surveilled on at least two occasions before traveling to a shooting range. Law enforcement seized a total of five firearms, including two unserialized personally made semiautomatic rifles (commonly referred to as ghost guns), two shotguns, a nine-millimeter semiautomatic pistol, over 500 rounds and casings of ammunition, a bullet-resistant vest, multiple high-capacity magazines, and a rifle scope. They also seized over five pounds of marijuana in heat-sealed packages, hydroponic marijuana grow equipment, growing marijuana plants, and $24,300 cash. Because Munsinger has prior felony convictions, he is prohibited from legally possessing firearms or ammunition.
Munsinger was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court before United States District Judge John R. Tunheim to 104 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Bejar and Raphael B. Coburn prosecuted the case.
Wendell Man Found Guilty at Federal Trial for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A federal jury convicted a Wendell man for armed bank robbery and brandishing a firearm after robbing the PNC Bank in Zebulon on February 7, 2024.
“A violent criminal waving a gun while wearing a mask terrorizes innocent employees and customers. We will not tolerate this antisocial mayhem in the Eastern District of North Carolina,” said U.S. Attorney Ellis Boyle. “I want to thank our local and federal partners whose swift investigative work ensured this conviction. This menace will spend years in prison, away from law abiding citizens.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Victor Antwan Perez, 24, entered the PNC Bank in Zebulon on the morning of February 7, 2024, wearing a ski mask with a distinctive pattern, a black jacket, grey pants, black latex gloves, lavender crocs, and a black handgun.
Perez walked up to a teller, waved the handgun in her face, and demanded money while pointing the gun at her. As the teller gathered the money, Perez threatened to shoot her fingers off if she did not hurry.
Perez sped away from the bank with the stolen money. About three weeks later, law enforcement conducted a search warrant of Perez’s home and car, and recovered the distinctive patterned mask, a black jacket, grey pants, black latex gloves, lavender crocs, and a black handgun.
Officers also seized Perez’s phone, and forensic analysis placed the phone at the bank during the robbery.
Perez faces a mandatory minimum of seven years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles E. Loeser and Logan Liles prosecuted the case. The Zebulon Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-110-D-RJ.
Wakulla County Man Sentenced to 60 Years for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Donovan Arthur Sauleda, 39, of Crawfordville, Florida, was sentenced on Thursday to 60 years’ imprisonment, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for possession and receipt of child pornography, and production and distribution of obscene material portraying a child. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Our state and federal law enforcement officers work tirelessly to safeguard our communities against predators, like this repeat sex offender, and this case exemplifies their commitment to keeping our children safe from exploitation and victimization. I am very proud of the outstanding work by my office to secure this successful prosecution and lengthy sentence against this predator, which ensures he will spend the remainder of his life behind bars.”
In November 2021, the defendant, a registered sex offender, came under investigation by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office for a suspicion that he had failed to register his internet accounts as required by law. Further investigation led to a search warrant in March 2022, where Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found child pornography and child-like sex dolls within the defendant’s residence. The defendant was found to have made videos for sale and distribution with the child-like sex dolls. The defendant was convicted by a federal jury of all charges in June 2025.
“This case underscores the unwavering commitment of the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office to protect our most vulnerable—our children,” said Sheriff Jared F. Miller. “Through the diligent work of our Detectives and the collaborative effort with FDLE’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a repeat offender has been removed from our community. This is what teamwork can do. We will continue to pursue those who violate the law and endanger children with every available resource. There is zero tolerance for this type of exploitation in Wakulla County.”
“Protecting the children of the great State of Florida is something we take very seriously.” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass. “The sentence handed down today from the U.S. Attorney’s office was the maximum allowed by statute and reinforces the message. If you attempt to hurt children in Florida, we will find and arrest you and our partners will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
“HSI’s advanced forensic capabilities and expertise serve as a critical force multiplier for the law enforcement community, enabling us to uncover, investigate, and prosecute predators who engage in these heinous crimes, said Homeland Security Investigations Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “This case exemplifies the importance of collaboration between HSI, the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, demonstrating that together, we can bring justice to victims and ensure that offenders are held accountable for their actions. HSI will continue to leverage every resource at its disposal to combat child exploitation and safeguard communities across the nation.”
Sauleda’s sentence represents the maximum authorized sentence under the law for the offenses. He will be required to continue to register as a sex offender following his prison sentence.
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Meredith L. Steer.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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 for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Utah Businessman Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding the COVID-19 Paycheck Protection Program Out of $437,230Read the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Troy Campbell, 57, of Taylorsville, Utah, was sentenced today to 18 months’ imprisonment for wire fraud and money laundering after he engaged in a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program and the Small Business Administration by unlawfully submitting and obtaining $437,230 in Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Loan proceeds.
The COVID-19 PPP Loans were provided to small businesses for funding to meet specific obligations, including payroll and rent during the pandemic.
In addition to Campbell’s term of imprisonment, U.S. District Court Judge David Barlow ordered that he serve two years of supervised release and pay $437,230 in restitution to the victim.
According to court documents and statements made at Campbell’s change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning in July 2020 and continuing until February 2023, Campbell, the registered agent and an owner of Salt IT Solutions LLC, a Utah business, fraudulently obtained $437,230 in PPP Loan proceeds. Campbell, who had control over SALT IT bank accounts, admitted that he submitted a PPP Loan application on behalf of SALT IT for $437,230 and received the proceeds via wire transfer after the fraudulent PPP Loan application was approved. Among other things, Campbell’s Salt IT PPP Loan Application falsely represented that SALT IT’s monthly payroll was $174,892.17 and that it had 22 employees. Campbell also submitted fake tax documents in support of the PPP Loan application that included grossly inflated wage information and, in fact, were never filed with the IRS.
Additionally, Campbell admitted he wire transferred $75,000 in PPP Loan proceeds to another participant in his scheme.
“Mr. Campbell’s crimes impacted all taxpaying citizens and small business owners that legitimately needed pandemic-related assistance during a challenging time,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “My office, along with our law enforcement partners are committed to bringing justice to those who exploited the pandemic for their personal gain.”
“This sentencing underscores SBA-OIG’s unwavering commitment to recovering stolen taxpayer dollars” said SBA OIG’s Western Region Acting Special Agent in Charge Tim Larson. “We are thankful for the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their continued dedication to ensuring justice is served.”
“Mr. Campbell enriched himself with money meant to keep Americans working during a national crisis,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Bohls of the Salt Lake City FBI. “This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to uncovering fraud and ensuring that those who steal from the public are held accountable.”
The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, and the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (SBA OIG).
Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Woolf and Mark Y. Hirata of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
United States Attorney’s Office Persisted in Mission to Improve Public Safety in South Dakota Despite Government ShutdownRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that the dedicated men and women of the U.S. Attorney’s Office continued their efforts in the pursuit of justice during the recent federal government shutdown. Working unabated to keep our communities safe and uphold the rule of law, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and its law enforcement partners continued to prosecute drug trafficking, child exploitation, and violent assaults, among other federal crimes. In addition to securing convictions at trial, federal prosecutors recorded significant sentences for numerous individuals who committed federal crimes in South Dakota, many of which are highlighted below.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office secured sizable federal sentences for drug traffickers:
- Box Elder Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Western South Dakota
- Rapid City Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid City Area
- Rapid City Man Sentenced to Over 24 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Rapid City and within the Pine Ridge Reservation
- Minnesota Man Sentenced to Over 22 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine within Lower Brule and Crow Creek Reservations
- California Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl in Sioux Falls Area
The U.S. Attorney’s Office helped bring to justice those who abuse and exploit children:
- Watertown Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Assaulting a Child
- Nebraska Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a South Dakota Minor
- Winner Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison in Child Sex Trafficking Case
- Sioux Falls Teacher Sentenced to Over 24 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Pornography
- Rapid City Man Sentenced to Nearly 20 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet and Child Pornography
And the U.S. Attorney’s Office made our streets and communities safer by pursuing serious sentences for the perpetrators of violent crime:
- Kyle Man Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Assaulting Woman, Causing Serious Bodily Injury
- Rapid City Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Brandishing Firearm During Crime of Violence
- Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm
- Rapid City Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Illegally Possessing a Firearm
To review all press releases issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-sd/pr.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Highlights Drug Trafficking and Illegal Firearm Possession Sentencings During Lapse in Federal AppropriationsRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Throughout the 43-day lapse in government funding, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Kentucky continued to advance the Department of Justice’s mission in priority enforcement areas, including drug trafficking, violent crime, and illegal possession of firearms. Below are highlights of sentencings that the U.S. Attorney’s Office secured in connection with several drug and violent crime-related cases prosecuted during the recent lapse in federal appropriations.
Monday, October 6
A Lexington, Ky., man, Bryan Anicasio-Miranda, 24, was sentenced to 70 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, on March 30, 2021 Anicasio-Miranda was convicted of first degree fleeing or evading police in Fayette Circuit Court. On at least two occasions, December 18, 2022 and December 16, 2024, Miranda was found in possession of firearms that he was prohibited from possessing because of his previous felony conviction.
A Reynoldsburg, Ohio, man, Samuel Young, 44, was sentenced to 37 months for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. According to his plea agreement, on March 13, 2024, law enforcement conducted a stop on a vehicle driven by Young and recovered a firearm in his possession. Young admitted to being previously convicted of a felony and knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
A Lexington, Ky., man, Khmari Smith, 22, was sentenced to 324 months for conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking offenses. In May 2023, law enforcement began investigating an individual distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl in Lexington and identified the vehicle being used to transport the drugs into the area. On July 10, 2023, law enforcement located the vehicle traveling from Detroit to Kentucky and observed the vehicle following another car and mirroring its movements, which led them to believe the vehicles were connected. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on both vehicles. Khmari Smith, and his brother and co-defendant, Khari Qunarll Smith, 24, were found in one vehicle, with no evidence of drugs. In the other vehicle, Smith’s co-defendant, Brianna Hanspard, 30, of Detroit, was found with 4.6 kilograms of methamphetamine and 199.7 grams of fentanyl. Hanspard admitted to entering into an agreement with Khmari Smith and others to transport drugs from Detroit to Lexington for payment.
Further investigation proved that Khari and Khmari Smith continued their drug distribution, from sources in Detroit. In August 2023, law enforcement searched their leased residences in Lexington. At the first residence they found 354.4 grams of fentanyl and 216.3 grams of methamphetamine; at the second, the found additional methamphetamine and fentanyl, as well as a drug processing room. Law enforcement also found 18 firearms at the first residence and 12 firearms at the second residence. Khmari Smith admitted that he received those firearms as payment for the drugs he distributed. Khari Smith was previously sentenced to 200 months and Hanspard was sentenced to 84 months.
Wednesday, October 8
A Corbin, Ky., man, Jonathan Blevins, 40, was sentenced to 110 months for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, beginning in April 2024 through June 2024, Blevins conspired with his co-defendants, Randy Lester, Jeffrey Gray, and Kathy Baird, to distribute methamphetamine in Laurel and Knox Counties. Blevins would obtain 1.5 pounds quantities of methamphetamine from his source of supply to distribute to several mid-and lower-level drug dealers and users. Blevins’ co-defendants were previously sentenced as followed: Baird received 27 months in prison; Gray received 53 months in prison; and Lester received 140 months in prison.
Friday, October 10
A Burlington, Ky., man, Gary Wayne Isaacs, 47, was sentenced to 186 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on June 6, 2024, law enforcement stopped Isaacs’ vehicle, and Isaacs gave a false name and social security number. Officers searched the vehicle and found 73.89 grams of methamphetamine that he admitted he possessed with the intent to distribute it to others.
Tuesday, October 14
A Lexington, Ky., man, Khalil Washington, 28, was sentenced to 240 months for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, on April 4, 2023, law enforcement arrested Washington following a traffic stop and seized 1,360 grams of methamphetamine, 28 grams of fentanyl, and a loaded firearm. Washington admitted to possessing the drugs with intent to distribute to others and that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
A London, Ky., man, Jeffrey L. McDaniel, 56, was sentenced to 120 months for conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, beginning in June 2024 through July 2024, McDaniel conspired with others to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine through Laurel, Knox, and Whitley Counties. As part of the conspiracy, McDaniel would obtain upwards of ounce quantities of meth from his source of supply and distribute it to mid-and lower-level drug dealers and users.
A Lexington, Ky., man, John Robert Eckler, 46, was sentenced to 70 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, in August 2022, a package was seized that contained 14 one-pound bags of methamphetamine. Law enforcement conducted a controlled delivery of the package, which was picked up by Eckler. Eckler later admitted to law enforcement that he possessed the methamphetamine, and he knew the package contained a controlled substance, and he intended to give the package to another individual.
Thursday, October 16
A Corbin, Ky., man, Matthew Martin, 43, was sentenced to 78 months for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, from June 2023 through June 2024, Martin conspired with his co-defendants, Laura Huffman, 35, and Erica Mullis, 35, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl to others in Whitley, Knox, and Laurel Counties. Both co-defendants were sentenced on October 15—Huffman received 57 months in prison and Mullis received 84 months in prison.
Friday, October 31
A London, Ky., man, Ronald Dugger, 64, was sentenced to 88 months for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, on June 17, 2024, law enforcement responded to a residence where Dugger, who was on federal supervised release, was residing. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence and found $1,680 in cash and 38.076 grams of methamphetamine. Dugger admitted that he was obtaining methamphetamine from multiple suppliers, and he intended to distribute it to others.
Monday, November 3A United States Penitentiary inmate, Eric Watson, 34, was sentenced to 108 months for assaulting a federal officer. According to his plea agreement, on December 25, 2023, two inmates at USP McCreary began fighting. When instructed by staff to stop, Watson instead advanced towards staff, whose efforts to subdue him did not initially work. Watson then took an Officer to the ground and struck him multiple times with a closed fist until responding staff gained control.
A Lexington, Ky., man, Jacque Harmon Jones, 26, was sentenced to 150 months for possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of fluorofentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to his plea agreement, law enforcement searched Jones’ residence in February 2024 and discovered three bags of a fluorofentanyl and fentanyl mixture and $27,020 in drug proceeds inside a diaper bag. Additional fentanyl pills and a loaded firearm were found inside the master bedroom. Jones admitted that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking activity.
A Lexington, Ky., man, Quincy Taylor, 39, was sentenced to 360 months for possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. According to evidence at trial, on October 27, 2021, Taylor was involved in a single-vehicle collision on southbound I-75. After exiting his vehicle, Taylor attempted to provide a bystander with a bag containing 45 grams of cocaine and a firearm. After the bystander declined, Taylor hid the bag near brush along the exit ramp. Taylor then left the scene by hitchhiking with a second bystander to Richmond, Ky. Taylor had multiple prior convictions for felony drug trafficking. As a convicted felon, he was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Additionally, based on his significant prior criminal history, Taylor qualified as an Armed Career Criminal, which enhanced his sentence.
Tuesday, November 4
Two defendants, Jaloni Andrews, 35, of Richmond, Ky., and Bridgett Vance, 57, of Strunk, Ky., were sentenced to 144 months and 27 months, respectively, for drug distribution charges. Andrews was sentenced to distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl. According to his plea agreement, on March 4, 2024, a confidential informant met Andrews to obtain fentanyl and during the meeting Andrews sold the informant 521 blue round pills, which collectively weighed 54.83 grams. Event though the pills were marked with a “30” on one side and a “M” on the other side, like a real oxycodone pill, Andrews admitted that they were fake and contained fentanyl instead.
Vance previously pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute oxycodone. According to her plea agreement, Vance sold oxycodone pills in McCreary County by obtaining the pills from a local supplier, but then began traveling to Lexington, Ky., to obtain pills from suppliers there. On October 24, 2023, law enforcement tracked Vance traveling to her supplier in Lexington and they conducted a traffic stop on her vehicle. During a search, law enforcement located 293 oxycodone 30mg pills and $3,529 in cash. Vance admitted that she possessed these pills and intended to distribute them as she had done in the past.
Thursday, November 6
A Munford, Alabama, man, Floyd Jenkins, 46, was sentenced to 212 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, Jenkins worked with his co-defendants, Frederick Holt, Jr., 51, to import methamphetamine and fentanyl into the Johnson County area. Specifically, on December 4, 2024, law enforcement seized more than 300 grams of methamphetamine in Jenkins’ vehicle, which he admitted he possessed and intended to distribute. Holt was previously sentenced in August 2025 to 65 months for his role in the methamphetamine trafficking.
Wednesday, November 12A London, Ky., man, Shane Brock, was sentenced to 97 months for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. According to his plea agreement, between January 2021 to March 2022, Brock received pound quantities of methamphetamine from co-defendant Stacey Smith, who distributed to multiple mid-level dealers. Brock, in turn, sold the drugs to other methamphetamine traffickers and end users. Brock admitted to being responsible from between 500 grams and 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine distribution.
The final defendant in large methamphetamine distribution conspiracy, Charles Phillip Dozier, of Baxter, Ky., was sentenced to 100 months for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to Dozier’s plea agreement, on February 14, 2023, Dozier was found to be in possession of 140 grams of methamphetamine at a local motel where he was staying. Law enforcement also found a loaded handgun hidden in the ceiling tile in the room, near the methamphetamine. Dozier’s co-defendants were previously sentenced to the following: Jessica Nicole Creech received 64 months; Gregory Mills received 164 months; and David Hale received 180 months in prison.
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U.S. Attorney Tom Albus Appointed to Continue by CourtRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Thomas C. Albus, serving as the U.S. Attorney for Eastern Missouri since August 1st, was appointed to continue in that office Monday by the U.S. District Court.
Chief U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark swore in Mr. Albus pursuant to 28 United States Code 546, meaning he will serve until the vacancy is filled. Mr. Albus’s nomination as U.S. Attorney by President Donald J. Trump is pending in the U.S. Senate, having been favorably reported out of the Judiciary committee on October 16th.
“I am grateful for the vote of the Court and honored to lead an office of outstanding professionals in the Eastern District of Missouri,” Mr. Albus said.
Two foreign-controlled companies agree to pay $1.75 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations related to receipt of Paycheck Protection Program loansRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Setterstix Inc. and MAE-EITEL Inc. have agreed to pay, collectively, $1,757,603.65 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they obtained Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration for which they were not eligible.
In March of 2020 Congress created the PPP to provide emergency financial assistance to American small businesses suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. A PPP loan was both forgivable and guaranteed by the SBA. Among the requirements for eligibility to obtain a PPP loan and subsequent forgiveness, applicants were required to disclose and certify that the applicant, together with affiliates, did not exceed size thresholds.
In 2020, Setterstix obtained a PPP loan after certifying that it had fewer than 500 employees. The government alleges that, at the time it applied for its PPP loan, Setterstix had more than 500 employees when accounting for employees of its parent entity and affiliated companies. Similarly, in 2021, MAE obtained a PPP loan after certifying that it had fewer than 300 employees. The government alleges that, at the time it applied for its PPP loan, MAE had more than 300 employees after accounting for the employees of its parent entity and affiliated companies. Setterstix and MAE are both part of the GESCO Group, a German-based conglomerate that acquires and holds medium-sized industrial companies.
“PPP loans were meant to help small business weather the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but too often large businesses obtained these funds through subsidiaries that failed to disclose their true size,” said U.S. Attorney DiGiacomo. “This office has been committed to recovering misspent money and, in 2025, more than $10 million has already been recovered from companies and entities that obtained PPP loans through false and fraudulent representations on PPP loan applications.”
The civil settlement includes the resolution of claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. Under those provisions, a private party—known as a relator—can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Verity Investigations, LLC v. Setterstix Inc.; MAE-AMERIKA GmbH, 25-cv-418 (W.D.N.Y.). The relator will receive a share of the settlement.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David M. Coriell and Investigator Margaret McFarland, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel.
Individuals with information about allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 are encouraged to report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only; there has been no determination of liability.
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Two Mexican Nationals Plead Guilty to Meth TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Two Mexican nationals pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday for possessing more than 56 pounds of methamphetamine.
Pedro Alberto Quiroz Ayala, 22, and Pablo DeJesus Peralta Anguis, 26, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute. Anguis also pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry after removal.
On Sept. 3, 2024, a Missouri State Highway Patrol trooper pulled over a gray 2011 Acura MDX on Interstate 29, near the N.W. 112th Street exit in Kansas City, Mo. Ayala, who did not have a valid driver’s license, was driving the Acura, with a female juvenile in the front passenger seat and Anguis and Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco in the back seat.
When the trooper searched the vehicle, he found a large duffle bag in the third-row seating area that contained approximately 55.6 pounds of methamphetamine. He also found a grocery bag that contained approximately one pound of methamphetamine on the floorboard where the female juvenile had been sitting, and a loaded firearm in the driver’s door pouch.
When the four occupants got out of the vehicle for the search, Ayala and Anguis fled on foot. A manhunt ensued and both were apprehended a short time later.
Ayala told investigators that he, Pacheco and Anguis drove to Omaha, Neb., to pick up drugs and that he was going to receive approximately $2,000 for his help in transporting the drugs.
Anguis told investigators that he was illegally in the United States from Mexico and that he had arrived in the United States two days before his arrest.
Officers with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that Anguis and Pacheco had previously been found illegally in the United States by Border Patrol Agents near Nogales, Arizona on Aug. 22, 2024. Anguis and Pacheco were removed from the United States to Mexico that same day.
Co-defendant Apolinar Gocovachi Pacheco, 25, pleaded guilty to one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of unlawful reentry after removal, on Nov. 19, 2025.
Under federal statutes, Ayala, Anguis and Pacheco are each subject to a sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad K. Kavanaugh. It was investigated by the FBI, DEA, Jackson County Drug Task Force, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Operation Take Back America
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.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Tennessee man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for a Memphis carjacking and using a firearm during the robbery. His co-defendant in the robbery was previously sentenced to over nine years in prison.
According to court documents, during the early morning hours of April 9, 2024, Jadakiss Johnson, 23, and his co-defendant Tyrone White participated in a carjacking of the victim’s 2023 Toyota Camry at gunpoint. Johnson was the driver of the vehicle and once they arrived, White approached the victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the Camry, pointed a gun at her and ordered her to get out of the vehicle. Later, when confronted by police, Johnson fled in a different car and on foot. Upon a search of Johnson’s getaway car, police found multiple firearms and a machinegun-conversion device.
Johnson is prohibited from possessing firearms based upon prior felony violent convictions and is considered a career offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for numerous aggravated assault convictions.
On Aug. 25, Johnson pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a carjacking and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the carjacking. White previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a carjacking and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the carjacking and was sentenced on Oct. 30 to over nine years in prison.
At Johnson’s sentencing hearing, the United States presented evidence of the defendant’s violent behavior while in custody, including assaulting another inmate, as well as his repeated access to firearms before his arrest for this crime.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nashville Division made the announcement.
The ATF and the Memphis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Brittenum for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. This joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute violent gang members and other violent criminals in Memphis.
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Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
A Tennessee man was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for a Memphis carjacking and using a firearm during the robbery. His co-defendant in the robbery was previously sentenced to over nine years in prison.
According to court documents, during the early morning hours of April 9, 2024, Jadakiss Johnson, 23, and his co-defendant Tyrone White participated in a carjacking of the victim’s 2023 Toyota Camry at gunpoint. Johnson was the driver of the vehicle and once they arrived, White approached the victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of the Camry, pointed a gun at her and ordered her to get out of the vehicle. Later, when confronted by police, Johnson fled in a different car and on foot. Upon a search of Johnson’s getaway car, police found multiple firearms and a machinegun-conversion device.
Johnson is prohibited from possessing firearms based upon prior felony violent convictions and is considered a career offender under the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines for numerous aggravated assault convictions.
On Aug. 25, Johnson pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a carjacking and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the carjacking. White previously pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting a carjacking and aiding and abetting the use of a firearm during the carjacking and was sentenced on Oct. 30 to over nine years in prison.
At Johnson’s sentencing hearing, the United States presented evidence of the defendant’s violent behavior while in custody, including assaulting another inmate, as well as his repeated access to firearms before his arrest for this crime.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee, and Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Nashville Division made the announcement.
The ATF and the Memphis Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Brittenum for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state and federal law enforcement. This joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute violent gang members and other violent criminals in Memphis.
Taxi Driver from Lawrence Convicted of Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man has been convicted following a four-day jury trial of drug trafficking conspiracy involving methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine.
Jose Dolores Batista, 65, was convicted on Nov. 20, 2025 of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine. The defendant will be sentenced before U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV at a later date. Batista was arrested and charged in June 2023.
Batista, a taxi driver, served as a courier for a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine in various quantities – including half and whole kilograms. In his role, Batista would deliver drugs, drive drug traffickers and collect drug money from various customers of the DTO on a daily basis.
Evidence presented at trial established that on multiple dates, Batista travelled to pick up drugs and drug proceeds. Specifically, evidence showed that Batista travelled on one occasion to pick up $8,000 as a partial payment for a kilogram of fentanyl. On another occasion, Batista travelled to South Lawrence to pick up a kilogram of cocaine and then drove the cocaine to Boston where he exchanged it for $15,000. On another occasion, he drove to Lowell to pick up 350 grams of fentanyl.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Natick, Newton, Waltham and Brookline Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Dell’Anno and J. Mackenzie Duane of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.Tallahassee Sexual Predator Pleads Guilty to Distribution and Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Richard Alan Spivey, a/k/a “Rick”, 62, of Tallahassee, pleaded guilty in federal court to distribution of child pornography and receipt of child pornography. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I deeply appreciate the incredible work of our law enforcement partners to stop this sexual predator from continuing to victimize and exploit children. My office is committed to aggressively prosecuting these sick individuals to the fullest extent to keep our communities and our children safe.”
Court documents reflect that in July 2024, the Tallahassee Police Department received a Cybertip report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alleging that the defendant uploaded child pornography to a social media platform when sending it to another user as part of his chat messages. The investigation revealed that the defendant was a registered sexual predator based on his prior convictions for sex crimes. Law enforcement obtained search warrants for the defendant’s social media account and cell phone. A search of the defendant’s cell phone resulted in the discovery of online between the defendant and others during which he received and distributed child pornography videos.
Because of his prior convictions relating to sexual abuse or sexual conduct involving a minor, the defendant faces fifteen to forty years’ imprisonment, and lifetime supervision upon release.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin M. Keen.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 2, 2026, at 2:00 pm at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida, before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
St. Louis Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Drug, Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Tuesday sentenced a St. Louis man convicted of gun and drug crimes to 30 years in prison.
Christopher Glen Rhodes, 47, was found guilty at trial in June of one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence and testimony at trial showed that Rhodes was the supplier of methamphetamine that his co-defendant, Demetrius A. Ransom, sold to a confidential source working with the Drug Enforcement Administration. In late 2022, Ransom twice sold about a pound of meth to the confidential source, who told investigators that he’d previously purchased both meth and fentanyl from Ransom. He tried to sell a third pound but didn’t have enough, and offered to make up the difference in fentanyl, a sentencing memorandum says. That memo says Rhodes and Ransom have been selling drugs together for nearly 25 years.
After the drug sales by Ransom, investigators planned a court-approved search of Rhodes’ home in the 4900 block of West Florissant Avenue. On Dec. 19, 2022, they saw Rhodes leaving. They stopped Rhodes’ car, but when he was asked to get out of the car, he sped away. Investigators found a total of 2.7 kilograms of meth, 3.8 kilos of fentanyl, 981.8 grams of cocaine and 129.7 grams of cocaine base in his home, evidence and testimony showed. They also found $21,000 in cash, a loaded 9mm Ruger handgun and drug paraphernalia.
Rhodes is a felon and is thus barred from possessing a firearm. Rhodes’ 294-month prison sentence for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base was commuted in 2016 to expire in 2018. He then sought early termination of his supervised release, saying he was older and wiser and wanted to advance at his job.
Ransom, 46, of St. Louis County, was sentenced Wednesday to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torrie J. Schneider and Don Boyce prosecuted the case.
St. Louis Felon Sentenced to 71 Months in Prison after ShootingRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a convicted felon who shot and wounded another man to 71 months in prison.
Lamaar Pearson, 37, pleaded guilty in August in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. He admitted that on March 29, 2024, he shot a man twice during a dispute, injuring the victim in the lower back and hip. After the shooting, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers recovered a firearm magazine that Pearson had hidden and 10 spent cartridge casings.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
South Bend Woman Sentenced to 52 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Tonya R. Winston, 60 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after being found guilty by a jury in August of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, and one count of theft of government money, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Winston was sentenced to 52 months of prison followed by 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $453,808.48 in restitution.
According to documents in the case, Winston devised a scheme to fraudulently obtain loans through the Paycheck Protection Program, which was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program intended to provide loans to small businesses. Winston obtained multiple loans for herself by submitting false loan applications, and she helped others to do the same. She also wrongfully obtained local housing benefits by misrepresenting her finances.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development-Office of Inspector General, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Luke N. Reilander and Joel Gabrielse.
Sky Lease I Inc. Agrees to Pay $1,030,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations for Falsely Reporting Delivery Times of U.S. Mail Carried InternationallyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that Sky Lease I Inc. (Sky Lease) has paid $1,030,000 to resolve False Claims Act allegations that it falsely reported information about the transfer of U.S. mail to foreign posts or other intended recipients under contracts with the U.S. Postal Service (USPS). Sky Lease is an air cargo delivery company with headquarters in Miami, Florida.
“The Department of Justice is committed to ensuring that government contractors provide the services they have contracted to provide,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “When contractors knowingly fail to provide services for which they have been paid, the Department of Justice will pursue appropriate remedies to redress the violations and deter future ones.”
“The USPS contracts with commercial airlines for the safeguarding and timely delivery of U.S. mail to foreign posts,” said Executive Special Agent in Charge Ken Cleevely of the USPS, Office of Inspector General (OIG). “The OIG supports the Postal Service by aggressively investigating allegations of contractual non-compliance within the mail delivery process, including the falsification of delivery information. Our special agents worked hand-in-hand with the Department of Justice to help ensure a reasonable resolution and we applaud the exceptional work done by the investigative and legal teams.”
USPS contracted with Sky Lease to take possession of receptacles of U.S. mail at locations in the United States or at various Department of Defense and State Department locations abroad and then deliver that mail to numerous international and domestic destinations. To obtain payment under the contracts, Sky Lease was required to submit electronic scans of the mail receptacles to USPS reporting the time the mail was delivered at the identified destinations. The settlement resolves allegations that scans submitted by Sky Lease falsely reported the time that it transferred possession of the mail.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, with substantial assistance from the USPS Office of the Inspector General and the USPS Office of General Counsel.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.