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15 January 2026
Honduran Man and Kansas Woman Indicted for Fraudulently Obtaining Custody of an Unaccompanied Alien ChildRead the Press Release
An indictment unsealed yesterday in the District of Kansas charged a Honduran man and Kansas woman for conspiring to submit, and submitting, a sponsorship application with false statements to the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to gain custody of an Unaccompanied Alien Child (UAC) after the child entered the U.S. illegally.
“This indictment represents the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment to prosecuting individuals who fraudulently pose as suitable UAC sponsors to obtain custody of vulnerable children,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This conduct represents a violation of the societal responsibility to safeguard children. Our efforts are a continuation of the Department’s commitment to hold accountable those who commit crimes related to the exploitation of UACs, and will serve to strengthen ORR’s UAC program and ensure it is not manipulated.”
“We are determined to protect the most vulnerable members of our society,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan A. Kriegshauser for the District of Kansas. “This task often takes a multi-faceted approach involving multiple agencies and superior coordination. Given Task Force Alpha’s efforts, we are seeing real results, and my office is happy to be on the front line.”
According to the indictment, Romulo Hernandez Murillo, 45, a Honduran national without legal authorization to be in the U.S., agreed to pay defendant Lisa Marie Lopez Perdomo, 48, of Syracuse, Kansas, to assist him with applying to sponsor and obtain custody of a Honduran UAC. The agreement included being permitted to misrepresent himself by using Lopez’s address on the application to sponsor the minor. The defendants intended for the UAC to reside with Hernandez and work in the United States. In furtherance of his fraudulent sponsorship application, Hernandez submitted and signed, under the penalty of perjury, documents falsely claiming he resided at Lopez’s address. An employee of the HHS-funded care provider where the UAC was staying ultimately recommended that Hernandez’s application be denied after an investigation uncovered Hernandez’s false representations.
The defendants are both charged with one count of making a false, fictitious, or fraudulent statement and one count of conspiracy to commit the same offense. If convicted of either offense, the defendants face a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This investigation was coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA, a partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has been elevated and expanded by the Attorney General with a mandate to target cartels and other transnational criminal organizations to eliminate human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Panama, and Colombia that impact public safety and the security of our borders. JTFA currently comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the border. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by HRSP and supported by the Money Laundering, Narcotics and Forfeiture Section, the Office of Enforcement Operations, and the Office of International Affairs, among others. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 435 domestic and international arrests, which includes those of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of alien smuggling; more than 385 U.S. convictions; more than 330 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) and Project Safe Neighborhood.
HHS’s Office of Inspector General and DHS’s Homeland Security Investigations are investigating the case with assistance from the Kansas Department of Labor, Special Investigations Unit; the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations; and the Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration. Additionally, HSI’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking in Washington, D.C., and ORR have provided invaluable assistance along with the United States Marshals Service.
Acting Deputy Chief Christian Levesque and Trial Attorney Matthew Thiman of the Justice Department’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for the District of Kansas are 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.
Guatemalan National Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Forcibly Assaulting Federal Officers During Immigration ArrestRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national has been sentenced in federal court in Boston for assaulting multiple officers during an immigration arrest.
Guido Andres Cuellar Batres, 24, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to eight months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In October 2025, Cuellar pleaded guilty to forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties. Cuellar was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 17, 2025.
Cuellar had overstayed his non-immigrant visa by more than four years and, as a result, there was an outstanding immigration warrant for his arrest. At approximately 9:45 a.m. on May 4, 2025, four federal officers – three Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and a Drug Enforcement Administration agent – set up surveillance in a parking lot in Marlborough. There, a vehicle was observed entering the parking lot, with Cuellar in the front passenger seat. The officers – who were wearing outer garments identifying themselves as law enforcement – approached the vehicle and ordered Cuellar, in both English and Spanish, to step out of the car. Cuellar refused. The officers then instructed Cuellar and the driver to unlock the vehicle, but they did not do so. After being instructed to keep his hands visible, Cuellar reached down such that officers lost sight of his hands – raising concern that he might be reaching for a weapon. Given this concern and the refusals to comply with orders, the officers broke the rear passenger side window, enabling them to gain entry to the vehicle and unlock the front passenger door.
Upon being removed from the vehicle, Cuellar resisted officer efforts to bring his arms behind his back for handcuffing. As officers continued to attempt to handcuff Cuellar, he tried to bite one of them in the leg, did bite another officer above his wrist and struck that officer in the head multiple times.
After the officers succeeded in handcuffing Cuellar, he continued to resist. As agents attempted to secure Cuellar in the rear seat of their vehicle, he jumped numerous times to avoid being put in the vehicle. One of the officers entered the opposite side of the vehicle to pull Cuellar into the rear seat. As the officer took hold of Cuellar, he head-butted the officer and spat directly into the officer’s eyes and face.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – On January 15, 2026, Kevin James Miller, 54 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to Possession of Child Pornography, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
Miller was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. Restitution is left open, but to be determined within 90 days from the sentencing date.
According to documents in the case, law enforcement officers discovered that Miller was downloading child sexual abuse material from the internet. During the execution of a search warrant at Miller’s residence, agents discovered evidence on digital devices showing that Miller was purchasing and downloading child sexual abuse material. Over 1,500 images and 7 videos of child sexual abuse material were recovered from Miller. The materials included images of toddlers and prepubescent minors engaged in sexual acts and nudity. Miller was a registered sex offender and previously had been convicted twice of possession of child pornography and child exploitation.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Allen County Sheriff’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Storm Lake City Employee Sentenced to Seven Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A former Storm Lake city employee was sentenced today to seven years’ imprisonment for possessing child pornography.
Brian Oakleaf, age 52, from Storm Lake, Iowa, received the prison term after a September 9, 2025, guilty plea to two counts of possession of child pornography.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that, from March 1, 2022, through July 29, 2024, Oakleaf received, distributed, and possessed child pornography, including depictions involving prepubescent minors, on two separate cell phones. In May 2024, law enforcement officers were investigating an online filesharing program and directed their focus on an IP address that was sharing child sexual abuse material. Investigators focused on the owner of the IP address, which led them to Oakleaf, a Storm Lake city employee.
On July 29, 2024, investigators searched Oakleaf’s home and his office at the Storm Lake City Hall. Officers seized cell phones and electronic devices. Analysis of Oakleaf’s devices showed that he used the filesharing program investigators were targeting. He also searched for many known child exploitation search terms to obtain child sexual abuse material. Evidence further showed that Oakleaf had used the alias Dan Dyle to look at and trade child sexual abuse material.
In the plea agreement, Oakleaf admitted he possessed a video that was over 90 minutes in length and over 20,000 images of child sexual abuse material on his two phones. The videos and images included depictions of toddlers, bondage, and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue 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.”
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Oakleaf was sentenced to 84 months’ imprisonment and must serve a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Oakleaf must also pay $54,000 in restitution to the victims in this case and an additional $1,200 in fines and assessments. Oakleaf remains in the custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4020.
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Former Steuben County Sheriff’s deputy going to prison on child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, NY—U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Stuart J. McHenry, 35, of Hornellsville, NY, who was convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, was sentenced to serve 108 months in prison and 10 years supervised release by U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who handled the case, stated that McHenry knowingly possessed digital images of child pornography. At least one of the images depicted prepubescent minors under 12-years-old. The investigation began when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a CyberTip from the instant messaging application Kik, which stated that Kik user “acman990,” uploaded approximately 24 files of suspected child pornography. A review found that approximately 22 of the files constituted child pornography. Subsequent investigation traced the account to the defendant and revealed messages between the defendant and other users in which the defendant sought, received, and distributed child pornography. Some of the videos and images possessed by McHenry contained violent conduct, and one of the images depicted the sexual exploitation of an infant. At the time of the offense, McHenry was working as a deputy for Steuben County Sheriff’s Office.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Kevin Sucher, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the Steuben County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Jim Allard.
Former Nurse Sentenced for Drug Diversion from Boston-Area HospitalRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former nurse was sentenced yesterday in federal court today in Boston for diverting benzodiazepine medication from a Boston-area hospital.
Ariana Foley, 37, of Needham, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to three years of probation and 100 hours of community service. In November 2025, Foley pleaded guilty to one count of unlawfully obtaining controlled substances by fraud, deception, and subterfuge.
Beginning in December 2018, Foley worked as a nurse at a Boston-area hospital. On July 16, 2022, Foley worked an overnight shift where she was assigned to an intubated and immobile patient in the intensive care unit. During her shift, Foley checked out a bag of Versed, which is a controlled substance and a benzodiazepine medication. She also checked out three bags of fentanyl, one of which was discarded when it began leaking. None of these medications were scanned into the patient’s medical records. Foley was discovered slumped over on the wall of the patient’s room after an emergency alarm went off. Foley was questioned by hospital administrators and found to have three syringes in her pocket.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley, Fernando McMillan, Special Agent in Charge of the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations and Dr. Robert Goldstein, Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Public Health made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mackenzie Queenin and Meghan Cleary of the Health Care Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Durham Police Department Officer Sentenced for Sexual AssaultRead the Press Release
Rayshawn Deon Taylor, 36, a former Durham Police Department officer, was sentenced to 37 months in prison and two years of supervised release for sexually assaulting a man during a welfare check on Aug. 21, 2024. Taylor previously pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law involving sexual misconduct.
According to filed plea documents, on Aug. 21, 2024, Taylor was on duty as a corporal with the Durham Police Department (DPD) when he conducted a welfare check on the victim at the victim’s residence. During the welfare check, Taylor sexually assaulted the victim. Taylor communicated with the victim using a translation application on his personal cell phone and threatened to arrest the victim if he said anything about the assault. Investigators later determined that Taylor deleted the translation application from his cell phone and the cache information associated with the application. Taylor did not activate his body-worn camera during this encounter with the victim, in violation of DPD policy, but portions of the encounter were captured by the dashboard camera on Taylor’s patrol vehicle.
Assistant Attorney General K. Harmeet Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Dan Bishop for the Middle District of North Carolina, and Special Agent in Charge James C. Barnacle Jr. of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office and the Durham Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid for the Middle District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney Chloe Neely of the Civil Rights Division prosecuted the case.
Five Ophthalmology Practices Agree to Pay Nearly $6M to Resolve Allegations of Fraudulent Claims to Medicare and Medicaid for Cranial UltrasoundsRead the Press Release
Florida ophthalmology practices Clay Eye Holdings LLC, Retina Macula Specialist of Miami LLC, Florida Eye Institute P.A., Miami Eye LLC, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc. have agreed to pay a total of nearly $6 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act arising from their billing for trans-cranial doppler ultrasounds (TCDs) through a kickback arrangement with a third-party testing company. All five practices have agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department’s ongoing investigations of other participants in the alleged scheme.
“Kickbacks and false claims increase healthcare costs for all Americans and undermine the integrity of healthcare decision-making,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Combatting such schemes will continue to be a priority for the Justice Department.”
“These settlements are a continuing testament to the United States’ commitment to fight healthcare fraud and ensure that federal healthcare dollars are spent consistently with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida.
“Submitting false claims destroys the public’s trust in our federally funded healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office. “Working together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to prioritize safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s healthcare system and hold accountable those who try to profit from deception.”
“Kickback arrangements can corrupt legitimate medical decision-making and undermine the integrity of federal healthcare programs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricardo Carcas of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate improper billing and kickback schemes to protect both Medicare and Medicaid as well as those served by these programs.”
The settlements announced today resolve allegations that the settling practices knowingly submitted, and caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary TCDs. The settling practices performed TCDs on thousands of patients and billed Medicare and Medicaid hundreds of dollars per test. Before the patients received the results of the test, the practices and the third-party testing company identified the patients as having received a serious diagnosis that could qualify the patient for reimbursement of a TCD by Medicare or Medicaid. However, nearly all patients who received TCDs never had that diagnosis, and it was not reflected in the patient’s medical history or in the TCD results. The settling practices paid the third-party testing company based on the volume or value of tests ordered and referred the patients to the testing company’s preferred radiology group for the TCDs’ professional component.
The United States alleged that as a result of this scheme, the settling practices submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for TCDs between Jan. 1, 2018 and June 1, 2022 that were medically unnecessary, that were premised on false diagnoses, and that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law.
As a result of the settlements, Clay Eye Holdings LLC will pay $2,140,000, Retina Macula Specialist of Miami LLC will pay $1,750,000, Florida Eye Institute P.A. will pay $1,250,000, Miami Eye LLC will pay $525,000, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc. will pay $310,000. Of the total settlement amount, $333,500 will be paid to the State of Florida for its share of Medicaid, which is a jointly funded federal and state program.
The civil settlements resolved claims in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of 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 was filed by a whistleblower who will receive $1,135,250 in connection with the settlements.
The settlements were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the FBI. The United States previously resolved similar allegations against Brandon Eye Associates P.A. and Pinellas Eye Care, P.A. (doing business as Gulfcoast Eye Care).
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Nelson Wagner in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S Attorney Mamie Wise for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Five Ophthalmology Practices Agree to Pay Nearly $6M to Resolve Allegations of Fraudulent Claims to Medicare and Medicaid for Cranial UltrasoundsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON — Florida ophthalmology practices Clay Eye Holdings LLC, Retina Macula Specialist of Miami LLC, Florida Eye Institute P.A., Miami Eye LLC, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc. have agreed to pay a total of nearly $6 million to resolve alleged violations of the False Claims Act arising from their billing for trans-cranial doppler ultrasounds (TCDs) through a kickback arrangement with a third-party testing company. All five practices have agreed to cooperate with the Justice Department’s ongoing investigations of other participants in the alleged scheme.
“Kickbacks and false claims increase healthcare costs for all Americans and undermine the integrity of healthcare decision-making,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Combatting such schemes will continue to be a priority for the Justice Department.”
“These settlements are a continuing testament to the United States’ commitment to fight healthcare fraud and ensure that federal healthcare dollars are spent consistently with the law,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe of the Middle District of Florida.
“Submitting false claims destroys the public’s trust in our federally funded healthcare programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office. “Working together with our law enforcement partners, the FBI will continue to prioritize safeguarding the integrity of the nation’s healthcare system and hold accountable those who try to profit from deception.”
“Kickback arrangements can corrupt legitimate medical decision-making and undermine the integrity of federal healthcare programs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricardo Carcas of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG, working with our law enforcement partners, will continue to investigate improper billing and kickback schemes to protect both Medicare and Medicaid as well as those served by these programs.”
The settlements announced today resolve allegations that the settling practices knowingly submitted, and caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for medically unnecessary TCDs. The settling practices performed TCDs on thousands of patients and billed Medicare and Medicaid hundreds of dollars per test. Before the patients received the results of the test, the practices and the third-party testing company identified the patients as having received a serious diagnosis that could qualify the patient for reimbursement of a TCD by Medicare or Medicaid. However, nearly all patients who received TCDs never had that diagnosis, and it was not reflected in the patient’s medical history or in the TCD results. The settling practices paid the third-party testing company based on the volume or value of tests ordered and referred the patients to the testing company’s preferred radiology group for the TCDs’ professional component.
The United States alleged that as a result of this scheme, the settling practices submitted, or caused the submission of, false claims to Medicare and Medicaid for TCDs between Jan. 1, 2018 and June 1, 2022 that were medically unnecessary, that were premised on false diagnoses, and that resulted from violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law.
As a result of the settlements, Clay Eye Holdings LLC will pay $2,140,000, Retina Macula Specialist of Miami LLC will pay $1,750,000, Florida Eye Institute P.A. will pay $1,250,000, Miami Eye LLC will pay $525,000, and Kendall Eye Institute Inc. will pay $310,000. Of the total settlement amount, $333,500 will be paid to the State of Florida for its share of Medicaid, which is a jointly funded federal and state program.
The civil settlements resolved claims in a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of 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 was filed by a whistleblower who will receive $1,135,250 in connection with the settlements.
The settlements were the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from HHS-OIG and the FBI. The United States previously resolved similar allegations against Brandon Eye Associates P.A. and Pinellas Eye Care, P.A. (doing business as Gulfcoast Eye Care).
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement can be reported to HHS at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Trial Attorney Nelson Wagner in the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and Assistant U.S Attorney Mamie Wise for the Middle District of Florida handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlements are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
Federal Jury Convicts Georgia Man for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – CLEVELAND DAVID HALL, II, 43, of Marietta, Georgia, has been convicted of possessing a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 2, 2025, a federal grand jury sitting in the Western District of Oklahoma charged Hall with being a prior convicted felon in possession of a firearm. On January 13, 2026, a federal jury found Hall guilty. Testimony at trial showed that on August 5, 2025, a deputy with the Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle being driven by Hall on Interstate 40 in Oklahoma City. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, law enforcement recovered a firearm.
Public record reflects that Hall has a prior federal conviction in the Southern District of Georgia for drug conspiracy and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances in case number 11-CR-270.
At sentencing, Hall faces up to 15 years in federal prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Oklahoma County Sheriff’s Office, and Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Hoch and Drew E. Davis are prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Federal Grand Jury Returns Two Indictments Charging Nine Individuals with Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – On January 7, 2026, a federal grand jury in Louisville returned two indictments charging nine Louisville residents and one Detroit, Michigan resident with drug trafficking offenses.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department, Special Agent in Charge Jim Scott of the DEA Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, Acting Special Agent in Charge Colin W. Jackson of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, and Commissioner Phillip Burnett, Jr. of the Kentucky State Police made the announcement.
According to one indictment, Reginald Forsythe, 46, of Louisville, Damon Lewis, 50, of Louisville, Timothy McAtee, 46, of Louisville, Aiyisha Daniels, 43, of Detroit, James Henderson, 70, of Louisville, and Crystal Adams, 54, of Louisville are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Forsythe is also charged with one count of concealment money laundering. The drug conspiracy and money laundering activity occurred between September 3, 2024, and January 7, 2026.
According to the other indictment, Isaiah Washington, 43, Chelsea Brown, 42, and James Leffler, 38, all of Louisville, are charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Both indictments stem from a months-long multi-agency investigation which identified and dismantled a drug trafficking organization responsible for the flow of large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine from Detroit, Michigan to the streets of Louisville and beyond. As part of the investigation, 10 federal residential search warrants were executed in Louisville and 5 more search warrants were executed in Detroit on January 10, 2026, in a coordinated law enforcement action involving multiple federal and state agencies.
All defendants have been arrested and made their initial court appearances this week before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.
If convicted, all defendants face a sentence of a minimum of 10 year and a maximum of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The cases are being investigated by the Louisville Metro Police Department, DEA Louisville, DEA Detroit, ATF, IRS, KSP, FBI, HSI, U.S. Marshal Service, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, St. Matthews Police Department, the Louisville Airport Police Department, and the Bardstown Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erwin Roberts, Mac Shannon and Robert Bonar are prosecuting the cases.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Nashville is comprised of agents and officers from the FBI, ATF, HSI, ERO, DEA, IRS, USMS, USPIS, USSS and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Eighth Member of the Brooklyn-Based Hyena Crips Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering Crimes, Including MurderRead the Press Release
Richler Morette, also known as “Breezy,” a member of the Brooklyn-based Hyena Crips gang, pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Brooklyn to racketeering in connection with the murder of a man mistaken to be a rival gang member and conspiracy to murder rival gang members. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly. When sentenced, Morette faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. Morette is the eighth member of the Hyena Crips to plead guilty to a superseding indictment charging members and associates of the violent street gang with racketeering activity over a decade, including the murders of Samuel Joseph, Leandre Mallinckrodt, and Roodson Polynice. When sentenced, Morette faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI-New York), and Anthony D’Esposito, Inspector General, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General (DOL-OIG), announced the guilty pleas.
“The prosecution of these Hyena Crips gang members has dismantled a violent and ruthless gang that terrorized our communities for too long, killing innocent people, robbing local businesses, and stealing the identities of hard-working peoples,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “It is my sincere hope that the guilty pleas represent justice and some measure of closure for the victims and their loved ones.”
"With this guilty plea, Richler Morette has acknowledged his link to vicious murders and attempted killings of the innocent public and rival gang members, alike,” stated HIS Special Agent in Charge Patel. “As a result of this investigation, eight Hyena Crips gangsters have plead guilty and will face the full force of the law — reflecting the real change that HSI New York, together with the our partners, are endeavoring to make within New York City communities. HSI New York remains committed to restoring safety and peace for all New Yorkers.”
"This guilty plea underscores the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General's unwavering commitment to bring to justice those who defrauded the unemployment insurance programs during the COVID-19 pandemic,” stated DOL-OIG Inspector General D’Esposito. “We will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to pursue those who engage in the exploitation of governmental programs and the American taxpayer.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations’ Violent Gang Task Force, the New York City Police Department, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General for their outstanding work in this investigation.
As detailed in court filings, the Hyena Crips set of the Crips street gang was a violent criminal organization based in the Flatbush neighborhood of Brooklyn that earned money through fraud and robbery. To advance the gang’s operations and reputation, members and associates of the Hyena Crips committed murders, robberies, and fraud.
September 3, 2012 Murder of Leandre Mallinckrodt
On September 3, 2012, Rick Jasmin and other members of the Hyena Crips were at the West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn when a brawl began. Jasmin fatally stabbed Leandre Mallinckrodt, who had been visiting Brooklyn from out of town, in the neck. Jasmin mistook Mallinckrodt as a rival gang member.
February 22, 2019 Murder of Samuel Joseph
As detailed in court documents, Martial H. Amilcar shot and killed 15-year-old Samuel Joseph on February 22, 2019 in retaliation for an altercation earlier the same day between Amilcar’s brother, Martial C. Amilcar, also a Hyena Crips gang member, and Joseph’s older brother. Shortly after the altercation, which occurred on Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, Martial H. Amilcar contacted other members of the Hyena Crips. Martial H. Amilcar and another co-defendant drove to Samuel Joseph’s apartment building and waited outside. As Joseph walked down a staircase towards the building’s exit, Martial H. Amilcar walked into the building, pulled out a gun and shot Joseph three times at close range, killing him.
September 2, 2020 Murder of Roodson Polynice
As detailed in court documents, Dave Augustin directed Bradley Augustin, Morette, and other members of the Hyena Crips to retaliate against a rival gang for the non-fatal shootings of two Hyena Crips leaders. On September 2, 2020, Bradley Augustin, Morette, and others shot and killed Roodson Polynice during a drive-by shooting in Brooklyn while Polynice was sitting in his car. Following the murder, Morette responded to group Facebook messages about Polynice’s death in which he replied with three laughing-face emojis, before stating, “[d]on’t care who got hit” and “pic [sic] a side or get killed with them Hyenalifestyle or no life.”
The superseding indictment also charged the members of the gang with other racketeering acts, including agreeing to commit identity fraud in connection with unemployment-fraud insurance and in connection with defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA); money laundering; robberies; attempted murder; and conspiracy to murder rival gang members.
Seven members of the Hyena Crips previously pleaded guilty. On November 13, 2025, Martial H. Amilcar was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment for racketeering, including predicate acts of the murder of Joseph and the attempted gunpoint robbery of a Brooklyn pharmacy. On November 12, 2025, Martial C. Amilcar was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment for racketeering in connection with defrauding the SBA and conspiring to murder rival gang members. Five co-defendants—Bradley Augustin, Dave Augustin, Matthew Harris, Rick Jasmin, and Wisny Joseph—are awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Lash, Jessica Weigel, and Joshua Dugan are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Elizabeth Reed and Erin Payne.
The Defendant:
RICHLER MORETTE (also known as “Breezy”)
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkPreviously Convicted Defendants:
MARTIAL C. AMILCAR (also known as “Hype”)
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkMARTIAL H. AMILCAR (also known as “Drippy”)
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkBRADLEY AUGUSTIN (also known as “Cradley”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkDAVE AUGUSTIN (also known as “Juice”)
Age: 39
Brooklyn, New YorkMATTHEW HARRIS (also known as “Kappy”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkRICK JASMIN (also known as “Jab”)
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkWISNY JOSEPH (also known as “Weezy”)
Age: 34
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-18 (AMD)
Eden Man Indicted on Possession and Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A Utah man was indicted by a federal grand jury and charged with a drug crime after he allegedly possessed and attempted to distribute methamphetamine in the District of Utah.
Christopher Eric Johnson, 40, of Eden, Utah, was charged by complaint on January 2, 2026.
According to the allegations in court documents, in November 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF), and the Unified Police Department (UPD) began investigating Johnson after information was received that Johnson was selling kilograms of methamphetamine. The investigation revealed, Johnson was communicating directly with a cartel member in Mexico to arrange for kilogram quantity shipments of methamphetamine to be sent to Utah. On November 18, 2025, a cooperating defendant from a separate drug arrest contacted Johnson asking for a quarter pound of methamphetamine and they agreed to meet in Midvale, Utah. Detectives conducted surveillance waiting for Johnson to arrive. Subsequently, he was taken into custody and law enforcement seized clear bags containing a crystal-like substance, which field tested positive for methamphetamine.
Johnson is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment was before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Unified Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant United States Attorney Vernon G. Stejskal of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The case was investigated by agents and officers of the HSTF Salt Lake and prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Eric Jaeshon Ray, also known as “Brody,” 32, was sentenced today to eight years and one month in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about May 2025 to in or about July 2025, Ray and co-defendant Franklin Fitzgerald Elly conspired together and with other individuals to distribute fentanyl in the St. Albans area of Kanawha County. On four separate occasions between May and June of 2025, Ray distributed quantities of fentanyl to a confidential informant in St. Albans with Elly’s assistance as part of the conspiracy.
As part of the investigation, officers searched an apartment in St. Albans where Ray was residing and recovered two loaded pistols, approximately 250 grams of fentanyl, approximately 236 grams of oxycodone, and $4,000. In all, Ray was held responsible for possessing or distributing approximately 1 pound of fentanyl.
Ray has a criminal history that includes a prior conviction for felony assault with intent to murder and a misdemeanor conviction for assault and battery.
Ray and Elly are among 16 individuals indicted as the result of a federal investigation on charges alleging they participated in the distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Charleston area between June 2024 and May 2025. Five defendants in the main indictment pleaded guilty. Ray and Elly are among four additional defendants who pleaded guilty in separate cases that resulted from the investigation. Elly, also known as “Costco,” 36, pleaded guilty on September 2, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on February 9, 2026. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), which is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-128.
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Detroit Man Charged with Drug Distribution in VermontRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on January 15, 2026, a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Terry Dawayne Catchings, 31, of Detroit, Michigan, with two counts of distribution of cocaine and cocaine base and one count of possessing cocaine with intent to distribute it.
Catchings entered a plea of not guilty to the charges during an arraignment on January 15, 2026, before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle. Judge Doyle ordered that Catchings be detained pending trial.
According to court records, Catchings distributed cocaine and cocaine base on December 23, 2025, and December 30, 2025, at a location in Vermont. On January 7, 2026, Vermont State Police stopped Catchings for speeding on Interstate 89 in Randolph. A search of Catchings’s vehicle revealed approximately 114 grams of cocaine hidden in the fabric lining of the ceiling.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that Catchings is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Catchings faces up to 20 years in prison on each of the three counts 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 Jonathan A. Ophardt commended the investigatory efforts of the Morristown Police Department, the Vermont Drug Task Force, the FBI, and the Vermont State Police.
The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill. Catchings is represented by Kevin Henry, Esq.
Delhi, India Man Sentenced for Conspiring to Illegally Export Aviation Components from Oregon to RussiaRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A man from Delhi, India, was sentenced to federal prison today for conspiring with others to export controlled aviation components and a navigation and flight control system to end users in Russia, in violation of the Export Control Reform Act.
Sanjay Kaushik, 58, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison and 36 months of supervised release.
“This was no lapse in judgment. It was a calculated, profit-driven scheme involving repeated transactions, substantial gains, and coordination with foreign co-conspirators, including sanctioned Russian entities,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “This defendant sought, on multiple occasions, to undermine safeguards critical to U.S. national security and foreign policy for his own personal gain.”
According to court documents and following today’s sentencing, beginning in early September 2023, Kaushik conspired with others to unlawfully obtain aerospace goods and technology from the United States for entities in Russia. The goods were purchased under the false pretense that they would be supplied to Kaushik and his Indian company, when in fact they were destined for Russian end users.
In one such instance, Kaushik and his co-conspirators purchased an Attitude and Heading Reference System (AHRS), which is a device that provides navigation and flight control data for aircraft, from an Oregon-based supplier. Components such as the AHRS require a license from the Department of Commerce to be exported to certain countries, including Russia. To obtain an export license for the AHRS, Kaushik and his co-conspirators falsely claimed that Kaushik’s Indian company was the end purchaser and that the component would be used in a civilian helicopter. Kaushik and his co-conspirators obtained the AHRS – which was ultimately detained before it was exported from the United States – on behalf of and with the intention of shipping it, through India, to a customer in Russia.
Kaushik was arrested in Miami, Florida, on October 17, 2024, pursuant to a criminal complaint and arrest warrant and has remained in custody since then.
On November 20, 2024, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging Kaushik with conspiring and attempting to export products in violation of the Export Control Reform Act and the Export Administration Regulations, specifically attempting to illegally export a navigation and flight control system from Oregon to Russia through India, and false statements in connection with an export.
On October 9, 2025, Kaushik pled guilty to count one of the indictment, conspiring to sell export-controlled aviation components with dual civilian and military applications to end users in Russia.
The sentencing was announced by Scott E. Bradford, United States Attorney for the District of Oregon, Assistant Attorney General John A. Eisenberg of the National Security Division of the U.S. Department of Justice, and Special Agent in Charge Brent Burmester of the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), San Jose Field Office.
BIS Portland investigated the case, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Gregory R. Nyhus, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon and Trial Attorney Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Convicted Drug Trafficker on Federal Supervised Release Pleads Guilty to Distributing 63 Kilograms of CocaineRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A convicted drug trafficker pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute more than 63 kilograms of cocaine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Matthew Gerard Hendy, 42, of Charlotte, was on federal supervised release for a previous drug conviction when he reoffended.
Alicia Jones, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff Eddie Cathey of the Union County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to the plea documents and other court filings, in 2012, Hendy was convicted in federal court in the Eastern District of North Carolina of drug trafficking, money laundering, and firearms offenses and was sentenced to five years in prison followed by a term of supervised release. In 2023, and while Hendy was still under court supervision for the prior offense, law enforcement learned that he had arranged a large delivery of narcotics. On December 9, 2023, law enforcement intercepted the delivery when the tractor trailer loaded with the drugs arrived at the meeting location. When Hendy saw law enforcement on the scene he attempted to flee. Hendy later admitted he had ordered 63 kilograms of cocaine.
Hendy remains in federal custody. At sentencing, he faces a minimum of 15 years in prison due to the prior offense, and a maximum of life in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the ATF and the Union County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case, and the U.S. Probation Office for its invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfredo De La Rosa of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Colorado Springs Woman Sentenced to 12 Months, One Day, After Being Convicted on Charges Arising from Hate Crime HoaxRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ashley Blackcloud, 40, of Colorado Springs, was sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison after a jury found her guilty in May 2025. Blackcloud and co-defendant Derrick Bernard were convicted after a trial on charges that they conspired to threaten or convey false information about a threat: a burning cross placed in front of a Black political candidate’s campaign sign, which they had defaced with a racial slur written in red spray paint. After staging the cross burning, Blackcloud, Bernard and a third convicted co-conspirator used email and social media to publicize the threat in the weeks before the Colorado Springs mayoral runoff election.
Evidence presented at the week-long trial showed that ten days before the cross burning, Bernard sent a message to the threatened candidate in which he explained he was “mobilizing my squad in defense. Black ops style big brother” and then immediately texted Blackcloud, “I got a plan.” After the burning occurred in the early morning hours of April 23, 2023, Bernard and Blackcloud then worked together to send an email to the candidate, media outlets, and other local, state, and national organizations. Attached to the email was a short video of the cross burning and a still photograph. The email falsely blamed the candidate’s political opponent for the crime. The defendants then worked together to maliciously convey false information about the cross burning via social media platforms.
The conspiracy was uncovered when the Colorado Springs Police Department (CSPD) gathered surveillance footage around the scene of the cross burning. The CSPD’s extensive review of the footage revealed three people prowling through the darkness between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning to stage the crime. Additional investigative work by the CSPD and exhaustive efforts by the FBI ultimately identified Bernard and Blackcloud, self-declared activists and social media personalities, as two of the culprits.
United States District Judge Regina M. Rodriguez presided over the sentencing of Blackcloud.
Sentencing for Derrick Bernard is scheduled for March 2026.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with substantial assistance from the Colorado Springs Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Bryan Fields and Candyce Cline.
CASE NUMBER: 24-cr-00320-RMR
Chinese National Pleads Guilty in $27 Million Multinational Fraud and Money Laundering Scheme Targeting over 2,000 SeniorsRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Zhao Wang, aka “Oscar,” pleaded guilty in federal court today and admitted he participated in a $27 million fraud and money laundering scheme targeting approximately 2,000 elderly victims across the United States. Wang, a Chinese national, is the lead defendant charged in a five-defendant indictment unsealed in 2024.
According to public documents, members of the conspiracy operated a series of technical support, bank impersonation and government impersonation, and refund scams targeting elderly victims. Victims received unsolicited phone calls, emails, and pop-up ads directing victims to call a phone number. Unbeknownst to the victims, those phone numbers belonged to India-based scam call centers. Once a victim called the call center, members of the conspiracy used social engineering techniques to build trust with victims. In many instances, the conspirators had victims download commercially available remote desktop software, which the conspirators used to access victims’ computers and to carry on the scams.
One of the most frequent scams was a refund scam. In the refund scams, victims were told they were entitled to a small refund, for example, from a retailer for an alleged unauthorized charge. While pretending to process the refund, the victim would be accidentally “over-refunded” money. The conspirators would then instruct the victim to send the alleged over-refunded money through wire transfers or in cash via express mail to members of the conspiracy. In reality, the victims had been refunded any money and victims were scammed into sending their own money.
Victims were instructed to send the alleged over-refunded money via wire transfers and in bulk cash via express mail packages to members of the conspiracy, including defendant Zhao Wang, in the United States. When a victim was duped into sending bulk cash in the mail, Wang would provide his India-based co-conspirators a fictitious name plus an address of a retail location that could accept express mail packages. Those names and addresses would then be relayed to the victims, who were instructed to express mail the bulk cash. Then, once a victim had sent the cash in the mail, Wang and his co-conspirators would use fake IDs to get the packages of cash sent by the elderly victims.
In his plea agreement, Wang admitted that he obtained the fake IDs personally and provided them to his co-conspirators. Wang also admitted that he coordinated and oversaw the activities and recruited others, including his co-defendants, to work on his behalf in furtherance of the fraud scheme.
Investigators identified over 2,000 elderly victims from throughout the country, including victims in San Diego, who were defrauded and suffered over $27 million in losses over an approximately two-year period between 2021-2023.
In publicly filed documents, Wang also admitted that after receiving the fraud proceeds, he and his co-conspirators laundered the money using cryptocurrency back to their foreign-based counterparts.
Wang admitted that typically each day after collecting victim packages, Wang’s co-conspirators would deliver the money from the packages to him. Wang would then coordinate with his foreign-based co-conspirators, who would provide a cryptocurrency wallet that Wang would use to transfer cryptocurrency. Wang took upwards of 18% of the fraud proceeds and transferred the rest via cryptocurrency to his co-conspirators. Wang also admitted that he laundered the proceeds to promote the fraud scheme by using fraud proceeds to pay co-conspirators and to purchase the fake IDs used in the scheme.
Wang and his four co-defendants were charged by indictment in June 2024. In August 2024, federal agents conducted a nationwide takedown of this investigation, which led to Wang’s arrest in Las Vegas, Nevada.
A sentencing hearing for Zhao Wang is scheduled for April 3, 2026, at 9:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Robert S. Huie.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.
DEFENDANTS
Case Number 24-cr-1317-RSH-01
Zhao Wang, aka “Oscar” Age: 41 Las Vegas, NV
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349, 2326
Maximum Penalties: Forty years in prison; $1 million fine
Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), 1956(a)(1)(B)(i) and 1956(h)
Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the amount laundered
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
San Diego County Sheriff’s DepartmentSan Diego Police Department
San Diego Elder Justice Task Force
Chino Police Department
Coronado Police Department
Escondido Police Department
Glendora Police Department
Long Beach Police Department
Orange County Sheriff’s Department
Chicago Businessman Sentenced for Role in Bank Fraud and Pandemic-Relief Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
An Illinois businessman was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison and two years of supervised release for his role in schemes to fraudulently obtain over $55 million in commercial loans and lines of credit, as well as for submitting fraudulent applications to obtain COVID-19 relief money guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). He was also ordered to pay $ 23,226,005 in restitution.
“The defendant orchestrated a massive scheme to fraudulently obtain over $55 million in commercial loans and lines of credit from federally insured financial institutions and exploit the Paycheck Protection Program,” said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Criminal Division. “The defendant’s lies and deceit put our financial system at risk and wasted limited resources. The Criminal Division remains dedicated to prosecuting fraudsters who steal from our important institutions and taxpayer-assistance programs.”
“The duration, brazenness, and magnitude of this fraud scheme speaks to the defendant’s determination and greed,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew S. Boutros for the Northern District of Illinois. “The fact that such a sophisticated scheme was uncovered and successfully prosecuted is a testament to the diligent work of our prosecutors and federal law enforcement agents. Our Office was proud to partner with the Department of Justice Fraud Section on this case and many others that hold defendants accountable and provide justice for defrauded victims.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rahul Shah, 56, of Evanston, the owner and operator of several information-technology companies in the Chicago area, fraudulently obtained funds from loans and lines of credit for which he was not eligible from federally insured financial institutions and later defaulted on at least one such line of credit and one such loan. Shah submitted to federally insured financial institutions falsified bank statements that fraudulently inflated deposits, falsified balance sheets that overstated revenues, and fabricated audited financial statements with forged signatures. Shah also engaged in monetary transactions with proceeds from the bank fraud.
In addition, Shah submitted to a federally insured bank an application for a $441,138 loan guaranteed by the SBA that significantly overstated the payroll expenses of a company he controlled. In support of the loan application, he submitted to the lender several fraudulent IRS documents, which falsely represented that the company made payments to multiple individuals who had not received such payments. He also used stolen identities in the PPP loan application to carry out the fraud, listing the names and taxpayer-identification numbers of individuals that he knew had not received payments from the company.
Shah signed and caused to be submitted to the lender what purported to be IRS Forms 941 representing his company’s quarterly payroll expenses for 2019. A comparison between the documents submitted to the lender and the company’s IRS and state tax filings revealed that Shah’s company reported significantly lower payroll expenses to the tax authorities.
In July 2025, Shah was convicted of seven counts of bank fraud, five counts of making false statements to a financial institution, two counts of money laundering and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
The FBI and Small Business Association Office of Inspector General (SBA-OIG) investigated the case.
Assistant Chief Patrick Mott and Trial Attorney Lindsey Carson of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the PPP. Since the enactment of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 200 defendants in more than 130 criminal cases and has seized over $78 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Brandon Lee Woodrum, 30, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Woodrum admitted to possessing a Smith & Wesson M&P 9mm pistol on March 19, 2024, in Charleston. Woodrum further admitted to knowing that the firearm was reported stolen prior to its recovery by law enforcement.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Woodrum knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for wanton endangerment with a firearm on March 16, 2015, and January 24, 2019, both in Kanawha County Circuit Court.
Woodrum is scheduled to be sentenced on April 30, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Irene C. Berger presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Amy L. McLaughlin is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-171.
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Chapin Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Engage in Illegal Gambling BusinessRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — James O. Helms, 73, of Chapin, was sentenced to five years of probation after pleading guilty to conspiracy to engage in illegal gambling business.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Helms was a partner of a large-scale gambling organization in Lexington. The video poker operation at times made up to $100,000 per week, according to an indictment in the case. The operation was open from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. daily and necessitated two shifts of workers to oversee the business. The illegal scheme was operated directly from codefendant Fred McCary’s home and other buildings on his property.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Helms to five years of probation. There is no parole in the federal system. McCary, 63, of Gaston, was previously sentenced to six months in prison and six months home confinement.
This case was investigated by United States Secret Service and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lothrop Morris is prosecuting the case.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A man who distributed methamphetamine was sentenced today to more than six years in federal prison.
Jared Stuart Stratton, age 46, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 20, 2025, guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Information from the sentencing hearing showed that Stratton sold methamphetamine on three separate occasions between September and October of 2024 to an individual who was working with law enforcement.
Stratton was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Stratton was sentenced to 80 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Stratton is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States.
HSTF Kansas City is headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, covering Missouri, Kansas, Iowa and Nebraska. HSTF Kansas City is composed of agents and officers from the Department of Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, the United States Marshals Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the State Investigative Agencies for Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, and Nebraska, and the Kansas City Missouri Police Department.
This HSTF case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Vander Stoep and was investigated by HSTF Kansas City, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Task Force consisting of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-44.
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Cedar Rapids Man Sentenced to 40 Years for Child Exploitation CrimesRead the Press Release
A man who recorded himself sexually abusing a child was sentenced today to 40 years in federal prison.
Kevin Patrick Sullivan, age 43, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after an August 20, 2025, guilty plea to sexual exploitation of a child, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
Evidence at sentencing showed that between 2013 and 2015, Sullivan recorded himself sexually abusing a child and recorded the child when the child was nude. Sullivan stored these recordings on hard drives, which law enforcement officers found when they searched his home in January 2025. Sullivan physically and sexually abused the child in numerous other ways between 2005 and 2016. Between 2013 and January 2025, Sullivan also received and possessed thousands of images and videos of child pornography, including depictions involving infants and sadistic and masochistic conduct.
Sullivan was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. He was sentenced to 480 months’ imprisonment and was ordered to make $15,000 in restitution. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue 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.”
Sullivan is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Devra T. Hake and investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-30.
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Cape Cod Man Sentenced for Threatening a Federal Official and their RelativesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A South Dennis, Mass., man was sentenced yesterday for threatening to murder a prominent federal official, their relative and the relative’s spouse.
Michael P. Mahoney, 62, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper to two years of supervised release with three months home detention and a $5000 fine. In August 2025, Mahoney pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting interstate threats to injure another person. In April 2025, Mahoney was arrested and charged.
On March 28, 2025, the relative of a prominent federal official was having dinner with two other individuals at a location outside of Massachusetts. At approximately 10:15 p.m. the relative received a phone call with “No Caller ID.” Upon answering the phone, the caller, later identified to be Mahoney, confirmed the relative’s full name. Mahoney then started to scream and stated that he was going to murder the relative, their spouse and the federal official –referring to the spouse and federal official by their first names – and said, “Die you f*****g c**t mother f****r.” The relative hung up while Mahoney was yelling. The call lasted approximately 12 seconds. Mahoney then called back immediately, but the relative did not answer.
Call records obtained from the relative’s phone service provider indicated that the originating number for the threatening call, as well as the subsequent unanswered call, belonged to Mahoney. When approached by law enforcement at his South Dennis residence on March 29, 2025, Mahoney refused to answer the door or his phone.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Dennis Police Chief John Brady made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Dolan, Chief of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.
Brush Prairie, Washington Woman Pleads Guilty to and Sentenced for Mail TheftRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Brush Prairie, Washington, woman pleaded guilty yesterday and was sentenced for mail theft while working as a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) employee.
Darcy Rae Nolan, 57, pleaded guilty to the information charging theft of mail by an officer or employee. Nolan was sentenced to two years of probation. The court ordered Nolan to pay restitution.
According to court documents, from February 2024 through December 2024, Nolan, as a city carrier for the USPS Parkrose Station Post Office, stole medications from the mail on at least 15 occasions by manipulating USPS records regarding parcels or opening parcels and stealing the medications. A search of Nolan’s purse and vehicle recovered approximately 137 pills and capsules that were later identified as five different types of prescription amphetamines.
On November 10, 2025, Nolan was charged by information with theft of mail by a postal employee.
The USPS Office of Inspector General investigated the case. First Assistant United States Attorney William M. Narus and Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Trisotto prosecuted the case.
Browning man sentenced for causing death on the Blackfeet Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who caused a death on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was sentenced today to 12 months and a day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Joseph Wayne Cree Medicine, 41, pleaded guilty in September 2025 to one count of involuntary manslaughter.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on December 7, 2023, Cree Medicine crashed his Dodge Durango. The back seat passenger, John Doe, died as a result. The crash occurred after Cree Medicine left the roadway, overcorrected, and ultimately rolled the vehicle. Montana Highway Patrol conducted the crash investigation and determined Cree Medicine was driving too fast for conditions and was under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash. A blood draw taken at the hospital showed Cree Medicine’s blood contained an alcohol content (BAC) of .137.
EMS treated Doe at the scene and transported him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The BIA, Montana Highway Patrol, Glacier County Sheriff’s Office and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.
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Brothers indicted for trafficking firearmsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KANSAS – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging two brothers with illegal firearms trafficking.
According to court documents, Markeese Fluker, 27, of Independence, Missouri, and Markel Fluker, 29, of Kansas City, Missouri, were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit unlawful trafficking in firearms and four counts of possession and transfer of machine guns.
Markeese Flucker is also charged with one of count of possession and sale of a stolen firearm.
From September 2025 to December 2025, the Fluker brothers are accused of conspiring to provide firearms to people who they allegedly knew were legally prohibited from possessing firearms and that their acquiring firearms would result in a felony offense.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel 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.
###Boise Man Pleads Guilty to Transportation for Commercial Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
BOISE – Lajai Jamar Pridgette, 40, of Boise, pleaded guilty to transportation for commercial sexual activity, U.S. Attorney Bart M. Davis announced today.
According to court records, between May 14, 2024, and December 19, 2024, Pridgette engaged in a scheme to make money from commercial sexual activity. Pridgette arranged for two adult females to travel to multiple states to engage in commercial sexual activity. Pridgette also made hotel reservations and posted online advertisements to facilitate the commercial sexual activity. Pridgette received approximately $79,000 in proceeds from the commercial sexual activity.
Pridgette is scheduled to be sentenced on March 9, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a minimum of five years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Davis commended the cooperative efforts of the Meridian Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Garden City Police Department, United States Probation, and the Idaho Department of Corrections Probation and Parole, which led to charge.
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Bellingham, Washington woman charged with International Parental KidnappingRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 32-year-old Bellingham woman appeared late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle after being extradited from Panama where she had illegally traveled with her 4-year-old son, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Talisa Manuella Munoz, failed to return the boy to his father as required by the final parenting plan. She secretly flew to Panama after using false documents to get the child a passport. Magistrate Judge Kate Vaughan ordered Munoz detained pending trial. The judge found that Munoz was a flight risk due to the extensive planning and misrepresentation that the defendant engaged in to secrete the child and take him to Panama.
According to the criminal complaint, Munoz, was supposed to return the child to his father on September 8, 2025, following a weekend visitation. When the child was not returned, the father reported to law enforcement and the FBI opened an investigation.
Law enforcement determined that months before leaving, Munoz, had falsely claimed on her son’s passport application that she had no way to find or know the father. She submitted a birth certificate that said “none named” where the father’s name should be. The investigation revealed that Talisa Manuella Munoz schemed with her family for months to take the child to Panama and flew out of Seattle on or about September 7, 2025.
The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs (OIA) and the U.S. Embassy in Panama City worked with law enforcement in Panama to arrest and secure the extradition of Talisa Manuella Munoz. She was returned to the Western District of Washington on January 8, 2026. Her young son was reunited with his father.
International Parental Kidnapping is punishable by a maximum of three years in prison. False statement in an application for a passport is punishable by a maximum of fifteen years in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
Auburn Man Sentenced to more than 24 Years in Federal Prison for Sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material on the Dark WebRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Ala. – On January 15, 2026, a federal judge sentenced a Lee County man to 292 months in prison for conspiracy to advertise child sexual abuse material. There is no parole in the federal system. Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson made the announcement.
According to court records, from July 2023 through September 2024, 49-year-old Jacob Parker, of Auburn, Alabama, was involved with a website located on the dark web that was dedicated to the uploading and sharing of child sexual abuse material. Parker specifically admitted in his plea agreement that, during that time, he made more than 500 posts, including numerous posts that contained links to images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Parker also admitted to serving as a moderator on the website. When law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at his Auburn residence, they seized multiple devices that contained thousands of images and videos of child sexual abuse material.
Parker received the 292-month sentence after pleading guilty to the conspiracy charge in September 2025. At the sentencing hearing, the judge also ordered that Parker serve a term of supervised release for 10 years following his prison sentence and pay $32,500 in restitution to the known victims in the case. Parker will also be required to register as a sex offender.
The FBI Mobile Field Office, FBI’s Child Exploitation Operations Unit, and Auburn Police Department investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Tara S. Ratz and J. Patrick Lamb from the Middle District of Alabama and Acting Deputy Chief Kyle P. Reynolds from the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section 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. 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.
Asian Boyz Gang Member Convicted of Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of the Asian Boyz gang was convicted in federal court in Boston following a week-long jury trial of conspiracy to distribute counterfeit pills made with methamphetamine and resembling the prescription medication Adderall.
Isiah Lyons, a/k/a “Tank,” a/k/a “Rozay,” 30, of Lowell, was convicted of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine. U.S. District Court Senior Judge F. Dennis Saylor, IV, scheduled sentencing for April 21, 2026. Lyons was indicted in January 2025 along with his co-conspirators.
In 2021, law enforcement opened an investigation into the Asian Boyz gang to disrupt the manufacturing and distribution of substantial quantities of methamphetamine pills impacting Lowell.
The evidence presented at trial established that Lyons profited from the illegal sale of the methamphetamine pills by brokering deals for bulk quantities of the pills, which he called “oranges” and “adds.” Between December 2022 and February 2023, Lyons joined a conspiracy to sell the pills in 1,000 pill units, which he called “g packs.” Lyons and his co-conspirators sold four “g packs” containing an estimated 4,000 pills and weighing 1.3 kilograms of methamphetamine. Unbeknownst to Lyons, one of the pill customers was an undercover agent.
To sell the methamphetamine pills, Lyons partnered with two Asian Boyz gang members who were part of the gang’s extensive drug network. They conspired in person and using encrypted messaging applications like Signal. In his message to one of his fellow co-conspirators, for instance, Lyons told him the price of the pills was $1,250 for the “pacc” – spelled specifically with two “c’s” as a way of acknowledging their common gang affiliation. Lyons sourced the pills from a co-conspirator he paid $1,000 for the “paccs,” booking $250 profit for each deal he brokered during the conspiracy.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. 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; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Greg C. Hudon, Superintendent of the Lowell Police Department made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Billerica, Haverhill, Methuen, North Andover and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fred M. Wyshak, III and David Cutshall of the Criminal Division are prosecuting 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 https://www.justice.gov/PSN.
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 Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Armed Drug Dealer Convicted at Trial and Sentenced to Federal Prison for Nearly 20 YearsRead the Press Release
NEW BERN, N.C. – A federal judge sentenced Anthony Travis Slaughter, age 31, to almost 20 years in federal prison after a jury convicted him of the crimes of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a gun by a felon, and possession of a gun while selling drugs.
“Drug dealers are a scourge upon our community,” said US Attorney Ellis Boyle. “When they use guns, it makes them even more dangerous. Gun toting drug dealers put the entire community including our children and grandparents at risk, and we will aggressively pursue those Big Shark Bad Boys like Slaughter who prioritize their own greed over our families’ safety.”
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, the Wilmington Police Department pulled Slaughter over on Princess Place Drive in Wilmington after observing a traffic infraction. A police K9 officer alerted during the stop and WPD found two pounds of marijuana, packaging materials, and a digital scale in the car. WPD also found a loaded gun under the driver’s seat. Slaughter, a career criminal with seven state felony convictions left free to roam the streets of Wilmington, could not legally possess that loaded gun because he is a convicted felon. Slaughter’s prior felony convictions include a violent common law robbery and selling heroin.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Charles Loeser and Jake Pugh prosecuted the case. The WPD and the ATF investigated the case.
A copy of this press release is located on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:23-CR-51-FL.
26 People Charged in Alleged Bribery and Point-Shaving Scheme to Fix NCAA, CBA Men’s Basketball GamesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – At a news conference this morning, United States Attorney David Metcalf announced charges against 26 people in connection with an alleged bribery and point-shaving scheme to fix NCAA Division I men’s basketball games and Chinese Basketball Association games.
U.S. Attorney Metcalf discussed the case alongside FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey and FBI Philadelphia Special Agent in Charge Wayne Jacobs.
“The stakes here are far higher than anything on a bet slip. The criminal charges we have filed allege the criminal corruption of collegiate athletics through an international conspiracy of NCAA players, alumni, and professional bettors,” said U.S. Attorney Metcalf. “It’s also yet another blow to public confidence in the integrity of sport, which rests on the fundamental principles of fairness, honesty, and respect for the rules of competition. When criminal acts threaten to corrupt such a central institution of American life, the Department of Justice won’t hesitate to step in.”
“Over the past two years, the FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office led an investigation into a point-shaving and sports-bribery conspiracy resulting in the indictments announced today,” said FBI Deputy Director Andrew Bailey. “This case reflects the FBI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the American people and the institutions they trust. I am proud of the outstanding work of the FBI teams involved in the case. To those who choose corruption and betrayal: we will find you, we will investigate you, and we will hold you accountable.”
“Today’s arrests and charges would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our agents, analysts, and professional staff whose expertise, persistence, and commitment to justice over the past two years were the driving force behind this investigation,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Let this be a clear warning to professional and collegiate athletes, and to anyone who seeks to manipulate them — there is nowhere to hide — the short-term gain will never be worth the long-term loss.”
As alleged in an indictment and other filings unsealed this morning, the scheme was led by “fixers” Jalen Smith, 30, of Charlotte, North Carolina; Marves Fairley, 40, of Carson, Mississippi; Shane Hennen, 40, of Las Vegas, Nevada, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Antonio Blakeney, 29, of Kissimmee, Florida; Roderick Winkler, 31, of Little Rock, Arkansas; and Alberto Laureano, 24, of Bronx, New York.
The indictment alleges that, beginning in or about September 2022, a group of individuals, including defendants Fairley and Hennen, worked together to recruit and bribe players to help influence or “fix” Chinese Basketball Association (“CBA”) men’s basketball games through point shaving. The fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, bribed CBA players to underperform and help ensure their team failed to cover the spread in certain games and then arranged for large wagers to be placed on those games against that team.
During the 2022-2023 CBA season, the indictment further alleges, the fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, recruited defendant Blakeney, then a player on the CBA’s Jiangsu Dragons (“Jiangsu”) and one of the league’s leading scorers, for their point-shaving scheme. Blakeney agreed to participate in the scheme and then recruited other players from his team to join the scheme, working together with the fixers to influence the outcome of Jiangsu games.
In or about April 2023, at the conclusion of the CBA regular season, the indictment alleges that defendant Fairley left a package containing nearly $200,000 in cash, representing bribe payments and proceeds from the scheme, in Blakeney’s storage unit in Florida.
The indictment further alleges that, after profiting on the fixed CBA games, the fixers, including Fairley and Hennen, along with Blakeney, turned their attention to fixing NCAA men’s basketball games. The three men enlisted additional participants, including defendants Smith, Winkler, and Laureano, to help them operate this scheme and recruit NCAA players who would accept bribes to influence games.
As alleged, during the 2023-2024 and 2024-2025 NCAA men’s basketball seasons, the fixers, including defendants Smith, Fairley, Hennen, Winkler, Laureano, and Blakeney agreed to recruit NCAA players who would help ensure that their team failed to cover the spread of the first half of a game or an entire game. The fixers would then place wagers on those games, betting against the team whose player or players they had bribed to engage in this point-shaving scheme.
Defendants Smith, Fairley, Hennen, Winkler, Laureano, and Blakeney approached and communicated with NCAA basketball players, in person and through social media, text message communications, and cellular telephone calls, the indictment alleges, with the fixers offering the players bribe payments, usually ranging from $10,000 to $30,000 per game, to participate in the scheme.
The indictment alleges that the fixers specifically targeted college players for whom the bribe payments would meaningfully supplement, or exceed, the student-athletes’ legitimate opportunities for “Name-Image-Likeness” compensation. The fixers also generally targeted for their scheme players on teams that were underdogs in games and sought to have them fail to cover the spreads in those games. Many of these players accepted the offers and agreed to help fix specific games so that the fixers would win their wagers.
The indictment alleges that the defendant fixers engaged in a point-shaving scheme involving, in total, more than 39 players on more than 17 different NCAA Division I men’s basketball teams who then fixed and attempted to fix more than 29 NCAA games. To capitalize on this scheme, the fixers made wagers totaling millions of dollars, generating substantial proceeds for the fixers and the players who collectively received hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribe payments for fixing their teams’ basketball games. When the fixers were successful with their wagers on fixed games, the indictment further alleges, defendant Smith and other co-schemers traveled to NCAA campuses and made cash bribe payments to the players who had agreed to participate in the point-shaving scheme.
A list of all defendants and the charges against them is linked below.
If convicted on a bribery in sporting contests charge, the maximum possible sentence a defendant would face is five years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Each count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud brings a maximum possible sentence of 20 years of imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine, if convicted.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and Jerome M. Maiatico.
Anyone who believes they may have information about these crimes and would like to report the information is asked to call FBI Philadelphia at 215-418-4000 and reference “NCAA point-shaving.”
Mr. Metcalf also thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York and the FBI’s New York Field Office for their valuable assistance with the investigation.
The charges and allegations contained in the charging documents are merely accusations. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
Defendants chart
Indictment - U.S. v. J. Smith et al
Information - U.S. v. Blakeney
Information - U.S. v. Adams
Information - U.S. v. Etienne
Information - U.S. v. Gray
Information - U.S. v. Hines
Information - U.S. v. D. Smith
14 January 2026
Woman Who Committed $129,000 in Pandemic Fraud is Fined, Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine on Wednesday sentenced a woman who fraudulently sought more than $1.1 million in loans during the COVID-19 pandemic to 24 months in prison and ordered her to pay a $75,000 fine.
Judge Divine also ordered Bridgette Johnson, 61, of Berkeley, Missouri, to repay the $129,000 that she stole. Johnson fraudulently applied for and received $120,000 from the pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program by falsely claiming that one of the numerous businesses that she registered in Missouri, Compassion at Home, would use PPP loan money to retain employees and pay business expenses. She later sought loan forgiveness, falsely claiming that she’d used the money for permitted purposes. Johnson instead made tens of thousands of dollars in cash withdrawals from the account that had received the loan money.
Johnson also admitted fraudulently applying for $1 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration by falsely inflating profit and personnel count in eight applications in 2020 and 2021 filed in her name and in the name of five of her companies. Although the SBA rejected most of the applications after flagging them as fraudulent, Johnson did receive $9,000 in advances.
“Johnson used a global pandemic as an opportunity to enrich herself of approximately $130,000 at the expense of small businesses that desperately needed that money to pay their employees and keep their operations from shuttering,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf wrote in a sentencing memo.
Johnson pleaded guilty in October to one count of wire fraud.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Ladendorf prosecuted the case.
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Warm Springs Man Charged with Eluding Police Officers and Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Warm Springs, Oregon, man has been charged with possessing multiple firearms as a felon and eluding police officers after a high-speed chase.
Edward Francis Jones, 32, has been charged by criminal complaint with felon in possession of a firearm and fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer.
“Running from justice puts lives at risk and threatens the safety of everyone around us,” said U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott E. Bradford. “I am grateful to our federal and local law enforcement partners for their commitment to protecting the community by locating and removing this dangerous fugitive from our streets.”
“The U.S. Marshals Pacific Northwest Violent Offender Task Force is thankful to the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Madras Police Department, Prineville Police Department, Crook County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oregon State Police for arresting Jones,” said Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Oregon Pete W. Cajigal. “The unwavering dedication, relentless hard work, and steadfast diligence of these agencies stand as a powerful testament to the exceptional caliber of law enforcement that safeguards and serves our communities.”
“Our community is safer because of our partnerships with local, state, tribal, and federal agencies, said Acting FBI Special Agent in Charge Stephanie Shark. “Those partnerships allowed us to take both weapons, and a felon in possession of those weapons, off our streets.”
According to court documents, on November 6, 2025, Warm Springs Police officers were patrolling on the Warm Springs Indian Reservation when they observed a Hyundai sedan that matched the description of a stolen car. As the officer checked the license plate, the driver placed the car into drive and drove at a high speed into a field. As the officer activated his overhead lights and sirens, the car came to a sudden stop after hitting something. A male, identified as Jones, exited the car and began running. Officers attempted to chase Jones but lost sight of him.
Inside the stolen car, officers found a loaded 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number sitting on the driver’s seat. Officers also found alcohol, fireworks, a backpack containing a bag believed to contain methamphetamine, a baggie of marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and approximately 94 rounds of ammunition. A second backpack was found inside the vehicle with mail belonging to Jones.
On January 7, 2026, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies observed a female known to be affiliated with Jones in a Chrysler 300. Officers initiated a traffic stop for an expired registration. The vehicle did not stop and continued traveling through Madras, Oregon, at extremely high speeds, passing vehicles and driving into oncoming traffic. The car ultimately lost control and crashed. A male exited the driver’s seat and fled on foot. Drone operators from the Prineville Police Department located the fleeing suspect approximately 100 yards east. Officers contacted the suspect, identified as Jones, and took him into custody. Inside the car, officers observed a handgun lying on the driver’s side floorboard. An additional blue pistol belonging to the female occupant was also found on the driver’s side floorboard.
Jones has been wanted by the U.S. Marshals Service since May 29, 2025, for two separate supervised release violation cases with underlying felon in possession charges. Law enforcement has attempted to arrest Jones multiple times. The FBI, U.S. Marshals Service, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Prineville Police Department, Crook County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police, Warm Springs Police Department, Hood River Police Department, and Wasco County Sheriff’s Office participated in the search for Jones.
Jones made his first appearance in federal court today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge. He was ordered detained pending further court proceedings.
The FBI is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlotte Kelley is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
United States Department of Justice Files Lawsuit Against Minnesota’s ‘Affirmative Action’ RegimeRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division filed a lawsuit today against the State of Minnesota challenging Minnesota’s requirement that all state agencies implement sex- and race-based affirmative action plans and consider “affirmative action goals on all staffing and personnel decisions.” The State’s affirmative action program directs agencies to engage in employment practices that “balance” the sex and race composition of its workforce with the civilian labor force.
“From suing over sanctuary city policies to a wide-ranging fraud investigation, today's lawsuit is the Department of Justice's latest effort to bring Minnesota into compliance with federal law,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Making hiring decisions based on immutable characteristics like race and sex is simple discrimination, and the Trump Administration has no tolerance for such DEI policies.”
“For far too long, courts have allowed employers to discriminate based on race and sex when it is packaged as ‘affirmative action,’” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Supreme Court put an end to using race as a factor in college admissions through its Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard decision. This case is the next logical step. Title VII protects all people from race and sex discrimination in employment. There is no exception that allows discrimination against employees who aren’t considered ‘underrepresented.’”
“Minnesotans already had to see their state officials let criminals brazenly walk off with over a billion taxpayer dollars,” said U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen for the District of Minnesota. “Now they see those same officials abusing their power by systematically and unlawfully branding jobseekers as the wrong race or sex. The United States Attorney General and the Justice Department are on the side of Minnesotans and have stepped in to hold the State accountable.”
The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, alleges that this affirmative action mandate discriminates against, limits, and classifies employees and prospective employees on the basis of their race and sex in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII). “Because staffing is a zero-sum game,” the complaint states, “when Minnesota gives preferences to employees or prospective employees on the basis of their race, color, national origin, and sex, it inevitably and necessarily discriminates against other employees or prospective employees because of their race, color, national origin, and sex.”
While the U.S. Supreme Court previously sanctioned the consideration of race and sex in hiring for “traditionally segregated job categories,” the United States argues such outdated precedents are inconsistent with both the text of Title VII and subsequent Supreme Court caselaw.
United States Attorney General Pamela Bondi certified this case as a matter of general public importance. This designation invokes a provision of Title VII that entitles the United States to expedited review by a three-judge district court and direct appeal to the United States Supreme Court.
The filing can be read here.
U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Creation of Public Corruption Strike ForceRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The United States Attorney’s Office today announced the establishment of a Public Corruption Strike Force, the first of its kind in the District of Nevada.
“For far too long, public corruption in the State of Nevada has been a scourge on Nevada’s residents and business owners,” said First Assistant United States Attorney Sigal Chattah for the District of Nevada. “Public corruption affects everything from a competitive and untainted business environment with minimal barriers to market entry, labor industries and overall standard of living for Nevadans. The Public Corruption Strike Force will ensure that all Federal, State, and Municipal agencies coordinate and work together to pool criminal intelligence and data; and ensure the vigorous prosecution of bad actors violating the public’s trust. No stone will be left unturned to protect Nevadans from corruption and no public official and/or agency is above the law.”
The Public Corruption Strike Force is within the Office’s Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys with extensive public corruption experience will handle cases of allegations of criminal misconduct. This specialized unit will focus on the investigation and prosecution of all federal crimes affecting government integrity, including bribery of public officials at all levels of government, election crimes, and other related offenses. This endeavor will be a collaborative effort with federal, state, and local agencies across the Silver State.
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Two Israeli men arrested in separate complaints on immigration chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Elazar Wigdorowitz, 33, and Israel Enden, 46, both citizens of Israel, were arrested and charged in separate complaints. Wigdorowitz is charged with improper entry by alien, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison. Enden is charged with bringing in and harboring certain aliens, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan W. Fitzgerald, who is handling the case, stated according to the complaints, in the early morning hours of January 08, 2026, defendant Enden stated to Customs and Border Protection officers, at the Rainbow Bridge Port of Entry, that he was a United States citizen residing in Israel and was traveling to New York City to visit friends and family. He also stated that the vehicle he was driving was rented by a friend, but he did not have a rental agreement. Asked is he had anything to declare, Enden said no. He was then referred to secondary inspection. During the secondary inspection, officers noticed multiple pieces of luggage in the back of the vehicle. As an officer began removing the luggage, she noticed what appeared to be a person’s back. The remaining luggage was removed and officers discovered defendant Wigdorowitz.
During secondary inspection, officers discovered that Wigdorowitz had obtained a visa in 2010, which was revoked in 2017 due to his criminal history in Israel. Wigdorowitz’s visa was then refused in 2023 because of his criminal history in Israel, which includes convictions for conspiracy to commit a felony, assault, extortion, threats, false imprisonment, and malicious damage to a vehicle. In addition, pending charges include receipt of an item by deceit, conspiracy to defraud, forgery with intent, use of a forged document, fabricating evidence, and obstruction of justice. On January 5, 2026, Wigdorowitz attempted to apply for Electronic System for Travel Authorization but was denied. The complaint further states that according to Wigdorowitz, he in the back of the vehicle because he wanted to visit his rabbi’s grave in the United States. Ended stated that he didn’t know Wigdorowitz was in the vehicle.
Wigdorowitz and Enden made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and were detained.
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 complaints are 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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Trumbull County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Trumbull County man has been sentenced to prison in connection with a cross-country drug trafficking operation that transported controlled substances from California to Ohio.
Andre L. Bowers, 55, of Warren, Ohio, was sentenced to 128 months (10 years, 6 months) in prison by U.S. District Judge Pamela A. Barker after he pleaded guilty in September 2025 to Attempted Possession of a Controlled Substance with the Intent to Distribute. He was also sentenced to five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Jan. 4, 2025, the Ohio State Highway Patrol (OSHP) conducted a traffic stop on a trailer truck hauling vehicles from California to Ohio. Troopers received consent from the driver to inspect two vehicles that were suspected of having controlled substances. The vehicles were found to be altered to conceal illegal drugs. Upon further inspection of the gas tanks on both cars, investigators seized a total of 36 brick-sized packages which later tested positive for cocaine and weighed in at just over 36 kilograms (nearly 80 pounds).
U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of OhioHowever, troopers allowed the truck to continue to its intended destination. Federal law enforcement officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) proceeded to track and observe the truck as it delivered the two vehicles to a location in Warren. Bowers was later seen arriving there and then proceeded to drive each vehicle that previously contained the cocaine packages, to a location on Park Avenue in Warren. Two days later, federal agents conducted a search warrant execution at that location and took Bowers into custody. Agents found that one of the back seats had been taken out and placed next to the vehicle along with gloves and tools used to remove it. Two residences connected to Bowers were subsequently searched and investigators seized 6 firearms, 1.4 kilograms of a fentanyl analogue and 136 grams of pure methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the DEA Youngstown Resident Office, with valuable assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The prosecution was led by Assistant United States Attorney Vasile Katsaros and David M. Toepfer, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
Taunton Man Sentenced for Enticement of a Child and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – A Taunton, MA, man has been sentenced in U.S. District Court in Providence for traveling to Rhode Island to engage in illicit sexual contact with a minor and receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM), announced United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
Paul Fredericks, 38, was sentenced on January 13, 2026, by U.S. District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to 15 years imprisonment and 15 years of supervised release.
Fredericks pleaded guilty in August 2024, to attempted enticement of a minor, interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.
“One of the most important responsibilities of the United States Attorney’s Office is to protect the most vulnerable members of our society. In this case, our message is clear. If you intend to exploit or harm children in the District of Rhode Island, there is no safe haven for you here, and you will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law,” said United States Attorney Charles C. Calenda.
According to court documents, Fredericks engaged in online communications with an individual he believed to be the father of nearly 10-year-old girl and arranged to meet with him and his prepubescent daughter, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual activity. The person Fredericks was communicating with was, in fact, a Rhode Island State Police Detective assigned to the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.
On October 5, 2022, Fredericks traveled to Providence and met with the purported father in a parking lot, where he discussed preparing the child for sexual activity. Fredericks was arrested at the conclusion of that meeting by members of the ICAC Task Force and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). A forensic examination of his cell phone revealed that he had received and possessed CSAM.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the Rhode Island State Police ICAC Task Force and Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations.
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.
Two Convicted Felons Charged with Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Ke Anthony Javon Blackmon, 29, and Averee Kathryn Savage, 27, both of Pensacola, were indicted by a federal grand jury. Each defendant has been charged with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl; possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charges today.
Blackmon appeared for his arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Michael J. Frank in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
Savage appeared for her arraignment in federal court before United States Magistrate Judge Hope T. Cannon in Pensacola, Florida. Trial is scheduled for January 20, 2026, at 8:30 am before District Court Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
If convicted, as charged, they each face a minimum mandatory of ten years up to life imprisonment on the drug charges and a maximum of 15 years imprisonment on the gun charge.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime, human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Tallahassee Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Distribution Conspiracy and Illegal Weapons ChargesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Garret Culpepper, 25, of Tallahassee, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, and unlawful possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This case is the result of the outstanding investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department and our federal law enforcement partners, which dismantled a large-scale drug trafficking scheme by the defendant. My office will continue to deliver successful prosecutions, like this one, to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi through Operation Take Back America that our communities would be liberated from the scourge of drugs and criminal violence that has plagued our streets for far too long.”
Court documents reflect that beginning in 2023, investigators identified the defendant as a significant distributor of illicit marijuana and THC products, including THC ‘vape’ cartridges. Investigators were able to detail the defendant’s involvement in the manufacture and distribution of thousands of THC cartridges, hundreds of pounds of THC products such as wax, and thousands of pounds of raw marijuana. This investigation ultimately led to the execution of a search warrant at the defendant’s Tallahassee residence on March 18, 2025, during which investigators recovered equipment designed to fill THC vape cartridges in bulk, just under 34 pounds of THC products, approximately 15 pounds of raw marijuana, body armor, multiple firearms, including rifles and handguns staged for easy access throughout the residence, and over $80,000 in U.S. currency.
Culpepper faces a total of up to life imprisonment on the combined conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute, and firearms possession charges.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K. Mountin.
Sentencing for Culpepper is scheduled for March 16, 2026, at 10:00 am, at the United States Courthouse in Tallahassee, Florida before Chief United States District 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, human and drug trafficking.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl.
Spearfish Woman Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine in Western South DakotaRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a woman from Spearfish, South Dakota, for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 12, 2026.
Sindy Richards, 35, was sentenced to 20 years, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Richards was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in November 2024. She pleaded guilty on October 6, 2025.
A prolific drug dealer in western South Dakota, Richards joined a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in 2023. During her involvement, she worked with others to obtain methamphetamine from California, typically through the mail, for redistribution in and around the Black Hills. Richards was identified by law enforcement as being closely associated with the main drug dealer in this case, assisting him in meeting with other co-conspirators within the Rapid City area to further distribute methamphetamine. Investigators determined Richards was involved in trafficking approximately 100 pounds of methamphetamine during her involvement in the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service, the Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team (UNET), and the Drug Enforcement Administration. UNET is comprised of law enforcement from the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, the Rapid City Police Department, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the South Dakota National Guard. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Hodges and Paige Petersen prosecuted the case.
Richards was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Southern Tier man pleads guilty to distribution of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that David J. Johnston, 56, of Olean, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to distribution of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that prior to February 19, 2024, Johnston was in a relationship with co-defendant Kayla R. Kio. During the relationship, he requested that Kio take naked videos of a 5-year-old child that they both had access to. On February 19, 2024, Kio took a sexually explicit video of the minor victim using her cell phone and then sent it to Johnston via text message. He took a screen shot from the video, which constituted child pornography, and sent it back to Kio and to other individuals. During this time, Johnson also sent Kio a different image of child pornography via text message. On March 13, 2024, during the execution of a search warrant at Johnston’s residence, law enforcement seized three cell telephones. A review of the cell phones recovered approximately 11 images and one video of child pornography.
Kio was previously convicted of possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Amie Feroleto, and the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Eric Butler.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 26, 2026, at 1:30 p.m. before Judge Vilardo.
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Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing Firearm While Prohibited as a Felon and Drug UserRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on January 12, 2026.
Jamie Perez, 43, was sentenced to 14 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Perez was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in November 2024. He pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025.
On September 28, 2024, Sioux Falls Police found Perez asleep behind the wheel of his running vehicle, stopped on a city street. The officers later placed Perez under arrest for Driving Under the Influence. The officers then searched Perez’s vehicle and found a scale containing methamphetamine residue and a Smith & Wesson 9MM pistol. In addition to being a drug user, Perez is prohibited from possessing firearms due to a 2018 felony conviction for Possession of Controlled Substance.
“This defendant was found by the Sioux Falls Police passed out behind the wheel of a running car, high on methamphetamine and in possession of a loaded gun,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “Our streets are immeasurably safer now that he has been shipped off to federal prison.”
This case was investigated by the Sioux Falls Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Perez was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
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.
Serial Sex Offender Sentenced to 48 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Brent Richard Johnson, 52, of Cedar Hills, Utah, was sentenced to 579 months’ imprisonment and a lifetime of supervised release after he produced and possessed a sexually explicit video of a 10-year-old girl.
The sentence, imposed by U.S. District Court Howard C. Nielson Jr., comes after Johnson was found guilty by a federal jury in August 2025.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between approximately August and November 2013, Johnson used his iPhone to record himself sexually abusing a 10-year-old minor victim while she was sleeping. Years later, the videos were found by law enforcement on a backup of an iPhone on Mr. Johnson’s computer. Separately in a state case, Johnson was convicted of three counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child and sentenced to three terms of 15-years to life in prison, to run consecutively to each other.
“This 48-year sentence justly reflects the horrific harm that Johnson caused to the ten-year old victim that he repeatedly sexually abused,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “There is no greater priority for my office and the Department of Justice than protecting innocent children from predators like Mr. Johnson. I am grateful to our federal and local law enforcement partners for their excellent investigative work and commitment to stopping those who exploit children.”
“The Utah County Sheriff's Office is grateful to have been involved in this investigation with our state, local, and federal partners,” said Sergeant Ray Ormond of the Utah County Sheriff’s Office. “We are especially grateful to the victim in this case for their courage in coming forward and seeking justice against Mr. Johnson.”
"Johnson’s sentencing is a clear indication of the seriousness of his crimes,” said Homeland Security Investigations Denver Special Agent in Charge Steve Cagen. “I commend all those who investigated and brought to prosecution this heinous act. HSI agents will never relent when it comes to bringing justice to those who would steal the innocence of children.”
The federal case was investigated jointly by the American Fork Police Department, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorneys Carol A. Dain and Joey L. Blanch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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.
Schenectady Man Sentenced to 330 Months for Drug Trafficking and Firearm Crimes and for Violating Supervised Release ConditionsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jabree Jones, a.k.a. “Breezy,” age 33, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced on January 9, 2026, to 300 months in prison for drug trafficking and firearms crimes, including a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and possessing firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking crimes.
Jones, who was on federal supervised release at the time of his offense, was sentenced to an additional 30 months in prison, to be served consecutively, for violations of his release conditions, including for false statements to U.S. Probation. Jones will serve a total term of 330 months in prison.
Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III, Farhana Islam, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Enforcement Division (NYED), and Bryan DiGirolamo, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Jones admitted to his participation in a drug conspiracy from January to May 2023, that included eleven instances of drug distribution between January and May 2023, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine on May 23, 2023, after the ATF and DEA searched a property on Western Avenue in Albany where they found one of Jones’ coconspirators, Brandon Bartley, with 34 firearms, including an illegal machinegun, as well as more than 400 grams of fentanyl pills, more than 7,000 grams of pills containing methamphetamine, and more than 700 grams of cocaine. That same day, the DEA and ATF also search a property in Halfmoon, New York, where they found another one of Jones’ coconspirators, Anthony Luizzi, along with about 11 kilograms of fentanyl pills and five firearms, including a defaced shotgun.
Another suspect in the investigation, Anthony Zaremski, was fatally shot during the execution of a federal search warrant at his apartment in Clifton Park, New York on May 23, 2023, after Zaremski opened fire and wounded two officers.
Acting United States Attorney John Sarcone stated, “Jabree Jones was a major driver of drug trafficking and gun violence in this region. While on federal supervision, he chose to flood our communities with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine and to use firearms, including machineguns. This sentence removes an extraordinarily dangerous individual from our streets for decades. Let this case send a clear message: those who combine deadly drugs with illegal guns will face relentless prosecution and severe consequences. Thank you to the brave men and women from DEA and ATF who put their lives on the line every day to keep our communities safe and rid them of the scourge of violent criminals.”
“Today’s sentencing is a true reflection of the dedicated work the DEA New York Enforcement Division and our law enforcement partners have when targeting those individuals who jeopardize the safety of our communities when trafficking illicit narcotics and firearms” stated DEA New York Enforcement Division Special Agent in Charge Farhana Islam. “Mr. Jones’ threat and terror to our communities ends today. The DEA has and remains committed to safeguarding our neighborhoods and strive for a fentanyl-free America.”
ATF Special Agent in Charge Bryan DiGirolamo stated, “Mr. Jones’ crimes caused a devastating impact on our community by engaging in firearms trafficking and drug distribution. He helped fuel addiction, death and violence. ATF remains committed to working with our federal, state, and local partners to disrupt these dangerous networks, to seizing illegal firearms before they reach the streets, and to protecting the safety of the public. We applaud all of the partners involved in making our community safer.”
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a supervised release term of five years, to begin after he finishes his prison term. Jones was also ordered to pay restitution to the State of California and the State of Georgia for fraudulently obtaining unemployment insurance from those states in 2020 and 2021.
The following defendants were also charged in connection with this investigation:
- Anthony Luizzi pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and his possession of the guns found at the Western Avenue property and Halfmoon property. Luizzi was sentenced to 210 months in prison and a $10,000 fine on October 1, 2024.
- Brandon Bartley also pled guilty to drug and gun crimes in connection with his trafficking of large amounts of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and his possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. He was sentenced to 180 months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
- Devon Newsome pled guilty to transferring 29 firearms to Jones that were ultimately found at the Western Avenue property. He was sentenced to 60 months in prison.
The DEA and the ATF investigated the case, with assistance from the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO), the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG), the Rotterdam Police Department, and the Henry County, Georgia Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
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Revere Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Role in International Money Laundering OrganizationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Revere man has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds for drug suppliers based in Central and/or South America and for possessing over 17 kilograms of various controlled substances.
Jason Hunter, 48, was sentenced on Jan. 8, 2026 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2025, Hunter pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances; one count of distribution of and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine; 500 grams or more of cocaine and other controlled substances; and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
According to court documents, law enforcement received information about large-scale international money laundering organizations that used money brokers in Colombia as liaisons between drug suppliers based in Central and/or South America and their drug customers in the United States. The money brokers arrange contracts with U.S.-based money launderers to conduct pickups of drug proceeds on behalf of the drug suppliers in Latin America. As part of the investigation, undercover investigators posing as money launderers, conducted controlled pickups in connection with contracts offered by the money brokers in cities throughout the United States, including Boston.
Over the course of the investigation, Hunter delivered drug proceeds to undercover investigators on multiple occasions, including on Feb. 28, 2024, when he delivered $140,000 of bulk cash drug proceeds. On April 3, 2024, Hunter was arrested on his way to a money pickup that had been arranged by a broker. At the time of his arrest $100,000 in drug proceeds was seized from Hunter’s possession. A subsequent search of his residence and vehicle resulted in the seizure of over 16 kilograms of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine, thousands of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl, additional pills containing oxycodone, as well as over a kilogram of cocaine and multiple kilograms of marijuana.
In May 2025, Hunter’s co-defendant, Walter Norton, was convicted by a federal jury of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Norton is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 25, 2026.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Jarod A. Forget Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Ferguson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Alathea Porter of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Boston is comprised of agents and officers from HSI, FBI, DEA, ATF, USMS, IRS-CI, USPIS, DOL-OIG and DSS, as well as several state and local law enforcement agencies, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts.
Repeat felon sentenced again for illegally reentering the country for fifth timeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 36-year-old Mexican citizen has been ordered to federal prison for illegally reentering the country again, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jose de Jesus Galicia-Castillo pleaded guilty Sept. 24, 2025.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has now ordered Galicia-Castillo to serve 42 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings again following his imprisonment. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence about his criminal history while illegally present in the United States.
Galicia-Castillo has two previous convictions for illegally reentering the United States after being removed.
He was first removed in 2008 and returned illegally on at least two other occasions. Most recently, authorities discovered him July 25, 2025, near Falfurrias with no authorization to be there.
Galicia-Castillo has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley A. Pruitt prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.