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Thursday 20 November 2025
Honduran national, illegally living in East Texas, indicted for unlawfully returning to the United StatesRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas – A Honduran national, illegally living in the Lufkin-area, has been charged with unlawfully returning to the United States, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Edwin Padilla-Cruz, 42, was named in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury this week in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with illegal reentry by a previously deported alien.
The indictment alleges that Padilla-Cruz was found in the Eastern District of Texas after having been previously deported.
If convicted, Padilla-Cruz faces up to 20 years in federal prison and deportation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Jackson.
A federal indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Honduran Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegal Re-EntryRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that on October 7, 2025, MELVIN JOSE TEJADA MORILLO (“MORILLO”), age 35, was sentenced for illegal re-entry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a) and Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(b)(2). MORILLO was sentenced to 18 months in prison and one year of supervised release following the term of imprisonment. MORILLO was also ordered to pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, MORILLO reentered the United States after being previously deported on March 21, 2016, and faced enhanced sentencing penalties because he had a felony conviction prior to his 2016 deportation.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The case was investigated by the United States Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Tiwana Wright of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
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Honduran Man Sentenced for Illegal Re-Entry into the United StatesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced that WILIAN SERRANO-MOREIRA (“SERRANO”), age 34, was sentenced on October 9, 2025, after previously pleading guilty to illegal reentry of a previously removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a).
According to court records, SERRANO was found in the United States on April 15, 2023, having reentered the United States without authorization from the Attorney General of the United States after being previously deported on July 17, 2019. SERRANO was remanded into the custody of the United States Marshals by U.S. District Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown after being sentenced to credit for time served (6 months), being ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00, as well as 1 year of supervised release.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN).
Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit oversees the prosecution.
Hammond Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Yesterday, Kenneth Young, 52 years old, of Hammond, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced Acting United States Attorney M. Scott Proctor.
Young was sentenced to 120 months in prison followed by 24 months of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on October 5, 2021, law enforcement attempted to conduct a traffic stop on Kenneth Young in Hammond, Indiana. Young initially pulled over, but when an officer approached his car, he sped off, leading to a chase. Young fled into Calumet City, Illinois, where he crashed into a car and fled on foot. During a search of the car, a loaded firearm with an obliterated serial number was recovered. Young’s criminal history revealed he was previously convicted of felonies, including being a felon in possession of a firearm, which prohibited him from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Task Force with assistance from the Hammond Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin M. Padula and Francis Sohn.
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.
Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG -The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Favio Efrain Rodas-Cardona, age 31, a citizen of Guatemala, was indicted on November 5, 2025, by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Mendoza-Hernandez illegally reentered the United States and was found in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, on April 16, 2025. Rodas-Cardona was removed from the United States through Texas and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
This matter occurred on date indicated but not issued at that time due to the government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
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Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG-The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Gertrudis Mendoza-Hernandez, age 34, a citizen of Guatemala, who unlawfully resided in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on the charge of illegally reentering the United States after having previously been removed.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the indictment alleges that Mendoza-Hernandez illegally reentered the United States and was found in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, on November 6, 2025. Mendoza-Hernandez was removed from the United States on September 14, 2023, and reentered without first obtaining legal permission to do so.
The case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelley K. McGraw is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is two years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Georgia Inmate Who Coordinated the Distribution of Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Les Corey Peak, 38, of Flat Rock, N.C., was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release for conspiring to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court records and court proceedings, from 2021 to 2023, Peak conspired with Zachery Micah Rice and others, to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl in Buncombe, Henderson, and Transylvania Counties, and elsewhere. During that time, Peak was incarcerated in the Georgia Department of Corrections. Court records show that Peak, using contraband phones, worked with his Atlanta-based supplier to arrange bulk drug purchases and coordinated with Rice to arrange the pickups. Rice then transported the drugs back to Western North Carolina for further distribution through a local network of traffickers and dealers. During one of the transactions Peak arranged, law enforcement stopped and searched Rice’s vehicle, seizing over 11.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, a .40 caliber pistol modified to fully automatic with a machinegun conversion device known as a “Glock switch,” and more than $32,683 in cash. Investigators later executed search warrants at stash houses and a storage unit used by Rice, recovering kilogram quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine supplied by the Atlanta based source, multiple firearms, including high-capacity magazines ammunition, digital scales, drug paraphernalia used for drug distribution, and more than $27,470.
On June 23, 2025, Peak pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. He remains in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons at a designated facility.
Rice was sentenced in May 2025 to more than 28 years in prison for his role in the conspiracy.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Office, the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina, the Asheville Police Department, the Waynesville Police Department, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, the Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office, the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office, the Swain County Sheriff’s Office, the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Spartanburg County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville handled the prosecution.
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.
Gang Member Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A gang member associated with Sureno 13, who sold methamphetamine and possessed firearms, was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court in Harrisonburg, Virginia.
Hector Espinosa, 37, of Stephens City, Virginia, was sentenced yesterday to 240 months in federal prison. Espinosa was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon following a jury trial in November 2024.
“This office will seek maximum accountability against transnational criminal organizations who prey on our citizens and communities,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “I am grateful for the outstanding work of our federal partners at the Drug Enforcement Administration and the ATF on this case.”
According to documents and evidence presented at trial, Espinosa and Ivan Ruiz-Gonzalez conspired with each other, and others, to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine in the Northern Shenandoah Valley in the Western District of Virginia.
On February 21, 2023, law enforcement conducted a controlled purchase of methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in the case, Andres Vicencio. Vicencio had contacted Ruiz-Gonzalez to obtain methamphetamine. Agents observed Ruiz-Gonzalez enter Espinosa’s home, obtain a pound of methamphetamine and give it to Vicencio, who in turn sold it to a law enforcement source. When law enforcement executed a search warrant at Espinosa’s home, he answered the door with a firearm in his waistband.
During his trial, Espinosa presented evidence that Ruiz-Gonzalez was at his home on the night of February 21, 2023, to purchase a pound of ‘carnitas’ because he and his wife owned a catering business. However, evidence and business records contradicted this claim.
Following the trial while awaiting sentencing, Espinosa was incarcerated with a witness in the case. Espinosa threatened the witness and the lives of his family to coerce the witness to “recant” his trial testimony.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Christopher C. Goumenis Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Washington Division made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, and Northwest Virginia Regional Drug and Gang Taskforce.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Welsh prosecuted the case for the United States.
This prosecution is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Virginia HSTF comprises agents and officers from throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia with the prosecutions being led by the United States Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern and Western Districts of Virginia.
Gallup Man Charged with Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup man has been indicted on federal charges for allegedly killing another person while driving recklessly.
According to court documents, on August 11, 2024, Justin Othermedicine, 22, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, killed John Doe while operating a motor vehicle with reckless disregard for life.
Othermedicine is charged with involuntary manslaughter and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted, Othermedicine faces up to eight years in prison.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.
The Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations investigated this case with assistance from the Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office and New Mexico State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael R. Pahl is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fort Lauderdale Financial Advisor Pleads Guilty to $94 Million International Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Fort Lauderdale man pleaded guilty on Nov. 14 to charges arising from a years-long scheme that defrauded international investors—primarily Venezuelan nationals—of more than $94 million.
According to court documents, Andrew Hamilton Jacobus, 64, falsely portrayed himself as a seasoned financial advisor managing legitimate investment portfolios, while misappropriating investor funds for personal use and to pay returns to earlier investors in classic Ponzi-scheme fashion.
Between 2004 and 2023, Jacobus solicited funds through entities under his control, including Kronus Financial Corporation and Finser International Corporation, promising access to secure investment products and high-yield returns. In reality, Jacobus forged account statements, falsified documentation, and diverted client funds to luxury personal expenditures and Ponzi payments.
Jacobus pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine a sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office, made the announcement.
IRS-CI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert F. Moore is prosecuting. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitch Hyman is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 25-cr-20309.
Former Shelby County Division of Corrections Investigator Pleads Guilty to Accepting a Bribe as a Public OfficialRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A Memphis man has pled guilty to accepting a bribe as a public official. D. Michael Dunavant, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the guilty plea today.
Deon Scott, 41, pled guilty on November 17, 2025 before Chief United States District Judge Sheryl H. Lipman to accepting a bribe as a public official. According to information presented in court, Scott was working as an Internal Affairs Investigator for the Office of Professional Standards for the Shelby County Divisions of Corrections, which houses federal inmates, when he accepted money to provide contraband to an inmate. Scott was immediately terminated from his position.
Sentencing is set on February 19, 2026. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said: "Official misconduct and corruption by correctional officers in positions of trust and authority undermine the foundational integrity of our government institutions and compromise the safety and security of correctional facilities. We must root out, expose, and hold accountable those officials who violate the public trust by corrupt acts of bribery, and this guilty plea does just that."
The case was investigated by the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office, United States Marshals Service, and the United States Secret Service.
Assistant United States Attorneys Lynn Crum and Greg Wagner and former Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Kimbril-Parks prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Former Louisiana Woman Sentenced for Preparing More Than 110 Fraudulent PPP Loans Totaling over $1.1 Million DollarsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – Acting United States Attorney Michael M. Simpson announced today that SHARNAE EVERY (“EVERY”), age 30, of Houston, Texas, was sentenced on October 9, 2025, for Conspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349.
The case against EVERY began as a referral from the COVID-19 Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (“PRAC”) regarding possible fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans. Investigators determined there were at least 110 PPP sole proprietor loan applications in and around the Thibodeaux, Louisiana area that all contained the same invoices and federal tax forms (“Schedule C”) with the same business name and amounts.
According to court documents, EVERY created a fictitious business called “Natural Hair Afro, LLC, Houma, LA 70360” and used this fictitious business name on nearly all of the fraudulent PPP loan applications. EVERY advertised under various aliases on Facebook to recruit individuals to obtain money from the PPP program. EVERY prepared and submitted false and fraudulent PPP sole proprietor loan applications via various online portals including, but not limited, to Blueacorn. EVERY created all of the false and fraudulent invoices, bank statements, and Schedule Cs. EVERY falsely certified that the applications and the information provided in the supporting documents were true and accurate when she electronically submitted the fraudulent PPP loan applications.
EVERY charged the individuals that she recruited to prepare and submit the fraudulent PPP application anywhere from $45.00 to $120.00. EVERY primarily used Cash App to receive the initial payments. EVERY then charged approximately $3,500.00 once the loans were funded. EVERY received these funds into her Current account, her Cash App account, or into her boyfriend’s Current account.
United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier sentenced EVERY to 41 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years supervised release and payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. The Veterans Administration, Office of the Inspector General, is an active member of the PRAC Fraud Task Force.
For more information on the Department of Justice’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
This case was investigated by an agent assigned to the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Fraud Task Force. The PRAC was established to serve the American public by promoting transparency and facilitating coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 21 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. The PRAC Fraud Task Force brings together agents from 15 Inspectors General to investigate fraud involving a variety of programs, including the Paycheck Protection Program.
The United States Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Veterans Administration, Office of the Inspector General; United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General; United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; and the United States Secret Service’s Cyber Fraud Task Force, consisting of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Thibodeaux Police Department, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit, and Assistant United States Attorney Edward Rivera, COVID-19 Fraud Coordinator.
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Former Boone County Schools Maintenance Supervisor Sentenced to Prison and Order to Pay $3.4 Million for Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Michael David Barker, 48, of Foster, was sentenced on November 10, 2025, to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $3,448,571.85 in restitution for conspiracy to commit mail fraud. Barker admitted to a scheme to defraud the Boone County Schools system by more than $3.4 million while employed as the maintenance director.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from about November 2019 through December 2023, Barker ordered custodial and janitorial supplies for Boone County Schools from Jesse Marks and his company, Rush Enterprises. These supplies included hand soap, trash can liners, face masks, face shields, and hand sanitizer.
Barker admitted that he and Marks agreed that Rush Enterprises would overbill the Boone County Board of Education for these supplies. As part of this scheme, Barker approved invoices on behalf of Rush Enterprises that significantly inflated the number of products that were actually delivered to Boone County Schools. Barker submitted these fraudulent invoices to the Boone County Board of Education, which relied on them to mail checks to Rush Enterprises using the United States Mail.
Marks deposited the checks from Boone County Schools into the business bank account for Rush Enterprises, wrote himself checks on that account that he cashed at various banks, and personally delivered some of that cash to Barker in manila envelopes. Barker admitted that he spent the cash delivered by Marks to buy vehicles and equipment and make substantial improvements to his residence in Foster.
Marks deducted the cost of the products actually delivered to Boone County Schools from the proceeds of the overbilling scheme. Boone County Schools paid Rush Enterprises $4,310,714.82 from in or about November 2019 through in or about December 2023. Barker admitted that approximately 80 percent of the total payments received by Rush Enterprises, or $3,448,571.85, was based on fraudulent invoices.
Marks, 65, of Rush, Kentucky, sentenced on November 13, 2025, to five years of federal probation, including one year and six months on home detention, and ordered to pay $3,448,571.85 in restitution, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud.
As a result of the investigation of Michael David Barker, his parents Michael P. Barker, 68, and Lana Barker, 66, both of Foster, pleaded guilty on March 3, 2025, to structuring transactions with one or more domestic financial institutions. Starting on or about November 7, 2023, through on or about November 28, 2023, the couple made or caused to be made 11 cash deposits to their bank accounts in amounts ranging from $8,000.00 to $9,500.00 and totaling $97,215.00. The couple admitted that these transactions were specifically designed to avoid currency reporting requirements. Financial institutions are required to report cash deposits of more than $10,000.00, and federal law prohibits structuring multiple cash deposits to avoid this reporting requirement. The Barkers furthered admitted that they used the $97,215.00, a $30,000.00 bank loan, and $50,000.00 provided by their son to purchase property in Foster. They were each sentenced to one year of federal probation.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Education-Office of Inspector General, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the West Virginia State Police, and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), and the assistance provided by the West Virginia Department of Education.
United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Gabriel Price prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-194.
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Former Administrative Professional for Chicago Company Admits Embezzling More than $615,000Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — A former administrative professional for a Chicago company has pleaded guilty to a federal fraud charge for embezzling more than $615,000 from the company.
CRYSTA LYON-HALBERT admitted in a plea agreement that she misappropriated the money from 2015 to 2023 while holding various administrative positions in the company’s Corporate Governance function and the Office of the Chief Executive Officer. Lyon-Halbert directed company funds to her personal bank account and made a series of unauthorized credit card purchases for her personal benefit, including storage rental space, rent payments, personal utility bills, car rentals, auto shop bills, clothing, furniture, and other items, the plea agreement states. Lyon-Halbert concealed her misappropriation by falsely representing that the credit card payments were directed to vendors that had provided services to the company, the plea agreement states.
Lyon-Halbert, 54, of Tinley Park, Ill., pleaded guilty on Nov. 14, 2025, to a federal wire fraud charge, which is punishable by up to 20 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge Elaine E. Bucklo set sentencing for Feb. 24, 2026, at 2:00 p.m.
The plea agreement was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Hennessy.
lyon-halbert_plea_agreement.pdfFlorida Man Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A Jacksonville, Fl., man, Josh Lee Knittel, 44, was sentenced on October 20 by U.S. District Judge Danny Reeves to 420 months in prison, for the production of child pornography.
According to his plea agreement, in 2006, Knittel was convicted of a sex offense involving a minor and is a registered sex offender. On July 29, 2024, a person known to the victim found inappropriate text messages between the victim and Knittel on a cell phone. The messages indicated that Knittel was paying the victim for nude pictures. A search of financial accounts and messages confirmed the exchange and on October 16, 2024, law enforcement arrested Knittel. Knittel admitted to paying for sexually explicit images of the victim.
Under federal law, Knittel must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for life.
Paul McCaffrey, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office, and Chief Tony Gray, Jr., Danville Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Danville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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First defendant sentenced in multi-state family-based drug trafficking ringRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 44-year-old Tacoma resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to seven years in prison for his high-level role in a multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Michael Young Jr pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances on July 7, 2025. Young was a high-level member of a group that distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead noted that fentanyl kills indiscriminately – experienced users, first time users, kids, and parents. “Every pill you moved was a loaded gun – the sentence needs to hold you accountable for the lives you endangered.”
According to the indictment and other records in the case, the drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 32, who lived in both Atlanta and the Renton, Washington home of his parents, defendants Mandel Jackson, 51, and Matelita (Marty) Jackson, 50. Also linked to the Renton family home were defendants Markell Jackson, 22, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 23. Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records filed in the case link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle area street gang.
Over the course of the investigation law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.
In Whatcom County, teams led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested four people on criminal complaints for fentanyl distribution. According to the complaints, the Whatcom drug traffickers were linked by phone communication and surveillance to the Jackson drug trafficking organization.
In September 2023, four tribal citizens in Whatcom County died of fentanyl overdose within a period of just four days, prompting the Lummi Indian Business Council to declare a state of emergency in response to the escalating fentanyl crisis.
Tribal and federal partners examined the phone of one of the overdose victims and found connections to the Jackson Drug Trafficking Organization. DEA, the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have continued to work closely with the Lummi Nation Police to identify additional members of this drug trafficking organization with the goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl into Indian Country and elsewhere.
The charges contained in the indictment 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.
These investigations and prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159. 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.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Crystal Correa, and Michael Harder.
Felon who Supplied Fentanyl that Resulted in One Fatal and Two Nonfatal Overdoses Sentenced to 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Thursday sentenced a convicted felon who supplied the fentanyl that caused one fatal and two nonfatal overdoses in St. Louis in 2023 to 15 years in prison.
On Dec. 2, 2023, Victor Mora approached three men who were at a gas station and offered to take them to buy cocaine. The victims gave Mora $140 and asked for $100 worth of cocaine. Mora got into the victims’ car and directed them to a different location, where he purchased capsules containing white powder from a group of people in the street. Mora told the victims that the capsules contained cocaine, and when the victims returned to the gas station, they snorted the drugs in the car.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers later found the three men unconscious. Two of the victims regained consciousness, but the third victim could not be resuscitated and was taken to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The next day, an undercover detective drove one of the victims to the area where Mora purchased the drugs. They spotted Mora, who told the detective to meet him later to buy drugs. Mora was arrested later that day.
Capsules recovered from the victims’ vehicle were tested and contained fentanyl. The deceased victim died of a fentanyl overdose.
“The human life is worth infinitely more than the $140 Victor Mora received from selling purported cocaine to the victims who suffered fentanyl poisoning and in one tragic case, succumbed to the substance,” DEA St. Louis Division Special Agent in Charge Michael Davis said. “Today and every day, remind your loved ones how valuable they are. Remind them of the potentially lethal consequences that can come from drug experimentation. Fentanyl is deadly and its presence in other drugs can go unnoticed until it’s too late. Start the conversation and help save a life.”
Mora, now 41, was on supervised release at the time of his crime, after a 2018 robbery conviction. He pleaded guilty in July to one felony count of distribution of fentanyl.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Reitz prosecuted the case.
Federal jury convicts Gloucester man of sexually abusing a foreign exchange student and receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Gloucester man yesterday on charges of coercion and enticement of a child and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Anthony George Ruggiero, 42, and his family hosted a foreign exchange student who arrived at their home in Gloucester in 2021. After returning to her home country in 2022, the student disclosed to medical professionals that she had been sexually abused and exploited by Ruggiero in 2021 through 2022.
Ruggiero also engaged in sexually explicit messages with the student through social media accounts that indicated that Ruggiero was sexually abusing the student while she was 15 and 16 years old. The sexually graphic conversations continued after she returned to her home country. Ruggiero asked her for sexually explicit photos, offered her sexually explicit photos, and engaged in sexually explicit conversations both reminiscent of past sexual encounters and fantasies of future encounters.
Ruggiero was also found guilty of receiving five videos of CSAM of an identified victim in Texas.
Ruggiero faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison when sentenced on March 18, 2026. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Dominique Evans, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the verdict.
The Family and Women Assistance Unit of the Spanish National Police, Spanish Embassy, and Grand Prairie (Texas) Police Department provided substantial assistance in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Devon E.A. Heath and Peter G. Osyf are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-29.
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Orchestrating $14 Million Cryptocurrency FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury in Chicago has convicted a Texas man of fraud for orchestrating a cryptocurrency scheme that bilked nearly 1,000 investors out of at least $14 million.
ROBERT DUNLAP, 54, of Houston, Texas, was convicted of two counts of mail fraud on Monday after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois. The conviction carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge LaShonda A. Hunt set sentencing for Feb. 17, 2026.
From 2018 to 2023, Dunlap worked with others to market and sell a purported digital asset called “Meta-1 Coin” through a “Meta-1 Coin Trust.” Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that the Meta-1 Coin was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold. Dunlap falsely claimed that an accounting firm had audited the gold and certified its value. The purported art collection was alleged to have included works by Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dali, Vincent Van Gogh, and other acclaimed artists. Dunlap used automated trading bots to cause the market price and trading volume of the Meta-1 Coin to be inflated on the “Meta Exchange,” which was a website created by Dunlap.
Dunlap created numerous legal, insurance, and other documents to conceal the fact that he did not possess the gold or art. His fraud scheme caused nearly 1,000 investors to lose at least $14 million.
The conviction was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, and Adam Jobes, Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in Chicago. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paige Nutini and Jared Hasten.
Federal Inmate Indicted for Possession of Methamphetamine with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the arrest of Billy Boortz (43, Duval County, TX) for one count of possession of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute and one count of possession of contraband by a federal prisoner. If convicted, Boortz faces a minimum sentence of 5 years, up to 40 years, on the drug distribution count and up to 20 years for the contraband offense.
According to the indictment, on July 18, 2025, Boortz was a federal inmate in the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. On that date, Boortz possessed 5 grams or more of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. The methamphetamine possessed by Boortz is also a prohibited object in federal prison.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Federal Correctional Officer Enters Guilty Plea to Bribery and Introduction of Contraband into PrisonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Micheal Jason Brooks (37, Citra) has pleaded guilty plea to one count of receipt of a bribe by a public official and one count of providing contraband to a federal prisoner. Brooks faces up to 15 years in federal prison for the bribery offense and up to 6 months’ imprisonment for the contraband offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court records, on June 12, 2024, Brooks was employed by the United States Department of Justice, United States Bureau of Prisons, as a correctional officer at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex in Sumter County. He knowingly and corruptly sought, and agreed to receive and accept, a bribe of $3,000 in return for smuggling 177.1 grams of loose tobacco into the federal prison for an inmate. Federal inmates are prohibited from obtaining and possessing tobacco in prison as it is contraband. Brooks provided the tobacco to the inmate on June 12, 2024.
This case was investigated by the United States Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk Watson.
Five Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Their Roles in Scheme to Defraud the United States Department of Transportation and the Michigan Department of TransportationRead the Press Release
BAY CITY – Five Michigan men, all former executives of Standish-based Surveying Solutions Inc., or (SSI), were sentenced this week to federal prison for their roles in a scheme to defraud the United States Department of Transportation(USDOT) through the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), United States Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. announced.
Gorgon was joined in the announcement by Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation – Michigan Division, and Anthony Licari, Special Agent in Charge United States Department of Transportation – Midwestern Region.
On November 18, 2025, United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Ludington sentenced Andrew Semenchuk, 53, of Rives Junction, and Jeffrey Bartlett, 53, of Standish, to 15 months in federal prison following their guilty pleas to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Both will be required to serve two years of federal supervised release following their release from incarceration.
On November 20, 2025, Judge Ludington sentenced Adam Ball, 48, of Saginaw and Brian Bartlett, 48, of Standish to one year and one day in federal prison following their guilty pleas to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Both will be required to serve 2 years of federal supervised release following their release from incarceration. Also on November 20, 2025, Judge Ludington sentenced Anthony Thelen, 48, of Pewamo to 6 months in federal prison following his guilty plea to conspiracy to defraud the United States. Thelen will be required to serve one year of federal supervised release following his release from incarceration.
The five defendants will pay a total of $4,571,800 in full restitution to the Michigan Department of Transportation. The court also ordered them to pay forfeitures in the total amount of $4,073,200.
According to court records, from approximately February 2011 through July 2019, Andrew Semenchuk, Jeffrey Bartlett, Adam Ball, Brian Bartlett, and Anthony Thelen, owned and operated SSI, a surveying company that was awarded millions of dollars in highway construction contracts by MDOT. Those contracts were funded almost entirely by federal funds through USDOT. In the course of seeking and participating in MDOT contracts, the defendants engaged in fraudulent overbilling scheme resulting in MDOT making millions of dollars of overpayments to SSI, a large portion of which the defendants distributed among themselves. The fraudulent overbilling included reporting false and non-existent employee and information technology costs, claiming improper and inflated equipment and real property lease costs, and concealing the true ownership of and control over the SSI entities to justify the fraudulent overbillings.
"FBI Detroit will rigorously safeguard the integrity of government programs and hold accountable those who betray the public’s trust by exploiting the competitive contracting process for personal financial gain,” said Jennifer Runyan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “These kinds of manipulative schemes defraud not only government programs but Michiganders’ tax dollars as well and place honest, rule-abiding Michigan businesses at an unfair disadvantage. My team at the FBI Bay City Resident Agency, along with our federal law enforcement partners, conducted a meticulous and thorough investigation to uncover this complex financial crime and ultimately ensured justice was served. I am grateful for the partnership and successful prosecutorial work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan in securing this sentencing.”
“For nearly a decade, the defendants carried out a scheme that compromised the integrity of transportation projects in Michigan and betrayed the taxpayers who funded them,” said Anthony Licari, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Midwestern Region. “The sentences imposed send an unmistakable message that we will not waver in our commitment to working with our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners to expose corruption and ensure that those who break the law are brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Transportation, Office of Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Karen L. Reynolds, William Vailliencourt, and K. Craig Welkener.
Eleven Charged in Dauphin County Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Nymele John Morgan, age 49, Anthony Reyes-Pabon, age 26, Laura Diane Snyder, age 42, Trumaine Assad Weaver, age 26, Tyshawn Lorne Jones, age 28, Moises Arroyo-Guerra, age 35, Justice Tireese Andrews, age 31, Robert Oren Bates, age 38, Jockzan Rodriguez, age 40, Alexia Ricohla Lambert, age 27, and Margarita Pabon-Torres, age 51, all residing in or around Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, were charged in a superseding indictment as part of a drug-trafficking conspiracy in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania.
According to the United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the superseding indictment alleges that from on or about September 1, 2023, and continuing until on or about May 30, 2025, the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine. The superseding indictment further charges Weaver, Bates, and Morgan with having possessed a firearm as a prohibited person and in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. The superseding indictment also charges Reyes-Pabon and Pabon-Torres with using and maintaining a premises to further the drug trafficking activities.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Dauphin County Violent Crimes Unit, and East Pennsboro Township Police. Assistant United States Attorney K. Wesley Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
The maximum penalties for each defendant upon conviction is life imprisonment, as well as a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and the imposition of a special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by a court after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Superseding Indictments only contain allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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El Salvadoran Immigrant Sentenced to 12 months for Multiple Illegal Reentries into the United StatesRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A citizen of El Salvador, who was found guilty of carnal knowledge of a 14-year-old girl after illegally reentering the United States on multiple occasions, was sentenced yesterday to 12 months in federal prison.
Leonel Hernandez-Zelaya, 39, previously pled guilty to illegal reentry of a previously removed alien.
According to court documents, Hernandez-Zelaya has shown a disregard for the immigration laws of the United States by repeatedly reentering the country after being legally removed. In September 2007, Hernandez-Zelaya was removed to El Salvador following his arrested for illegally entering the United States without proper authorization.
Hernandez-Zelaya was again removed from the United States in May 2008.
At some point, Hernandez-Zelaya returned to the United States without authorization and has been living illegally in the Western District of Virginia, and elsewhere, ever since.
In July 2025, Hernandez-Zelaya was convicted in state court of carnal knowledge of a 14-year-old without force out of Warren County, Virginia. The Warren County Circuit Court sentenced him to five years, with all but five months suspended, and three years’ probation.
According to facts presented at the sentencing hearing, Hernandez-Zelaya victimized a 14-year-old by having sexual intercourse with her on at least three occasions, acts that would not have occurred had Hernandez-Zelaya followed the immigration order of removal and remained in El Salvador.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Ian Kaufman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, made the announcement.
The case was investigated by The Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charlene R. Day prosecuted the case for the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
East Tennessee Couple Indicted on Federal Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
Jackson, TN – A federal grand jury in Jackson, Tennessee recently returned an indictment charging an East Tennessee couple with multiple federal child sexual exploitation offenses. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the return of the indictment today.
According to the indictment, Randall Scott Sharpe, 56, and Tina Angelique Sharpe, 61, of Granville, Tennessee, while being in custody and control of a minor, used and employed the minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct in Bolivar, Tennessee, during two separate time-periods in May and September 2024. The defendants are also charged with possessing visual depictions of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct, including visual depictions involving a prepubescent minor who had not attained 12 years of age engaging in such conduct, during the same time-periods.
Randall Sharpe is charged with additional child exploitation offenses, including two counts of coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity for which any person can be charged with a crime, arising from his alleged electronic communications with the same minor in November 2024.
This case is pending before United States District Court Judge S. Thomas Anderson in Jackson. The defendants are facing a mandatory-minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment on each of the production counts and a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the possession counts. Randall Sharpe is also facing a mandatory-minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment on each of the enticement counts.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is being investigated by agents with the FBI Nashville Division, Jackson and Memphis Resident Agencies, and officers with the Bolivar Police Department. If anyone has any additional information regarding this case or any matter involving the abuse of minor children, please contact the FBI Nashville Division (615-232-7500) or the Bolivar Police Department (731-658-4284).
Assistant United States Attorneys Josh Morrow and Christie Hopper are prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations of criminal conduct, not evidence. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt and convicted through due process of law.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Dubuque Woman Sentenced to Prison for Her Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Katie Kammerude, age 39, from Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced on November 19, 2025, to over nine years in federal prison.
Kammerude received the prison term after a June 3, 2025, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine, and 50 grams of pure methamphetamine, commonly known as “ice.”
Evidence at the sentencing showed that between July 2024 and September 9, 2024, defendant drove to Des Moines, Davenport, and Iowa City to pick up large amounts of methamphetamine. Kammerude then drove back to Dubuque, where she sold it to others. On three occasions, the police pulled Kammerude over. During the traffic stops, police found methamphetamine in Kammerude’s car. They found between several ounces to a couple of pounds of methamphetamine each stop. In total, Kammerude was responsible for over 5,000 grams of methamphetamine.
Kammerude was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Kammerude was sentenced to 109 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Corkery and Dillan Edwards, with the assistance of Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Dubuque County Sheriff’s Office, and Dubuque Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-CR-1024. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Drug distribution takedowns in October result in more than 18 arrests and large amounts of fentanyl pills and powder taken off the streetsRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two long-term investigations in the Western District of Washington wrapped up in October 2025 with multiple arrests and significant seizures of narcotics and firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. This afternoon, Jose Isabel Sandoval Zuniga, 30, of Sammamish, Washington who served as a primary source of firearms for one of the groups, is being arraigned on gun and drug charges returned by the grand jury earlier this month.
“These successful law enforcement investigations will no doubt save lives – lives that could be lost to fentanyl overdoses or gun violence,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “Law enforcement carefully worked its way up the drug distribution chain to find those responsible. In one case they found multiple family members leading the distribution ring, in the other they found drug and gun distribution intertwined with illegal cockfighting and an improvised explosive.”
“Both of these groups showed a callous disregard for our communities, sometimes even bringing their young children along, as they peddled poison and dangerous firearms.” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Our teams seized a staggering 3.4 million potentially lethal doses of fentanyl from these two groups, enough poison to kill every person alive in King County. I am very proud of DEA and our team for ending this menace.”
The first takedown occurred on October 16, 2025, following a ten-month investigation. In December 2024, one of the leaders of the drug distribution ring, Carlos Gutama Escandon, 30, of Renton was stopped by Tulalip Tribal Police in Marysville and had fentanyl pills,
fentanyl powder and cash in his car. Over the following months law enforcement made undercover buys from the ring and surveilled drug deliveries and money laundering activity. The core group, the Gutama Escandon family, are originally from Ecuador.
In all, eight people have been charged in the case:
Oliver Gutama Escandon, 21, Renton, Washington
Josselin Gutama Escandon, 23, Renton, Washington
Henry Gutama Escandon, 34, Renton, Washington
Carlos Gutama Escandon, 30, Renton, Washington
Jessica Gutama Escandon, 32, Renton, Washington
Andres Giraldo Arias, 34, Renton, Washington
Stalyn Quezada Gutama, 23, Renton, Washington
Artur Shahnazaryan, 38, Redmond, Washington
In that drug investigation law enforcement seized four firearms, more than $220,000 in cash, two kilograms of fentanyl powder, three kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 36,000 fentanyl pills as well as smaller amounts of heroin and cocaine.
“This investigation demonstrates what we can accomplish through strong partnerships among local, state, and federal agencies,” said Snohomish County Sheriff Susanna Johnson. “What began with a proactive Tulalip Tribal Police traffic stop and continued through an extensive undercover operation by the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, resulted in the takedown of a drug trafficking organization operating across the Puget Sound region. Disrupting organizations like this directly reduces the supply of fentanyl and heroin in our communities. I am extremely proud of the dedication, persistence, and coordination by every agency involved, and we will continue working together to keep our neighborhoods safe and hold drug traffickers accountable.”
The second takedown occurred October 28, 2025, with ten arrests. The arrests were the culmination of a year-long investigation by area law enforcement officers. In the arrest operation on October 28, law enforcement seized approximately 105,000 fentanyl pills, 34 kilos of fentanyl powder, 3.7 kilos of methamphetamine, nearly a kilogram of heroin and 8.7 kilos of cocaine. Law enforcement also seized over $140,000 in cash.
Two men, Jose Isabel Sandoval Zuniga, and Edgar Rivas Robles, 33 of Centralia, Washington are tied to a rural property in Lewis
Country where law enforcement unearthed an improvised explosive device and an illegal cockfighting operation. The structure on the property contained 25 kilos of suspected fentanyl powder, more than 90,000 fentanyl pills and two dozen firearms. Zuniga was arrested in his vehicle with 1.6 kilos of suspected fentanyl. At Sandoval Zuniga’s Sammamish home investigators seized heroin, fentanyl, and a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol.
These defendants have now been indicted on various drug distribution and illegal firearms charges:
Luis Humberto Lamas-Guzman, 25, of Lynnwood, Washington
Eduardo Villavicencio-Salido, 44, of Marysville, Washington
Silvestre Ramos Martinez, 35, of Everett, Washington
Jose Navarro Hernandez “Robert”, 46, of Marysville, Washington
Jose Manuel Ramos Ibarra “Kora”, 28, of Everett, Washington
Marisol Perez-Diaz, 23, of Auburn, Washington
Jordan Martinez Gamez, 23, of Auburn, Washington
Jose Isabel Sandoval Zuniga, 30, of Sammamish, Washington
Roni Licona Escoto, 56, of Seattle
Edgar Rivas Robles, 33, of Centralia, Washington
The charges contained in the indictments 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.
“These suspects were trafficking and distributing dangerous drugs throughout Seattle,” said Seattle Police Assistant Chief Nicole Powell. “The City of Seattle and the region around the city are safer because of the fantastic work done by SPD and our federal partners.”
“Getting illegal drugs and guns off our streets is not just a win on paper; it is a real, tangible win for everyone in our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “We are proud that our combined efforts are making a real difference in people’s lives, and we will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to make our streets safer for all.”
These investigations and prosecutions are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159. 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.
Both investigations were led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in partnership with Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Seattle Police Department, the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, and the Northwest High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (NW HIDTA).
These agencies assisted in the law enforcement operation on October 16, 2025: Federal Bureau of Investigation, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Tulalip Police Department.
These agencies assisted in the law enforcement operation on October 28, 2025: Seattle Police Department, North Sound Metro, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Washington State Patrol, Centralia Police Department, U.S Customs & Border Protection, the King County Sheriff’s Office and Valley SWAT comprised of officers from the Renton, Federal Way, Kent, Auburn, Tukwila, Des Moines and Port of Seattle police departments.
Dominican National Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dominican national was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Carlos Yuniol Pimentel-Ortiz, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 15 months in prison and one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. On Oct. 14, 2025, Pimentel-Ortiz pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien.
Pimentel-Ortiz was deported from the United States in November 2023. Prior to his removal, in November 2020, Pimentel-Ortiz was convicted in Essex Superior Court of assault with a dangerous weapon, carrying a firearm without a license and possessing ammunition without a license. Additionally, in October 2022, he was convicted in Middlesex Superior Court of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
Sometime after his November 2023 removal, Pimentel-Ortiz illegally reentered the United States without permission. In March 2025, agents were executing a drug search warrant at a location in Boston. Pimentel-Ortiz was present at the search location and determined to be unlawfully present in the United States. He was immediately taken into custody.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Diagnostic Laboratory Agrees to Pay More Than $1 Million to Settle Alleged False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Genetic Technological Innovations, LLC (GTI), a diagnostic laboratory headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona, agreed to pay the United States $1.635 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act and the Anti-Kickback Statute (AKS).
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the settlement with Special Agent in Charge Maureen Dixon, Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).
The government alleges that GTI knowingly submitted claims to Medicare for respiratory pathogen panels (RPPs) that were either medically unnecessary or obtained through kickbacks.
Specifically, the U.S. alleges that on June 5, 2020, GTI entered into a Marketing Services Agreement (MSA) with a purported infection prevention company (The Company). Under the terms of the MSA, the marketing company agreed to provide “marketing-and-management services” on behalf of GTI within long-term care facilities. In exchange, under the terms of the MSA, GTI agreed to pay the marketing company $4,000 to $4,500 per month for each long-term care facility it “serviced.” According to the U.S., in reality, the MSA served as a pretext for paying the company for laboratory test referrals that GTI then billed to Medicare. The U.S. alleges that GTI’s payments to The Company for referrals violated the Anti-kickback statute.
Additionally, the U.S. alleges that GTI paid the company to perform services in long-term care facilities, including specimen collection for infectious disease testing. The Company swabbed residents for COVID-19, but then GTI used the same specimens to conduct and bill Medicare for medically unnecessary RPPs. These RPPs were more lucrative than solely performing and billing Medicare for COVID-19 tests. The Medicare reimbursement for the RPP tests amounted to 10 times more than the reimbursement total for COVID-19 tests.
The RPPs that GTI ran from June 2020 to January 6, 2021, were “stacked” on top of COVID-19 tests. Specifically, the RPPs were combined with COVID-19 tests when long-term care facilities sought only COVID-19 tests. The RPP tests were not based on an individualized assessment of each beneficiary’s needs by the beneficiaries’ physicians. Instead, GTI ran RPPs on every resident in a facility, regardless of if the resident displayed symptoms warranting the RPPs. Nearly every beneficiary in a facility received the same exact panel of respiratory tests from GTI, attesting to the lack of individualized assessment.
“Kickback arrangements to induce patient referrals for the purpose of billing federal health care programs for medically unnecessary diagnostic tests is inexcusable,” Hayes said. “This settlement is a testament to our continued commitment to protecting both patients and the public fisc that fund federal health care programs.”
“This settlement underscores our agency’s steadfast commitment to investigating alleged Anti-Kickback Statute and False Claims Act violations targeting the Medicare program,” Dixon said. “Ensuring the integrity of federal health care programs is a chief objective for HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners.”
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the HHS-OIG for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Tarra DeShields, District of Maryland, and Trial Attorneys Kelly McAuliffe and Asha Natarajan, DOJ Civil Division – Fraud Section, who jointly handled this case.
The United States’ settlement in 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 the Department of Health and Human Services, at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Des Moines Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Robbery and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on November 20, 2025, to 21 and a half years in federal prison for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery, interference with commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Jeremiah Kenneth McGregor, 23, robbed four Des Moines area Git-N-Go convenience store locations while armed with a firearm on October 5, 2024, October 7, 2024, October 10, 2024, and October 12, 2024, and attempted to rob a fifth Git-N-Go on October 6, 2024. In each robbery, McGregor entered the Git-N-Go, brandished and threatened a Git-N-Go employee with a firearm, and demanded cash. On October 13, 2024, McGregor, who was in possession of a loaded firearm, ran from the officers during a traffic stop and was subsequently arrested.
After completing his term of imprisonment, McGregor will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. McGregor was also ordered to pay $1,346 in restitution. The district court also ordered this federal sentence to run consecutive to a December 2024 state sentence imposed after a parole revocation.
McGregor’s co-defendant, Donault Seandrea Logan, 23, of Des Moines, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 6, 2026.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Des Moines Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Des Moines Man Charged with Computer FraudRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – On October 15, 2025, a federal grand jury in Des Moines charged a Des Moines man with computer fraud.
The Indictment alleges that Ezekiel Dean Potter, 34, after being terminated by his employer in April 2023, accessed or attempted to access to the employer’s computer systems without the employer’s authorization. When he gained access, Potter reset usernames and passwords for the employer’s accounts and deleted or revoked access to employer’s accounts. The Indictment alleges Potter engaged in this conduct for over a year and a half—from May 14, 2023, until at least January 16, 2025. Potter’s actions caused widespread disruption to the employer’s operations and resulted in tens of thousands of dollars in losses to the employer.
Trial is scheduled for June 1, 2026. If convicted, Potter could be sentenced up to 10 years in federal prison.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case with assistance from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Lubben 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.
Delano, California Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine and Fentanyl in the Sioux Falls AreaRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Delano, California man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025.
Michael Thomas, 51, was sentenced to 21 years in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, fine, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Thomas was indicted for of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in October 2023. He pleaded guilty on August 11. 2025.
Investigators with the FBI and Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office uncovered a large group of people selling methamphetamine and fentanyl around Sioux Falls in 2021 and 2022. Investigators learned that Thomas, who was incarcerated in a prison in California at the time, worked with another inmate in the prison to coordinate large shipments of methamphetamine and fentanyl pills to Sioux Falls and other locations from California. Thomas coordinated shipments as large as 100 pounds of methamphetamine at a time to Sioux Falls using semi-trucks. Investigators also learned that the drug trafficking organization run by Thomas and his co-conspirator in prison was operating in California, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, and West Virgina. Investigators believe that in total Thomas was responsible for organizing the shipment of 300-400 pounds of methamphetamine and over 100,000 pills containing fentanyl during his involvement in the conspiracy. To date, 15 people have been convicted in South Dakota and sentenced to federal prison for their involvement in this scheme.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Thomas was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Defendant Charged with Resisting Federal Law Enforcement Officers After Leading Officers on High-Speed Car ChaseRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced it filed a criminal complaint against Cristian Rivas-Bonilla, 26, of El Salvador, charging him with resisting, opposing, impeding, and interfering with federal law enforcement officers.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the criminal complaint with Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Baltimore.
On November 4, 2025, HSI Baltimore Agents traveled to a Camp Springs, Maryland, address to search for Rivas-Bonilla. Rivas-Bonilla was subject to removal from the United States in connection with a final order of removal to El Salvador from an immigration judge. After observing Rivas-Bonilla get into a car at a residence, agents activated the emergency lights on their unmarked vehicles and attempted to conduct a vehicle stop to arrest Rivas-Bonilla. Two agents’ vehicles were behind Rivas-Bonilla and the other agent’s vehicle directly blocked his path of travel. Agents attempted to confirm Rivas-Bonilla’s identity before arresting him to transport him to the Baltimore Field Office for processing.
Agents exited their vehicles and commanded Rivas-Bonilla to stop his car. The agents were clearly identifiable as law-enforcement officers as they wore tactical vests with police decals. Rivas-Bonilla reversed his vehicle and drove onto the sidewalk as he attempted to evade HSI agents. Agents then activated their emergency sirens and pursued him.
Rivas-Bonilla continued to disregard agents’ emergency lights and sirens, causing a chase that reached speeds of approximately 70 miles per hour. One agent drove their vehicle directly in front of him, another agent drove their vehicle on the side of him, and the other agent drove their vehicle directly behind him in attempt to bring Rivas-Bonilla’s vehicle to a stop.
But Rivas-Bonillaquickly swerved his vehicle to the right to avoid the agents’ attempt to slow him down. Rivas-Bonilla continued driving at high speeds as agents continued their efforts to bring his vehicle to a stop.
Eventually, Rivas-Bonilla’s vehicle and two of the agents’ vehicles collided, allowing law enforcement to capture and arrest him.
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 Baltimore comprises agents and officers from various federal, state, and local agencies with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland.
Additionally, 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.
Rivas-Bonilla’s initial appearance was in the United States District Court for the Western District of Louisiana on November 17, 2025. He is scheduled to return to the District of Maryland for further proceedings.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended HSI for its work in this investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael C. Hanlon and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Mills who are prosecuting this case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Danville, Illinois, Man Convicted of Multiple Drug Charges, Including Drug-Induced HomicideRead the Press Release
URBANA, Ill. – A federal jury returned eight guilty verdicts on November 19, 2025, against Marcus “Slim” McKinney, 49, of Danville, Illinois, for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine, possession of fifty grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute, maintaining drug-involved premises, obstruction of justice, and witness tampering. The jury further found that McKinney distributed drugs that caused serious bodily injury to one woman and the death of another woman, Maggie Avelar. Sentencing for McKinney has been scheduled on March 23, 2026, at the U.S. Courthouse in Urbana, Illinois.
Over five days of testimony, the government presented evidence to establish that McKinney was released by the federal Burau of Prisons to 210 South State Street in Danville, Illinois, on April 6, 2023, on conditions of home confinement, including location monitoring with an ankle monitor. From that date until his arrest in Springfield, Illinois, on June 26, 2024, McKinney conspired with others to distribute crystal methamphetamine (“ice”), cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl, including exchanging the drugs with women for sex. The jury found that over the weekend of April 15, 2023, McKinney distributed an opioid to a woman who overdosed and would have died if not treated with Narcan, an opioid reversal agent, by the Danville Fire Department and paramedics with Arrow Ambulance. McKinney had falsely told the woman the substance only contained cocaine. The trial evidence showed that same weekend three other people overdosed on drugs provided by McKinney, including the fatal overdose of Christopher “RS” Fields. McKinney continued using 210 South State Street for the use and distribution of illegal drugs until he moved to 111 Kentucky Avenue in Danville later that summer.
The testimony established that McKinney used the premises at 111 Kentucky Avenue to continue his ongoing drug conspiracy, including using and distributing drugs from the residence. The jury found that on August 19, 2023, McKinney distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl – a mixture McKinney referred to as a “Hot Shot” – to Avelar, resulting in her death at 111 Kentucky Avenue. The next morning, McKinney and his brother, James “Brownski” Young, lied to the Danville Police Department about the circumstances surrounding Avelar’s death to attempt to avoid law enforcement learning about McKinney’s true involvement in the overdose.
In September of 2023, McKinney was required to go to a halfway house located in Springfield, Illinois. McKinney continued his drug distribution conspiracy in Springfield, including distributing over one pound of methamphetamine to a Drug Enforcement Administration confidential source on June 20, 2024. Six days later, DEA agents later seized over two pounds of methamphetamine and over five kilograms of cocaine from storage lockers in Springfield that McKinney had opened under the confidential source’s name. The jury further found that McKinney engaged in witness tampering in January of 2025 while his federal charges were pending, when he wrote a letter to a potential witness urging her to contact McKinney’s attorney and falsely say that other witnesses were lying about McKinney’s drug activities and were trying to get her to lie as well.
McKinney remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service, where he has been since his arrest on June 26, 2024. At sentencing, McKinney, who has two prior federal drug convictions, faces a statutory penalty of mandatory life imprisonment for his various convictions, including distributing the drugs that caused the death of Avelar.
The case investigation was conducted by the Danville Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; the Springfield Police Department; and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eugene L. Miller and Timothy J. Sullivan represented the United States at trial.
Danville Man to Serve 30 Months for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated but was not published at that time due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Press releases are posted and made available following the return to normal operations
DANVILLE, Va. – A Danville, Virginia man was sentenced October 24 to 30 months in federal prison for distribution of fentanyl.
Bryan Eugene Whitehead, 44, pled guilty in May 2025 to distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents, investigators identified Whitehead as a distributor of fentanyl in early 2024. The Danville Police Department, Virginia State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, conducted controlled buys of fentanyl from Whitehead, including the purchase of an ounce of fentanyl.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Danville Police Department, and the Virginia State Police conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Parrella and Matthew Miller prosecuted the case for the United States.
Danville Man Sentenced to 114 Months on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated but was not published at that time due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Press releases are posted and made available following the return to normal operations
DANVILLE, Va. – A Danville, Virginia man, who made more than ten controlled sales of narcotics and a handgun to confidential informants working with federal law enforcement, was sentenced October 24 to 114 months in federal prison.
Rashad Polk, 35, pled guilty in January 2025 to illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and distribution of methamphetamine.
“This office will seek maximum accountability against those who violate federal law in Danville and throughout the Western District of Virginia,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today.
According to court documents, in May 2024, Polk agreed to sell a confidential informant working with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, (ATF) a handgun and an ounce of fentanyl. Polk and the confidential informant agreed to meet at a commercial establishment in Danville. Polk met a different informant in the same parking lot and exchanged the suspected firearm and fentanyl for cash.
In July 2024, a second confidential informant contacted Polk to arrange the purchase of fentanyl and methamphetamine. The two arranged a meeting at a shopping center in Danville. After arriving, Polk and the confidential informant exchanged narcotics for cash.
Law enforcement made approximately ten additional controlled purchases from Polk, totaling at least 627 grams of methamphetamine, 310 grams of fentanyl, and 13 grams of cocaine. In return, Polk received approximately $18,250.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Danville Police Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Parrella and Matthew Miller prosecuted the case for the United States.
Danville Man Sentenced for Distributing Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and CocaineRead the Press Release
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated but was not published at that time due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Press releases are posted and made available following the return to normal operations
DANVILLE, Va. – A Danville, Virginia man, who was caught with methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl during a traffic stop in September 2024, was sentenced on October 10 to 107 months in federal prison.
Jerrod Allen-Jamal Wimbush, 36, pled guilty in June 2025 to possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl.
“Illegal narcotics fuel addictions, violence and death,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “This office will aggressively prosecute those who traffic deadly drugs for profit.”
According to court documents, on September 13, 2024, officers with the Danville Police Department conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Wimbush for driving over the posted speed limit. Minutes after the traffic stop, a K-9 officer walked his K-9 around Wimbush’s vehicle and the dog alerted to the presence of narcotics.
After an initial denial to the presence of drugs, Wimbush eventually told officers there were some drugs in the vehicle. A search warrant was executed and resulted in the seizure of 17 grams of methamphetamine, .254 grams of fentanyl, and 41.53 grams of cocaine.
A month later, on October 17, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Wimbush’s residence in Danville and recovered 127 grams of fentanyl, and over 200 grams of cocaine.
Robert N. Tracci, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Virginia, and Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Danville Police Department conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Parrella and Matthew Miller prosecuted the case for the United States.
Danbury Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JAIRO ABREU, 33, of Danbury, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 30 months of imprisonment and one year of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Hartford Police Department revealed that Abreu was trafficking fentanyl into Hartford. Abreu was arrested on state charges on October 17, 2023. Following his arrest, a search of his Danbury residence revealed approximately 2.8 kilograms of fentanyl and an additional approximately 2,000 wax sleeves containing fentanyl.
Abreu was federally arrested on February 23, 2024. He pleaded guilty on April 25, 2024.
Abreu, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on January 15.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force, including members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Manchester Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean P. Mahard and Reed Durham through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program.
Corpus Christi man sentenced to over 13 years after distributing crack cocaine from apartmentRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 38-year-old local resident has been ordered to prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and distribution of crack cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Evaristo Coleman pleaded guilty Aug. 20.
U.S. District Judge David Morales has now handed Coleman a 100-month term of imprisonment for the drug trafficking. He also received 60 months for the firearms charge which must be served consecutively to the other sentence imposed. The total 160-month prison term will be immediately followed by four years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court made special mention that drugs had been found in multiple residences associated with Coleman.
The investigation began in January following multiple reports of alleged drug sales from the apartment. Authorities conducted surveillance and observed regular customers who came to buy cocaine and crack cocaine.
In February, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the residence where they discovered more than 100 grams of crack cocaine, nearly 300 grams of powder cocaine. They also found two 9mm pistols that Coleman possessed while selling the drugs.
Coleman has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Corpus Christi Police Department conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.
Convicted Ponzi Schemer and Co-Conspirator Sentenced to 37 Years and 12 Years for $44 Million Fraud Scheme, Money Laundering, False Statements, and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A New Jersey man who was previously convicted twice of defrauding investors of more than $230 million was sentenced on November 14, 2025 to 37 years in prison for his role in a Ponzi-like fraud scheme that resulted in investor losses of more than $44 million, as well as other offenses, and his co-conspirator was sentenced to 12 years in prison, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced. Both were also ordered to pay more than $44 million in restitution to the victims of their scheme.
Following a six-week jury trial earlier this year before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court, Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein, aka “Mike Konig,” 50, and Aryeh “Ari” Bromberg, 51, were each convicted of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, transacting in criminal proceeds, conspiracy to make false statements to the U.S. Probation Office, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and obstruction of justice. Weinstein was also convicted of four counts of making false statements to the United States Probation Office. Five of Weinstein and Bromberg’s conspirators, Christopher Anderson, 49, Richard Curry, 39, Shlomo Erez, 57, Alaa Hattab, 37, and Joel Wittels, 59, previously pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the same scheme and are all awaiting sentencing.
According to documents in this case and evidence at trial:
Weinstein was previously convicted two times in New Jersey federal court for defrauding investors. His first case involved a real estate Ponzi scheme, and his second case stemmed from an additional fraud Weinstein committed while on pretrial release. These crimes resulted in combined losses to investors of approximately $230 million. On Jan. 19, 2021, Weinstein began serving a term of supervised release stemming from his prior convictions.
But soon after being released from prison, Weinstein began orchestrating a new scheme to solicit money from investors, including through a company called Optimus Investments Inc. (Optimus). Using the alias “Mike Konig,” Weinstein secretly ran Optimus through Bromberg and Wittels. They kept Weinstein’s true name and identity hidden because, as Weinstein acknowledged in a secretly recorded conversation, investors wouldn’t give them “a penny” if they learned of Weinstein’s involvement.
Weinstein, Bromberg, and Wittels received the bulk of investor money through a second company, Tryon Management Group LLC (Tryon), which was owned and controlled by Anderson and Curry. Tryon promised these individual investors—consisting mostly of friends and family—lucrative opportunities to invest in deals involving COVID-19 masks and test kits, scarce baby formula, and first-aid kits supposedly bound for wartime Ukraine. Posing as Mike Konig, Weinstein provided the information for these supposed deals. Based on that information, investors gave money to Tryon, believing the deals were legitimate and not knowing about Weinstein’s involvement. In turn, Tryon transferred those funds to Weinstein, through Optimus.
In 2021, after Optimus started receiving investor money, Optimus was unable to pay its investors. Rather than reveal this information to investors, the conspirators agreed to pool money from existing investors of both Optimus and Tryon and use it to make monthly payments to other investors in a Ponzi-like fashion. The conspirators concealed this arrangement from investors by falsely telling investors that the payments derived from legitimate investment returns, not other investors’ money.
In late August 2022, Hattab revealed Weinstein’s true identity to Anderson and Curry. In a series of subsequent meetings, which were recorded, Weinstein admitted to misappropriating investor money and making various false statements and sending fake documents concerning the purported deals. Weinstein acknowledged that he was conducting a Ponzi scheme, stating, “I finagled, and Ponzied, and lied to people to cover us.”
Once Anderson and Curry learned that Mike Konig was actually Weinstein, Weinstein and Bromberg lied repeatedly to Anderson and Curry in an effort to prevent them from reporting their misconduct to federal law enforcement and Probation. Anderson and Curry then agreed with Weinstein, Bromberg, and other conspirators to continue concealing Weinstein’s identity from investors and to raise additional money to pay off existing investors, all in an effort to stop the Ponzi scheme from falling apart and to cover up the fraud. In total, the defendants fraudulently obtained more than $88 million from investors and caused losses of more than $44 million.
In addition to defrauding investors, Weinstein and Bromberg also conspired to launder their fraud proceeds and lie to Weinstein’s federal probation officer. They helped hide Weinstein’s assets that should have been used to pay over $200 million in restitution that he still owes his previous victims. They also concealed Weinstein’s myriad business activities, income, and accounts, which he was required to disclose to the court and Probation or which were expressly prohibited by the terms of his supervised release. In multiple secretly recorded conversations, Weinstein discussed his intent to conceal his various assets from the government. In one such conversation, Weinstein referenced hidden assets that he and others “can’t touch” while he was on supervised release because they would “go to jail.” Weinstein then boasted, “I just told you something that no one in the world knows because I hid money. Get it?”
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, with the investigation leading to the convictions.
The government is represented by Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn Silane, Chief of the Economic Crimes Unit, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marko Pesce, Deputy Chief of the Bank Integrity, Money Laundering, and Recovery Unit.
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Defense counsel for Weinstein: Ilana Haramati and Henry E. Mazurek, Esqs., New York, NY
Defense counsel for Bromberg: Marc Agnifilo and Jacob Kaplan, Esqs., New York, NY
Connecticut CPA Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation in New England, today announced that EDWARD J. SODLOSKY, 71, of Middlebury, waived his right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday in New Haven federal court to tax evasion.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sodlosky, a self-employed Certified Public Accountant, owned and operated Edward J. Sodlosky, Certified Public Accountant (“EJS-CPA”) in Naugatuck. From 2016 through 2022, Sodlosky prepared and filed annual joint income tax returns with the Internal Revenue Service on behalf of himself and his spouse. He also filed annual partnership income tax returns for an entity named FinGLTD, which he owned with his spouse. During this seven-year period, Sodlosky willfully cashed more than 2,000 client payment checks to hide income generated by EJS-CPA. As a result, a substantial amount of EJS-CPA’s business receipts was diverted from EJS-CPA’s bank accounts, and not reported in his joint income tax returns (Forms 1040 and 1040-SR) or partnership income tax returns (Form 1065).
Sodlosky deposited funds derived from the cashed checks, as well as client payment checks to EJS-CPA, into a network of business, personal, and nominee accounts. He maintained, controlled, and used 15 different bank accounts to deposit business receipts and to evade income taxes. Through this scheme, Sodlosky failed to report to the IRS $1,379,694.21 in additional income, resulting in a tax loss to the government of $422,720.
Sodlosky is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford on April 15, 2026, at which time he faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. He is also required to make full restitution to the IRS.
Sodlosky is released on a $50,000 bond pending sentencing.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen.
Colombian National Sentenced for Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian national, who was previously unlawfully residing in Everett, was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for distributing nearly half a kilogram of cocaine.
Juan Restrepo-Madrid, 39, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 34 months in prison. In August 2025, Restrepo-Madrid pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of cocaine distribution. Restrepo-Madrid was arrested and charged in February 2020 along with co-conspirator Sebastian Arbelaez-Perez.
In August 2019, a cooperating witness arranged to meet with Restrepo-Madrid and Arbelaez to discuss purchasing cocaine. At the pre-arranged meeting on Aug. 9, 2019, only Restrepo-Madrid was present and provided the cooperating witness with a half-kilogram of cocaine.
Restrepo-Madrid was arrested in February 2020 and subsequently released on conditions pending trial. In early 2021, in advance of his scheduled change of plea hearing, Restrepo-Madrid absconded to Colombia in violation of his conditions of release. Restrepo-Madrid was arrested in Colombia in June 2023 and was extradited to the United States in June 2025 to face these charges.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. Assistance with the investigation was provided by Boston Police Department, Massachusetts State Police, Revere Police Department, Winthrop Police Department, Massachusetts National Guard, U.S. Marshals Service for the District of Massachusetts and Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Enforcement Removal Operations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren A. Graber and Jared C. Dolan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Cherokee County felon indicted in the Eastern District of Texas related to shooting of Jacksonville police officerRead the Press Release
TYLER, Texas –A Jacksonville convicted felon has been indicted and charged with federal firearms violations in connection with the shooting of a police officer in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Bobby Michael Dennis, 64, was named in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in the Eastern District of Texas charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to information presented in court, on November 2, 2025, Dennis is alleged to have opened fire on a Jacksonville police officer, striking her twice, with an AR-15-style rifle when the officer attempted to identify him pursuant to multiple outstanding warrants. After firing numerous rounds at the officer, her K9, and her car, Dennis fled, leading to a multi-agency manhunt, during which Jacksonville-area schools canceled classes for two days. A search warrant executed at Dennis’ residence in Jacksonville resulted in the discovery of four additional firearms. Dennis was apprehended on the evening of November 5, 2025, during the execution of a search warrant at a bunker he built near Cuney. An additional firearm was recovered from the bunker.
Dennis is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law as a three-time convicted felon, with previous convictions for aggravated robbery in Smith County and aggravated assault and possession of a controlled substance in Pulaski County, Arkansas.
If convicted of the federal firearms charges, Dennis faces up to life in prison.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; Cherokee County District Attorney’s Office; Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office; Jacksonville Police Department; Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division; and the Texas Rangers. The case is being prosecuted in federal court by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker and Lucas Machicek.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Emmanuel Covington, 34, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2025, Covington sold approximately 19.7 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Beckley. Covington admitted to the transaction as part of his guilty plea. Covington further admitted to selling a mixture containing methamphetamine and fentanyl on April 16, 2025, a quantity of fentanyl on May 6, 2025, and a mixture containing methamphetamine on June 4, 2025, each time to a confidential informant in Charleston.
On June 5, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Covington’s Charleston residence and seized quantities of fentanyl and a mixture containing methamphetamine and a Ruger pistol.
Covington is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2026, and faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $5 million.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department, 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 Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Brian D. Parsons is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-110.
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Career criminal sentenced to 15 years for illegal possession of firearmRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 48-year-old Houston resident has been ordered to federal prison for possessing a firearm after being previously convicted of three serious drug felonies, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Jaime Pena pleaded guilty Aug. 26.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner has now ordered Pena to serve 180 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by a four-year term of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted Pena had a lengthy criminal history and committed this crime while out on parole for a previous drug conviction in Harris County.
On March 15, 2024, authorities responded to a shooting in progress at a local residence. They learned Pena had fired a gun outside his home during an altercation with Nickie Mendell, who also lived at the location.
Law enforcement conducted a protective sweep and executed a search warrant, discovering approximately 33 pounds of marijuana, scales, narcotics bags and approximately $67,000.
The investigation determined that one of the firearms recovered inside the home was the same one Pena had discharged outside of the residence. A National Integrated Ballistic Information Network lead matched a shell cartridge located in the driveway to the same firearm inside the residence.
As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms per federal law.
Pena will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Mendell, 52, Houston, has also pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Dec. 4.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Houston Police Department conducted the investigation.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Smith prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, 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.
Career Offender Sentenced to Prison for Meth Distribution in ThomasvilleRead the Press Release
VALDOSTA, Ga. – A convicted felon with a lengthy criminal past in South and Central Georgia was sentenced as a federal career offender to serve more than 21 years in prison for possessing with the intent to distribute kilograms of methamphetamine.
Charles Reid, Jr., 40, of Cairo, Georgia, was sentenced as a federal career offender to serve 262 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by Senior U.S. District Judge W. Louis Sands on Nov. 19, after he pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine on Feb. 19, 2025. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Repeat felons with long criminal records are facing federal prosecution and lengthy prison sentences for continually breaking the law and causing chaos in communities across the Middle District of Georgia,” said U.S. Attorney William R. “Will” Keyes. “This is another case where our office is working closely with our local partners to identify career offenders and bring their cases up to the federal level, where they will be held accountable without parole.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Reid, Jr. was under investigation for selling kilogram quantities of methamphetamine in Grady and Thomas counties. Grady County Sheriff’s Office deputies executed a search warrant at Reid, Jr.’s residence in December 2023, finding two pounds of methamphetamine. A confidential source (CS) contacted investigators that Reid, Jr. was in possession of twelve kilograms of methamphetamine and was in Thomasville, Georgia. On Jan. 16, 2024, investigators obtained a search warrant for a residence on Hambleton Street in Thomasville where Reid, Jr. was located and found him hiding under a bed. Officers found approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine under the bed, next to the defendant’s driver’s license. Reid, Jr. has a lengthy criminal history including felony drug convictions in Grady County and Monroe County Superior Courts.
The case was investigated by the Thomas County Sheriff’s Office with assistance from the Grady County Sheriff’s Office and the Thomasville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica Daniels is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Jerney Jabara Purifoy, 33, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court to possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This is truly outstanding work by our state and federal law enforcement partners to remove this violent felon from our streets. My office will continue to aggressively pursue such criminals and secure successful prosecutions to fulfill the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to Take Back America from the violent criminals who have victimized our communities for far too long.”
Court documents reflect that deputies with the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at the defendant’s residence in Pensacola, Florida. In the defendant’s bedroom, deputies located a loaded 9-millimeter handgun. In another room, deputies located a loaded .22 caliber AR15-style rifle. The defendant has prior felony convictions for aggravated battery and fleeing or eluding law enforcement. The defendant also has a pending case in Escambia County state court related to animal cruelty, animal fighting, and confinement of animals without sufficient food or water.
Purifoy faces up to fifteen years imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica S. Etherton.
Sentencing is scheduled for February 12, 2026, at 1:00pm at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
California Man Sentenced for Possession of Ammunition by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Jesse Jay Perez, 28, of Morgan Hill, California, was sentenced to three years in federal prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Keeping our community and streets safe requires pursuing criminals like this offender with the full force of the law. I appreciate the excellent work of our state and federal law enforcement partners to investigate this case, and my office remains committed to aggressively prosecuting these offenders.”
According to court records, on January 1, 2025, Perez was riding a bike without a rear facing red light in violation of a Florida State Statute. During the traffic stop, law enforcement learned that Perez had an active felony arrest warrant out of the State of California. Perez was arrested and searched. Law enforcement recovered 13 magazines, 380 rounds of ammunition, and all the component parts necessary to build a “ghost gun” semi-automatic rifle from a backpack he was carrying. Perez was previously convicted in the State of California of a felony offense, specifically, manufacture, distribution, sale or transport of an assault weapon.
The conviction and sentence were the result of a joint investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Brookline Man Arrested for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brookline man has been arrested for allegedly possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Ariel Torres, 37, was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. Torres was arrested yesterday and following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Nov. 25, 2025.
According to the charging documents, Torres was identified as an online user of a network used for the dissemination of CSAM. During a search of Torres’ residence in May 2025, multiple electronic devices belonging to Torres were seized. It is alleged that approximately 49 images and 37 videos depicting CSAM were found on two of the devices.
The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Brookline and Lawrence Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is 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 identity and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Boone County Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Gregory Neal Hager, 40, of Madison, pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025, to possession of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 7, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hager’s residence in Madison and seized an external hard drive connected to his desktop computer. A forensic examination of the external hard drive revealed 146 images and six videos of child pornography depicting a pubescent minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. As part of his guilty plea, Hager admitted that the images and videos of child pornography were screen captures from Snapchat conversations between himself and the minor, that he saved the child pornography on the external hard drive, and that he knew the minor was under 18 years old.
Hager is scheduled to be sentenced on January 14, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Hager must also register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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-94.
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