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Thursday 20 November 2025
Bloods Gang Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Cold Case MurderRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, Trendell Walker, also known as “Live Wire” and “Debo,” a Bloods street gang member from Riverhead, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joanna Seybert to 30 years in prison for his role as a shooter in the August 7, 2007 murder of 15-year old Alvin Brothers. Walker pleaded guilty to firearm-related murder in August 2019.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Christopher G. Raia, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI) and Kevin Catalina, Commissioner, Suffolk County Police Department (SCPD), announced the sentence.
“Walker’s lethal act of revenge took the life of a 15-year-old child,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “The resolve of law enforcement to bring Alvin Brothers’s killer to justice will, we hope, bring some semblance of closure to the victim’s parents and siblings. Gang members cannot escape the reality of today’s sentencing that no matter how long it takes, they will be held accountable for crimes of violence and the rule of law will prevail.”
“In 2007, Trendell Walker mercilessly killed Alvin Brothers in retaliation for a previous slight against his branch of the Bloods gang,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Raia. “This horrific act demonstrates the gang’s callous attitude towards humanity and the law by deeming murder as acceptable payback. May today’s sentencing offer some justice for Brothers’s family, and emphasize the FBI’s unwavering commitment to holding all gang members accountable for their lawless crimes, regardless of when they occurred.”
“Trendell Walker’s sentencing today ensures the removal of another cold-blooded killer from the streets of Long Island. With the continued investigative work of HSI New York’s Long Island office, alongside our law enforcement partners, we will continue to combat these senseless acts of violence here on the island and throughout the state. The people of New York deserve to feel safe in their own communities, and today’s sentencing is a step toward securing that reality,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Patel.
“The murder of this 15-year-old is a sad example of the senseless retaliation that comes from the vicious cycle of gang violence,” SCPD Commissioner Catalina stated. “This case also highlights the unwavering dedication of law enforcement to bring a killer to justice. A decade after Alvin Brothers was slain in a drive-by shooting, Trendell Walker was charged and today he learned his fate, sending a message to those who choose a life of crime that we will never give up.”
According to court filings, in 2007, Walker was a member of the Rolling 20’s gang, a branch of the Bloods criminal street gang. On August 6, 2007, Walker went to Bellport, New York, to purchase narcotics from G-Shine gang members, a different set of the Bloods. Several G-Shine gang members attacked Walker, attempted to rob him and pistol-whipped him. The next day, Walker met with fellow Rolling 20’s gang members and devised a plan to retaliate against his assailants. They drove to Bellport, armed with firearms, where they observed several young people, including Brothers, standing on the corner of Post Avenue and Patchogue Avenue. Brothers was standing near one of the individuals who had assaulted Walker the previous day. The defendant and other Rolling 20’s members opened fire on the group. Brothers was fatally shot in the back. Walker was indicted on drug charges in June 2016; in November 2017, he was charged in a second superseding indictment with Brothers’s murder, more than a decade after the killing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Mark E. Misorek is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
TRENDELL WALKER (also known as “Live Wire” and “Debo”)
Age: 34
Riverhead, Long IslandE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-369 (S-2) (JS)
Beckley Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Michael Bailey, 37, of Beckley, pleaded guilty today to distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 22, 2024, Bailey sold approximately 57 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in Beckley.
Bailey is scheduled to be sentenced on March 27, 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley 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-66.
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Beaumont man convicted in federal drug trafficking conspiracyRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been found guilty of federal drug trafficking violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Darrell Joshua Bendy, 42, was found guilty by a jury of conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on November 19, 2025.
According to information presented in court, from December 2022 through November 2024, Bendy supplied kilogram quantities of “actual” methamphetamine to Joseph Lynn Williams, also known as “Pooh,” a drug trafficker in Beaumont. During the conspiracy, Bendy lived in and conducted his drug trafficking activities from Houston. Bendy used various couriers to deliver the methamphetamine to Williams for redistribution. A total of between 20-30 kilograms of methamphetamine are believed to have been distributed by the drug trafficking organization during this time. Through the investigation, law enforcement seized more than 5 kilograms of methamphetamine and over $100,000.00.
At sentencing, Bendy faces at least 10 years and up to life in federal prison. The statutory sentencing range prescribed by Congress is provided here for information purposes, as the sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the U.S. Probation Office.
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.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the U.S. Marshals Service; Texas Department of Public Safety; Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office; Beaumont Police Department; Port Neches Police Department; Vidor Police Department; and Orange County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Lee and John B. Ross.
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Austin Man Sentenced to 29 Years in Federal Prison for Third Federal Drug OffenseRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – An Austin man previously convicted of two federal drug offenses was sentenced Wednesday to 324 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, plus 24 months in prison for violating the requirements of a previously imposed term of supervised release by U.S. District Judge David Ezra.
According to court documents, Trinity Duke Smith, 50, was released from prison in December 2020. He was still on supervised release on March 26, 2024, when the FBI and Austin Police Department executed a search warrant on his residence.
The search revealed a plastic grocery bag in a kitchen cabinet that contained approximately 197 grams of suspected methamphetamine, a digital scale, sandwich bags, latex gloves, and pieces of white insulation. Two large garbage bags containing 9.2 kilograms of suspected methamphetamine were also found underneath insulation in Smith’s attic.
A Drug Enforcement Administration lab test in May 2024 determined the substance found in the kitchen to be 188.3 grams of 91% pure methamphetamine and determined the substance found in the attic to be 8.899 kilograms of 100% pure methamphetamine.
Smith was indicted June 18, 2024, for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He pleaded guilty in August 2025.
U.S. Attorney Justin R. Simmons for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The FBI, Austin Police Department, and Texas Rangers investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Castillo prosecuted the case.
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Arizona Man Charged with Hate Crime for Synagogue FireRead the Press Release
On Nov. 18, a federal grand jury in Phoenix returned a one-count indictment against Everardo Gregorio, 31, of Casa Grande, Arizona for the Obstruction of the Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs by Fire.
The indictment alleges that Gregorio burned down Khal Chasidim, a synagogue in Casa Grande, on March 3. The portion of the synagogue that was destroyed in the fire included the place where the Jewish community worshipped, as well as a kosher grocery store and restaurant that operated out of the building. Gregorio has also been charged with arson by the Pinal County Attorney’s Office and is currently pending trial in that case.
A conviction for Obstruction of Free Exercise of Religious Beliefs by Fire carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Casa Grande Police Department are handling the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ben Goldberg for the District of Arizona is handling the prosecution, in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Annadale man sentenced to 15 years in prison for federal drug and firearms chargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Annandale man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents, on June 20, 2024, law enforcement observed Marcantonio Juarez Velasquez, 20, conducting a hand-to-hand narcotics transaction in Fairfax County and subsequently obtained an arrest warrant. On Aug. 2, 2024, officers located and arrested Juarez Velasquez. At the time of his arrest, Juarez Velasquez was in possession of a handgun, an extended magazine containing 15 rounds of ammunition, $949.83, and 258 fentanyl pills.
While Juarez Velasquez was detained pending trial, he directed a minor to conceal fentanyl pills, a firearm, and cash within the residence of Juarez Velasquez’s family. On Aug. 6, 2024, officers searched the residence and found 9,220 fentanyl pills, $2,344, a handgun, and two ammunition magazines, along with an identification card and debit card belonging to Juarez Velasquez.
Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Anthony A. Spotswood, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel K. Amzallag and Ronald L. Walutes Jr. prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:25-cr-163.
77th Defendant Charged in Feeding Our Future Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – Ousman Camara, age 45, was indicted today in a nine-count indictment with wire fraud, federal programs bribery, and money laundering for his participation in the Feeding Our Future fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Daniel N. Rosen. Camara is the 77th defendant indicted in what has been identified as the largest Covid-19 fraud scheme in the country.
Defendant Camara was the owner of K’s Dollar Grocery and Deli, a small storefront grocery store in north Minneapolis. In August 2015, the USDA disqualified Camara and his store, K’s Grocery, from participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”) due to suspected fraud. In September 2020, Camara enrolled K’s Grocery in the Federal Child Nutrition Program under the sponsorship of Feeding Our Future. In 2020 and 2021, Camara fraudulently claimed to be serving meals to 1,000 children a day, seven days a week, at his site. In reality, Camara did no such thing. Instead, he defrauded the program and stole money meant to feed hungry children.
Camara claimed to have served more than 300,000 meals to children, for which he claimed to be entitled to more than $1 million in Federal Child Nutrition Program reminbursement funds. Camara did not use these funds to purchase food to feed children. Instead, he used the money to fund his lifestyle, pay his credit card bills, and buy a building in north Minneapolis. Camara wired more than $100,000 in fraud proceeds abroad. Camara also paid approximately $87,000 in kickbacks to a Feeding Our Future employee in exchange for his sponsorship and submission of Camara’s fraudulent claims.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph H Thompson, Harry M. Jacobs, and Daniel W. Bobier are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wednesday 19 November 2025
Wetzel County Man Convicted of Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – A Proctor, West Virginia man was convicted today of two firearms charges after investigators discovered he was in possession of 15 guns and more than 3,500 rounds of ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew L. Harvey.
Gary Dean Siburt, 62, was found guilty of the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition due a prior felony conviction and a prior domestic violence conviction. The jury heard evidence of Siburt’s prior convictions, prohibiting him from possessing firearms. During the investigation, guns and ammunition were seized from Siburt’s home.
Siburt is facing up to 15 years for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Perri and Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
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.
Waterville Man Sentenced for Making Interstate ThreatsRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Waterville man was sentenced on October 7, 2025, in U.S. District Court in Bangor for making threatening interstate communications.
U.S. District Judge Stacey D. Neumann sentenced Benjamin Brown, 47, to time-served, which is approximately 6 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Brown pleaded guilty on June 27, 2025.
According to court records, on February 8, 2024, Brown posted comments on YouTube threatening to hunt down and kill illegal immigrants. In his comments, Brown said that no one could stop him from killing illegal immigrants, not even law enforcement. Federal agents had previously met with Brown on two separate occasions to discuss other comments he had posted online and warned him about the federal crime of interstate threats.
“Words matter, and when those words are violent threats, the FBI takes them seriously,” said Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “What Benjamin Brown did in threatening to hunt down and kill illegal immigrants was not only reprehensible but criminal, and he is now being held accountable. We will continue to work with our partners to identify and bring to justice those who use the internet to incite fear and threaten violence.”
“There is no online safe haven for threats to kill others,” said U.S. Attorney Andrew B. Benson. “Indeed, threats posted online can have a much broader impact than those made in person. No matter how frustrated or angry you are, don’t post threats to kill someone else unless you want law enforcement to show up and hold you accountable. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thanks the hard-working investigators from the FBI and U.S. Secret Service for their work on this case.”
The FBI and the U.S. Secret Service investigated the case with assistance from U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Waterville Police Department.
Editor’s Note:
This matter occurred on the date indicated, but the press release was not published at that time due to the federal government shutdown. The release was posted and made available following the return to normal operations.###
Violent Felon Sentenced for Possession of a Firearm and Possession with Intent to Distribute MarijuanaRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Malik Ray, 28, of Tallahassee, Florida was sentenced to eight years and two months in prison after previously pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The sentence was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Operation Take Back America is a promise by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi to deploy our law enforcement resources to protect our communities from the threats posed by drug traffickers and violent criminals, and this successful prosecution delivers on that promise by sending this defendant straight to federal prison for an extended stay behind bars.”
Court documents reflect that on October 22, 2024, officers with Florida Probation and Parole and the Tallahassee Police Department conducted a search of Ray’s residence pursuant to the terms of his Florida probation. During the search, officers found an AR-style pistol, over five pounds of marijuana, and other evidence of drug dealing. A subsequent investigation revealed that Ray had been distributing marijuana since at least March 2024.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives with assistance from the Florida Department of Corrections, Office of Community Corrections, Circuit Two. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Welch.
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.
Upper Darby Man Sentenced to One Year in Prison for Defrauding a Religious Organization and a Political OrganizationRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Willie Jordan, 68, of Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to one year in prison, one year of supervised release, $142,991 in restitution, and forfeiture of $142,991 by United States District Judge Harvey Bartle III for two separate fraud schemes Jordan conducted.
The defendant was charged by information with two counts of wire fraud and pleaded guilty in July of this year.
As detailed in court filings and statements made in court, Jordan was a deacon and trustee for Religious Organization #1, located in Philadelphia, Pa. Jordan was responsible for managing and overseeing various financial matters involving Religious Organization #1, including collecting funds for the organization, depositing those funds in the organization’s bank accounts, and paying the organization’s expenses.
Religious Organization #1 placed Jordan in a position of trust and allowed him to exercise almost total control over its funds. The defendant did not receive a salary from Religious Organization #1. Rather, he received his salary from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, where he was a Director of Operations for a state senator.
From at least in or about January 2020 through at least in or about January 2024, Jordan exploited Religious Organization #1 for his personal financial benefit. On a regular basis, the defendant improperly issued checks to himself from Religious Organization #1’s business checking account, and made it appear that such checks were to reimburse him for expenses that he incurred on behalf of Religious Organization #1. In fact, Jordan did not incur those expenses and simply issued those checks for his personal benefit. The defendant engaged in this activity fraudulently and without the knowledge or permission of Religious Organization #1, its trustees, or members.
As part of this scheme, Jordan issued approximately 82 fraudulent checks to himself totaling approximately $57,384, resulting in significant losses to Religious Organization #1.
As presented in court filings and statements, Political Organization #1 was one of 66 wards in Philadelphia and a subdivision of Political Organization #2, which represented the interests of a political party in the City of Philadelphia.
From in or about 1996 through in or about April 2025, the defendant was the elected leader of Political Organization #1 and controlled and managed the organization’s finances. Jordan did not receive a salary from Political Organization #1.
From at least in or about January 2020, through at least in or about January 2024, Jordan exploited Political Organization #1 for his personal financial benefit. He opened two bank accounts in name of Political Organization #1, made himself the sole signatory on the accounts in the name of Political Organization #1, and obtained, for both accounts, debit cards that he controlled.
On a regular basis, the defendant improperly conducted financial transactions, through debit card charges, checks, and ATM cash withdrawals, using Political Organization #1’s bank accounts to transfer the funds of Political Organization #1 to himself or others, for his personal benefit.
Jordan used Political Organization #1’s funds for personal purchases at airlines, car dealerships, furniture stores, grocery stores, and other retail establishments. He also used those funds to pay his personal credit card bills, utility bills, and cellular telephone bills. In or about the summer of 2023, Jordan used the funds of Political Organization #1 to pay more than $12,500 in expenses for a family member’s funeral. The defendant engaged in these personal financial transactions without any benefit flowing to Political Organization #1 and without the knowledge or permission of any of its members.
As part of this scheme, Jordan defrauded Political Organization #1 and its members of at least $85,607.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Louis D. Lappen and Special Assistant United States Attorney James E. Price.
United States Attorney Announces Largest Meth Seizure in Colorado History, So-Called ‘Kingpin’ Charge Filed Against Leader of Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that 15 individuals were indicted by a federal grand jury in connection with the largest methamphetamine seizure in Colorado history. One defendant is facing the so-called ‘drug kingpin’ charge as an alleged leader of a drug trafficking organization.
Defendants named in the indictment include: Marco Antonio De Silva Lara, Sergio Ivan Arce Lopez, Juan Luis Cabrera Saucedo, Luis Enrique Lopez Lopez, Rigoberto Aranda, Erik Alejandro Benitez Chavez, Robert Shane Gerstner, Joseph Ricardo Menzor, William Joseph Rollins, Brittney Pierce, Francisco Javier Armenta Barraza, Jamie Cash Hoover, Cesar Andres Huizar Guerra, and Trenton Anthony Thompson. Eleven of these defendants are in federal custody, while the remaining defendants are believed to remain in Mexico.
As detailed in the complaint, federal wiretaps, extensive surveillance, undercover operations, and swift enforcement efforts led to the seizure of more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine linked to this organization, including the following:
- In December 2024, agents seized 96 pounds of methamphetamine from a member of the organization on a Greyhound Bus in Vail, Colorado.
- In February 2025, 101 pounds of methamphetamine and a half kilogram of fentanyl powder were seized from another member of the organization on a highway in Colorado.
- In April 2025, over 700 pounds of methamphetamine was seized from a residence in Lakewood, Colorado, along with freezers, propane tanks, and other equipment consistent with methamphetamine manufacturing or conversion. Investigators found thousands of packages of methamphetamine concealed in the corners of containers of fruit.
- In August 2025, nearly 50 pounds of methamphetamine was seized from a residence in Arvada, Colorado.
All 15 defendants face drug charges which carry a potential sentence of no less than ten years and up to life in federal prison. Four of the defendants are charged with money laundering, which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in federal prison. Marco Antonio De Silva Lara is charged with operating a Continuing Criminal Enterprise in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 848(a), commonly known as the ‘drug kingpin’ charge. This charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years and up to life in prison.
“This successful investigation boasts the largest methamphetamine seizure in Colorado history and intercepted more than 1,000 pounds of methamphetamine before it could be distributed into our community,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “This investigation showcases what we are able to accomplish when we combine the resources, tools, and expertise of federal agencies with the passion, experience, and sweat equity of local law enforcement officers.”
The investigation is being handled by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. The Adams County Sheriff’s Office, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, and the Arvada Police Department each made significant contributions to this case.
This operation 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 Rocky Mountain HSTF comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Internal Revenue Service, Office of Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), United States Marshals Service (USMS), Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement / Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE/ERO) with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado.
The Transnational Organized Crime and Money Laundering Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado is handling the prosecutions.
The charges contained in the indictments are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Case Number: 1:25-CR-240-PAB
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Charges Man with Federal Terrorism Offense for Allegedly Setting Passenger on Fire on Chicago TrainRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago today charged a man with a federal terrorism offense for allegedly setting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train earlier this week.
LAWRENCE REED, 50, of Chicago is charged with committing a terrorist attack against a mass transportation system. The charge is punishable by a maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Reed is scheduled to make an initial court appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Laura K. McNally in federal court in Chicago.
According to a criminal complaint filed today in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, Reed and the victim were passengers on a CTA train traveling through a subway in downtown Chicago at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Nov. 17, 2025. Reed approached the victim, who was seated with her back towards him, took the cap off a bottle of liquid and poured the liquid all over the victim’s head and body, the complaint states. The victim ran but Reed caught up with her, at which point he ignited the bottle and it fell out of his hand onto the floor, the complaint states. Reed picked up the bottle that was now on fire, approached the victim and used the bottle to light her on fire, the complaint states.
The victim was engulfed in flames but was able to depart the train. She remains hospitalized with critical injuries.
The investigation revealed that Reed had purchased gasoline at a Chicago gas station and filled it in a hand-held container approximately 20 minutes before the incident on the train, the complaint states.
Reed was arrested by Chicago Police officers on Nov. 18, 2025, in Chicago. He was taken into federal custody today.
The complaint and arrest were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and Larry Snelling, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Valuable assistance was provided by the Chicago Transit Authority. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron R. Bond and Ronald L. DeWald.
“This horrific attack was not just a barbaric assault on an innocent woman riding a train, but an act of terrorism that strikes at the core of our American way of life,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago, together with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, will take immediate and resolute action to bring swift justice to the victim while safeguarding the public as well as the fabric of our society.”
The public is reminded that a complaint is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
reed_complaint.pdfTyngsborough Daycare Worker and Former New Hampshire State Representative Plead Guilty to Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire woman, formerly employed at a daycare in Tyngsborough, Mass., and her former intimate partner have pleaded guilty to child exploitation and child pornography charges.
Lindsay Groves, 40, of Hudson, N.H., pleaded guilty on Oct. 14, 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and one count of distribution of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Feb. 4, 2026. Stacie Marie Laughton, 41, of Nashua, N.H., a former New Hampshire State Representative, pleaded guilty on Nov. 3, 2025 to three counts of sexual exploitation of children and is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 12, 2026.
Groves and Laughton were arrested and charged by criminal complaint in June 2023 and July 2023, respectively. They were both subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2023.
Groves worked at Creative Minds located in Tyngsborough, Mass. Between May 2022 and June 2023, Groves took nude images of children at the day care and sent the photos to Laughton, with whom she was previously in an intimate relationship. Specifically, Groves used natural bathroom breaks for the children (routine diaper/pull-up changes prior to “naptime”) to take multiple photos of the prepubescent children in a private bathroom and then sent the photos to Laughton via text message.
Forensic review of Grove’s and Laughton’s cellphones revealed over 10,000 text messages between them during an approximate one-month period in 2023. These messages included discussion about, and transfer of, explicit photographs that Groves had taken of children while employed at Creative Minds – including at least four sexually explicit images of children who appear to be approximately three to five years old.
All minor victims involved in this matter have been identified and their families have been contacted by law enforcement.
The charge of sexual exploitation of children provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and 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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Nashua (N.H.) Police Chief Kevin Rourke made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire; Middlesex County District Attorney’s Office; and the Hudson, N.H. Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica L. Soto and Anne Paruti of the Major Crimes Unit are 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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Two men arrested and charged with illegal re-entryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that two defendants were charged in separate criminal complaints with illegal re-entry, which carries a maximum penalty of two years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Named in the complaints are:
- Evaristo Calixto Miranda Lopez, 37, a native and citizen of Guatemala. On November 2, 2025, Miranda Lopez was encountered by law enforcement in Cheektowaga, NY. As law enforcement approached, Miranda Lopez fled but was caught and detained. He did not have any legal status or immigration documents that would allow him to remain in the United States legally. Miranda Lopez was physically removed from the United States in both August and September of 2019.
- Jairo Anain Roman Murillo, 26, a native and citizen of Honduras. On October 29, 2025, Roman Murillo was encountered by law enforcement in Hamburg, NY. As law enforcement approached, he fled. After an extensive search, law enforcement found Roman Murillo hiding in the woods. Roman Murillo did not have any legal status or immigration documents that would allow him to remain in the United States legally and he was taken into custody. Roman Murillo was physically removed from the United States in November 2019.
The defendants made initial appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and were detained.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The complaints are the culmination of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol Buffalo Station, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Twelve Individuals Charged in $11 Million Stolen Treasury Check ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Twelve individuals have been charged for their roles in a conspiracy to commit bank fraud by depositing stolen checks and withdrawing the funds, Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba announced.
“As alleged in the complaint, the Defendants deposited stolen checks into fraudulent bank accounts for their own personal gain, taking advantage of a COVID-19 pandemic relief program earmarked for struggling businesses. Rooting out fraud on pandemic programs and holding the alleged perpetrators accountable continues to be a top priority of this office and our law enforcement partners.”
- Acting United States Attorney and Special Attorney Alina Habba
Wayne Bessant, 44, of Hamilton, New Jersey; Britany Brown, 39, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; John Gerard Ebert, 42, of Hamilton, New Jersey; Joseph Graves-Carmichael, 43, of Trenton, New Jersey; Andrew Hooper, 37, of New Brunswick, New Jersey; Thomas Lee, 55, of Beverly, New Jersey; Patricia Kearse, 46, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Clarence Semmon, 41, of Trenton, New Jersey; Ryan Small, 32, of Ewing, New Jersey; Dwayne Reddon, 39, of Trenton, New Jersey; Shabazz Rouzard, 33, of Ewing, New Jersey; and Raymond Wade, 42, of Morrisville, Pennsylvania,are charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Ten Defendants appeared on November 13 before Magistrate Judge James B. Clark, III in Newark Federal Court. One Defendant was already in custody on a state case and one Defendant remains at large. Two defendants appeared on November 17, 2025 before Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark Federal Court. One defendant appeared on November 17, 2025 before Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden Federal Court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2023 through May 2025, the Defendants conspired to deposit stolen checks—including U.S. Department of Treasury Checks—at various banks in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Defendants impersonated the businesses listed as payees on the stolen checks by acquiring business documents in the names of the payees. Once the Defendants acquired the fraudulent business documents, they used them to impersonate the victims and open fraudulent business bank accounts where they deposited the stolen checks. In total, the Defendants deposited or attempted to deposit approximately 84 Treasury checks, and 27 commercial checks totaling over $11 million and split the proceeds. Many of the Treasury checks were refunds issued under the Employee Retention Credit, a program the Internal Revenue Service created during the COVID-19 pandemic to encourage businesses to retain employees.
The bank fraud conspiracy is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison and also carries a fine of up to $1,000,000.
“Just as the twelve subjects schemed and conspired to cheat the system by depositing stolen checks meant for COVID-19 pandemic relief efforts, the FBI and our federal partners worked together to follow the facts and evidence that would lead to this charge. This case is a textbook example of the partnerships we build to prevent fraud against the Government and protect taxpayers from fraud in any form,” said FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge, Stefanie Roddy.
“This investigation underscores HSI’s commitment to protecting the integrity of our nation’s financial system and ensuring that those who exploit COVID-19 relief programs are held accountable,” said HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy. “HSI will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners to uncover complex schemes targeting American taxpayers and to relentlessly dismantle the criminal networks responsible, stripping them of their illicit gains.”
“COVID-19 relief programs, including the Employee Retention Credit, were implemented to help honest Americans keep their jobs during an unprecedented time of hardship. Through deception and fraud, the Defendants allegedly stole over $11 million from the hardworking businesses these pandemic relief programs were meant to benefit,” stated Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office. “IRS-CI will continue to partner with our federal law enforcement colleagues to investigate those who defrauded pandemic relief programs and victimized those in need.”
Acting U.S. Attorney and Special Attorney Habba credited special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigations, Newark-Trenton Resident Agency under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy; special agents with Homeland Security Investigations, Cherry Hill, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy; special agents with the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, under the direction of Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents with Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael Carpenter; special agents with the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Northeast Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Silvestro; special agents with the U.S. Air Force – Office of Special Investigations, Detachment 307, Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Rebecca B. Bates; and postal inspectors of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Philadelphia Division, under the direction of Inspector in Charge, Christopher Nielson, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
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 Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aja Espinosa and Benjamin D. Bleiberg of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the Defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Defense counsel:
Bessant: David Bahuriak, Esq.
Brown: Wanda Akin, Esq.
Graves-Carmichael: Kevin Buchan, Esq.
Hooper: Jacqueline E. Cistaro, Esq.
Kearse: William Strazza, Esq.
Semmon: Tara Breslow-Testa, Esq.
Small: Laurie Fierro, Esq.
Reddon: Roberto Espinosa, Esq.
Rouzard: Kathleen Theurer-Platts, Esq.
Wade: Michael Pappa, Esq.
bessant.complaint.pdfTrinitarios Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Possession of MachinegunRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lawrence man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to possessing a loaded UZI machinegun.
Derek Mercado, 20, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a machinegun before U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton who scheduled sentencing for Feb. 18, 2026. Mercado was charged by criminal complaint in August 2025. Mercado is currently in state custody for domestic violence offenses.
Mercado is a member of the Trinitarios gang, a violent criminal enterprise responsible for numerous murders and acts of violence across Massachusetts. On May 6, 2025, an alert to arrest Mercado was broadcast by law enforcement following a report of a domestic violence incident. The victim reported that the defendant was in possession of a firearm in a green duffel bag. At the time, Mercado was in warrant status on two unrelated matters. Mercado was later observed exiting a residence while possessing a green duffel bag. He was taken into custody and an Israel Military Industries UZI model submachinegun containing an extended magazine loaded with 24 rounds was recovered in the green bag. The UZI was later test-fired and determined to be a functional machinegun.
In August 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office charged three members of the Lawrence Chapter of the Trinitarios for an alleged armed robbery. In February 2025, nearly two dozen members of the Lynn Chapter of the Trinitarios were also charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office with allegedly committing six murders in Lynn and Lawrence and in June 2025, two Trinitarios members were charged with committing a kidnapping in Andover.
The charge of possessing a machinegun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years 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; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Haverhill Police Chief Robert Pistone made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces and Project Safe Neighborhood.
Three Mexican men plead guilty to, sentenced for illegal reentryRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.–U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Erasmo Perez Ruiz, 30, Luis Gerardo Perez Lopez, 29, and Ismael Ivan Perez Lopez, 27, all citizens and nationals of Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to illegal reentry. They were each sentenced to time served and turned over to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sasha Mascarenhas, who handled the cases, stated that on September 30, 2025, U.S. Border Patrol agents attempted to stop a vehicle that the defendants were riding in, in Amherst, NY. As agents approached the vehicle with emergency lights and sirens activated, the driver, Erasmo Perez Ruiz, fled at a high rate of speed. After a brief chase, the vehicle pulled into a retail parking lot and the three defendants exited the vehicle and ran into a wooded area but were quickly apprehended. Further investigation determined that Erasmo Perez Ruiz was physically removed from the United States two times in April 2014, Luis Gerardo Perez Lopez was physically removed in May 2018, and Ismael Ivan Perez Lopez was physically removed in May 2017.
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 pleas and sentencings are the result of an investigation by U.S. Border Patrol, under the direction of Patrol Agent-in-Charge David Banks.
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Texas man sentenced for employment tax fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A Harris County resident has been sentenced for failing to report and pay employment taxes, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Joseth “Joe” Limon pleaded guilty May 27.
U.S. District Judge Lee H. Rosenthal has now ordered Limon to serve 36 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. During the hearing, Judge Rosenthal took issue with Limon’s claim he was a hardworking businessman who had never asked for a handout from anyone, noting that he just took from the United States. Limon is also required to pay approximately $8.7 million in restitution.
Limon owned and operated Platinum Employment Group Inc. which supplied laborers to businesses in the Houston area. From 2013 through 2018, Platinum failed to file employment tax returns and, according to its payroll records, more than $8.7 million in taxes.
After closing Platinum, he set up another labor-staffing company - Rockwell Staffing LLC - in the name of a relative. When he discovered the IRS was attempting to collect the company’s employment taxes, he caused that relative to submit an affidavit that falsely claimed Rockwell had been a victim of identity theft and had no employment tax liability.
Limon was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shirin Hakimzadeh and Trial Attorney Curtis Weidler of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Texas Resident Sentenced for Illegally Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brandon Lee Smith, age 31, of Wichita Falls, Texas, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Ardmore Police Department.
On June 10, 2025, Smith pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on January 18, 2025, Smith possessed a firearm which he sold to a federally licensed firearm dealer in Ardmore, Oklahoma, during a video-recorded transaction. Prior to that transaction, Smith had been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Smith will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to over 18 years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal judge sentenced a Tennessee man to 221 months in prison and three years of supervised release today for being a felon in possession of a firearm under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
“Gun violence poses a significant danger to the safety and security of our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s significant sentence highlights the Criminal Division’s steadfast commitment to aggressively prosecuting repeated armed offenders and protecting the public. I thank the prosecutors and our federal and state law enforcement partners who worked diligently to achieve this result.”
“Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to community, and in this case, the defendant was an armed career criminal who continued to possess a firearm despite his prior felony conviction history,” said U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “There is and ought to be a significant consequence for such recidivist criminal behavior, and this is one more armed career criminal removed from our streets for a long time.”
“These efforts signify what can be accomplished when we work together with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to combat violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Through this collaboration, we were able to remove a violent armed career criminal from our Memphis streets.”
According to documents and evidence presented to the court, on Jan. 19, 2022, Memphis Police Department (MPD) stopped a vehicle driven by Markel Strong, 29, of Memphis because its tint violated traffic law. Police observed, and seized, a firearm in plain view located in the front seat near the vehicle’s center console. Strong was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his numerous prior violent felony convictions.
On Aug. 19, a federal jury found Strong guilty of being a felon in possession of the firearm and separately determined that Strong’s three prior violent felony convictions occurred on separate dates, which triggered enhanced punishment under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
At today’s sentencing hearing, the United States presented evidence of the defendant’s violent behavior while in custody, as well as other crimes to which the seized firearm has been linked.
ATF and MPD investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Brittenum for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. This joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute violent gang members and other violent criminals in Memphis.
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Tennessee Man Sentenced to over 18 years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
A federal judge sentenced a Tennessee man to 221 months in prison and three years of supervised release today for being a felon in possession of a firearm under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
“Gun violence poses a significant danger to the safety and security of our communities,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Matthew R. Galeotti of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s significant sentence highlights the Criminal Division’s steadfast commitment to aggressively prosecuting repeated armed offenders and protecting the public. I thank the prosecutors and our federal and state law enforcement partners who worked diligently to achieve this result.”
“Convicted felons who possess firearms are an inherent danger to community, and in this case, the defendant was an armed career criminal who continued to possess a firearm despite his prior felony conviction history,” U.S. Attorney D. Michael Dunavant for the Western District of Tennessee. “There is and ought to be a significant consequence for such recidivist criminal behavior, and this is one more armed career criminal removed from our streets for a long time.”
“These efforts signify what can be accomplished when we work together with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to combat violent crime,” said Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Nashville Field Division. “Through this collaboration, we were able to remove a violent armed career criminal from our Memphis streets.”
According to documents and evidence presented to the court, on Jan. 19, 2022, Memphis Police Department (MPD) stopped a vehicle driven by Markel Strong, 29, of Memphis because its tint violated traffic law. Police observed, and seized, a firearm in plain view located in the front seat near the vehicle’s center console. Strong was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his numerous prior violent felony convictions.
On Aug. 19 a federal jury found Strong guilty of being a felon in possession of the firearm and separately determined that Strong’s three prior violent felony convictions occurred on separate dates, which triggered enhanced punishment under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
At today’s sentencing hearing, the United States presented evidence of the defendant’s violent behavior while in custody, as well as other crimes to which the seized firearm has been linked.
ATF and MPD investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Ashleigh Atasoy of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Brittenum for the Western District of Tennessee prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime Initiative in Memphis conducted in partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Western District of Tennessee and local, state, and federal law enforcement. This joint effort addresses violent crime by employing, where appropriate, federal laws to prosecute violent gang members and other violent criminals in Memphis.
Tallahassee Man Sentenced for Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Curtis Battle, 38, of Tallahassee, Florida, has been sentenced to a 15-year term of imprisonment for distribution of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, “crack” cocaine, and marijuana. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the sentence.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “Deadly fentanyl continues to have a devastating impact on communities across the Northern District of Florida and nationwide, but our state and federal law enforcement partners remain committed to aggressively targeting and removing the peddlers of this poison from our streets. My office stands ready to back up those law enforcement efforts with the full force of the law, and this successful prosecution and substantial sentence is yet another step toward fulfilling the promise made by President Donald J. Trump and Attorney General Pam Bondi that we will Take Back America from the drug traffickers who have flooded our streets with deadly drugs.”
Law enforcement conducted a series of controlled drug purchases directly from the defendant, then executed a federal search warrant at his Tallahassee, Florida residence. During the search, law enforcement seized quantities of fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, “crack” cocaine, and marijuana, along with paraphernalia consistent with drug trafficking and $15,000 in currency that was identified as proceeds of drug sales.
“Peddling these poisons in our communities will not be tolerated,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA will continue to make removing these bad actors a top priority.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tallahassee Police Department, and the Leon County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric K Mountin.
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.
St. Louis County Man Who Shot at Police Sentenced to 22 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Tuesday sentenced a man who shot at multiple St. Louis County police officers in 2024 to 22 years in prison.
Dylan Farmer, 21, of Breckenridge Hills, Missouri, pleaded guilty in June to four counts of assaulting a law enforcement officer and two counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted firing first at officers with the St. Louis County Police Department Special Response Unit (SRU) who were trying to find someone wanted in connection with a double homicide. On Feb. 13, 2024, a vehicle associated with that wanted person was parked in the 4500 block of Virginia Avenue in St. Louis. When Farmer unlocked the vehicle and got in, officers converged to detain him. All officers wore vests marked “Police,” and three of their vehicles were equipped with blue flashing emergency lights. The officers were also designated as task force officers with the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI.
As three officers pulled up in their SUV, Farmer immediately opened fire with a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun equipped with a 50-round drum magazine, damaging the SUV. Officers returned fire. Farmer then ran across the street and between some buildings, where he fired one shot at an officer. He then ran down an alley and fired multiple times at a different officer, who ducked behind a dumpster.
Farmer hid on the front porch of a house in the 4500 block of Alaska Avenue. When officers drove down the street and spotted Farmer, he opened fire again, damaging their vehicle, and officers again returned fire. Farmer surrendered after suffering multiple gunshot wounds. Officers treated his wounds and summoned an ambulance to take him to the hospital.
One officer was injured when a bullet ricocheted off a vehicle’s window, causing glass to fly into his eye. Another’s ankle was injured when he jumped out of his car to seek cover.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Marshals Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul D’Agrosa prosecuted the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Carjacking 72-Year-OldRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Wednesday admitted carjacking a 72-year-old man in 2023.
Kirk Hall, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted being one of two men who stole a BMW X5 on July 7, 2023. Shortly before 1:00 a.m., the victim parked the BMW in a St. Louis County apartment complex. Hall and the other gunman ordered the driver and passenger out. The other gunman then stole the vehicle, taking the driver’s cell phone and other personal items. Hall followed in another vehicle. The BMW was found, unoccupied, a few hours later.
At Hall’s Feb. 18, 2026 sentencing, he faces at least five years in prison for the gun charge, consecutive to the carjacking charge. Carjacking is punishable by up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nichole Frankenberg is prosecuting the case.
South Florida Congresswoman Charged with Stealing $5 Million in FEMA Funds and Making Illegal Campaign ContributionsRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has returned an indictment charging Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants with stealing federal disaster funds, laundering the proceeds, and using the money to support her 2021 congressional campaign.
According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both of Miramar, worked through their family health-care company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021. In July 2021, the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants.
The indictment further alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc, 46, of Miramar, arranged additional contributions using straw donors, funneling other monies from the FEMA-funded Covid-19 contract to friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money.
The indictment also charges Cherfilus-McCormick and her 2021 tax preparer David K. Spencer, 41, of Davie, with conspiring to file a false federal tax return. According to the indictment, they falsely claimed political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice.”
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida stated, “Today’s indictment shows no one is above the law. This indictment reflects our Office’s commitment to follow the facts, apply the law, and protect the American taxpayer. Public money belongs to the American people. When FEMA funds are diverted for personal or political gain, it erodes trust and harms us all. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are used as intended and that the public’s trust is safeguarded.”
If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison. Edwin Cherfilus faces up to 35 years, Leblanc up to 10 years, and Spencer up to 33 years.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office, made the announcement.FBI Miami and the IRS-CI Florida Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Yeney Hernández and DOJ Criminal Division Trial Attorney John P. Taddei are 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.
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 PACER. Case number is forthcoming.
South Florida Congresswoman Charged with Stealing $5 Million in FEMA Funds and Making Illegal Campaign ContributionsRead the Press Release
This press release has been updated to include the case number.
MIAMI – A federal grand jury in Miami has returned an indictment charging Congresswoman Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick and several co-defendants with stealing federal disaster funds, laundering the proceeds, and using the money to support her 2021 congressional campaign.
According to the indictment, Cherfilus-McCormick, 46, and her brother Edwin Cherfilus, 51, both of Miramar, worked through their family health-care company on a FEMA-funded COVID-19 vaccination staffing contract in 2021. In July 2021, the company received an overpayment of $5 million in FEMA funds.
The indictment alleges that the defendants conspired to steal that $5 million and routed it through multiple accounts to disguise its source. Prosecutors allege that a substantial portion of the misappropriated funds was used as candidate contributions to Cherfilus-McCormick’s 2021 congressional campaign and for the personal benefit of the defendants.
The indictment further alleges that Cherfilus-McCormick and Nadege Leblanc, 46, of Miramar, arranged additional contributions using straw donors, funneling other monies from the FEMA-funded Covid-19 contract to friends and relatives who then donated to the campaign as if using their own money.
The indictment also charges Cherfilus-McCormick and her 2021 tax preparer David K. Spencer, 41, of Davie, with conspiring to file a false federal tax return. According to the indictment, they falsely claimed political spending and other personal expenses as business deductions and inflated charitable contributions in order to reduce her tax obligations.
“Using disaster relief funds for self-enrichment is a particularly selfish, cynical crime,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “No one is above the law, least of all powerful people who rob taxpayers for personal gain. We will follow the facts in this case and deliver justice.”
U.S. Attorney Jason A. Reding Quiñones for the Southern District of Florida stated, “Today’s indictment shows no one is above the law. This indictment reflects our Office’s commitment to follow the facts, apply the law, and protect the American taxpayer. Public money belongs to the American people. When FEMA funds are diverted for personal or political gain, it erodes trust and harms us all. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that American taxpayer dollars are used as intended and that the public’s trust is safeguarded.”
If convicted, Cherfilus-McCormick faces up to 53 years in prison. Edwin Cherfilus faces up to 35 years, Leblanc up to 10 years, and Spencer up to 33 years.
U.S. Attorney Reding Quiñones; Special Agent in Charge Brett D. Skiles of the FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Ronald A. Loecker of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Florida Field Office, made the announcement.
FBI Miami and the IRS-CI Florida Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandra L. López and Yeney Hernández and DOJ Criminal Division Trial Attorney John P. Taddei are 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.
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 PACER, under case number 25-cr-20500.
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Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to Nearly 6 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited PersonRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on October 27, 2025.
James Jenkins, 35, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Jenkins was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in April 2025. He pleaded guilty on July 21, 2025.
The case arose on March 18, 2025, when Jenkins was involved in an incident with the Mitchell Police Department, during which officers conducted a search of his backpack, discovering a 9mm pistol. At that time, Jenkins knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because he was previously convicted of a felony offense in Arizona.
This case was investigated by ATF, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation and the Mitchell Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Joyce prosecuted the case.
Jenkins was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Assaulting Teenaged GirlsRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a man from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact. The sentencing took place on November 3, 2025.
Chico Baker, age 24, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $300 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Baker was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2024. He pleaded guilty on July 15, 2025.
Between December 10, 2023, and January 20, 2024, Baker had sexual intercourse with a 16-year-old girl without her consent and engaged in sexual contact with two 15-year-old girls. The conduct occurred in rural McLaughlin, South Dakota, in the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, authorizes certain crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country to be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was also brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Baker was immediately returned to the South Dakota State Penitentiary, where he is serving an eight year sentence for Reckless Burning (Aiding and Abetting). He will be remanded to federal custody following the completion of that sentence.
Sioux Falls Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Sioux Falls, South Dakota man convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on October 27, 2025.
Michael Lee Terveen, 39, was sentenced to 5 years in federal prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Terveen was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in February 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 4, 2025.
The charges against Terveen stem from law enforcement discovering him and another man passed out in a vehicle outside of Sioux Falls. Minnehaha County Sheriff’s deputies eventually searched the vehicle and found approximately 77 grams of methamphetamine and a large amount of cash. They also found a gun on Terveen’s person. Investigators later learned that Terveen was working with others to obtain methamphetamine and then redistribute it in Sioux Falls.
This case was investigated by United States Postal Investigations, the Sioux Falls Area Drug Task Force, and the Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Terveen was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Sioux City Man to Federal Prison for Meth ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Dean Christiansen, 64, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on November 18, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. Christiansen pled guilty July 1, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Christiansen was previously convicted in the Northern District of Iowa of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance in December 2012.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that from May 2024 through about August 2024, Christiansen was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 170 grams of pure methamphetamine in the Sioux City area within 1,000 feet of a local elementary school. Law enforcement conducted two controlled methamphetamine purchases from Christiansen in August 2024 and seized scales and marijuana during a search of Christiansen’s home. Christiansen admitted purchasing about 12 pounds of methamphetamine to repackage and distribute to others.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Christiansen was sentenced to 134 months’ imprisonment and must serve a seven-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Christiansen remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4058. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
Jon Waugh, 55, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced November 17, 2025, to 188 months’ imprisonment for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location. Waugh pled guilty June 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
On August 14, 2024, police arrested Waugh outside his apartment, when Waugh was searched, police found approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine and $854 in cash. Police also searched Waugh’s residence and seized over a kilogram of pure methamphetamine, a scale with meth residue, drug paraphernalia, and four firearms, one of which was stolen. At the plea hearing, Waugh admitted he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to other individuals in Sioux City. Waugh’s residence was within 1,000 feet of a protected location, specifically a local elementary school in Sioux City.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Waugh was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a term of ten years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Waugh remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4058. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Sinaloa Cartel Senior Lieutenant Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Phoenix, Ariz. – Jose Guadalupe Tapia-Quintero, 54, of San Francisco de Tacuichamona, Sinaloa, Mexico pleaded guilty on November 17, 2025 for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine with Intent to Import into the United States and Conspiracy to Commit Concealment Money Laundering. Sentencing is scheduled for February 2, 2026, before United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi.
Jose Guadalupe Tapia-Quintero was a leader of a narcotics trafficking organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico commonly known to its members, associates, and the public as the “Sinaloa Cartel” beginning in December 2006 and continuing through March 2012. He admitted that he acted as a major coordinator - organizing the transportation and distribution of ton quantities of controlled substances, including methamphetamine, for importation from Mexico into the United States for the Sinaloa Cartel.
During this time, he was also involved in the concealment of the ownership of the proceeds stemming from the sale of methamphetamine and other drugs in the District of Arizona. He oversaw the collection of proceeds from the drug sales in the United States. After the drugs were sold, the proceeds were collected and stored in the organization’s stash houses in Arizona and elsewhere. A large portion of the drug proceeds were picked up by couriers working at his direction and transported back to Mexico, where they were eventually received by him and other members of the Sinaloa Cartel.
“This case is a great example of our partnership with DEA in targeting, prosecuting, and convicting the members of the Sinaloa Cartel operating deep within Mexico.” said U.S. Attorney Timothy Courchaine.
“This investigation showcases the strength of our partnerships, working as one team,” said DEA Phoenix Special Agent in Charge Cheri Oz. “DEA will continue to target and arrest top cartel members in our relentless pursuit of justice.”
A conviction for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine with Intent to Import into the United States carries a maximum penalty of up to life in prison, a fine up to $10,000,000, or both, and a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. A conviction for Conspiracy to Commit Concealment Money Laundering carries a maximum penalty of a fine up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years, or both, and a term of supervised release of up to three years.
The United States Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-13-00179-PHX-MTL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2025-163_Tapia-Quintero# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Sellersburg Tax Preparer Sentenced to Federal Prison for Filing More Than 460 False ReturnsRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY- Anita Marie Rodriguez Perez, 51, of Sellersburg, Indiana, has been sentenced to 18 months in federal prison followed by two years of supervised release after pleading guilty to five counts of Aiding and Assisting in the Preparation and Presentation of False and Fraudulent Tax Returns. Perez was also ordered to pay $1,954,673.30 in restitution.
According to court documents, between 2021 and 2023, Rodriguez Perez owned and operated a tax preparation business in Clark County, Indiana, known as ChuliTodo. During that time, she prepared and submitted false and fraudulent tax returns on behalf of her clients to the Internal Revenue Service.
Among other schemes, Rodriguez Perez submitted tax returns containing fabricated Schedule C forms (Profit or Loss from Business), falsely claiming the taxpayers operated businesses that incurred significant net losses. In reality, none of the taxpayers had operated a business during the relevant tax periods.
Additionally, many of the fraudulent returns included inflated itemized deductions under Schedule A, particularly for medical and dental expenses.
These schemes caused the taxpayers to receive refunds far larger than what they were entitled to. Between tax years 2020 and 2022, Rodriguez Perez prepared and filed approximately 463 fraudulent returns, resulting in a tax loss of $1,575,250.
“Tax fraud undermines the integrity of our financial system and unfairly shifts the burden onto honest taxpayers,” said Tom Wheeler, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “When tax preparers exploit their expertise to deceive the government, they not only violate the law—they betray the trust of their clients. These cases are complex and time-consuming to investigate, and the efforts of IRS-CI send a clear message: accountability applies to everyone.”
The Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Sarah Evans Barker.
U.S. Attorney Wheeler thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
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Seattle street gang leader detained following indictment for sex trafficking a victim on Aurora Avenue North and to other statesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 34-year-old prominent member of a Seattle street gang was ordered detained today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, following his October indictment on three federal felonies, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Leanthony Palmer is scheduled for trial on sex trafficking, transportation for purpose of prostitution, and conspiracy to commit money laundering charges on December 22, 2025. Today Magistrate Judge Brian Tsuchida ordered him detained at the Federal Detention Center pending trial.
According to records filed in the case, Palmer is an acknowledged member of the Family Mafia Crips (FMC) street gang. He uses the moniker ‘Highway Tone.’ Palmer repeatedly posts online about his sex trafficking business and is in images with firearms and cash. His car, a 2017 Maserati Levante SUV, has been connected to drug trafficking activity.
Evidence obtained during the course of the investigation revealed that Palmer uses social media to recruit potential victims, promising them international travel and financial benefits. Palmer’s social media posts, videos, and text and phone communications contain statements by him in which he admits to assaulting victims. In March 2025, law enforcement responded after Palmer was alleged to have assaulted an adult victim who was trying to leave him by beating her and strangling her to unconsciousness. Palmer has arrests in Nevada for domestic violence. He has been arrested in Idaho, Texas, and Massachusetts for illegal firearms possession.
The indictment alleges that Palmer was laundering money earned from sex trafficking in King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties, as recently as October 8, 2025.
In asking that Palmer be detained prosecutors wrote to the court, “If Palmer is released from custody, the government believes that he will continue his pattern of violence to intimidate or silence victims and witnesses. Agents have interviewed multiple of Palmer’s prior sex workers during this investigation. They all expressed significant fear of reprisal if they were to cooperate.”
The Magistrate Judge ruled there were no conditions that could be imposed on Palmer that would keep the community safe if he were released from custody.
If convicted of all counts Palmer faces 15 years to life in prison.
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.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. The HSTF utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Seattle comprises agents and officers from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), The United States Marshals Service (USMS), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Secret Service (USSS), and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Washington.
The case is being investigated by the Seattle Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Whatcom Regional Drug Task Force.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zachary Dillon and Kate Crisham.
Repeat Felon Sentenced for Possessing Child Pornography and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Salina man was sentenced today for Possession of Child Pornography and being a Felon in Possession of Ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Michael Allen Dean, 40, to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 15 years of supervised release. Upon his release, Dean will also be required to register as a sex offender. Judge Hill further ordered Dean to pay $45,000 in restitution. That money goes directly to the victims identified in the child sexual abuse material that Dean possessed.
In May 2023, a social media application reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children that child sexual abuse material was uploaded. The investigation revealed that the IP address and phone number associated with the social media account were linked to Dean. Based on the cybertip, law enforcement obtained a search warrant for Dean’s home and cellphone.
When agents searched Dean’s home, they found several rounds of ammunition. After searching Dean’s cellphone, agents found more than 424 videos and 213 images of minor children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Court documents show that some of the minors were under 12 years old, including material that showed toddlers and infants being sexually abused.
According to court documents, Dean was convicted in 2011 in state court for possessing child pornography. He was sentenced to a 10-year suspended sentence and spent 60 days in jail.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) is the nation’s centralized reporting system for suspected child sexual exploitation. Because of the growth of technology, Child Sexual Abuse Material images and videos can be found in any online realm, causing the children who were initially sexually abused to be revictimized, over and over, with each share.
NCMEC reports that its CyberTipline has received more than 195 million reports related to Child Sexual Abuse Material, commonly referred to as CSAM. NCMEC’s Child Victim Identification Program has reviewed more than 425 million images and videos and identified more than 30,000 victims.
Dean will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Mayes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Cherokee National Marshal Service assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Repeat Child Molester and Rapist Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempted Enticement of 10-Year-Old While Required to Register as Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Charles Wager, age 57, of Castleton-on-Hudson, New York, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison after a jury convicted him in February 2023 of attempting to entice a minor into engaging in unlawful sexual activities while he was required to register as a sex offender for his prior rape of a minor. Acting United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
The trial evidence established that in January and February 2021, Wager exchanged thousands of sexually explicit text messages with people he believed to be a 10-year-old girl and her mother. In these text messages, Wager, among other things, shared pornography with the presumed child to groom her into sexual activity with him, educated her on different sexual acts he would perform with the child, sent nude pictures of himself, and arranged for a reward system whereby he would provide the child with toys and treats for engaging in sexual acts with him. Wager arranged to meet with the presumed mother and 10-year-old in person and purchased a car to do so. On February 5, 2021, he traveled from Castleton-on-Hudson to Binghamton, New York, for the purpose of having sex with the presumed 10-year-old. He brought with him numerous toys that he intended to give the child as rewards for performing sexual acts with him. The defendant was arrested shortly after his arrival and has been detained ever since.
As further established at trial, in 2002, Wager pled guilty in Rensselaer County Court to rape in the third degree, after admitting to the rape of a then-15-year-old girl. He has been required to register as a sex offender ever since. Evidence at trial also established that Wager previously sexually molested two other minor victims several decades ago. In his prior crimes, he engaged in virtually identical grooming of his victims to the conduct he attempted on his intended 10-year-old victim in this case.
“Charles Wager is one of the most dangerous child predators our office has ever prosecuted, and that speaks volumes,” said Acting United States Attorney Sarcone. “We will continue to unleash the full powers of the federal government to hold these twisted and evil people accountable for their vile and despicable crimes. I commend the FBI for its flawless operation to bring this repeat, remorseless child predator to justice.”
Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli stated: “Today’s significant sentence put an end to Mr. Wager’s horrific history of sexual abuse and vile behavior. This dangerous individual will now spend decades in federal prison where he can no longer harm any of our children. The FBI remains as dedicated as ever to ensuring any individual seeking to harm our most vulnerable is swiftly identified, investigated, and brought to justice.”
This case was investigated by the FBI and its Child Exploitation Task Force, which includes members of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Colonie Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin S. Clark and Thomas R. Sutcliffe prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Nearly 5 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Court Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on October 27, 2025.
Louis Iron Cloud, 34, was sentenced to four years and nine months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Iron Cloud was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person by a federal grand jury in May 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 13, 2025.
On April 18, 2025, law enforcement learned that Iron Cloud had carried a semi-automatic rifle. Law enforcement recovered the rifle in a backyard where a witness had seen Iron Cloud shortly before. The rifle was found next to four high-capacity magazines. One of the magazines was loaded. Iron Cloud was previously convicted for a crime punishable beyond a year in prison. To possess a firearm or ammunition after such a conviction is a federal felony.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). Through PSN, the District of South Dakota seeks to bring together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone.
This case was investigated by the ATF and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Schroeder prosecuted the case.
Iron Cloud was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Eric C. Schulte has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on November 4, 2025.
Abel Moran, age 42, was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in federal prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Moran was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2025. He pleaded guilty on August 21, 2025.
Moran was convicted of Sexual Contact in September 2005. As a result of his conviction, he is required to register as a sex offender and update his registration within three business days of relocation or change in employment or student status. In September 2024, Moran updated his sex offender registration to reflect that he was residing at a residence in Rapid City, SD. In December 2024, Moran relocated to a different residence in Rapid City, but did not thereafter update his sex offender registration. On June 10, 2025, Moran was arrested in Rapid City.
This case was brought as a part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Unit prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by U.S. Marshalls Service and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Zachrison prosecuted the case.
Moran was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Rapid City Man Arrested During 2023 Sturgis Rally Anti-Sex Trafficking Operation Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet. The sentencing took place on October 24, 2025.
James Fast Horse, 47, was sentenced to ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund, and $95 in restitution to the South Dakota Internet Crimes Investigation Fund.
Fast Horse was indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 28, 2025.
Fast Horse was arrested following an undercover anti-sex trafficking operation conducted during the Sturgis Bike Rally. Over the course of multiple days, Fast Horse used Facebook Messenger and his cell phone to communicate with a person he believed to be a 14-year-old female. The female was actually the online undercover persona of a federal law enforcement officer. During Fast Horse’s communications, he described various sex acts he intended to engage in with the girl and sent her multiple images of his private anatomy. Fast Horse asked her to send him sexually explicit photos of herself. On the night of his arrest, Fast Horse drove for more than an hour to meet the girl for sex. After he stopped at a local business to purchase sexual lubricant, he arrived at the designated meetup location and was arrested by law enforcement agents.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the South Dakota DCI Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Rapid City Police Department, and the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox prosecuted the case.
Fast Horse was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Purported Ute Mountain Ute Medicine Man Convicted of Sexually Assaulting Five VictimsRead the Press Release
DURANGO – The United States Attorney for the District of Colorado announces that Lyndreth Hemp Wall, 59, a member of the Ute Mountain Ute Tribe, was convicted of sexually assaulting five victims, including a child. A federal jury convicted Wall on 15 counts of Sexual Abuse in Indian Country and Abusive Sexual Contact in Indian Country.
According to the facts established at trial, Wall held himself out as a traditional Native American healer, sometimes referred to as a “medicine man.” Wall was elected to the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Council in 2020 and is a former school board member in Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1. Over the course of at least the past dozen years, Wall sexually exploited multiple women on the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation under the guise of spiritual treatment. Wall created an elaborate ruse by using traditional elements of Ute healing to trick his victims into believing his actions were part of a healing ceremony. During his “ceremonies,” Wall isolated victims alone and touched them sexually for his own gratification. Wall told multiple victims that, if they told anyone about his sexual touching, the healing would not work.
Over the course of trial, the jury heard from the five women who alleged that Wall had committed sexual abuse in Towaoc, Colorado. The jury returned guilty verdicts for abuse of all five women charged in the indictment. The jury also heard from a sixth woman who alleged Wall had sexually assaulted her in Alamosa and Lone Tree in 2020 and 2021 under a rule of evidence that permits evidence of other sexual assaults.
A sentencing date has not yet been set. In addition to this case, Wall faces two separate allegations of sexual assault in Colorado state court. The charges in those pending cases are only allegations and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Anyone who has information about other possible victims is asked to call the FBI Denver office at (303) 629-7171.
United States District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the trial.
The FBI Office in Durango, Colorado, handled the investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Indian Affairs in Towaoc, Colorado. Assistant United States Attorneys R. Josh Player and Jeffrey K. Graves handled the prosecution.
Case Number: 1:24-cr-00003-GPG-JMC
Prairie City Man Sentenced to 180 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Prairie City man was sentenced on November 18, 2025, to 180 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography and 24 months in federal prison for revocation of his supervised release.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Anthony Charles VanMeter, 55, was on federal supervised release for a conviction of possession of child pornography. In October 2024, law enforcement visited another individual under federal supervision and located VanMeter. VanMeter admitted two cell phones at the residence belonged to him. One of the cell phones was later found to child sexual abuse material, including more than 75 photographs and 250 videos.
At sentencing, the Court also found VanMeter violated the terms of his federal supervised release for his 2016 conviction for possession of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. VanMeter received an 84-month sentence in 2016, was released from prison in 2022, and his supervised release was revoked in October 2022, November 2023, and September 2024.
After completing his term of imprisonment, VanMeter will be required to serve a 10-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Vanmeter was also ordered to pay $24,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney David C. Waterman of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Images Nets District Man 74 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Khari McKoy, 29, of the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 74 months in prison for possessing hundreds of images of children being sexually abused, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
McCoy pleaded guilty on Jan. 30, 2025, before U.S. District Court Judge Timothy J. Kelly to possession of child pornography. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Kelly ordered McCoy to serve 10 years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement was FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
According to court documents, in mid-January 2024, Google reported that someone had uploaded more than 1,000 files of suspected child sexual abuse material to the Google Drive and Google Drive applications. The tip led to an investigation by the Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force (CEHTTF). FBI agents and MPD officers reviewed the files and determined that most of them depicted prepubescent boys engaged in sexual acts. Following a search warrant at McCoy’s residence, agents recovered devices that contained several images of child sexual abuse material.
The case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the 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.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and Metropolitan Police Department’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from the region The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel Bohlen and Karen Shinskie.
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Possession of 35 Machine Gun Conversion Devices Results in 21-Month Prison Sentence for Maryland ManRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Edward Devon Gadson, 27, of Waldorf, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 21 months in prison in connection with his possession of 35 illegal machine gun conversion devices within the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Gadson pleaded guilty on July 11 to a charge of unlawful transfer and possession of a machine gun and aiding and abetting. In addition to the 21-month prison term, Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Gadson to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement were ATF Special Agent in Charge Anthony A. Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on Oct. 2, 2024, about 5 p.m., MPD officers stopped Gadson as he was in the driver’s seat of a Dodge Durango with heavily tinted windows on the 2300 block of Green St. SE, in Anacostia.
MPD officers noticed a clear plastic bag in plain view on the back passenger side floor. The bag appeared to have firearms accessories in it. Officers removed the bag from the car and determined it contained dozens of machine gun conversion devices (aka MCDs or “switches”). Each device would allow a pistol to be converted into an automatic firearm. The devices had been 3-D printed and included distinctive images of an internet meme known as “Not ATF Guy.”
This case was investigated by the MPD and the ATF Washington Division. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John D. Crabb and Thomas Strong.
Portland Man Pleads Guilty to Arson at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement BuildingRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.— A Portland man pleaded guilty today to arson at the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in South Portland.
Trenten Edward Barker, 34, pleaded guilty to Arson of a Federal Building.
According to court documents, on June 11, 2025, a group of individuals began constructing a barricade of large objects and debris against the vehicle gate of the ICE building to prevent law enforcement officers from exiting through the gate. Barker lit a flare from his backpack and threw it onto the pile of debris. The flare ignited the debris, causing a fire to start.
On October 22, 2025, Barker was charged by information with Arson of a Federal Building.
Barker faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a 250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. He will be sentenced on March 4, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Portland Police Bureau. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon.
Pittsburgh Felon Charged with Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
This release was published following the 43-day government shutdown during which the Indictment occurred.
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, First Assistant United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced.
The one-count Indictment named James W. McKissick III, 32, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about August 29, 2025, McKissick possessed a firearm and ammunition as a previously convicted felon. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Kelly M. Locher is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Pagan’s Motorcycle Club Member Sentenced for Armed Assault Against RivalRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court yesterday for his involvement in an armed assault against a member of a rival motorcycle club.
Brandon S. Hodge, also known as “Youngblood,” 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 57 months in federal prison without parole for assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering.
On Sept. 17, 2022, Hodge and 12 other members of the Pagan’s and their support club chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo. Various members of the Pagan’s and their support club were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. Hodge, who was a Pagan’s prospect at the time, and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to their knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks, and back of their leg. Hodge and several others fled the scene before law enforcement arrived.
Following this event, several members, including Hodge, were awarded club patches for their participation.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bradley K. Kavanaugh and Robert Smith. It was investigated by the FBI, the Independence, Mo., Police Department, the Blue Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case 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.
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For additional information regarding this case: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmo/pr/three-pagans-motorcycle-club-members-pleaded-guilty-armed-assaults-against-rivals
Pensacola Man Pleads Guilty to Engaging in a Criminal Online Child Exploitation EnterpriseRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Michael D. Whitacre, Jr., 31, of Pensacola, Florida, pleaded guilty in federal court for engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography involving minors under 12 years of age. The plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney John P. Heekin said, “I deeply appreciate the incredible investigative work by our state and federal law enforcement partners that led to the identification and arrest of this sick individual. It is one of my office’s top priorities to keep our children safe from the predators, like this defendant, who seek to exploit and victimize our most vulnerable members of the community.”
Court documents reflect that the defendant was part of an encrypted online group who shared significant amounts of graphic child pornography. There were over 70 members of the illicit group, which operated in early 2025. The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, with the support of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, was initially notified about Whitacre’s online actions via a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. A forensic analysis conducted by an expert at Homeland Security Investigations revealed a wealth of child sexual abuse material on the defendant’s cellular telephone along with his access to the online child exploitation enterprise.
Sentencing is set for January 14, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. before United States District Judge M. Casey Rodgers. Whitacre faces up to life imprisonment.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison for Mailing Drug-laced Books to InmatesRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – A Lucas County man has been sentenced to more than a decade in prison for his role in soaking the pages of books in illegal drugs to ship to inmates at a local prison.
Austin Siebert, 30, of Maumee, Ohio, was sentenced to 140 months (approximately 11 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge Donald C. Nugent after pleading guilty in August to the following charges as outlined in the indictment:
- Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; prior convictions include Aggravated Trafficking in Drugs in 2018 and Robbery in 2021.
- Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Siebert was also ordered to serve four years of supervised release after imprisonment. Judge Nugent imposed the sentence Nov. 18.
According to court documents, prison officials at the Grafton Correctional Institution in Lorain County discovered that Siebert was in regular communication with several inmates and mailing books to them. Prison investigators seized suspicious book packages which were then sent to a forensic lab for analysis. The seized contraband tested positive for the presence of synthetic cannabinoids such as 5-Fluoro-ADB and MDMB-4en-PINACA. Subsequently, a federal search warrant was executed at Siebert’s residence in Maumee where agents seized a paperback book suspected of being soaked with narcotics; a loaded Bersa Thunder, .380 semiautomatic pistol; several bags containing suspected drugs in pill and powder forms; a book binding machine; and package mailing labels.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), with assistance from the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Grafton Correctional Institution.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Segev Phillips for the Northern District of Ohio.
Ohio Man Admits to Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Brady McKinley, 46, of Adena, Ohio, has admitted to conspiring with others to distribute illegal drugs in the upper Ohio Valley.
According to court documents and statements made in court, McKinley worked with others to sell large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine in Ohio County and elsewhere.
McKinley faces up to 20 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Nogay is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, Marshall County Drug Task Force, and the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, all HIDTA-funded initiatives; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms; West Virginia State Police; Wheeling Police Department; Ohio County Sheriff’s Office; and the Belmont County Sheriff’s Office investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge James P. Mazzone presided.