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9 January 2026
Gainesville Man Indicted on Federal Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – DaMorie Lamontay Miles, 19, of Gainesville, Florida, has been indicted in federal court for one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of unlawful transfer or possession of a machine gun, and one count of receipt, possession, transfer, or production of a firearm which is not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida announced the charges.
Miles appeared in federal court for his arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Midori A. Lowry on January 7, 2026 in Gainesville, Florida. Jury trial is scheduled for February 11, 2026, before Chief District Court Judge Allen C. Winsor in Gainesville, Florida.
If convicted on all counts, Miles faces up to 40 years’ imprisonment.
The case is being jointly investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Gainesville Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Christie S. Utt.
An indictment is merely an allegation by a grand jury that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial, during which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
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.
Former Metropolitan Police Department Officer Sentenced to 27 Years for Sex Trafficking MinorsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Linwood Barnhill, 59, a registered sex offender residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 27 years in prison in connection with recruiting minor girls to engage in commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Barnhill, a former Metropolitan Police Department officer, pleaded guilty on Sept. 17, 2025, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to sex trafficking of a minor, In addition to the 27-year prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Barnhill to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay restitution of $10,000.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement was FBI Special Agent in Charge Reid Davis of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal Division.
“This former officer trafficked children on the streets of D.C. and at a strip club in Maryland. Then, after serving a seven-year sentence in prison, he resumed sex trafficking teen girls,” said U.S. Attorney Pirro. “Barnhill now has 27 years to think over what he did, and we won’t have to worry about his sex trafficking again.”
"While serving as a police officer over a decade ago, Barnhill preyed on underage girls. He took explicit photos of them and even forced one victim to work as a prostitute," said the FBI’s Davis. "Upon his release from prison, he resumed trafficking minors for sex. He also forced his victims to find other vulnerable girls for him to exploit. As today's sentencing demonstrates, the FBI will use every tool at our disposal to put habitual child predators in prison where they belong."
According to court documents, between April 2024 and April 2025, Barnhill recruited girls under the age of 18 to engage in commercial sex acts. Barnhill collected over $10,000 in profits from one of the minor girls whom he exploited in commercial sex. Barnhill also used his victims to find additional minor girls to victimize, by forcing them to work in commercial sex.
In April 2024, Barnhill recruited a girl to work for him knowing that she was 15-years old and had run away from home. Barnhill had the girl audition for him using the stripper pole he had installed in his basement. He told her she could make money dancing at a strip club in Prince George’s County, Maryland, and would earn additional cash by having sex with men in private VIP rooms at the club. Barnhill transported her to the strip club and back multiple times a week.
In the fall of 2024, Barnhill paid another 15-year-old girl to recruit other minor girls – all under the age of 18 -- to work for him as commercial sex workers. The girl invited the other minors to her house, where Barnhill would pick them up and drive them to a street in the District known for its commercial sex activity. Barnhill’s iCloud account included text messages with at least 10 other identified minor girls discussing working at “the club” and “VIP rooms.”
Barnhill, a former officer in the Seventh District, previously was sentenced in October 2014 to seven years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of pandering a minor and possession of child pornography in connection with recruiting two children to work in commercial sex for him. By 2024, Barnhill resumed sex trafficking teenage girls under the moniker "Nico."
This case was investigated by FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Burrell.
This case was brought as part of the Department of Justice's Project Safe Childhood initiative. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney's Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Former Executive from Marlborough Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud the IRS and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former accounting and real estate executive in Sudbury pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to a multi-year scheme to cheat the Internal Revenue Service by getting paid more than $1.6 million in compensation and fringe benefits under the table, all while lying to the U.S. Attorney’s Office about his income to avoid paying restitution he owed to victims of an earlier fraud scheme.
Stephen L. Hochberg, 77, of Marlborough, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to defraud the United States and to obstruction of justice. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for April 6, 2026. Hochberg was charged in December 2025.
Hochberg and Charles D. Katz agreed in as early as 2014 to cheat the IRS. They agreed that Hochberg, who served as the Director of Corporate Services at Katz’s accounting firm and as Chief Operating Officer at Katz’s real estate firm, would be paid significant compensation off the books so that Hochberg would have tax-free income and so that Katz’s firms – CD Katz LLC and Gebsco Realty Corporation – would owe less employment taxes. Over time, Katz paid Hochberg’s family, provided rent-free housing to Hochberg’s ex-wife, paid college tuition for his children and paid personal expenses that Hochberg and his ex-wife charged on corporate credit cards.
All told, Katz paid Hochberg at least $1,668,487 in unreported income and avoided taxes of at least $835,105.
In 2008, Hochberg was convicted of eight counts of wire fraud and nine counts of securities fraud, for which he was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison and ordered to pay $1,791,500 to his victims. In addition to his and Katz’s tax scheme, Hochberg lied to the U.S. Attorney’s Office about his income from Katz’s firms and obstructed the collection of restitution Hochberg owed to victims.
Katz was charged and agreed to plead guilty in October 2025. The Court accepted his plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for Feb. 2, 2026.
The charge of conspiracy to defraud the United States provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of obstruction of justice provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, a fine of $250,000, restitution and forfeiture. 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; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carol Head, Chief of the Asset Recovery Unit is prosecuting the case.
Former Corporate Executive Pleads Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Insider Trading SchemeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, announced today that PAUL JORGENSEN pled guilty to committing securities fraud in connection with a multimillion-dollar scheme to trade in stock and options of Doximity based on inside information in advance of the company’s quarterly earnings calls. JORGENSEN pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
“Paul Jorgensen repeatedly used Doximity’s confidential information to trade in advance of the company’s quarterly earnings calls, earning himself more than $2.5 million in illegal profits,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Corporate executives should be working for the benefit of the companies and shareholders they serve, not scheming to line their own pockets by trading on inside information. Together with our law enforcement partners, we will continue to protect our financial markets and prosecute those who misuse non-public information.”
“Paul Jorgensen repeatedly leveraged nonpublic information to conduct illegal trades from an unauthorized personal account, garnering millions of dollars in illicit proceeds,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “The defendant’s actions greatly exploited his position of trust for his own personal gain, even as he learned he was likely to be terminated from the company. May today’s plea emphasize the FBI’s commitment to protect companies from internal executives who prioritize personal wealth over their duty to company shareholders.”
According to the allegations contained in the Information and statements made in public court proceedings:
JORGENSEN engaged in a scheme to reap illegal profits by trading on material non-public information regarding Doximity, a publicly traded company, in violation of the duties of trust and confidence owed to the company and its shareholders.
Doximity is an online networking service for medical professionals that trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “DOCS.” JORGENSEN joined Doximity in 2017 and became Chief Revenue Officer in 2022. As a senior executive at Doximity, JORGENSEN had access to confidential information about Doximity’s financial outlook, performance, and earnings results, and owed a duty of trust and confidence to the company. Doximity restricted its employees from trading in the lead-up to the company’s quarterly earnings calls, and from engaging in options trading. Doximity further required all employees to hold their Doximity shares in company-monitored brokerage accounts.
In July 2022, as Chief Revenue Officer, JORGENSEN became aware that Doximity’s add-on sales to clients, referred to as “upsells,” had declined over the previous quarter. On July 28, 2022, JORGENSEN attended a Board meeting in advance of the upcoming earnings call in which the company’s negative results were discussed. Following the Board meeting, JORGENSEN texted a close family member that he was “[n]ot selling [his] DOCS shares” because he had “non-public confidential info and it’s just not right to sell.” Two days later, however, after JORGENSEN learned that he had been reassigned to a sales role at the company, JORGENSEN texted the same family member that he “decided to sell [his] DOCS shares” because he needed to “protect us first and foremost.” The following day, JORGENSEN sold 61,162 shares of Doximity that he secretly held in a personal brokerage account.
During the company’s quarterly earnings call on August 4, 2022, Doximity publicly announced its negative results regarding upsells and lowered its annual guidance by six percent. Doximity’s share price fell by approximately seven percent, and JORGENSEN avoided losses of more than $300,000.
In 2023, JORGENSEN again traded based on Doximity’s confidential information. In July 2023, JORGENSEN became aware that Doximity’s upsells had continued to decline over the previous quarter. In addition, on July 13, 2023, JORGENSEN learned that he was being terminated as part of a larger round of layoffs, and that the layoffs would be announced on the company’s upcoming quarterly earnings call. In advance of the earnings call, JORGENSEN sold 15,000 shares of Doximity stock, earning $114,000 in illicit profits, and 1,300 call options, earning an additional $200,000 in illicit profits. JORGENSEN also purchased 4,700 put options using his personal brokerage account.
During the company’s quarterly earnings call on August 8, 2023, Doximity publicly announced its company layoffs and negative results regarding upsells and lowered its annual guidance by eight to nine percent. Doximity’s share price fell by approximately 23 percent. Following the earnings call, JORGENSEN closed out his put position, earning nearly two million dollars in illicit profits. JORGENSEN was terminated from Doximity in August 2023.
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JORGENSEN, 53, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pled guilty to two counts of securities fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. JORGENSEN is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Failla on May 21, 2026.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI. Mr. Clayton also thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its cooperation and assistance in this investigation.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Rothman is in charge of the prosecution.
Felon on Supervised Release Sentenced in Possessing and Firing PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Bruce R. Hart, 31, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 34 months in federal prison for his unlawful possession of a loaded pistol and a 28-round capacity magazine while he was on supervised release for a Maryland robbery, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Hart pleaded guilty Sept. 26, 2025, before Judge Amy Berman Jackson to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon and to endangerment with a firearm in a public place. In addition to the 34-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Hart to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Oct. 26, 2024, about 9:45 p.m., Hart was with two other men on the 1800 block of Wiltberger St., NW, when he fired one round from a handgun into the air. The incident was captured on surveillance camera. The men then ran north on Wiltberger St.
A police officer later spotted Hart on the 1900 block of 7th Street about one block away from the shooting. At 10:43 p.m., the officer attempted to stop Hart. Hart fled, running through traffic across Florida Avenue. Officers apprehended Hart after a brief pursuit on Bohrer Street NW, and recovered a loaded firearm equipped with a large capacity magazine tucked into the waistband of his pants.
Hart has a prior felony conviction for robbery in Prince George’s County, Maryland, for which he was sentenced on Nov. 29, 2023, to 10 years imprisonment, with nine years and six months suspended, and a three-year term of supervised probation.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jacob Green and Brendan M. Horan. - 24cr528
Surveillance image showing a muzzle flash as Hart discharged a firearm on the 1800 block of Wiltberger Street NW
The firearm, magazine, and ammunition recovered from Hart’s waistband following his arrest.
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Fall River County Man Sentenced to more than 12 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Ron Parsons announced today that District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a man from Fall River County, who was convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on January 2, 2026.
Shawn Lant, 40, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Lant was indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in September 2023. He pleaded guilty on October 1, 2025.
This conviction stemmed from Lant’s involvement in a large-scale methamphetamine distribution operation in Rapid City, South Dakota, and in the Pine Ridge Reservation. During this conspiracy, Colorado codefendants supplied Lant and others with significant quantities of methamphetamine that was distributed in South Dakota. Lant was involved in distributing 5-15 kilograms of methamphetamine while part of this criminal enterprise.
“As long as these drug dealers continue to bring methamphetamine and other poisons into our communities, we will continue to do everything we can to track, investigate, arrest, and indict these criminals,” said U.S. Attorney Parsons. “I’m grateful for the collective efforts of all our Safe Trails task force officers and law enforcement partners across the state in helping to keep our communities safe.”
This case was investigated by the Badlands Safe Trails Drug Enforcement Task Force, the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, the Fall River County Sheriff’s Office, and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan N. Dilges and Edward C. Tarbay prosecuted the case.
Lant was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
District of Arizona Charges 112 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct this WeekRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the week of enforcement operations from Jan. 3 through Jan. 9, 2026, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 112 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 62 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 38 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 8 cases against 12 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona.
These cases were referred or supported by federal law enforcement partners, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE ERO), ICE Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Recent matters of interest include:
United States v. Jose Antonio Martinez-Alarcon. Martinez-Alarcon was charged by complaint with Re-entry of Removed Alien, Jan. 5, 2026. The defendant was previously removed from the United States on April 8, 2014, after being convicted of Conspiracy to Possess Dangerous Drugs for Sale (Methamphetamine), a felony, in the Superior Court of Arizona, Maricopa County. In that case, Martinez-Alarcon was sentenced to five years of imprisonment. 26-6002MJ, Phoenix.
United States v. Luis Alberto Diaz-Galdamez and Placido Geronimo Gonzales-Carmona. Diaz-Galdamez and Gonzales-Carmona were charged with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, Jan.7, 2026. As charged in the complaint, Border Patrol agents using camera technology observed a group of suspected illegal aliens cross the international border near Douglas, Arizona. Agents responded and saw a vehicle pulling away from the last known location of the aliens. Agents followed and initiated a vehicle stop at which point the vehicle failed to yield. Agents pursued and, ultimately, used a vehicle immobilization device to stop the vehicle. Galdamez was the driver, and Gonzales was the front seat passenger. Two illegal aliens were discovered in the back seat of the vehicle. 26-MJ-07065-JEM, Tucson.
A criminal complaint is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-004_Jan 9 Immigration Enforcement
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For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
Denton men get lengthy federal prison sentences for trafficking methamphetamineRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas –Two Denton men have been sentenced to lengthy federal prison sentences for trafficking methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Jay R. Combs.
Clayton Willis Caddell, 48, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and was sentenced to 181 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on January 9, 2026.
Robert Alfonso Cazarin, 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and was sentenced to156 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on January 9, 2026.
According to information presented in court, from at least 2022, Caddell and Cazarin conspired with others to distribute illegal drugs, including methamphetamine in the Eastern District of Texas.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Drug Enforcement Administration; and Denton County Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. Johnson.
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Defendant Sentenced for Role in Alien Smuggling and Kidnapping SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Texas man, who conspired with others to kidnap, transport, and hold multiple victims at gunpoint for ransom that culminated in a deadly 2023 shootout in a quiet, Charlottesville neighborhood, was sentenced today in federal court as part of Operation Take Back America.
Ricardo Franco Ordaz, 26, of Cedar Creek, Texas, was sentenced today to 220 months in prison. Ordaz pled guilty in June 2025 to one count of conspiracy to kidnap and one count of transporting an alien resulting in death.
“These criminals exploited lawless Biden-era open border polices to kidnap and ransom vulnerable women at gunpoint for cold cash,” Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci said today. “This district will continue to attach the highest priority to combatting human trafficking, transnational criminal organizations, violent crime, drug trafficking, illegal immigration and other threats to the Western District of Virginia.”
“Today's sentencing reflects the seriousness of crimes that inflicted profound fear and trauma on multiple victims who were kidnapped, held at gunpoint, and extorted for financial gain,” said ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C., Special Agent in Charge Christopher Heck. “These criminals deliberately targeted individuals they believed to be especially vulnerable, subjecting them to extreme cruelty. HSI is committed to protecting victims and dismantling transnational criminal organizations that threaten the safety of our communities. We are grateful for the outstanding partnership with our local and federal law enforcement agencies, whose collaboration was critical in bringing these dangerous offenders to justice.”
Jordan Perez, 21, of Lockhart, Texas, pled guilty in July for his role in the conspiracy and will be sentenced later this year.
According to court documents, in early January 2023, Ordaz, Perez, and other co-conspirators who had ties to transnational criminal organizations, kidnapped multiple victims and held them for ransom, knowing these individuals had entered the United States illegally.
As part of the scheme, Ordaz arranged to transport victims from an area near the United States-Mexico border and bring them to a stash house near Austin, Texas. Once there, Ordaz, and others, held the victims against their will and under armed guard, then called and messaged the victims’ families and friends demanding cash ransom in exchange for their release.
Ordaz exchanged one of the victims in Texas for $5,000 cash, and on January 8, 2023, at Ordaz’s direction, Perez and a co-conspirator transported another victim to Charlottesville, Virginia, where they arranged to exchange that victim for $10,000 in cash.
During the exchange, when it was revealed that the full $10,000 ransom was not available, an argument and shootout ensued, during which Perez, and another coconspirator, brandished firearms, and instigated a shooting that resulted in the death of one of the kidnappers and the serious wounding of Perez.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel 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).
Homeland Security Investigations in Harrisonburg investigated the case with assistance from the Charlottesville Police Department, Albemarle County Police Department, and HSI Austin, Texas.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sally J. Sullivan is prosecuting the case.
Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in U.S. Marine’s DeathRead the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Nameer Mohammad Atta was sentenced in federal court today to 20 years in prison for distributing the fentanyl that led to the fatal overdose of a 26-year-old active-duty lance corporal in the United States Marine Corps on May 21, 2020.
When handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge Ruth Bermudez Montenegro told the defendant he “needs to take accountability for his actions.” Judge Montenegro also highlighted the “devastation caused by the defendant’s conduct” by profiting from his prolific sales of fentanyl.
A jury convicted Atta after a two-day trial in September 2022.
According to evidence presented at trial, Atta sold counterfeit “M30” pills in April and May 2020 to the Marine, identified in court records as C.M.R., knowing that these pills were counterfeit oxycodone pills that contained illicit fentanyl. Atta used social media to market and arrange sales of these pills, referring to them as the “most trusted” in San Diego, and in text messages as the “most trusted” and “most potent” in the area. Atta referred to these pills as “M30s,” “Percs” and “Perc30s,” nicknames for fentanyl-laced pills. Atta’s final sale to C.M.R. occurred on May 20, 2020. C.M.R. died from an overdose the next day.
“The defendant’s decision to sell fentanyl resulted in the tragic loss of a young United States Marine,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “When a dealer chooses to distribute a poison they know can kill, the consequences should be measured in decades, not years. This sentence reflects the gravity of that loss and the value of the life that was taken.”
“This was a selfish, deliberate act,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge James Nunnallee. “The defendant chose to market deadly fentanyl pills on social media, fully aware of the risk, and a young Marine is dead as a result. We will continue to hold accountable those who use market this deadly poison and show complete disregard for human life.”
“Those who ruthlessly disregard others’ safety by distributing fentanyl for personal gain must be held to account,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael Payne of the NCIS Marine Corps West Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain committed to aggressively investigating any individual or entity complicit in the illicit distribution of substances that pose significant threats to the readiness and security of Department of the Navy personnel, families, and local communities.”
“HSI remains steadfast in its collaboration with our federal, state, and local partners to ensure that individuals who distribute lethal doses of fentanyl are held fully accountable for their actions,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin Murphy. “This sentence underscores the gravity of fentanyl distribution, the impact it has in our communities, and HSI’s commitment to pursuing those responsible for distributing the deadly drug.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. Sutton. Former Assistant U.S. Attorneys Owen Roth and J’me K. Forrest contributed significantly to the case.
DEFENDANT Case Number 21-cr-1289-RBM
Nameer Mohammad Atta Age: 25 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death – Title 21, U.S. Code, Sections 841(a)(1) & (b)(1)(C)
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison, with mandatory minimum 20 years in custody
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Naval Criminal Investigative Service
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations
Dauphin County Man Convicted of Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Reginald Hopkins, age 49, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted on January 8, 2026, of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition as an armed career criminal following a three-day trial before United States District Judge Jennifer P. Wilson. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, the case involved the execution of a search warrant on February 19, 2021, at Hopkins’ apartment, resulting in the seizure of three firearms (an Astra Constable 9mm handgun, a Hi-Point CF380 .380 handgun, and a S&W M&P 9 Shield 9mm handgun), several magazines, and 9 mm and .380 ammunition. One of the magazines was a high-capacity drum magazine that was loaded with 39 rounds of 9mm ammunition. Hopkins was home alone when law enforcement executed the search warrant, and the firearms were sitting in plain sight next to his bed and near a chair in the living area.
The jury further found that four of Hopkins’ prior drug-trafficking convictions were crimes that occurred on separate occasions, which exposes him to enhanced penalties under the Armed Career Criminal Act, including a 15 year mandatory minimum sentence of imprisonment.
The matter was investigated by the Harrisburg Police Bureau’s Street Crimes Unit and the Community Policing Unit, along with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Scalera and Deputy Criminal Chief Michael Consiglio prosecuted the case.
The maximum penalty for the felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition offense is up to life imprisonment, a term of five years of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $250,000 fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Dauphin County Man Convicted of Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Dwayne Cavanaugh, age 56, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was convicted following a three-day trial before Senior United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion for receiving and possessing child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Cavanaugh possessed child pornography on January 21, 2024. This offense occurred while Cavanaugh was on supervised release for a prior 2010 conviction for receipt of child pornography in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas. U.S. Probation Officers found an unmonitored cell phone in Cavanaugh’s vehicle that contained child pornography.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Stephen W. Dukes and Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 40 years of imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum term of 15 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
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Couple Pleads Guilty to Stealing Millions in COVID-19 Relief FundsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A couple formerly living in Midland, N.C., has pleaded guilty to federal charges for stealing more than one million dollars in COVID-19 relief funds by defrauding the Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), announced Russ Ferguson, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Tatiana Vazquez, 39, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to wire fraud conspiracy affecting a financial institution and conspiracy to defraud the government. Marquise Highsmith, 41, pleaded guilty to the same charges on October 7, 2025.
Joel Weaver, Special Agent in Charge of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), Southeast Field Division, and Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS CI), Charlotte Field Office, join U.S. Attorney Ferguson in making the announcement.
According to court documents, from May 2020 to January 2022, Highsmith, Vazquez, and their co-conspirators submitted multiple fraudulent applications to financial institutions and to the SBA to obtain loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. The defendants submitted applications for several purported businesses that they or other co-conspirators controlled. These applications contained fraudulent information related to the businesses’ tax filings, number of employees, and other fabricated financial information. As a result, Highsmith and Vazquez personally received more than $450,000 in COVID-19 relief funds. After receiving the funds, the defendants filed loan forgiveness applications that also contained misrepresentations, and as a result some of the loans were subsequently forgiven.
In addition, from July 2022 to February 2023, Highsmith and Vazquez engaged in a separate but related conspiracy to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 relief funds through other federal programs administered by the IRS, including the Employee Retention Credit (ERC) program and the Sick Leave and Family Leave Credit (SFLC) program. The ERC and SFLC programs enabled certain businesses to receive federal tax credit for employment taxes or wages, a certain portion of which were refundable. The defendants and their coconspirators defrauded the IRS by preparing and filing fraudulent forms that falsely claimed millions of dollars in tax credits and other corresponding tax refunds. As a result, the defendants and their coconspirators improperly received more than $1 million in COVID-19 related tax refunds.
Both Vasquez and Highsmith are released on bond. A sentencing date has not been set.
In making the announcement, U.S. Attorney Ferguson thanked TIGTA and IRS-CI for leading the investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys William Bozin and Daniel Ryan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison on Multiple Weapons Charges Following High Speed Chase After Fleeing ArrestRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Bryan Odell Hunter, 36, of Nashville, was sentenced yesterday to ten years in federal prison on charges of possession of ammunition by a felon, possession of a firearm by a felon, and possession of a machinegun, announced United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Braden H. Boucek. Hunter previously pled guilty to the charges.
“Holding dangerous offenders like Hunter accountable for their actions is a high priority of our office,” said Braden H. Boucek, United States Attorney. “We will continue to seek stiff sentences for felons who use guns and put both citizens and our law enforcement community at risk with their dangerous actions.”
On October 14, 2023, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department (MNPD) officers responded to a shots-fired call in the Nissan stadium parking lot, in Nashville. The shooter, later identified as Hunter, fired multiple shots close in proximity to two people in the parking lot. The victims reported that they were waiting for friends when a gray Altima driven by Hunter drove erratically into the parking lot, nearly hit a tree and the curb. When one of the victims asked if the defendant was alright, he stated, “no disrespect, motherfuckers,” and fired two shots into the air. The victims hid behind a car, while Hunter left the lot and drove onto Korean Veterans Bridge. About five to ten minutes later, Hunter drove back into the parking lot and toward the victims. The victims went to a nearby Exxon station and called the police. When MNPD officers arrived, they recovered two .45 caliber shell casings from the parking lot, where the victims said Hunter was when he fired.
When Hunter saw the officers, he fled. Officers pursued him through multiple counties at speeds up to 125 miles per hour. Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO) deputies joined the pursuit and attempted to deploy spike strips. Hunter swerved around them, nearly striking a deputy. RCSO deputies terminated the pursuit at the Coffee County line, at which point Hunter drove into Coffee County, turned around, and headed back into Rutherford County. The RCSO deputies set up spike strips again, and this time they succeeded in spiking the Altima. Hunter then crashed the car near Exit 89 on I-24 West. When he got out of the car, he refused to comply with the commands given by police for him to get on the ground. As a result, an officer deployed his taser, after which Hunter was placed into custody.
When officers searched the stolen Altima, they found a Star model Firestar caliber .45 pistol, an Anderson Manufacturing model AM-15 caliber .223 rifle, three 20-round caliber 5.56x45 magazines, a full 50 round box of Winchester .45 caliber ammunition, a full 50 round box of Federal 9mm caliber ammunition, 10 rounds of .45 caliber hollow point ammunition, one round of 9mm caliber hollow point ammunition, and one rifle sight. Officers also found a pocketknife on the floor of the patrol car when they arrived at the jail in Nashville. Later while being booked, officers found a machinegun conversion switch, commonly referred to as a “Glock Switch,” in the defendant’s sock.
Before these events, Hunter had been convicted of four felonies in Davidson County, Tennessee, including Possession with Intent to Distribute Controlled over .5 Grams of Schedule II Controlled Substance and Reckless Endangerment; Reckless Endangerment; Attempted Especially Aggravated Robbery; and Aggravated Assault and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Stephens prosecuted the case.
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Chesapeake man sentenced to over six years in prison after attempting to receive three kilos of cocaineRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced yesterday to six years and four months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Nov. 1, 2024, law enforcement intercepted a parcel, shipped from California, containing over three kilograms of cocaine. Investigators performed a controlled delivery of the parcel to the intended address in Portsmouth, and the parcel was retrieved by Kevin Russell Beasley, 51. Beasley was immediately taken into custody.
“Illegal narcotics and firearms are a dangerous combination that fuels violence and puts entire communities at risk,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia (EDVA). “Removing drugs and weapons from our streets saves lives and makes communities safer. EDVA will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute narcotics trafficking and firearms crimes.”
“Drug dealers who use our commercial delivery systems to funnel poison into our cities will be identified, investigated, and brought to justice,” said Christopher Heck, Special Agent in Charge of ICE Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, D.C. “This case reflects Homeland Security Investigations’ core mission to dismantle criminal organizations, protect public safety, and safeguard our communities. Through proactive enforcement and strong law enforcement partnerships, our agents intercepted a major narcotics shipment, seized illegal drugs and cash, and removed a dangerous felon from the streets. HSI Washington, D.C. remains fully committed to the relentless pursuit of criminal networks and ensuring those who traffic drugs and threaten the safety of Americans face the full extent of the law.”
“Virginia State Police is proud to work with our federal and local partners to take dangerous drugs and drug traffickers off of Virginia’s streets,” said Col. Matthew D. Hanley, Superintendent of Virginia State Police. “The safety of the public is our top priority, and we are grateful for the combined efforts that went into securing this conviction."
During a search of Beasley’s residence, investigators discovered approximately 14 kilograms of marijuana; 84.44 grams of cocaine; 786.5 grams of psychedelic mushrooms containing psilocyn/psilocybin; 182 THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) vape pen cartridges; 85.52 grams of marijuana wax; 10 boxes of sandwich bags; a bill-money counting machine; approximately $35,000 in cash; two cellphones; and a loaded firearm.
In 2016, Beasley used the mail to receive marijuana for distribution. Chesapeake Police arrested Beasley after he loaded a parcel containing marijuana into his car following a controlled delivery of the parcel to a residence in Chesapeake. During a search of Beasley’s Portsmouth residence, investigators recovered two firearms and over 200 additional grams of marijuana. Following his arrest, Beasley warned his co-conspirators by text message. Beasley was convicted of distribution/possession with intent to distribute marijuana and obstruct justice in Chesapeake and possession with intent to distribute marijuana in Portsmouth. As a convicted felon, Beasley cannot legally possess firearms or ammunition.
The Virginia Beach Police Department provided significant assistance in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Darryl J. Mitchell prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
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. 2:25-cr-95.
Cartel Member Sentenced to Life in Prison for Fentanyl Trafficking and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A member of the Jalisco New Generacion Cartel (“CJNG”) has been sentenced to life in federal prison for fentanyl trafficking and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona.
U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala sentenced Juan Francisco Castaneda, also known as “Pariente,” 44, to life in prison. In October 2025, after two days of trial testimony, Castaneda pleaded guilty to conspiracy to traffic fentanyl, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and distribution of fentanyl. These crimes occurred in the Birmingham and Homewood area.
According to the evidence presented at trial and Castenada’s guilty plea, Castaneda ran his drug trafficking and money laundering organization with the use of contraband phones while he was serving multiple life sentences for murder at the Alabama Department of Corrections’ Bullock Correctional facility. Castaneda used a network of couriers and local businesses as “fronts,” from which he arranged fentanyl distribution and collected drug proceeds. Undercover operations revealed that Castaneda was laundering hundreds of thousands of dollars to CJNG sources in Mexico through these couriers and businesses.
According to Court documents, Castaneda previously pleaded guilty to a 2008 multi-victim homicide in Shelby County, in which five individuals were murdered over a cartel debt. Evidence at sentencing revealed that Castaneda also threatened to kill co-defendants during the course of the investigation and “feed them to the dogs,” and that he was responsible for the movement of over 19 kilograms of fentanyl throughout the District during the time period of the investigation. As part of sentencing, Castaneda also had a $700,000 money judgment entered against him.
The DEA and HSI investigated the case, along with assistance from the Internal Revenue Service, United States Marshals Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, Hoover Police Department, Birmingham Police Department, Bessemer Police Department, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Department of Corrections, and Alabama Law Enforcement Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Garnett and Carson Gilbert are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. The Alabama HSTF comprises agents and officers from the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Marshals Service, and the Internal Revenue Service, with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama.
Billings woman sentenced to over 11 years in prison on methamphetamine chargesRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS – A Billings woman who trafficked methamphetamine was sentenced yesterday to 136 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Raven Michelle Volkomener, 43, pleaded guilty in August 2025 to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court documents that on May 4, 2024, law enforcement received reports of a car driving erratically south towards Billings on Highway 87. Montana Highway Patrol (MHP) identified the vehicle roughly five miles from Billings, observed it commit a traffic infraction, and pulled it over.
Law enforcement asked the driver to step out of the car and she was identified as Volkomener. She had an outstanding felony arrest warrant. She was taken into custody and that same day law enforcement, pursuant to a search warrant, searched the vehicle. Among other items discovered in the vehicle were four packages of suspected methamphetamine located in a backpack in the back seat. The methamphetamine was later analyzed and found to contain over 1,700 grams of pure meth.
Law enforcement also obtained a search warrant for the Volkomener’s cell phone and found text messages from at least February 2023 to May 4, 2024, between Volkomener and a co-defendant talking about a trip by Volkomener to Great Falls in May 2024 to collect methamphetamine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeff Starnes and Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The Montana Highway Patrol, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Montana Department of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation.
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.
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Berkeley County Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Oxycontin, Distribution of FentanylRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. —Levi Phillip Miles, 48, of Goose Creek, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and oxycontin, and distribution of fentanyl.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Miles regularly distributed what he believed were prescription pain pills to a South Carolina man from at least January 2022 until the man’s fatal overdose on Jan. 2, 2023. By the summer of 2022, Miles could no longer obtain legitimate prescription pain pills from his suppliers. Nevertheless, in December 2022, the victim continued to request pain pills. Miles’ final distribution of pills to the victim occurred on Jan. 1, 2023. The victim was found dead in his home on Jan. 2, 2023. An autopsy of the victim revealed the presence of fentanyl in his system, and subsequent investigation revealed that the fentanyl was present in the pills the victim received from Miles on Jan. 1. As part of his guilty plea, Miles agreed not to contest the fact that the victim’s death was caused by the controlled substances that were distributed by Miles.
Miles faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $1 million, restitution, and at least three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Bruce Howe Hendricks accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Miles after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse and Whit Sowards are prosecuting the case.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Mark Anderson Staples, 53, of Beckley, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine base, also known as “crack.” Staples admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that distributed methamphetamine, fentanyl and crack in Beckley and elsewhere within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Staples participated in the DTO conspiracy between April and May 2024. Staples obtained methamphetamine from other individuals that he distributed to customers and provided to co-conspirators for further distribution. Staples provided at least 1.5 pounds of methamphetamine as part of the DTO conspiracy.
Staples is among 12 defendants indicted on charges alleging they conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and crack within the Southern District of West Virginia from in or about June 2023 to in or about May 2024. The remaining defendants pleaded guilty, including two defendants who pleaded guilty to separate offenses in lieu of the offenses charged in the indictment.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department..
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess and Former Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
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. 5:24-cr-90.
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Beckley Man Sentenced to Prison for Fentanyl CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Justin Scott Keyes, 37, of Beckley, was sentenced today to nine years and two months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between October 2024 and January 2025, Keyes conspired with his wife, Leann Marie Keyes, to sell drugs in and around the Southern District of West Virginia. As part of his guilty plea, Justin Scott Keyes admitted that he and his wife sold a total of 12.34 grams of fentanyl on four occasions during the time period, each time to a confidential informant. He further admitted that he conducted the hand-to-hand sales at the Beckley residence where he lived with his wife, and that his wife communicated with the confidential informant about each sale beforehand.
On January 29, 2025, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the Keyes’ residence and seized a Ruger model EC9s 9mm pistol and a Taurus model G3c 9mm pistol. Justin Scott Keyes admitted that the seized firearms belonged to him and that he had traded drugs for them.
Leann Marie Keyes, 42, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on September 17, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and is scheduled to be sentenced on March 6, 2026.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit, which consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Office, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:25-cr-73.
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Arthur, Iowa, Man Sentenced to 8 years in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A man who received child pornography was sentenced on January 9, 2026, in federal court in Sioux City.
Wesley Ham, 32, from Arthur, Iowa, pled guilty on August 20, 2025, to receipt of child pornography. At the plea and sentencing hearings, evidence showed that between March 2022, and September 2023, Ham received and possessed more than 94 images and 79 videos of child pornography. A forensic review of Ham’s computer and phone showed he possessed 370 images and 99 videos of child pornography, some of which included infants and toddlers as well as sadistic and masochistic conduct. Ham admitted to receiving and possessing child pornography. Ham also admitted to distributing child pornography in a state of Iowa case in 2022. In connection with his 2022 case, Ham admitted to lingering around coffee shops and other public spaces in attempts to generate encounters with minor children and admitted to being on bike trails in residential areas in hopes of finding people in their houses to secretly watch them.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Ham was sentenced to 97 months’ imprisonment and must serve a 5-year term of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Ham must also pay $10,500 in restitution to the victims in this case. Ham remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
The case was investigated by the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation (Cyber Crime Bureau) and the Ida County Sheriff’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 25-3017. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
A Junction City Woman Pleads Guilty to Stealing Covid Relief FundsRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—The owner of three businesses pleaded guilty yesterday for stealing more than $487,386.75 in federal funds intended to help small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jodi Aliece Jennings, 50, of Junction City, Oregon, pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
According to court documents, between April 2020 and January 2022, Jennings applied for and obtained six Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans and one Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) Advance and submitted three fraudulent forgiveness applications for Meridian Redevelopment, J Jenn Enterprises Inc., and J2 Investments. Jennings falsely claimed each company was in business and paid payroll prior to and during the pandemic. Jennings used these loans on personal expenses.
In total, Jennings stole no less than $487,386.75, including the EIDL advance and principal, interest, and SBA paid lender fees on the PPPs.
On June 15, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Jennings with nine counts of wire fraud.
Jennings faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release. She will be sentenced on April 22, 2026, before a U.S. District Court Judge.
As part of the plea agreement, Jennings has agreed to pay restitution to the SBA.
This case was investigated by the SBA Office of Inspector General and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon is prosecuting the case.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
45-Year-Old Man Arrested on Murder ChargeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Niwatilagu Long, 45, of Washington, D.C., was arrested and charged with second-degree murder while armed for shooting and killing 44-year-old D.C. resident Melvin Saunders in the early morning of December 19, 2025, in Northeast, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Long was arrested yesterday at the D.C. Superior Court after the completion of a preliminary hearing for an assault with a deadly weapon-gun case where he was charged with both pistol whipping and stabbing another victim, Donald Cook, on January 3, 2026.
Long will made his initial appearance today in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Magistrate Judge Dorsey G. Jones, II found probable cause for second-degree murder while armed and held the defendant pending a preliminary hearing on January 20, 2026, at 9:30 a.m. before Judge Rainey Brandt in Courtroom 201.
According to the affidavit in support of Long’s arrest, Saunders, and several other people were present in an apartment at the North Capitol Commons, John and Jill Ker Conway residence in the 1000 block of North Capitol Street, NE, when Long claimed to be a member of the “Crips” and accused the victim of being a member of the “Bloods” before shooting Saunders, execution style in his left temple. Long left the scene on foot and discarded some of his clothing to alter his appearance and evade detection by law enforcement.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marybeth Manfreda.
Joining in the announcement was Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department.
These charges are merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
8 January 2026
‘Mayor’ of Homeless Camp Sentenced for Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for possessing methamphetamine to distribute near a school and illegally possessing a firearm to further his drug distribution.
Ricky Lee Myers, also known as “The Mayor,” 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to more than 10 years in prison followed by six years of supervised release.
On May 21, 2025, Myers pleaded guilty to possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Oct. 23, 2024, Myers was inside the residential structure that he built in a homeless camp located on a dirt road extending from East 23rd St. roughly between Vine St. and Highland Avenue, in Kansas City, Missouri, when federal agents executed a search warrant there. This area is within 1,000 feet of a school. In Myers’ residence, agents located a bag with approximately 60 grams of methamphetamine along with a firearm.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Year in Review: U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Cracked Down on Crime While Implementing Significant New Policies and Initiatives in Productive 2025Read the Press Release
CHICAGO — The United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago increased its caseload to crack down on crime in 2025 while implementing significant new policies and initiatives that have strengthened the Office for continued success now and in the future, Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, announced today.
Federal criminal indictments in all program areas in the Northern District of Illinois in 2025 were up 34% (429 versus 320) compared to last year. The number of defendants charged in all program areas in 2025 was up 38% (571 versus 414) compared to last year. The increase was particularly notable in federal firearm indictments brought under ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence Center, with those indictments up 122% (51 versus 23) compared to last year. Child exploitation indictments were also up 45% (29 versus 20) compared to last year.
“I am proud to report that the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois had a productive and robust year in 2025,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros, who began serving as the United States Attorney on April 7, 2025. “I walked in and found an Office that was facing hard times, as had widely been reported. I knew that thoughtful and meaningful changes would be needed to move the direction of the Office,” U.S. Attorney Boutros continued. “As such, from my first days in the Office, I made it a top priority to sit down for candid, one-on-one discussions with every single Assistant U.S. Attorney to ask for their perspective on what was working, what wasn’t working, where change was needed, and how I could best support each of them,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “I also met with all staff in the Office and further sat down with nearly every federal agency enforcement head in Chicagoland, as well as many state and local partners to ask the same types of questions. In addition, I conducted an objective, thorough, top-down review of nearly all our policies, procedures, and practices. What I learned from this massive undertaking was both eye opening and deeply informative—especially as an alum who served almost eight years in the Office.”
Against this backdrop, throughout the year, U.S. Attorney Boutros implemented numerous policy, procedural, and structural changes aimed at aligning resources with need, deploying resources for maximum effectiveness, forging deep partnerships with law enforcement stakeholders, and empowering prosecutors to bring many more impactful indictments in critical program areas. From an external perspective, among the policy changes he implemented, U.S. Attorney Boutros in June expanded the Project Safe Neighborhoods program to include the economic centers in downtown Chicago and the entire rail system operated by the Chicago Transit Authority, including all train lines operating in every neighborhood from every part of the city. The expansion represented the first time anywhere in the country that the PSN program was deployed on mass transit and the first time in Chicago that the city’s downtown economic corridors were given the federal PSN designation. In August, U.S. Attorney Boutros created a Healthcare Fraud Section within the Office’s Criminal Division dedicated to the prosecution of healthcare fraud, which is among the Department of Justice’s top fraud enforcement priorities and the first time the Office has had such a Section. Since U.S. Attorney Boutros began serving in his position, the Office has charged nearly $2 billion in healthcare fraud schemes involving alleged criminal conduct in the district and transnationally.
“There is no shortage of serious federal crimes in Chicago, whether in the areas of violence, fraud, drug or firearm trafficking, child exploitation, human trafficking, corruption, corporate crime, or any of the other myriad federal crimes that are committed in our District daily. As United States Attorney, I have been—and will remain—sharply focused on working closely with our various law enforcement partners to accept more and more of their cases for federal criminal prosecution, and once cases come through our doors, making sure our prosecutors have what they need to see worthy cases through charges and case disposition. The people of the Northern District of Illinois deserve our tireless and unflinching efforts to hold accountable those who break the law. As we embark on 2026, we will continue to work hard to investigate and prosecute an increasing number of significant cases that make a real difference in the lives of our citizens.”
The increased caseload and significant changes occurred during a year that saw the longest government shutdown in U.S. history and the simultaneous largest-ever enforcement surge in the Northern District of Illinois—commonly referred to as “Operation Midway Blitz”—a U.S. immigration enforcement operation launched in September by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The U.S. Attorney’s Office and numerous federal law enforcement agencies dedicated a substantial amount of resources in support of the surge, which lasted for months and required substantial preparation in advance. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and much of the federal government also was subject to a hiring freeze in 2025.
“The stepped-up results we have been able to achieve came during a busy and historic year in our District, and at a time when our Office was down some 50 prosecutors, many of whom left the government in early 2025 after accepting a government-wide offer of early retirement,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “Looking ahead, I am energized by the fact that we are hiring dozens of new Assistant U.S. Attorneys in the Criminal and Civil Divisions. Many of our new hires will come with significant experience, including substantial federal and/or state prosecutorial experience from across the country and will be able to hit the ground running. In addition to the hiring surge we are experiencing, I intend to implement numerous other changes in 2026 to build on the significant success we have already achieved in 2025, and to further increase efficiency, productivity, performance, and impact while ensuring fairness and integrity in all our matters and practices.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office works closely with U.S. law enforcement agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), to investigate and prosecute federal crimes. State and local partners in this effort include the Chicago Police Department, Illinois State Police, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Cook County Sheriff’s Office, Rockford Police Department, and many other police departments and prosecutors’ offices throughout northern Illinois.
Examples of the many significant cases prosecuted in 2025 are featured below:
National Security / Terrorism
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Man on Terrorism and Arson Charges for Lighting Train Passenger on Fire and Setting Chicago City Hall Ablaze Days Earlier
Lawrence Reed was indicted on terrorism and arson charges for allegedly lighting a passenger on fire on a Chicago Transit Authority train and setting fire to Chicago City Hall three days earlier. It is the first time in our District’s history that a terrorism charge has been filed in connection with a crime on a Chicago mass transit system.
Man Charged with Making a Threat to Kill President Trump
Trent Schneider allegedly posted a video of himself stating that he would kill President Donald J. Trump, the 47th and 45th President of the United States.
Chicago Man Convicted of Conspiring to Provide Material Support to ISIS
Ashraf Al Safoo was a leader of Khattab Media Foundation, a sophisticated online organization that swore allegiance to ISIS and created and disseminated threats and ISIS propaganda on social media.
Drug Trafficking / Cartels / Transnational Criminal Organizations
Joaquin Guzman Lopez and Ovidio Guzman Lopez—Sons of “El Chapo” and Heads of Sinaloa Cartel—Plead Guilty to Federal Drug Charges in Chicago
The two brothers, who along with two other brothers are collectively known as “the Chapitos,” admitted that they assumed their father’s leadership role atop the Sinaloa Cartel following El Chapo’s arrest in 2016. Joaquin and Ovidio Guzman Lopez admitted in plea agreements that they conspired to smuggle cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and other drugs and precursor chemicals into the United States from Mexico. Joaquin Guzman Lopez also admitted to arranging and participating in violence and corruption to carry out the enterprises’ wide-reaching criminal activities.
Alleged Boss of Violent Sinaloa Cartel Faction Indicted in Chicago on Narcoterrorism, Drug, and Firearm Charges
Oscar Manuel Gastelum Iribe, also known as “El Musico,” allegedly oversaw the importation of substantial quantities of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and other drugs into the United States on behalf of the Beltran Leyva faction of the Sinaloa Cartel in Mexico.
Six Defendants Indicted in Federal Drug Trafficking Investigation Involving Fentanyl, Heroin, and Cocaine Sales in Chicago
A superseding indictment accuses the six defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Chicago. Two of the defendants are charged with firearm offenses for illegally possessing semiautomatic handguns.
Federal Law Enforcement Seizes Fentanyl and 25 Firearms from Suburban Chicago Residences and Storage Unit; Two Individuals Arrested
Federal law enforcement arrested two individuals after seizing multiple kilograms of fentanyl and 25 firearms from their suburban Chicago residences and storage unit.
Five Defendants Charged in Federal Investigation Targeting Fentanyl Sales in Chicago
The indictment accuses four of the defendants of conspiring to distribute fentanyl, meth, and heroin. Three defendants are charged with illegally possessing firearms, including handguns equipped with a “switch” device, making them capable of firing multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Laundering Money for Mexico-Based Drug Trafficking Organization
David Berger received more than $300,000 in cash from the cartel for arranging private jet travel for drug traffickers to transport illicit proceeds from the United States to Mexico.
Violent Crime / Gangs / Firearms
Federal Indictment Charges Three Alleged Members or Associates of Chicago Street Gang with Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders and Carjackings
Three alleged members or associates of a Chicago street gang were charged with conspiring to commit multiple murders and carjackings in the city and suburbs.
Five Defendants Indicted on Federal Firearm Charges for Allegedly Trafficking Firearms in Chicago
The defendants allegedly conspired to deal firearms without a license. The cases in Chicago are part of a larger, multi-district investigation that previously resulted in charges in the District of Colorado (click here to read a news release issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado).
Federal Prison Inmate Sentenced to Life Term for Murdering Fellow Inmate Due to His Religious Faith
Brandon Simonson beat another inmate because he was Jewish. Simonson wanted to gain recognition and membership in a white supremacist antisemitic prison gang called the Valhalla Bound Skinheads.
Federal Grand Jury Indicts Members and Associates of Violent Chicago Street Gang for Racketeering Conspiracy Involving 13 Murders
The indictment alleges that members of the Faceworld street gang engaged in numerous acts of violence, including 13 murders and numerous attempted murders, assaults, armed robberies, and carjackings in Chicago.
Chicago Street Gang Member Sentenced to 34 Years for Murdering a Man and Threatening a Witness
Diontae Harper committed murder to maintain and increase his position in the Faceworld street gang on the South Side of Chicago.
Federal Indictment Charges Man with Illegally Possessing Loaded Machine Gun in Chicago Park
The Glock handgun allegedly possessed by Eddie Arguelles was equipped with a conversion device, also known as a “Glock switch” or “auto sear,” allowing the gun to fire multiple rounds with a single pull of the trigger.
Federal Jury Convicts Chicago Street Gang Leader of Participating in Racketeering Conspiracy Involving Multiple Murders
Labar Spann was a leader of the Four Corner Hustlers street gang, which terrorized the West Side of Chicago for two decades by committing murders, robberies, extortions, and drug dealing.
Federal Judge Sentences Man to More than Seven Years for Robbing U.S. Postal Service Carrier
Richard Thompson displayed a handgun and took the carrier’s USPS-issued Arrow Key. At the time of the robbery, Thompson was on pre-trial release for an unrelated criminal charge in state court.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Carjacking and Firearm Offenses
Kiar Evans fired shots through a window of a vehicle while attempting to get inside. He later carjacked another vehicle after pointing a gun at the driver.
Alleged Member of Chicago Street Gang Charged with Soliciting the Murder of Senior Law Enforcement Official
An alleged ranking member of a Chicago street gang was charged with soliciting the murder of a senior law enforcement official involved in “Operation Midway Blitz.”
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Assaulting Federal Employee Outside Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago
The alleged assault occurred on a weekday afternoon as the victim, who is employed by the federal judiciary, was standing on the sidewalk outside of the Dirksen Federal Building. Joshua Rowell approached the victim from behind and allegedly punched her on the side of her face, sending her stumbling into the street.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Charges Man with Felony Possession of a Dangerous Weapon During Standoff in Federal Courthouse in Downtown Chicago
Mario Santoyo allegedly put a knife to his throat and threatened to hurt himself in the lobby of the Dirksen Federal Building, causing a nine-and-a-half-hour standoff. Federal law enforcement used non-lethal force to take Santoyo into custody.
Child Exploitation / Human Trafficking
Chicago Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Children
Armando Torres used social media to contact and persuade young girls, most of whom were younger than ten years old, to create and send him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.
Rockford Man Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges
Alex Ledoux allegedly possessed images of child pornography on an electronic device. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of 20 years.
Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 34 Years in Prison for Sexually Exploiting Multiple Children
Richard Barnett falsely claimed to be 12 or 13 years old when he contacted young girls online and requested—and sometimes demanded—that they send him sexually explicit images of themselves.
Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Sexually Exploiting Child He Met Online
Andrew Boltz enticed a Chicago-area girl into sending him sexually explicit images of herself. Boltz instructed the girl on what type of explicit conduct should be portrayed in the images.
Public Corruption
Former Illinois Speaker of the House Michael J. Madigan Sentenced to Seven and a Half Years in Prison After Corruption Conviction
Michael J. Madigan used his official position to corruptly solicit and receive personal financial rewards for himself and his associates. He was sentenced to seven and a half years in prison after a nearly 11-week trial resulting in his conviction.
Consultant Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Conspiring to Falsify Records and Evade Internal Controls at Commonwealth Edison as Part of Scheme to Bribe Former Illinois House Speaker Michael J. Madigan
Michael McClain and three others were convicted of conspiracy and other charges related to a bribery scheme. The other defendants included former ComEd CEO Anne Pramaggiore, who was sentenced to two years; former ComEd Vice President John Hooker, who was sentenced to 18 months, and ComEd’s former outside lobbyist Jay Doherty, who was sentenced to a year.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Suburban Chicago Police Chief of Bribery and Obstruction of Justice
John Kosmowski, formerly the Chief of Police in Summit, Ill., accepted a bribe from a local businessman to help facilitate the transfer of a liquor license.
City of Chicago Employee Indicted on Federal Tax Fraud Charges
Eric Sanders, a City of Chicago Department of Aviation employee who oversaw snow-removal operations at O’Hare International Airport, was indicted for allegedly accepting payments from a snow removal company and directing the money to nominees to conceal the payments and avoid paying taxes.
Former Superintendent of Evanston/Skokie School District 65 and Three Others Indicted in Alleged Kickback Scheme
Devon Horton allegedly steered school district contracts to companies created by three friends and then received kickbacks from the contracts. Horton also allegedly engaged in an embezzlement scheme by improperly using a school district credit card.
Immigration
Undocumented Immigrant Charged with Illegally Re-Entering United States After Multiple Deportations
Salvador Guerrero-Lopez was deported from the United States to Mexico in 2004, 2011, and 2021 after criminal convictions for unlawful sexual intercourse with a minor in California and narcotics distribution in Arkansas. Guerrero-Lopez was found to be in the U.S. in 2025.
Foreign National Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation
Santos Vasquez-Ortiz, who was deported from the United States in 2008, was allegedly unlawfully present in the U.S. when he was arrested in 2021 for aggravated criminal sexual assault in McHenry County, Ill. He was later convicted of the offense in state court.
Undocumented Immigrant Sentenced to More than a Year in Prison for Unlawfully Re-Entering United States After Deportation
Luis Chavez was deported from the United States to his native Mexico in 2015 after being convicted of firearm and attempted burglary offenses in Kankakee County, Ill. He was later found to be present in Kankakee County and was taken into federal custody.
Healthcare Fraud
National Health Care Fraud Takedown Results in Charges Against 324 Individuals, Including 13 in Northern District of Illinois
The 13 defendants charged in the Northern District of Illinois allegedly participated in fraud schemes involving more than $1.83 billion billed to government programs and private health insurers. The schemes caused the Department of Health and Human Services’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Medicare, and other insurers to pay more than $865 million in fraudulent reimbursements.
Suburban Chicago Man Indicted on Federal Healthcare Fraud Charges
Shawn Bashir allegedly created fictitious therapy companies and then used them to submit more than $17.3 million in fraudulent claims to a private insurer.
Chicago Chiropractor Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in Prison for $2.1 Million Healthcare Fraud
Clarence W. Brown III allegedly billed a private insurer more than $2 million in nonexistent services. Brown allegedly used the fraud proceeds to fund a lavish lifestyle, including a house, a $100,000 BMW X5 sport-utility vehicle, international vacations, and shopping at luxury stores such as Tiffany’s.
Walgreens Agrees to Pay Up to $350 Million for Illegally Filling Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions and Submitting False Claims
The civil settlement resolved allegations that Walgreens illegally filled millions of invalid prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances in violation of the Controlled Substances Act and then sought payment for many of those prescriptions from Medicare and other federal health care programs in violation of the False Claims Act.
Financial Fraud
U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago Obtains Forfeiture of $214 Million in Proceeds from Alleged “Pump and Dump” Investment Fraud Scheme
The fraud scheme allegedly involved individuals in China posing as U.S.-based investment advisors on social media and falsely promising significant returns from investments in a certain company. The misleading promotion and subsequent coordinated trading by the defendants caused the stock price to artificially rise, at which point the defendants allegedly sold thousands of shares and made millions of dollars in profits. Federal law enforcement seized approximately $214 million in alleged fraud proceeds, allowing the government to return money to victim investors.
Federal Jury in Chicago Convicts Man of Orchestrating $14 Million Cryptocurrency Fraud
Robert Dunlap made numerous false and misleading statements to potential and actual investors, including claims that his purported digital asset, known as Meta-1 Coin, was backed by as much as $1 billion in art and $44 billion in gold.
Founder of Chicago Cryptocurrency Company Indicted in Alleged $10 Million Money Laundering Conspiracy
Firas Isa allegedly knowingly allowed criminals to use his cash-to-cryptocurrency exchange business to launder at least $10 million in proceeds from wire fraud and narcotics offenses.
U.S. Postal Service Employee Indicted for Alleged Workers’ Compensation Fraud
Graciela Venegas allegedly pocketed $51,776 in augmented work comp benefits to which she was not entitled.
West Columbia Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Federal Prison for Child Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Stephen Todd Greene, 55, of West Columbia, has been sentenced to 40 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places, producing child sexual abuse material, and coercion/enticement of a minor and aiding/abetting.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Greene initiated an online relationship with a woman in Brazil that had access to two minor females, one was 8 years old, and the other was 2 years old. Greene solicited child sexual abuse images and videos of the minors for his own sexual gratification, which he directed via livestream. He later had cameras installed in one of the child’s bedrooms, which provided him with 24/7 remote access to the child.
Subsequently, in July 2024, Greene travelled to Brazil and sexually abused one of the minor victims on several occasions. He further admitted to prior sexual abuse of at least one child in South Carolina. Upon his arrest, FBI obtained and searched his devices, which contained over 250 images and 100 videos of child sexual abuse material.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Greene to 480 months imprisonment, to be followed by a 15-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the Brazilian Federal Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Elle E. Klein prosecuted the case.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.
Waipahu Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Paying Adults to Sexually Abuse Children During Livestreamed Internet VideosRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Robert Silva, 52, of Waipahu, Hawaii, was sentenced on Tuesday to 30 years in federal prison (the statutory maximum) followed by a 20-year term of supervised release for producing child pornography. He must also now register as a sex offender. Silva pled guilty pursuant to a plea agreement in September 2025.
As part of his guilty plea, Silva admitted that on multiple occasions in 2018 and 2019, he paid adults in the Philippines to sexually abuse children there during live internet video streams. While in Hawaii, Silva created recordings of these video streams, which show him directing the adults to abuse the children, ranging from ages three to thirteen, in real time. Silva would “tip” the adults, sometimes as little as fifty cents, to engage in specific sex acts with the children.
At sentencing, Senior U.S. District Judge Helen Gillmor highlighted the egregious nature of the defendant’s conduct, which involved the sexual exploitation of young children from economically marginalized communities abroad. Judge Gillmor expressed concern that Silva continued to minimize the severity of his role in the offense after he argued he did not himself commit a “hands on” offense.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Eucker and Rebecca A. Perlmutter prosecuted the case.
Utah Brothers Sentenced to Prison for Drug and Money Laundering Crimes that Involved the Distribution of “Bath Salts” in UtahRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah - One of two brothers that led a large drug trafficking organization was sentenced on January 7, 2026, to 96 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release. Mountazar Altalibi, 36, of Salt Lake County, Utah, was sentenced nearly a month after his brother, Jaafar Altalibi, 44, of Salt Lake County was sentenced to the same sentence, for a combined 16 years’ imprisonment.
The two sentences, imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart, comes after Mountazar and Jaafar distributed Alpha-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone, commonly referred to as “Alpha PHP,” or “bath salts,” out of two Utah businesses for several years and made hundreds of thousands of dollars from their drug trafficking crimes. The two brothers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute α-Pyrrolidinohexanophenone (α-PHP), and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
In addition to their terms of imprisonment, and supervised release, the court ordered the defendants to forfeit millions of dollars in assets including multiple residential and commercial properties, vehicles, businesses, jewelry, and other high-end personal property.
According to court documents and statements made at the Altalibi brothers’ change of plea and sentencing hearings, beginning in May 2020 through August 17, 2022, Mountazar and Jaafar Altalibi, imported and received “bath salts” from a foreign supplier and sold them to others for profit. The Altalibi brothers distributed the “bath salts” to each other and coconspirators, many of whom have already pleaded guilty and been sentenced, who then redistributed the “bath salts” on behalf of the Altalibi brothers. See prior press release: Alleged Drug Trafficking Ring Leader and Utah Business Owner Behind Bars Following Massive Narcotics Bust.
Mountazar and Jaafar Altalibi further admitted that between November 2011 and August 2022, they assisted in the money laundering of drug proceeds by receiving cash from customers and supplying them with “bath salts.” The Altalibi brothers then used the proceeds of the distribution of the “bath salts” to reinvest in their distribution network by acquiring more “bath salts,” and to finance their lifestyle and homes. Jaafar also paid for and supplied his business, Smokers Haven, with the drug proceeds.
“Protecting our communities and prosecuting drug traffickers is a priority of this administration and my office,” said U.S. Attorney Melissa Holyoak of the District of Utah. “Criminals who import and distribute bath salts or any other type of illegal and deadly substance will be held accountable.”
“The DEA and the Salt Lake City Metro Narcotics Task (MNTF) will continue to investigate any person or organization selling illegal substances that cause harm,” said Miguel Chino, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Rocky Mountain Field Division Salt Lake Office. “It doesn’t matter whether it is bath salts, methamphetamine, or cocaine – the DEA and MNTF will continue to track down and arrest drug traffickers, and seize illegal controlled substances and narcotics proceeds.”
The case was investigated jointly by the DEA Metro Narcotics Task Force, made up of officers from the DEA, Unified Police Department of Greater Salt Lake/Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office, West Valley City Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (IRS). Special assistance was provided by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Utah Department of Public Safety, Tooele Police Department, Sandy Police Department, South Jordan Police Department, Murray Police Department, Salt Lake City Police Department, Park City Police Department, and the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
United States Attorneys Seth Nielsen, and Vernon G. Stejskal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case. United States Attorney Travis Elder litigated the forfeiture case.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects over $10 Million in Fiscal Year 2025Read the Press Release
Charlottesville, Va. – Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci announced today that the Western District of Virginia collected $10,621,656.97 in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2025. Of this amount, $9,151,869.51 was collected in criminal actions and $1,469,787.46 was collected in civil actions.
Additionally, the Western District of Virginia worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $60,245,937.67 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $10,076.28 was collected in criminal actions and $60,235,861.39 was collected in civil actions.
“The men and women of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia work tirelessly to ensure taxpayer dollars are used properly and that the American people are protected from fraud and abuse,” Acting United States Attorney Tracci said today. “Today’s announcement is a testament to the work of those involvement in the collection of criminal and civil penalties as well as the forfeiture of property obtained through criminal activity. The people of the Western District of Virginia should be proud of the work these civil servants perform on their behalf each and every day.”
The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss.
Additionally, the Western District of Virginia utilized a Federal Debt Collection Procedures Act writ to seize over $1.1 million from a criminal defendant to pay criminal restitution. These collection numbers demonstrate the district’s strategic use of all debt collection tools available under the law to ensure that criminal defendants are held responsible for repaying the victims of their crime and that civil debtors are held accountable for their debts to the government.
These collection amounts include $5 million in criminal fines from the prosecution of Envigo RMS, LLC and Envigo Global Services, Inc., a dog breeding facility that conspired to violate the Animal Welfare Act and Clean Water Act.
Separately, the Western District of Virginia forfeited $72.2 million to the United States related to its criminal and civil prosecutions. This amount includes $24,878,594.89 from Indivior, and $46,773,249.50 from McKinsey & Co.
Additionally, $200,000 was collected from the conviction of Duane Dixon, a former doctor, who concealed health care fraud and prescribed highly addictive opioid painkillers to at-risk patients at pain clinics in Central and Southwest Virginia. Forfeited funds also include tens of thousands of dollars seized from individuals who acted as money mules for foreign criminals employing various fraud schemes against victims in the United States.
The Western District of Virginia strategically used both civil and criminal judicial forfeiture to help victims and hold criminals accountable. As a result, significant portions of the funds forfeited to the United States in FY25 were returned to victims of crime.
Tribal Police Officer Charged with Sexually Abusing Three Victims While on Duty: FBI Seeks Additional VictimsRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – A White Mountain Apache Tribal Police officer was arrested Wednesday in Canyon Day on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation, after being charged in a federal indictment with sexual abuse and kidnapping.
Karl Eugene Leslie, 42, of Whiteriver, Arizona, is charged in a 15-count indictment, returned Dec. 23, 2025, with Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Kidnapping (including one count of Kidnapping-Victim Under 18), Sexual Abuse through Fear, Sexual Abuse through Coercion, and Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law.
Leslie was an active law enforcement officer with the White Mountain Apache Tribal Police Department on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation from April 2007 through June 2024. The indictment alleges that while working as an on-duty law enforcement officer, Leslie sexually abused three victims on dates ranging from Dec. 1, 2020, through Sept. 25, 2023. The indictment alleges that Leslie forcibly raped and kidnapped two of the three victims, one of whom was a minor, and that Leslie twice engaged in sexual acts with a third victim by threatening her and placing her in fear. Each victim is a member of the White Mountain Apache Tribe on the Fort Apache Indian Reservation.
The FBI’s Phoenix Field Office believes there could be additional victims and is asking anyone with information and/or any potential victims to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or submit the information via this seeking victim page: https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/victim-services/seeking-victim-information/seeking-victim-information-in-karl-leslie-investigation.
A conviction for Aggravated Sexual Abuse, Kidnapping, Sexual Abuse through Fear, Sexual Abuse through Coercion, and Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law all carry a maximum sentence of up to life imprisonment and up to a $250,000 fine. A conviction for Kidnapping-Victim Under 18 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years.
The FBI Phoenix Pinetop-Lakeside office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dimitra H. Sampson (Flagstaff) and Lindsay L. Short (Phoenix), District of Arizona, are handling the prosecution.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
CASE NUMBER: CR-2025-08232-PCT-DGC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2026-003_Leslie
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.
Tracy Man Sentenced to over 7 Years in Prison for his Role in Murder-for-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Shaminderjit Singh Sandhu, 52, of Tracy, was sentenced today to seven and a half years in prison for conspiring to use interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, Sandhu conspired with Jagninder Singh Boparai, 49, of Manteca; and Ramesh Kumar Birla Jr., 47, of Dublin, to murder a victim identified as Victim 2. In February 2023, Boparai met with a person he believed to be a hitman at a Starbucks in Manteca. Unbeknownst to Boparai and his co-defendants, throughout their interactions, the hitman was in fact a confidential informant working for the FBI. Boparai told the supposed hitman that the first job involved the assault of another man with whom the defendants were feuding. Once the hitman proved his trustworthiness, he would be given another job.
The following day, Boparai met the confidential informant again and offered to pay $6,000 for the assault. In March 2023, in the presence of Birla and another individual, Boparai met with the confidential informant, and Boparai gave the confidential informant $1,000 as a down payment for the assault. After more time had passed, the confidential informant showed Boparai a staged photo of the supposed assault victim lying on the ground covered in bruises, dirt, and blood to show the assault had occurred. Boparai said he liked the photo and told the confidential informant that he had two other “jobs,” one of which involved robbing a business, and the other involved making a person “disappear.”
Then, in March 2023, Boparai met with the confidential informant to pay the confidential informant $10,000 as a down payment for the murder for hire job. Sandhu provided the second victim’s address, and Boparai instructed the confidential informant that the victim must disappear without any evidence remaining. On March 24, 2023, Sandhu and Birla met with the confidential informant in a parking lot in Manteca. Sandhu and Birla claimed that Boparai was out of town, but Boparai was observed remaining in a car in the same parking lot. Sandhu and Birla instructed the confidential informant to kill the victim and take his remains to Mexico in a suitcase. All three defendants were arrested on March 31, 2023, and are currently in federal custody.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the California Highway Patrol, the Ceres Police Department, the Dublin Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Lathrop Police Department, the Modesto Police Department, the San Joaquin County Probation Office, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office, the Stanislaus County District Attorney’s Bureau of Investigation, the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Office, the Stockton Police Department, the Tracy Police Department, the Turlock Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian T. Kinsella and Kevin Khasigian are prosecuting the case.
Sandhu pleaded guilty on July 31, 2025. Boparai pleaded guilty to the same charge on January 23, 2025. On August 14, 2025, U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta sentenced him to nine years in prison.
Birla is scheduled for a further status conference on February 12, 2026. If convicted, he faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges against Birla are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless he is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Three Men Charged in Bank Fraud Conspiracy Targeting Mail Collection Boxes and Postal VehiclesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Three men were charged with conspiracy to commit bank fraud connected to theft of mail from collection boxes and postal vehicles across Northern New Jersey, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced today.
Jeffrey Bennett, a/k/a “Bizz,” a/k/a “Riley Smith,” 31, of Irvington and Rahway, New Jersey, Aquil Hubbard, 31, of Middlesex and Newark, New Jersey, and Tashon Ragan, a/k/a “Ta,” 26, of Union, New Jersey, were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to commit bank fraud. Bennett, Hubbard, and Ragan made their initial appearances in court before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court. They were detained pending further proceedings.
According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court:
From December 2024 to December 2025, Bennett, Hubbard, and Ragan conspired to steal mail and packages from United States Postal Service mail collection boxes and postal vehicles. The conspirators sought checks, financial instruments, and other items of value from the mail. The conspirators altered checks and attempted to deposit them at various financial institutions in New Jersey, and they used social media to recruit account holders at various financial institutions to further the goals of the conspiracy. Investigators connected Bennett, Hubbard, and Ragan to a series of smash-and-grab burglaries of United States Postal Service vehicles across Northern New Jersey. In those incidents, members of the conspiracy either smashed windows of postal vehicles or opened unlocked vehicle doors and stole trays of mail, often in broad daylight while postal workers were out delivering mail.
The charge of conspiracy to commit bank fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years’ imprisonment and a fine of $1,000,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or loss to a person other than the defendant, whichever is greater.
Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello credited postal inspectors of the United States Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked postal inspectors of the United States Postal Service, Office of the Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, and agents and investigators from the United States Secret Service, Newark Field Office, as well as law enforcement officers from the Bernards Police Department, Belleville Police Department, Chatham Borough Police Department, Clifton Police Department, East Hanover Police Department, Maplewood Police Department, Middlesex Police Department, Metuchen Police Department, Nutley Police Department, Parsippany Police Department, Rahway Police Department, Roseland Police Department, and Union Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael K. O’Leary of the General 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 for Bennett: Laura Sayler, Esq. Assistant Federal Public Defender
Defense counsel for Hubbard: Perry Primavera, Esq.
Defense counsel for Ragan: Adam Elewa, Esq.
St. Louis Woman Admits $177,000 Pandemic-Era Tax Credit SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis, Missouri woman on Thursday admitted fraudulently obtaining $177,000 by falsely claiming tax credits for retaining employees during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ayana J. Brown, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two felony counts of theft of government property. Brown admitted filing two fraudulent quarterly employment tax returns (IRS Form 941s) with the IRS on behalf of Yaya Flowtiques LLC on Dec. 22, 2022. The filings falsely claimed that the company had 5 employees and paid $177,321.77 and $145,098.88 in wages for the first and second quarters of 2021, respectively. The forms sought Employee Retention Tax Credits, which were designed to encourage businesses to retain employees during the pandemic. Generally, businesses qualified for the ERC if they paid qualifies wages to employees during the pandemic and were shut down by a government order, experienced a 50% decline in gross receipts or qualified as a recovery startup business.
Brown did not have employees or pay wages during this period and the company had little or no operations. Brown had never reported income from Yaya Flowtiques and knew that the forms 941 were false. Based on these fraudulent IRS Forms 941, the IRS issued two U.S. Treasury checks for $97,645.53 and $79,901.40 to Yaya Flowtiques. Brown deposited the checks before making multiple large cash withdrawals and spending the remaining proceeds on personal expenses, food, and shopping.
Brown is scheduled to be sentenced on May 6. Each theft of government property charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and fine.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Clow is prosecuting the case.
St. Louis County Man Admits Killing Two Women and a BabyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A St. Louis County man on Thursday admitted shooting four teens in St. Louis in 2023, killing two and causing the death a month later of one woman’s baby.
Eddie Marcus Love, 38, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to four felony counts: conspiracy to distribute marijuana, discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, being a felon in possession of ammunition and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Love admitted shooting the four women after failing to buy marijuana for them.
On the evening of May 6, 2023, one of the victims contacted Love and arranged for herself and her friends to be picked up so they could obtain marijuana and visit a bar. Love’s co-defendant, Charles Webster, was driving and Love was in the passenger seat of a Volkswagen Passat. The victims shared the back seat.
Webster and Love tried and failed to buy marijuana twice. When the victims expressed their frustration, Love told them to get out of the car near the 1900 block of Agnes Street in St. Louis. Love shoved one victim, who told him to stop because she was pregnant. Love was armed with a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and began shooting at the women as they walked away, killing the two 18-year-olds and wounding the two 17-year-olds, he admitted Thursday. Love told Webster to circle the block, and he then shot one of the wounded victims twice more in the head. She was 10 weeks pregnant but her child was not injured. The child of the other wounded victim, who was 30 weeks pregnant, was delivered by emergency C-section and died about a month later as a result of gunshot wounds.
On May 12, 2023, investigators conducted a court-approved search of Love’s home in Bellefontaine Neighbors and found the Passat, a cell phone that contained Love’s messages with one of the victims, clothing worn by Webster and Love at the time of the shooting, one spent nine-millimeter cartridge casing that matched the casings from the crime scene, three guns and various magazines and ammunition. Love is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms or ammunition. Investigators also found a pair of shoes with multiple apparent blood stains containing DNA matching one of the victims.
Webster pleaded guilty in December to three counts: conspiracy to knowingly and intentionally possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and being a felon in possession of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced in May.
Love is scheduled to be sentenced on June 11. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will recommend 50 years in prison.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angie Danis and Don Boyce are prosecuting the case.
Sioux City Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
Victor Villarreal, 30, from Sioux City, was sentenced today, to more than 3 years in federal prison, after a September 16, 2025, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon.
Evidence in the case revealed on May 3, 2025, Villarreal, the mother of his children, and others went out for dinner and drinks, leaving Villarreal’s minor children under the care of a 15-year old babysitter. He became intoxicated, agitated, and returned home. When the mother of the children attempted to stop Villarreal from driving the children away while he was intoxicated, he became violent and pulled a gun. The babysitter called 911 for help. In the early morning hours of May 4, 2025, law enforcement responded to the report of an angry, intoxicated, man waving a firearm in the air and threatening others, including minors. Villarreal fled the scene in another person’s car prior to officers’ arrival. Law enforcement learned he was a felon and also subject to an active no contact order both of which precluded his lawful possession of a firearm. Officers found Villarreal, attempted to stop him, but he fled leading officers on a pursuit. Villarreal drove through residential neighborhoods in Sioux City at a high rate of speed, eventually hitting a wooden fence where he exited the vehicle and was taken into custody.
Villarreal was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 37 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Villarreal is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and the United States Department of Justice’s Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF). This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-4044.
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Previously Convicted Killer Sentenced in Taking a Loaded Revolver into a DC Government BuildingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dwayne Taylor, 49, a convicted murderer residing in the District, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to one year and one day in prison in connection with his illegal possession of a loaded revolver he carried into a government building that had been designated as a gun-free zone, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Taylor pleaded guilty on Sept. 2, 2025, before Judge Jia M. Cobb to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the prison term, Judge Cobb ordered Taylor to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining U.S. Attorney Pirro in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Washington Field Office, and Interim Chief Jeffery Carroll of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, on June 30, 2025, shortly after 9 a.m. an MPD officer responded to the Minnesota-Benning Government Center on the 4000 block of Minnesota Avenue NE. The officer approached a security official who pointed to Taylor and identified him as a man who had a gun in his bag.
The officer asked Taylor, “What’s going on?” Taylor replied, “My weapon in my backpack.” The officer asked Taylor if he had a permit, Taylor stated, “No it’s at home, I don’t got none of my stuff with me . . . I forgot when I was rushing out the door this morning. I forgot. I just put it in my bag and ran out the door.” The officer asked Taylor if he was licensed to carry. Taylor responded, “No, I’m not licensed to carry.” The officer then placed Taylor in handcuffs and called for more officers.
Officers recovered a Hopkins & Allen 36 .38 Special Revolver loaded with five rounds of ammunition from Taylor’s backpack.
As a previously convicted felon, Taylor was prohibited from possessing a firearm. In 1995, Taylor was convicted in D.C. Superior Court of second degree murder while armed; armed robbery; and possession of a firearm during a crime of violence in the 1994 execution-style killing of cab driver Keith Moore. Taylor was sentenced to 15-years-to-life in prison and served 27 years.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the ATF Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David Liss for the District of Columbia.
An X-ray image of Taylor’s backpack as it passed through the X-Ray machine at the Minnesota-Benning Government Center. The revolver is circled in yellow.
In this photo, an officer pulls a revolver from Taylor’s backpack.
Previous sex offender sentenced to 27 years in prison for attempted coercion and child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS – A previous sex offender from Billings who attempted to obtain nude photos from a person he thought was 12 years old was sentenced today to a total of 324 months in prison to be followed by lifetime supervised release. supervised release, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.
Steven Dwyane Scott, 51, was found guilty at a September 2025 trial of one count of attempted coercion and enticement and one count of possession of child pornography. Mr. Scott was also ordered to pay a total of $17,200 in special assessments.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that in March 2024, law enforcement, acting in an undercover capacity and posing as a 12-year-old juvenile female, electronically reached out to Scott on Facebook. Scott accepted the invite and the two parties began conversing. The communications eventually transitioned to KIK.
The communications lasted from roughly March 7, 2024, until May 28, 2024. During the chats, Scott was put on notice of the “child’s” age, indicated he should not be talking to her yet continued, and sought pictures of her, including nude pictures. On May 21, 2024, Scott sent the “child” images of a gift card and payment for possible nude images from her. Scott provided instructions to the undercover officer as to the best way to verify money was on the card. Thereafter, on May 27, 2024, Scott sent a $25 Amazon gift card to the “child,” again for the purpose of obtaining images from the child. The last communication law enforcement received from Scott was on May 28, 2024.
When law enforcement reached out to Scott, he was a registered sex offender following a 1997 conviction for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in the United States District Court for the District of South Dakota.
Several years before the conduct in this case, in 2018, Scott corresponded with multiple juvenile females online. One of those children was Jane Doe 1. A law enforcement investigation stemming from Jane Doe 1’s disclosure led to a search warrant of Scott’s Snapchat account and the discovery of his interest in juvenile females. Sexually explicit images of a different victim, Jane Doe 2, were discovered on Scott’s Snapchat account.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeno Baucus prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Montana Department of Criminal Investigations, the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office and the Townsend, Massachusetts Police Department.
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.
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Violent Home Invasion Robberies Targeting Business Owners and EmployeesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Abdullah Hartage, 28, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 18 years in prison, five years of supervised release, and $60,000 in restitution by United States District Judge Juan R. Sánchez for two violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and employees.
Hartage and codefendant Ali Chandler were charged by superseding indictment in October 2022. Both pleaded guilty in October 2024 to conspiracy to commit robbery which interferes with interstate commerce (Hobbs Act robbery) and two counts of committing or threatening physical violence in furtherance of a plan or purpose to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery. Chandler is still awaiting sentencing.
As detailed in court filings and statements, on November 13, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others met at their intended victims’ area business and waited outside until closing time, when the owners and their adult daughter left. The robbers, who had conducted prior surveillance to determine where the family lived, then drove to the residence, arriving before the victims.
When the victims opened their garage and parked inside, the four perpetrators, armed with handguns, stormed in. One of the gunmen struck the 61-year-old male victim several times in the head, causing injuries, and forced him to the ground. Another gunman forced the business owners’ daughter to the ground at gunpoint, and yet another perpetrator forced the 65-year-old female victim from the garage into the home at gunpoint, striking her several times in the head and causing injuries. After the home’s security alarm sounded, the perpetrators fled, taking the daughter’s backpack, which contained her credit/debit cards and ID.
In the next robbery, committed on December 4, 2021, Hartage, Chandler, and others targeted an employee of an area store. They had spent weeks casing the store, following the victim home and identifying her house. On the night of the robbery, the perpetrators again arrived ahead of the victim. Within minutes of the victim arriving home, three armed men broke in, one telling her “I know where you work.”
The 68-year-old victim was zip-tied to a chair and pistol whipped in the face, causing head injuries, including a gash requiring stitches and a concussion. The perpetrators made off with a safe containing cash, coins, and jewelry.
Hartage had served more than two years in state prison for previous violent home invasion robberies targeting business owners and was still on state probation when he planned and committed these 2021 home invasions.
This case was investigated by FBI Philadelphia’s Newtown Square Resident Agency, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Montgomery Township Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Doherty.
Outlaw Motorcycle Gang Member Pleaded Guilty for Armed Assault Against RivalRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A member of the Los Valerosos Motorcycle Gang, a support club for the Pagan’s Motorcycle Gang, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Greg Kays, for his involvement in an armed assault against a member of rival motorcycle club.
Graham S. Gattis, also known as “Dro,” 41, of East Ridge, Tn., pleaded guilty today to one count of assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering, and one count of possession of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
On Sept. 17, 2022, Gattis and other members of the Pagan’s and Los Valerosos chased and forced a lone rival gang member from the road in Blue Springs, Mo. Various members of the Pagan’s and Los Valerosos were armed with firearms and at least one axe handle. Gattis and the others confronted the victim on the side of the roadway and ultimately, the victim was shot seven times, with wounds to his knee, thigh, forearm, biceps, buttocks and back of his leg.
Under federal statutes, Gattis is subject to a sentence of not less than five years and up to life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. 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.
Orangeburg Felon Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Pierre Desmond Morgan, 36, of Orangeburg, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Evidence presented in court showed that agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives identified Morgan as an individual involved in trafficking firearms in the Orangeburg area. On April 24 and May 8, 2024, Morgan sold six firearms and ammunition to law enforcement. The firearms included weapons capable of accepting large-capacity magazines, as well as firearms without serial numbers. During these transactions, Morgan disclosed that he had access to additional firearms and switches—devices designed to convert semiautomatic firearms into fully automatic machine guns.
On Dec. 6, 2024, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Morgan. During the stop, a drug-detecting K-9 alerted to the vehicle. A search of the vehicle resulted in the seizure of a loaded firearm and distribution quantities of marijuana and methamphetamine.
Morgan has prior felony convictions and is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms and ammunition. At the time of the offenses, Morgan was on federal supervised release for a prior firearm conviction.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Morgan to 120 months in prison, to be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. Morgan was also sentenced to an additional 15 months’ imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release related to a 2017 firearm conviction. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore prosecuted the case.
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Oklahoma Medical Supply Company Owner Indicted for $30M Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed in the Middle District of Florida today charging an Oklahoma chiropractor and medical supply company owner for his role in a conspiracy to submit fraudulent claims to multiple federal health care programs for orthotic braces and other durable medical equipment (DME), and for the theft of government funds intended to support health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to the indictment, Mark Loftis, 38, of Cushing, Oklahoma, was the owner of a medical supply company called Back Pain Home Supplies LLC, which did business as EZ Medical Supply. As alleged, Loftis paid illegal kickbacks to marketers in exchange for the referral of Medicare patients, and to marketers and telemedicine companies in exchange for signed doctors’ orders that could be used to support claims to health care benefit programs. The telemedicine providers did not engage in meaningful evaluation of the patients before signing the orders. Loftis allegedly caused Back Pain to bill Medicare, TRICARE (the health care benefit program for U.S. service members and their families), and CHAMPVA (the health care benefit program for spouses and children of permanently disabled veterans) for DME that was medically unnecessary, obtained through the payment of illegal kickbacks, and not provided as billed. In total, Back Pain submitted approximately $30 million in false and fraudulent claims, for which the three health care programs paid approximately $8 million.
As further alleged, Loftis converted for his own use and the use of others money he received from the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) pursuant to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. PRF funds were appropriated to help health care providers that were financially impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as to provide care to patients who were suffering from COVID-19 and compensate providers for the cost of that care. As alleged, Loftis received more than $133,000 in PRF funds and then falsely attested to a series of conditions to retain the funds, including that he would use the funds for health care expenses and to replace revenue lost due to the pandemic. In reality, Loftis used a portion of the funds to further the DME fraud scheme and for a variety of personal expenses.
Loftis is charged with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States and to offer, pay, solicit, and receive kickbacks, and two counts of theft of government property. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the health care and wire fraud conspiracy count, five years in prison on the conspiracy and kickback count, and 10 years in prison on each of the theft of government property counts. A federal judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe for the Middle District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor of the FBI’s Tampa Field Office; Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Jason Sargenski of the Department of Defense, Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge David Spilker of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
FBI, HHS-OIG, DCIS, and VA-OIG are investigating the case.
Acting Assistant Chief Catherine Wagner of the Justice Department’s Fraud Section is prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Violating the Federal Sex Offender Registration and Notification ActRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Cornell Cordon, 58, of New York, New York, pleaded guilty today to failure to update his registration as a sex offender, as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA), following interstate travel.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Cordon was convicted of first-degree sexual abuse in Putnam County, West Virginia, Circuit Court on July 15, 2019. Cordon was living in West Virginia when he obtained permission from his probation officer to visit family in Elizabeth, New Jersey, from April 14, 2025, to April 21, 2025. Cordon failed to return to West Virginia following the authorized trip and there is no record of Cordon registering as a sex offender in New Jersey as required.
Cordon is scheduled to be sentenced on April 2, 2026, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
United States Attorney Moore Capito made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Marshals Service (USMS).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
SORNA is part of the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006 and provides a comprehensive set of minimum standards for sex offender registration and notification in the United States. SORNA seeks to strengthen the nationwide network of sex offender registration and notification programs, in part by requiring registered sex offenders to register and keep their registration current in each jurisdiction in which they reside, work, or go to school.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:25-cr-142.
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New Jersey Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Scheme to Generate Revenue for North Korean Weapons ProgramsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Jersey man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his involvement in a scheme to generate revenue for the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs. The scheme involved the dispatchment of skilled information technology (IT) workers who, using stolen identities of U.S. persons, posed as domestic workers to obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies, including several Fortune 500 companies and a defense contractor.
Zhenxing “Danny” Wang, 39, of New Jersey, pleaded guilty to one count each of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for April 14, 2026. In June 2025, Zhenxing Wang was indicted by a federal grand jury along with nine co-conspirators, including eight overseas operatives.
In response to U.S. and U.N. sanctions, the DPRK government dispatched thousands of skilled IT workers around the world, who falsified and stole identities of U.S. persons and posed as domestic workers to obtain remote IT jobs with U.S. companies and generate revenue for DPRK WMD programs. The DPRK IT workers’ scheme involved the use of pseudonymous email, social media, payment platform and online job site accounts, as well as false websites, proxy computers, and third-party enablers in the United States and abroad. According to the court documents, the IT workers employed under this scheme also gained access to sensitive employer data and source code, including International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR) data from a California-based defense contractor that develops artificial intelligence-powered equipment and technologies.
According to the indictment, from approximately 2021 through October 2024, Zhenxing Wang and his alleged co-conspirators perpetuated a massive fraud scheme resulting in the transmission of false and misleading information to dozens of U.S. companies, financial institutions, and government agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and the Social Security Administration. Specifically, Zhenxing Wang and his alleged co-conspirators compromised the identities of more than 80 U.S. persons; fraudulently obtained remote jobs at more than 100 U.S. companies, including several Fortune 500 companies; received laptops and other hardware from U.S. companies; accessed, without authorization, the internal systems of these U.S. companies, including sensitive employer data and source code; generated at least $5 million in revenue for the overseas IT workers; and caused U.S. victim companies to incur legal fees, computer network remediation costs and other damages and losses of at least $3 million.
The overseas IT workers were assisted in this scheme by Zhenxing Wang, Kejia Wang and at least four other identified U.S. facilitators. Kejia Wang pleaded guilty to his role in the scheme in September 2025.
Zhenxing Wang and other U.S. facilitators received and/or hosted laptops belonging to U.S. victim companies at their residences to deceive the U.S. companies into believing the IT workers were in the United States. Zhenxing Wang and his alleged co-conspirators facilitated remote access to the computers for the overseas IT workers through illicit means, including downloading software to the computers without authorization from the U.S. companies, connecting the U.S. companies’ computers to internet-connected KVM switches, and creating shell companies with corresponding websites and financial accounts, including Hopana Tech LLC, Tony WKJ LLC and Independent Lab LLC, to make it appear as though the overseas IT workers were affiliated with legitimate U.S. businesses. These facilitators also allegedly established accounts at U.S. financial institutions and online money transfer services to receive money from victimized U.S. companies, much of which was subsequently transferred to overseas co-conspirators. In exchange for their services, Zhenxing Wang and Kejia Wang collected at least $700,000 in fees.
This investigation is the culmination of a multi-year investigation by federal law enforcement agencies and is one of several charged as part of the Justice Department’s initiative, DPRK: Domestic Enabler. Under the initiative, Department prosecutors and agents continue to prioritize high-impact, strategic, and unified enforcement and disruption operations targeting DPRK’s illicit revenue generation efforts through remote IT workers and the U.S.-based individuals who enable them.
The U.S. Department of State has offered potential rewards for up to $5 million in support of international efforts to disrupt North Korea’s illicit financial activities, including for certain information related to individuals who are sent outside of North Korea to work to generate money for the North Korean government or who facilitate the activities of such North Korean nationals.
The charges of conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Chistopher S. Delzotto, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Las Vegas Division; John E. Helsing, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Western Field Office; and Kevin Murphy, Acting Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Casey, Deputy Chief of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Gregory J. Nicosia, Jr. of the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section. Valuable assistance was provided by FBI New York, Newark and San Diego Field Offices; HSI Newark Field Office; United States Postal Inspection Service’s San Diego Field Office; and the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of New Jersey, the Eastern District of New York and the Southern District of California.
\The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Morgantown Construction Company Sentenced for Tax Fraud, Employing IllegalsRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Hetzon Marroquin Reyes, owner and operator of A&M Homes, LLC, in Morgantown, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 24 months in federal prison for employing illegal aliens and tax fraud, United States Attorney Matthew L. Harvey announced.
Reyes, also known as “Hector,” age 41, hired and harbored illegal workers for his construction company. Reyes, a Guatemalan resident, in the United States on a temporary visa himself, created fraudulent documentation for the illegal workers to provide to the West Virginia Division of Labor inspectors and fraudulently used others’ social security numbers for the aliens’ tax paperwork.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and the Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General.
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.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
Missouri Man Who Neglected Veteran and Concealed His Corpse Sentenced to 156 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Zachary M. Bluestone on Thursday sentenced a man to 156 months in prison for neglecting his uncle, a U.S. Army veteran with quadriplegia, for years and concealing his corpse to fraudulently obtain $1.8 million in his uncle’s disability benefits.
Brian K. Ditch, now 45, of Salem, Missouri, became solely responsible for his uncle’s care in 2008. At some point, instead of properly caring for his uncle, Ditch kept him locked away and subjected him to insufficient care and verbal abuse. Ditch fraudulently gained access to his uncle’s financial accounts and regularly wired himself money. After his uncle’s death around 2019, Ditch concealed his death from relatives, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Social Security Administration so that he could continue to steal his uncle’s money. Ditch hid the body in a shed behind his house, telling relatives that he had moved his uncle into a nursing home and police that his uncle was living with someone else.
Since 2008, the VA’s Disability Compensation program deposited approximately $1.6 million into the victim’s account. Ditch’s uncle also received a total of $235,210 in benefits from the Social Security Administration. Ditch used the money for personal purchases, including exotic reptiles and firearms. As a convicted felon, Ditch is barred from possessing firearms. On Thursday, Judge Bluestone ordered Ditch to repay the money.
“Our veterans, particularly those who were wounded while serving our country, deserve our profound respect and admiration, not a life afflicted by neglect, abuse, and exploitation,” said U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus. “I hope that this sentence sends a message that we will not tolerate this conduct, or the defrauding of programs intended to support veterans and those with disabilities.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message that the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General will vigorously investigate and hold accountable those who exploit veterans,” said Special Agent in Charge Gregory Billingsley with the VA OIG’s Central Field Office. “Egregious crimes against those who served our nation will not be tolerated, and the VA OIG extends its gratitude to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners for their unwavering commitment to achieving justice in this case.”
"For over a decade, Brian Ditch was entrusted as the sole caregiver for his uncle, a vulnerable Army veteran; yet he betrayed that trust in the most egregious way. Once his uncle passed away, Ditch then concealed his uncle’s death, hiding his body in a shed, all to keep siphoning Social Security benefits," said Michelle L. Anderson, Assistant Inspector General for Audit as First Assistant, Social Security Administration (SSA), Office of the Inspector General. “This was not just theft; it was a calculated scheme to defraud SSA of over $235,000, carried out with shocking deception and disregard for human dignity. We will continue to pursue those who abuse Social Security for personal gain.”
Ditch pleaded guilty in October to four felony counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The Salem Police Department, the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman prosecuted the case.
Milford Man Sentenced to Time ServedRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Douglas Thrams, 24 years old, of Milford, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Cristal C. Brisco after pleading guilty to making interstate communication with a threat to injure, announced United States Attorney Adam L. Mildred.
After serving 10 months and 14 days in custody, Thrams was sentenced to time served followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in January 2025, Thrams posted a series of threatening videos to his TikTok account. In the videos, Thrams advocated for the bombing of government buildings and the assassination of politicians.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Secret Service, with assistance from the Goshen Police Department and the Kosciusko County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lydia T. Lucius.
Mexican citizen pleads guilty to production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Victor Francisco Lucas, 32, a citizen of Vera Cruz, Mexico, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo to production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum of 30 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan K. Glaberson, who is handling the case, stated that beginning on January 3, 2025, and continuing for approximately two weeks, Lucas, who was residing in the Western District of New York, communicated with an out of state 12-year-old minor victim through TikTok, text message, phone calls and video calls. During these communications, Lucas, who claimed to be a 13-year-old boy, requested and directed the minor victim to produce sexually explicit images and send the images to him by text message. Also, during these communications, Lucas engaged in sexually explicit live stream facetime video calls with the minor victim.
During the investigation, a search of Lucas’ cell phone recovered material constituting child pornography, as well as multiple additional chat conversations with additional minors, which included sexually graphic communications and the transmission and receipt of child pornography.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Philip Tejera, and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti.
Sentencing is scheduled for May 18, 2026, before Judge Vilardo.
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McLean man sentenced to over a year in prison for luxury watch fraud schemeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A McLean man was sentenced today to a year and nine months in prison for mail fraud.
According to court documents, from November 2022 through June 2024, Jaivin Raj Karnani, 45, frequently used American Express card accounts he controlled to order luxury watches and related products from Harrods Limited, a luxury department store in London. Karnani would use his own name as well as the fictitious names “Quinn Bash” and “Steve Johnson” to make the purchases. After the luxury watches arrived, Karnani would initiate a dispute with American Express in an attempt to have the charges for the watches removed from his statement and balances due. Karnani would then sell or attempt to sell the watches to watch dealers in Michigan and New York.
“Jaivan Karnani’s fraudulent conduct resulted in a federal prison sentence,” said Lindsey Halligan, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia. “This case demonstrates how the abuse of consumer-protection systems inflicts widespread financial harm – driving up costs, eroding trust, and burdening honest businesses. The Eastern District of Virginia will hold accountable anyone who exploits these safeguards to enrich themselves at others’ expense.”
Altogether, Karnani falsely discharged $1,280,647.99 worth of luxury watches he ordered from Harrods, causing actual losses of $851,328.75 to American Express and $426,794.24 to Harrods. Karnani also abused the American Express charge-back process to reverse legal fees several of his own lawyers had already earned, resulting later in civil judgments against Karnani.
In addition to his prison sentence, Karnani must forfeit a total of $1,280,647.99 and 23 luxury watches seized from his residence in McLean, including watches by Rolex, Moser, Oris, Chanel, Tissot, Tudor, Omega, Porsche, Gucci, and Chopard.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Russell L. Carlberg 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-274.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiring to Create and Distribute Animal Torture VideosRead the Press Release
A Massachusetts man was sentenced today to 30 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and 100 hours of community service in connection with his involvement with online groups dedicated to creating and distributing videos depicting acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse against animals.
Garrett Fitzgerald, of Scituate, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty to conspiring to create and distribute so-called “animal crush videos.”
According to court documents, Fitzgerald conspired with Ronald Bedra, Robert Berndt, and others to direct and send money to individuals in Indonesia, via encrypted chat, to create videos depicting violent torture of baby and adult monkeys. The conspirators then distributed the sadistic videos to each other and online. Berndt was sentenced last month to 38 months in prison. Bedra was previously sentenced to 54 months in prison.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Dominick S. Gerace II for the Southern District of Ohio, Special Agent in Charge Jason Cromartie of FBI’s Cincinnati Field Office, and Assistant Director Doug Ault, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Law Enforcement made the announcement.
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and FBI investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Mark Romley and Senior Trial Attorney Adam Cullman of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Pakiz for the Southern District of Ohio are prosecuting the case.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Knowingly Concealing the Source of Material Support or Resources to ISISRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Wakefield, Mass. man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for knowingly concealing the source of material support or resources intended for the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS).
Mateo Ventura, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise Casper to 50 months in prison, to be followed by seven years of supervised release. In October 2025, Ventura pleaded guilty to one count of concealment of financing of terrorism. Ventura was charged by complaint in June 2023 and was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2023.
Ventura provided multiple gift cards to an individual he believed was an ISIS supporter, with the intention that they be sold on the dark web for a little less than face value, and with the profits being used to support ISIS. Ventura stated that he wanted the proceeds to go to ISIS “for war on kuffar,” (disbelievers), and believed the money was being used to purchase ammunition and explosives. Ventura also expressed his desire to fight alongside ISIS overseas and purchased plane tickets in order to travel to the Middle East and join ISIS. In total between January and May 2023, Ventura made donations totaling $705.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Assistant Attorney John A. Eisenberg for the Justice Department’s National Security Division; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy H. Kistner of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case. Valuable assistance was provided by Trial Attorney Michael Dittoe of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.