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23 December 2025
Former Bank Executive, Edward Gene Smith, Charged with Committing Multiple Sex Crimes, Child Pornography Offenses, and Obstruction of JusticeRead 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 the filing of a Superseding Indictment charging EDWARD GENE SMITH with drugging a female victim (“Victim-1”) with the intent to rape her, sex trafficking another female victim (“Victim-2”), enticing Victim-2 to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity, receipt and possession of child pornography, and obstruction of justice. SMITH is detained, awaiting trial before U.S. District Judge Paul A. Engelmayer. Trial is scheduled to begin on February 23, 2026.
“As alleged, Edward Gene Smith systematically preyed on vulnerable young women,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “He allegedly sexually assaulted young women, drugging and raping them, often recording his abuse in photographs and videos. Smith also allegedly possessed horrific images and videos of child sexual abuse and, when the investigation closed in, attempted to obstruct justice by paying one of his victims to sign a false document. New Yorkers want those who exploit and abuse vulnerable victims brought to justice and we are committed to doing so. We encourage any additional victims to come forward by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI.”
“Smith targeted and abused vulnerable young women by drugging, raping, and sexually assaulting them before exploiting their image on an encrypted messaging platform, as alleged,” said FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia. “Our investigation also revealed alleged possession of child pornography and an attempt by Smith to obstruct justice. As demonstrated today, the FBI remains relentless in our pursuit to root out those who prey on vulnerable victims and predators who defile the likeness of children through these heinous acts.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Indictment and in other public statements and filings:[1]
From at least in or about 2019 to at least in or about April 2023, SMITH, a senior finance executive of a major U.S. bank, targeted young women on the Internet and enticed them to meet with him at his Central Park South residence and other locations. On multiple occasions, SMITH drugged his victims without their consent or knowledge, sexually abused them while they were incapacitated or unconscious, and photographed or recorded his abuse.
At least on or about April 23, 2023, SMITH drugged and raped Victim-1 in his Central Park South residence. SMITH then shared a video of himself digitally penetrating Victim-1, who was nude and incapacitated or unconscious, with others via an encrypted messaging platform, on a channel that was dedicated to sharing depictions of incapacitated or unconscious women in sexually exploitative positions.
Previously, in or about 2020, SMITH persuaded Victim-2, who SMITH had met a few months prior when Victim-2 was a college student, to relocate to New York City. SMITH controlled her finances, social life, and activities, and repeatedly drugged and sexually assaulted her over the course of several months.
From at least in or about 2019 to at least in or about June 2024, SMITH also possessed and/or received a large volume of images and videos of children being sexually abused on his personal devices.
Finally, in or about August 2024, after a search warrant was executed at his residence, revealing that SMITH possessed child pornography on his electronic devices, SMITH paid a victim thousands of dollars to sign a false document in an attempt to obstruct the investigation.
If you have been victimized by the EDWARD GENE SMITH in any way or have any additional information about his alleged illegal behavior, please call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI.
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SMITH, 50, of New York, New York, is charged with one count of distribution of a controlled substance with intent to commit rape, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison; one count of enticement to travel to engage in unlawful sexual activity, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of receipt of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years in prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of possession of child pornography, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and one count of obstruction of justice, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The minimum and maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Remy Grosbard, Rita Maxwell, Daniel Richenthal, and Joe Zabel are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Superseding Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Superseding Indictment and the description of the Superseding Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Five Defendants Indicted on Federal Firearm Charges for Allegedly Trafficking Firearms in ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — Five defendants have been indicted on federal firearm charges for allegedly trafficking firearms in Chicago this year.
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).
The defendants in the Northern District of Illinois were charged in separate indictments with conspiring to deal firearms without a license:
U.S. v. Salas-Ferrer, et al., 25 CR 421
LUIS SALAS-FERRER, 29, of Chicago, allegedly sold three handguns in Chicago in May and June of this year. The indictment accuses JOSE VARGAS-RON, 29, of Chicago, of selling a handgun in the city in May of this year. Salas-Ferrer and Vargas-Ron have pleaded not guilty to the charges. They have been ordered to remain detained in federal custody pending trial.
U.S. v. Romero-Sanchez, et al., 25 CR 424
ADRIAN ANDRES ROMERO-SANCHEZ, 24, MIGUEL ALEJANDRO CASTILLO-CEBALLOS, 26, and DAVID ANDRES HERMOSO-MAYOR, 23, all of Chicago, allegedly sold three semiautomatic rifles, a shotgun, and a handgun in May and June of this year. Castillo-Ceballos and Hermoso-Mayor also sold two semiautomatic rifles and three semiautomatic handguns in May of this year, the charges allege. In addition to the firearm sales, the indictment accuses Romero-Sanchez and Hermoso-Mayor of distributing ketamine and MDMA in Chicago this year. The three defendants are currently being held in law enforcement custody. Hermoso-Mayor has pleaded not guilty to the charges. Romero-Sanchez and Castillo-Ceballos have not yet been arraigned.
The indictments were announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, LaFonda Sutton-Burke, Director of the Chicago Field Office of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and John R. Morris, Chief Patrol Agent of the U.S. Border Patrol’s Detroit Border Patrol Sector. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations and the Chicago Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Merin and Paul Schied.
“Our federal gun laws do not exempt foreign nationals or anyone else from being held accountable for illegally trafficking in firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Boutros. “We will work hand-and-glove with our law enforcement partners to arrest and prosecute anyone who violates our firearm laws, even if that requires us to track down and apprehend defendants from out of state. When we say accountability to the full extent of the law, we mean it.”
The public is reminded that indictments contain only charges and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
salas-ferrer_et_al_indictment.pdf romero-sanchez_et_al_indictment.pdfFederal Grand Jury Charges Four with Illegal Reentry in Northwestern OhioRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – A federal grand jury returned indictments on Dec. 17 charging four individuals with illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8 U.S. Code 1326. They were found in the Northern District of Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission. These are separate cases and not related.
- Anastacio Escobar-Roblero, 33, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Sept. 24, 2013. He was found in Huron (Erie County) on Dec. 5.
- Nixion Lopez-Peralta, 28, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Feb. 10, 2020. He was found in Toledo (Lucas County) on Dec. 1.
- Wilson Lux-Solis, aka Jose Roberto Lemus-Solis, 25, a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Oct. 2, 2019. He was found in Upper Sandusky (Wyandot County) on Dec. 10.
- Manuel Lux-Tum, 51, a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being March 9, 2016. He was found in Upper Sandusky (Wyandot County) on Dec. 10.
The investigations in these cases were conducted by U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Simko and Frank Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
District of Arizona Charges over 1,100 Individuals for Immigration-Related Criminal Conduct during the Government ShutdownRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – During the weeks of enforcement operations from September 27, 2025, through November 7, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought immigration-related criminal charges against 1,196 individuals. Specifically, the United States filed 697 cases in which aliens illegally re-entered the United States, and the United States also charged 411 aliens for illegally entering the United States. In its ongoing effort to deter unlawful immigration, the United States filed 78 cases against 85 individuals responsible for smuggling illegal aliens into and within the District of Arizona. Protecting law enforcement officers is a key part of border vigilance, and federal prosecutors also charged 3 defendants for assaulting a Border Patrol agent during this period.
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).
Matters of interest during this shutdown period include:
United States v. Carlos Moreno-Contreras: On Sept. 28, 2025, Moreno-Contreras was arrested and charged with transporting illegal aliens for profit. Around 10:30 p.m. that night, Border Patrol agents initiated a stop of Moreno-Contreras' truck based on suspicion of alien smuggling. Moreno-Contreras failed to yield for several miles. Ultimately, Border Patrol deployed a vehicle immobilization device, which punctured two of his tires. As the tires were deflating and falling apart, Moreno-Contreras drove another five miles before coming to a stop. Agents took Moreno-Contreras and two illegal aliens he was transporting into custody. 25-MJ-3178.
United States v. Fermin Abel Verdugo-Poqui: On Oct. 9, 2025, Verdugo-Poqui, was charged by complaint with Bringing an Alien into the United States Unlawfully in violation of 8 USC 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii). The day prior, a Border Patrol Agent driving a fully marked Border Patrol vehicle observed one person standing in the median of Interstate I-8 waving at traffic in a remote area of the Wellton Area of Operations. The BPA approached and observed a second person hiding in nearby bush. The BPA determined both individuals were citizens of Mexico without lawful authority to be in the United States. Verdugo-Poqui was determined to be the foot guide who led four illegal aliens from Mexico through the desert and into the United States on or about October 3, 2025, expecting $1,000 per illegal alien successfully crossed into the United States. 25-MJ-02011.
United States v. Placida Ignacio: On Oct. 14, 2025, Ignacio was charged with transporting illegal aliens for profit. Border Patrol agents observed a truck travel down to the border in a remote area outside the village of Cowlic on the Tohono O'odham Indian Nation and then, shortly after, turnaround and travel out of the area. Agents followed and determined the truck was stolen. When law enforcement interacted with the driver at a gas station, they discovered 4 illegal aliens in the truck. Ignacio was previously convicted for transporting illegal aliens resulting in death and was sentenced to 96 months in custody in CR-08-00957-JGZ-MSA. 25-MJ-12144-JEM.
United States v. Edgar Loya-Loya: On Oct. 20, 2025, Loya-Loya was charged by complaint with Bringing Aliens to the United States for Profit, Aiding and Assisting Certain Aliens to Enter the United States, and Illegal Reentry of a Removed Alien. Border Patrol agents apprehended Loya-Loya, a citizen of Mexico, and six other aliens near Dateland, Arizona on October 16, 2025. Agents determined Loya-Loya guided the group through the desert after crossing through a breach in the border fence. One of the individuals he guided, Jesus Saul Quintero, was previously convicted of an aggravated felony and is inadmissible to the United States. Loya-Loya had also been removed previously in June 2024. 25-2032MJ.
United States v. Aldrick De La Torre-Jupamea: On Oct. 29, 2025, De La Torre-Jupamea was charged by complaint with Transportation of an Illegal Alien. De La Torre-Jupamea was pulled over by a Pinal County Sheriff’s Office deputy for suspected violations of Arizona law. The deputy observed two males sitting in the rear passenger seat. The deputy escorted the driver to the deputy’s patrol vehicle. The two passengers fled the vehicle on foot. The deputy apprehended one of them, but the other was not located. The deputy suspected a human smuggling event and contacted U.S. Border Patrol for assistance. Border Patrol Agents responded to the scene to conduct an immigration inspection. De La Torre-Jupamea was determined to be a United States citizen. De La Torre-Jupamea was on federal supervised release for Attempted Smuggling of Goods from the United States, a felony, at the time of his arrest. The passenger that was apprehended was determined to be a citizen of Mexico, illegally present in the United States. 25-MJ-08524.
United States v. Bryan Efrain Aleman: On November 6, 2025, Aleman was charged with transportation of illegal aliens for profit. When Border Patrol attempted to stop Aleman’s Chevrolet Silverado, he pulled over briefly before abruptly fleeing. He then drove erratically, swerving into oncoming traffic, and, ultimately, breaking through a fence on the side of the road before coming to a stop in a cloud of dust. Aleman and the other subjects in the truck ran from it. Agents were able to apprehend four illegal aliens from the truck and Aleman, who was later determined to being the driver. 25-MJ-06995-MSA.
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: 2025-179_Shut-down 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 X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Chinese national sentenced to prison for trafficking reptilesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY — Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Adam Gustafson of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo for the Western District of New York announced today that Wei Qiang Lin, of Brooklyn, NY, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo for falsely labeling live turtles, snakes, and lizards as fake toys prior to exporting them in delivery boxes destined to Hong Kong. Lin was also fined $2,339, which is how much U.S. currency he had on him when he was arrested.
According to court filings, between August 2023 and November 2024, Lin exported to Hong Kong approximately 222 parcels containing around 850 turtles, but he labeled the boxes as containing “plastic animal toys,” among other things, in violation of the Lacey Act. The approximate market value of the turtles was $1.4 million. Law enforcement intercepted the turtles during customs inspections and observed them bound and taped inside knotted socks within the shipping boxes.
Lin also attempted to export protected Abronia lizards and venomous green tree vipers and palm pit vipers. The wildlife was protected by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES). The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officers also intercepted packages shipped by Lin that contained rare Cora mud turtles. The Buffalo Zoo used the seized turtles to set up the first-ever assurance colony for the species, which can be used to repopulate them if the wild population becomes unsustainable.
Lin was investigated and charged as part of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Operation Terrapene, which is an ongoing operation coordinated with other federal and local law enforcement agencies to detect turtle smugglers and dismantle highly-organized syndicates. Federal agencies include Customs and Border Protection, Postal Inspections Service, and Homeland Security Investigations.
Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts and Senior Trial Attorney Ryan Connors of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango for the Western District of New York prosecuted the case.
Chicago Woman Who Threw Incendiary Device onto Neighbors’ Porch Sentenced to Nearly Three Years in Prison on Federal Hate Crime ChargeRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago woman who threw an incendiary device onto her neighbors’ porch has been sentenced to nearly three years in prison on a federal hate crime charge.
On March 16, 2024, ANA M. HERNANDEZ threw a glass bottle containing oil and a washcloth—a device commonly known as a “Molotov cocktail”—onto her neighbor’s back porch in Chicago. The incendiary device started a fire on the wooden porch, but no one was injured. Hernandez admitted in a plea agreement that she threw the device onto the porch because the victims who resided there were of Venezuelan origin, and she wanted to convince them to leave the residence.
Later that day, Hernandez placed a handwritten note on the car of the victims’ landlord, who owned and resided in the building. Among other things, the note stated, “We do not want you in the neighborhood. Go back to your country. You can go the easy way or the hard way.”
Hernandez, 70, pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal hate crime charge of unlawfully interfering with housing rights. On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Lindsay C. Jenkins sentenced Hernandez to two years and nine months in federal prison.
The sentence was announced by Andrew S. Boutros, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The Chicago Police Department provided valuable assistance. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan L. Shih.
Burtonsville Woman Pleads Guilty to Federal Unemployment Insurance Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Vanessa Valdez, 42, of Burtonsville, Maryland, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with an unemployment insurance (UI) fraud scheme.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the guilty plea with Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Acting Special Agent in Charge Evan Campanella, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) – Maryland.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act — a federal law enacted in March 2020 — provided emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It also authorized increased UI benefits.
According to public documents, beginning in at least May 2020, and continuing through at least September 2021, Valdez, and other co-conspirators, engaged in a conspiracy and scheme to defraud and obtain money by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations, and promises, in connection with an UI fraud scheme.
Specifically, Valdez and her co-conspirators used personal identifiable information (PII) of others to submit false and fraudulent claims to the Maryland Department of Labor (MD-DOL) for UI benefits. Valdez, along with her co-conspirators, then used the UI benefits, which were designated to assist unemployed or underemployed persons due to the COVID-19 national emergency, for their own personal enrichment.
As a part of her guilty plea, Valdez also admitted to fraudulently obtaining Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) funds.
Established by the CARES Act, the PPP — administered through the Small Business Administration — along with the EIDL, helped businesses meet their financial obligations. An EIDL advance does not have to be repaid, and small businesses can receive an advance, even if they are not approved for an EIDL loan. The maximum advance amount is $10,000.
Valdez faces a maximum sentence of 22 years in federal prison, including and a mandatory two years, consecutive to any other imposed sentence, for aggravated identity theft. A sentencing date is forthcoming.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DOL-OIG and HSI Maryland for their work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip Motsay who prosecuted the case.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the CARES Act. Strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts that use prosecutor-led and data-analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach
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Brevard County Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton, Jr. has sentenced Demetric Antwan Swinton (39, Cocoa) to 15 years in federal prison for distributing methamphetamine. Swinton pleaded guilty on August 26, 2025.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office used a confidential source to conduct two controlled purchases of more than a pound of methamphetamine each from Swinton after he was identified as a methamphetamine source operating in Brevard County. A search warrant was then executed at Swinton’s residence resulting in the seizure of additional methamphetamine, cocaine, and drug processing materials. In total, Swinton was responsible for over 1,750 grams of pure methamphetamine and over 50 grams of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Loan and Check FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to defrauding the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and stealing both a U.S. Treasury tax refund check and a check from a New York law firm.
Lonnie Smith-Matthews, 33, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud; one count of theft of government funds; two counts of bank fraud; and two counts of money laundering. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for March 19, 2026. In June 2025, Smith-Matthews was arrested and charged by criminal complaint as part of a federal crackdown on stolen U.S. Treasury checks. He was later indicted in September 2025.
In 2021, Smith-Matthews fraudulently obtained two PPP loans by falsely claiming business income of $128,000, when he made less than half that amount and did not actually have a business. Additionally, in 2024, Smith-Matthews obtained and deposited a U.S. Treasury tax refund check for $150,000 that had been altered and forged to be payable to a defunct clothing company that Smith-Matthews owned. In fact, the U.S. Treasury check had been issued to a married couple in North Carolina as a refund on their 2023 income taxes. After depositing the check, Smith-Matthews laundered the proceeds using cashier’s checks made payable to a purported roofing company. In 2024, Smith-Matthews obtained and deposited a $232,000 check stolen from a New York firm. Like the U.S. Treasury check, the law firm check had been altered and forged to be payable to Smith-Matthews’ defunct company.
The charge of theft of government funds provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of money laundering provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three of supervised release and a fine of $500,000. 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; Thomas Demeo, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Christopher J. Gust, Assistant Special Agent in charge of the U.S. Dept. of Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Northeast Field Division; and Nicholas Bucciarelli, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth B. Kosto, Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.Auburn, Washington, man pleads guilty to hate crime for assault on Metro bus passengerRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 24-year-old Auburn, Washington man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to committing a hate crime involving bodily injury and a dangerous weapon for his attack on a Black bus rider, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Adan C. Hernandez-Mayoral is scheduled for sentencing in front of Judge James L. Robart on March 17, 2026.
According to records filed in the case, on March 7, 2024, Hernandez-Mayoral made derogatory comments about Black people while he was riding a King County Metro bus. When a Black woman on the bus looked to see who was making racist comments, he yelled at her not to look at him and made more comments, including referring to the woman as “Rosa Parks” and asking her to move to the back of the bus. The woman walked to the front of the bus to call the police and Hernandez-Mayoral followed.
When the bus stopped, Hernandez-Mayoral pushed the woman off the bus and assaulted her. He pulled out a knife that he thrust at the woman’s abdomen numerous times before running away. Fortunately, the woman was wearing a heavy coat that prevented the knife from reaching her skin. Nevertheless, the assault caused bodily injury.
As Kent Police searched for the suspect in the attack, a neighbor called police reporting a man hiding in their yard. The clothing matched that of the assailant shown on the Metro surveillance video. Hernandez-Mayoral was arrested hiding under a car a short distance from the scene of the assault.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend no more than 57 months to be served concurrently with any sentence imposed in the King County Superior and District court cases involving Hernandez-Mayoral. Judge Robart is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
The case was investigated by the Kent Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office provided substantial assistance and worked closely with federal prosecutors on this case to hold Hernandez-Mayoral accountable for his conduct.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica M. Manca for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Tenette R. Smith of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. Ms. Manca leads the criminal civil rights investigations for the Western District of Washington.
22 December 2025
Waterbury Woman Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Role in Violent Carjacking, StalkingRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EMILY RODRIGUEZ, also known as “Emy,” 30, of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to 87 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in a violent carjacking and stalking.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of June 18, 2023, two all-terrain vehicles (“ATVs”) were stolen from Rodriguez’s Waterbury residence. At the time, Rodriguez was living with Ricardo Verdejo. After the theft, Rodriguez, Verdejo, and others posted messages on Facebook seeking to identify the individuals responsible for the theft and offering money for information about the location of the stolen vehicles. Rodriguez, Verdejo, Michael McCann-Ortiz and, Luis Cruz, then mistakenly identified an individual (“Victim 1”), who they incorrectly believed was involved in the theft.
Later that night, Victim 1’s friend, (“Victim 2”), picked up Victim 1 from work and drove him home. As they arrived at Victim 1’s residence, three vehicles followed them and surrounded the victims. Verdejo, who carried an assault-style rifle, McCann-Ortiz, Cruz, and others exited the vehicles and approached the victims while Rodriguez watched. Verdejo and his associates demanded the return of the stolen ATVs, threatened to kill the victims, and physically assaulted them. Verdejo smacked one victim in the head and then used the barrel of the rifle to strike both victims in the face. McCann-Ortiz repeatedly threatened to kill the victims, and punched and kicked one victim, causing serious bodily injury. Cruz, who was recovering from a leg injury, used a crutch to repeatedly strike one of the victims.
Rodriguez, Verdejo, McCann-Ortiz, and Cruz then stole Victim 2’s vehicle, which was owned by Victim 2’s relative, and other items and cash belonging to the victims. In the following days, Rodriguez, Verdejo, and their associates continued to harass and threaten the victims via Facebook and by using Victim 2’s phone, to which they had obtained the passcode.
Rodriguez was arrested on March 21, 2024, and has been detained since April 18, 2024. On May 27, 2025, she pleaded guilty to stalking resulting in serious bodily injury or involving the use of a dangerous weapon.
Verdejo, McCann-Ortiz, and Cruz also pleaded guilty and have been sentenced.
This investigation was led by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and Waterbury Safe Streets Gang Task Force, and the Waterbury Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan J. Guevremont and David T. Huang.
United States Files Complaint Against Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Alleging Delay in Reporting Hazardous Utility Bars and Miter SawsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, together with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), today announced the filing of a civil enforcement action against Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (Black & Decker) for alleged violations of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).
Black & Decker is a global provider of hand tools, power tools, outdoor products and related accessories. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, alleges that Black & Decker knowingly failed to immediately report to CPSC information about potential hazardous defects or unreasonable safety risks associated with certain of its utility bars and miter saws.
As to the utility bars, which are multi-functional tools used for ripping, prying and wrecking, the complaint alleges that soon after Black & Decker began manufacturing the utility bars in December 2015, it began receiving numerous reports directly from consumers and through a national retailer that the bars had broken unexpectedly during use, snapping back at the users and in some cases causing serious injuries. Despite notice of these incidents, Black & Decker failed to report this information to CPSC until May 2019.
As to the miter saws, which are power tools designed to cut various materials, the complaint alleges that, between 2019 and 2022, Black & Decker received hundreds of reports of its miter saws’ rear protective guards and plastic deflectors breaking, including reports of injuries such as lacerations to consumers’ faces and fingers. Despite notice of these incidents, Black & Decker failed to report this information to CPSC until June 2022.
The complaint, filed by the Justice Department, seeks monetary civil penalties and injunctive relief to prohibit the company from engaging in future violations of the CPSA.
The CPSA requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of consumer products to report “immediately” to CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard or that it creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. Black & Decker has previously resolved other government allegations of failure to timely report to CPSC, including through a stipulated order entered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in 2015.
“The Justice Department, together with CPSC, is committed to enforcing consumer protection statutes protecting Americans from hazardous products,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Department of Justice’s Civil Division. “Companies must report safety issues in consumer products immediately, as the law requires, to prevent unnecessary injury or death.”
“Companies must not put consumers in harm’s way by failing to immediately report a defective product to the proper authorities,” said U.S. Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “We’re committed to holding accountable those who fail to properly comply with safety laws that ultimately protect consumers.”
“This coordinated federal action will protect consumers,” said Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman of CPSC. “We will not hesitate to use the full weight of our authorities, especially when dealing with repeat offenders.”
This matter is handled by Assistant Director Zachary Dietert, Senior Trial Attorney Joshua Fowkes, and Trial Attorneys Paulina Stamatelos and Nicole Frazer of the Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Koch of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland, in coordination with CPSC staff.
The claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
For more information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit https://www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch.
Undocumented Immigrant Admits Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – An undocumented immigrant living in St. Charles County, Missouri has admitted being caught in possession of child sexual abuse material when he was arrested for another offense, U.S. Attorney Thomas C. Albus announced Monday.
Francisco J. Ocana-Talamantes, 47, pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted that after he was arrested on March 8, 2024, for abusing a child for years, a court-approved search of his phone uncovered 338 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material.
Ocana-Talamantes is scheduled to be sentenced on March 18, 2026. The charge carries a penalty of up to 20 years in prison. Ocana-Talamantes will be deported after his release from prison, as he is in the United States illegally.
The FBI, the St. Charles Police Department and the St. Charles County Cyber Crime Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
USDA Employee Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Food Stamp Fraud and Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
Sean S. Buckley, Attorney for the United States, Acting under Authority Conferred by 28 U.S.C. § 515, announced today that ARLASA DAVIS was sentenced to twenty-four months in prison for her role in a sprawling fraud and bribery scheme that generated over $66 million in unauthorized transactions under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (“SNAP”)—colloquially known as food stamps. DAVIS, a longtime employee of the United States Department of Agriculture (“USDA”), abused her position within the division responsible for identifying SNAP fraud to sell confidential government information to criminals. DAVIS previously pled guilty to bribery and conspiracy to commit bribery before U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, who imposed today’s sentence.
“Arlasa Davis exploited her role as a government employee to enrich herself while undermining a program designed to help New York families in need,” said Attorney for the United States Sean S. Buckley. “This conviction and sentence send a clear message that exploitation of funds intended for families will result in serious consequences.”
According to the Indictment and statements made in public court proceedings and filings:
DAVIS worked within the USDA division responsible for identifying SNAP fraud. She abused her privileged access to federal systems to sell hundreds of Electronic Benefits Transfer (“EBT”) license numbers to co-conspirators. DAVIS photographed handwritten lists of license numbers intended for qualifying stores with her personal cellphone and funneled them to an intermediary who sold them to co-conspirators, who in turn used those license numbers to fraudulently obtain EBT terminals for stores that were not authorized by the USDA to process SNAP transactions. In return, DAVIS received substantial bribes that were disguised in communications as, among other things, “birthday gifts” and “flowers.”
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In addition to her prison term, DAVIS, 56, of Gardiner, New York, was sentenced to two years of supervised release. DAVIS was also ordered to forfeit $48,470 and pay restitution of $36 million.
Mr. Buckley praised the outstanding investigative efforts of the USDA Office of Inspector General and the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s General Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Georgia V. Kostopoulos and Joe Zabel are in charge of the prosecution.
USAO Announces Guilty Pleas, Sentencing for Immigration ViolationsRead the Press Release
TOLEDO, Ohio – The United States Attorney’s Office (USAO) has announced immigration enforcement actions in the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division. These are separate cases and not related.
The following individuals have pleaded guilty to illegal reentry (Title 8 U.S. Code 1326), after being found in the Northern District of Ohio without the consent of the U.S. Attorney General or the Secretary for Homeland Security for readmission.
- Ruben Luis-Garcia, 40, a citizen of Guatemala, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being Oct. 6, 2017. He was found in Sandusky (Erie County) on Oct. 30, 2025. Sentencing is set for Feb. 5, 2026.
- Ismael Ruiz-Sebastian, 34, a citizen of Mexico, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being March 26, 2010. He was found in Sandusky (Erie County) Ohio on Oct. 30, 2025. Sentencing is set for Jan. 27, 2026.
- Erick Ventura-Castellanos, 35, a citizen of Honduras, was previously removed from the United States on at least one occasion with the most recent being June 5, 2018. He was found in Danbury Township (Ottawa County) on Oct. 29, 2025. Sentencing is set for Jan. 27, 2026.
Additionally, Bersain Alvarez-Lopez, 37, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced to time served after pleading guilty to possession of fraudulent identification documents, misuse of a social security number, and illegal reentry. He was previously removed from the United States on at least three occasions with the most recent being Jan. 15, 2019. He remains in federal custody pending deportation.
The investigations in these cases leading to the indictments were conducted by the U.S. Border Patrol-Sandusky Bay Station.
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Gene Crawford, Tracey Tangeman and Ava Rotell Dustin for the Northern District of Ohio.
These cases are part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and to protect communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
U.S. Files Complaint Against Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. Alleging Delay in Reporting Hazardous Utility Bars and Miter SawsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – The Justice Department, together with the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), announced today, they filed a civil enforcement action against Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. (Black & Decker) for alleged violations of the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA).
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the complaint with Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate, Department of Justice, Civil Division, and Acting Chairman Peter A. Feldman, CPSC.
Black & Decker is a global provider of hand tools, power tools, outdoor products and related
accessories. The complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, alleges that Black & Decker knowingly failed to immediately report to CPSC information about potential hazardous defects or unreasonable safety risks associated with some of its utility bars and miter saws.
The complaint alleges soon after Black & Decker began manufacturing the utility bars in December 2015, it began receiving numerous reports directly from consumers and through a national retailer. Customers stated that bars broke unexpectedly during use, snapping back at the users, and in some cases, causing serious injuries. Despite notice of these incidents, Black & Decker failed to report this information to CPSC until May 2019. Utility bars are multi-functional tools used for ripping, prying and wrecking.
Additionally, the complaint alleges, between 2019 and 2022, Black & Decker received hundreds of reports of its miter saws’ rear protective guards and plastic deflectors breaking, including reports of injuries such as lacerations to consumers’ faces and fingers. Despite notice of these incidents, Black & Decker failed to report this information to CPSC until June 2022. Miter saws are power tools designed to cut various materials.
The complaint, filed by the Justice Department, seeks monetary civil penalties and injunctive relief to prohibit the company from engaging in future violations of the CPSA.
The CPSA requires manufacturers, distributors, and retailers of consumer products to report “immediately” to CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard or that it creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. Black & Decker previously resolved other government allegations of failure to timely report to CPSC, including through a stipulated order entered by the U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland in 2015.
“Companies must not put consumers in harm’s way by failing to immediately report a defective product to the proper authorities,” Hayes said. “We’re committed to holding accountable those who fail to properly comply with safety laws that ultimately protect consumers.”
“The Justice Department, together with CPSC, is committed to enforcing consumer protection statutes protecting Americans from hazardous products,” Shumate said. “Companies must report safety issues in consumer products immediately, as the law requires, to prevent unnecessary injury or death.”
“This coordinated federal action will protect consumers,” Feldman said. “We will not hesitate to use the full weight of our authorities, especially when dealing with repeat offenders.”
U.S. Attorney Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Koch along with Assistant Director Zachary Dietert, Senior Trial Attorney Joshua Fowkes, and Trial Attorneys Paulina Stamatelos and Nicole Frazer, DOJ Enforcement Section of the Civil Division’s Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch, who are handling this matter in coordination with CPSC staff.
The claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government must prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
For more information about the Enforcement & Affirmative Litigation Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit https://www.justice.gov/civil/enforcement-affirmative-litigation-branch.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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U.S. Attorney Announces $6.8 Million Settlement with New York-Presbyterian Hudson Valley Hospital for Paying Kickbacks to A Westchester Oncology Practice in Order to Obtain ReferralsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, and Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), Naomi D. Gruchacz, announced today that the United States has filed and settled a healthcare fraud lawsuit against NEW YORK-PRESBYTERIAN HUDSON VALLEY HOSPITAL (“NYPHV”), which, prior to 2015, was known as Hudson Valley Hospital Center (“Hudson Valley”). The settlement resolves allegations that NYPHV improperly paid millions of dollars to a Westchester-based oncology practice (the “Oncology Practice”) to induce patient referrals to the hospital, which NYPHV then billed to Medicare and Medicaid.
Specifically, the Complaint alleges that in 2011 and 2012, NYPHV entered into three contracts with the Oncology Practice. Together, those contracts provided that NYPHV would pay hundreds of thousands of dollars per year to the Oncology Practice in exchange for, among other things, work on a proposed melanoma center (the “Melanoma Center”), work on a proposed breast cancer center (the “Breast Center”), and the development and management of an intraoperative radiation therapy service line (the “IORT Service Line” and, collectively, with the agreements concerning the Melanoma Center and the Breast Center, the “Agreements”). After entering into the Agreements, Hudson Valley and NYPHV subsequently made millions of dollars in payments to the Oncology Practice. But in reality, many of these payments were not made in exchange for the services identified in the Agreements. Instead, the Oncology Practice frequently failed to perform or document the central services identified in the Agreements. All the while, NYPHV continued to receive referrals from the Oncology Practice that generated millions of dollars in reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid.
Under the settlement approved today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román, NYPHV agreed to pay a total sum of $6,836,764.30 plus interest, with $6,469,410.32 to be paid to the United States and the remainder to be paid to New York State. As part of the settlement, NYPHV also admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged by the Government in its complaint, including that NYPHV paid the Oncology Practice over $4 million pursuant to the Agreements for work that was either not performed or not performed as called for in the Agreements, or for which NYPHV lacks any time records.
“Hospitals and physicians are expected to make medical decisions based on the needs of their patients, not improper financial arrangements,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “When hospitals provide improper payments to induce patient referrals, they compromise the integrity of federal healthcare programs that serve New Yorkers. We cannot afford corruption in our healthcare industry.”
“Violations of the Anti-Kickback Statute, like those alleged in this case, can improperly influence referral decisions and undermine the integrity of federal health care programs,” said HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi D. Gruchacz. “HHS-OIG is committed to safeguarding the integrity of federal health care programs and ensuring that provider decisions are not compromised by inducements.”
As alleged in the Government’s Complaint:
In 2011 and 2012, NYPHV entered into the three Agreements with the Oncology Practice. The Agreements provided, respectively, that NYPHV would pay the Oncology Practice an annual fee in exchange for, among other things: one of the Oncology Practice’s physician principals (“Physician A”) serving as the Medical Director of a proposed Melanoma Center at the hospital (the “Melanoma Directorship Agreement”); the Oncology Practice’s other physician principal (“Physician B”) serving as the Medical Director of a proposed Breast Center at the hospital (the “Breast Center Directorship Agreement”); and the Oncology Practice developing, managing, marketing, and integrating the IORT Service Line as part of the hospital’s Department of Radiation Oncology (the “IORT Management Services Agreement”). Each of the three Agreements expired in 2016.
By October 2016 at the latest, NYPHV was, or at minimum should have been, aware that the Oncology Practice was performing only a portion of the work called for under the IORT Management Services Agreement and was not performing the majority of the work being called for under the Melanoma Directorship Agreement. In addition, despite the fact that all of the Agreements expired in 2016, NYPHV continued to pay the Oncology Practice the fees in the Agreements through 2019.
All told, between January 2011 and December 2019 (the “Covered Period”), NYPHV paid over $4 million in fees to the Oncology Practice in connection with the Agreements—including payments for work that was not performed—to induce the Oncology Practice to refer its patients to NYPHV for oncology-related medical services in violation of the Anti-Kickback Statute and the Stark Law. As a result of this conduct, NYPHV submitted false claims for payment to Medicare and Medicaid for services provided to these patients in violation of the False Claims Act.
Under the settlement, NYPHV admitted, among other things, that:
- Between 2011 and 2019, Hudson Valley and NYPHV together paid the Oncology Practice over $4 million pursuant to the Agreements for work that was either not performed, not performed as called for in the Agreements, or for which NYPHV lacks any time records. The Oncology Practice was required to submit these records to Hudson Valley, and later NYPHV, under the Melanoma and Breast Center Directorship Agreements.
- By October 2016, NYPHV was, or at minimum should have been, aware that the Oncology Practice was performing only a portion of the work called for under the IORT Management Services Agreement and was not performing the majority of the work being called for under the Melanoma Directorship Agreement. Nevertheless, NYPHV continued paying the Oncology Practice its fees under each of these agreements for another three years.
- The Oncology Practice and Physician A never developed or established the Melanoma Center as envisioned by the Melanoma Directorship Agreement and, accordingly, Physician A did not perform the primary duties of a Medical Director as envisioned by the Melanoma Directorship Agreement. Further, at least by 2012, Physician A did not provide 50 hours of work per month toward developing or establishing the Melanoma Center and NYPHV was unable to identify any time records from the Covered Period documenting Physician A’s or their designee’s work related to the Melanoma Directorship Agreement.
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had previously been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of HHS-OIG.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jacob Bergman is in charge of the case.
Two Plead Guilty and Executive of Maryland IT Companies Charged for Conspiracy to Defraud the Federal GovernmentRead the Press Release
On Dec. 17, a federal grand jury in Baltimore returned a superseding indictment charging Victor Marquez, a Maryland resident and owner of two IT companies, with a scheme to defraud the federal government that included rigging bids for IT contracts and receiving kickbacks in exchange for influence over IT procurements. The superseding indictment charges Marquez with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and major fraud.
“As the superseding indictment shows, defendant Victor Marquez and his co-conspirators broke trust with our military and stole millions of dollars from an agency that defends our homeland,” said Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi of the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division. “Two of the defendant’s co-conspirators have already pled guilty, and the Antitrust Division will not rest until Marquez is imprisoned.”
“These bad actors attempted to enrich themselves by using privileged inside access to defraud the federal government,” said U.S Attorney Kelly O. Hayes for the District of Maryland. “This kind of corruption distorts the competitive process, wastes taxpayer dollars, and undermines public trust in government contracting. This office, along with our law-enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption while holding those accountable who dare to try to steal from our government.”
“The charges announced today should stand as a reminder that those who defraud the Department of Defense will be held accountable for their actions,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard of the DoD Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Mid-Atlantic Field Office. “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD procurement process and will pursue all available remedies to root out fraud.”
“The defendants leveraged personal relationships to make corrupt, under the table deals that enriched themselves at the taxpayers' expense,” said Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “The FBI and our partners will follow every investigative lead to ensure all those cheating the system are brought to justice.”
“Ensuring the integrity of federal contracting is critical for an efficient and effective government,” said Deputy Inspector General Kevin Gerrity of the National Security Agency. “I commend our team, our law enforcement partners, and the Justice Department for their dedication and collaboration.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment, Marquez and his co-conspirators used his access to sensitive procurement information to rig bids for procurements for large U.S. government IT contracts. Marquez and his co-conspirators concealed Marquez’s role in the scheme to ensure his continued access to sensitive procurement information, and Marquez received compensation in form of kickbacks for steering procurements to his co-conspirators, who referred to the payments to Marquez as the “Vic tax.” As a result of the scheme, Marquez obtained over $3.8 million in funds that were built into the government’s purchase price.
James Briar, an IT sales representative, and Robert Fay, an IT sales executive, pleaded guilty in related cases. On Aug. 11, Briar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks. On Oct. 1, Fay pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks and to violating the Anti-Kickback Act. Sentencing hearings will be set at a later date. Briar faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, and Fay faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
If convicted, Marquez faces maximum penalties of 20 years in prison for each conspiracy and wire fraud count and 10 years in prison for the major fraud charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The DoD Office of Inspector General Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI Baltimore Field Office, and NSA Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Trial Attorneys Elizabeth French, Anna Wang, and Ronald Fiorillo for the Antitrust Division’s Washington Criminal Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean M. Delaney and Darren Gardner for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government — federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to www.justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, visit www.justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
Two Men Sentenced after Shooting Near the Eagle Food Mart in DurhamRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, N.C. – In April 2025, JAVONNTE LAMHN PATTERSON, of Burlington, North Carolina, and JERMAL ZAMONT MOYE, of Durham, North Carolina, pleaded guilty to being felons in possession of ammunition in relation to a shooting incident that occurred in broad daylight outside the Eagle Food Mart on the corner of Fayetteville Street and Linwood Avenue in Durham, North Carolina in April 2024. Sources say the store has since closed due to gun violence.
PATTERSON, age 32, was sentenced on November 10, 2025, to 180 months’ imprisonment, plus 3 years of supervised release.
MOYE, age 22, was sentenced today to 78 months’ imprisonment to run consecutive to a 25-42 month state probation revocation sentence he is currently serving, plus 3 years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Dan Bishop of the Middle District of North Carolina made the announcement.
Both sentencing hearings were held in Greensboro, North Carolina, before United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr.
According to court documents, on April 11, 2024, at approximately 5:15 p.m., officers responded to a report of someone suffering from a gunshot wound in the vicinity of Fayetteville Street and Linwood Avenue. When officers arrived, they did not see anyone suffering from a gunshot wound; however, they observed blood splatter on the ground and parking lot of the Eagle Food Mart and recovered approximately 38 cartridges and several projectile fragments. During the investigation, officers spoke with someone who lives across the street from the Eagle Food Mart whose home was shot into by a stray bullet. Officers also spoke with a witness whose car was shot into by a stray bullet. No guns were located on scene.
Video surveillance from the time of the incident showed PATTERSON and an unidentified male walking down the sidewalk on Fayetteville Street before PATTERSON turned and opened fire into a crowded parking lot on the side of the building, which led to a shootout between PATTERSON, MOYE, and several unidentified males. PATTERSON, MOYE, and another male were locally treated for gunshot wounds related to the incident. Review of video and ballistics evidence determined that eleven of the casings were ejected from the firearm used by PATTERSON and five of the casings were ejected from the firearm used by MOYE.
PATTERSON was previously convicted of at least two crimes of violence or controlled substance offenses and MOYE was previously convicted of one crime of violence or controlled substance offense.
The Durham County Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. The prosecutor is Assistant United States Attorney Tracy M. Williams-Durham.
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Two Members of the Neighborhood Bloods Street Gang in Jersey Convicted of Murdering Pregnant Woman and Two OthersRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Two members of the Neighborhood Bloods street gang, which operated in Jersey City, New Jersey, were convicted of multiple charges stemming from the January 16, 2017, murder of three Jersey City residents, including a twenty-five-year-old pregnant woman, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
“These convictions hold accountable violent gang members who carried out a calculated, execution-style triple homicide, including the murder of a young pregnant woman. The defendants planned these killings with chilling deliberation and then attempted to silence their own associate to avoid justice. Today’s verdicts make clear that this level of brutality will be met with the full force of federal prosecution, and that those who terrorize our communities will face severe consequences.”
- Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello
“Through the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative, the full force of NJ Law enforcement is called upon in the aftermath of heinous crimes such as this triple homicide,” said FBI Newark Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy. “This show of force will make clear to anyone contemplating gang-related or other violent crimes: do not expect to walk free in New Jersey.”
Following a month-long jury trial, Markell Brown, a/k/a “Sayboy,” 37, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of murder in aid of racketeering, three counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and three counts of causing death through use of a firearm. Terence Shaw, a/k/a “Sweet Meat,” 37, of Jersey City, New Jersey, was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, two counts of murder in aid of racketeering, two counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and two counts of causing death through use of a firearm. With respect to Shaw, the jury could not come to a unanimous verdict as to one count of murder in aid of racketeering, one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of causing death through use of a firearm
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
On January 16, 2017, Brown and Shaw murdered a rival gang member with whom they had been feuding, along with the rival gang member’s pregnant girlfriend. Brown then murdered one of Brown and Shaw’s own associates, who had accompanied them to commit the murders. Brown and Shaw planned the murders through, among other things, orchestrating the use of a stolen U-Haul truck and purchasing two-way walkie-talkie radios to use during the murders. Brown and Shaw then used their associate to obtain access to the rival gang member’s apartment. After entering that residence on Fulton Avenue in Jersey City shortly before 10:00 p.m., Brown and Shaw executed the rival gang member, shooting him in the back of the head, the left arm, and the right shoulder. They also executed the twenty-five-year-old woman, shooting her in the back of the head and the chest. As Brown left the Fulton Avenue apartment, he shot his and Shaw’s associate in the chest to eliminate the possibility that he would provide information to law enforcement.
The conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Brown and Shaw face mandatory life sentences for each count of murder in aid of racketeering. For each count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence, they face mandatory consecutive sentences of ten years’ imprisonment. The counts charging Brown and Shaw with causing death through use of a firearm carry maximum life sentences. Sentencing is scheduled for April 22, 2026.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Wayne Mello, and the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director James Shea, as well as special agents of the FBI, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy with the investigation leading to the charges and arrests.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph and Senior Trial Counsel Robert Frazer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark and Assistant U.S. Attorney James Graham of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
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Defense counsel: Brown - Stephen Turano, Esq. New York, and Thomas Ambrosio, Esq.
Shaw - Brooke Barnett, Esq. and Henry Klingeman, Esq.
brown_shaw.indictment.pdfTwo Absecon Men Admit to Conspiring to Defraud the IRSRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – Two Absecon men admitted to conspiring with each other to defraud the Internal Revenue Service by filing false tax returns that concealed their motels’ cash payroll, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.
Dhruvesh Patel, 37, and Mayank Ray, 36, both of Absecon, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Christine P. O’Hearn to informations charging each with one count of conspiring to defraud the IRS.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Patel and Ray operated two motels in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Their motels generated substantial gross receipts from customers who paid for their motel rooms in cash. As part of the conspiracy, Patel and Ray used a large portion of the cash to pay employees in cash and kept some of the resulting cash for personal use. Patel and Ray caused to be prepared and filed with the IRS false employment tax returns that concealed the cash wages and false individual income tax returns that underreported the income they earned from the motels. Patel admitted that the conspiracy and his relevant conduct caused a loss greater than $250,000, and Ray admitted that the conspiracy and his relevant conduct caused a loss of approximately $129,512.
The count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing for both Patel and Ray are scheduled for May 11, 2026.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
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Defense counsel for Patel: Jed Silversmith, Esq., Jenkintown, Pennsylvania
Defense counsel for Ray: Ira Slovin, Esq., Haddon Heights, New Jersey
patel.information.pdf ray.information.pdfThompson Man Sentenced to 72 Months in Prison for Trafficking in Stolen Human RemainsRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jeremy Pauley, age 43, of Thompson, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on December 22, 2025, to 72 months in prison by Chief United States District Judge Matthew W. Brann for conspiracy and interstate transportation of stolen property.
Chief Judge Brann also ordered Pauley to pay a $2000 fine and serve three years on supervised release following his sentence.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Pauley admitted to his role in a nationwide network of individuals who bought and sold human remains stolen from Harvard Medical School and an Arkansas mortuary. Pauley purchased human remains from multiple individuals knowing that those remains were stolen. Pauley also sold many of the stolen remains to others, at least one of whom also knew they had been stolen.
Previously, other individuals were also indicted on charges of conspiracy and interstate transport of stolen property as part of the same investigation. From 2018 through 2022, Cedric Lodge, who managed the morgue for the Anatomical Gifts Program at Harvard Medical School, located in Boston, Massachusetts, stole organs and other parts of cadavers donated for medical research and education before their scheduled cremations. Lodge at times allegedly transported stolen remains from Boston to his residence in Goffstown, New Hampshire, where he and his wife, Denise Lodge, sold the remains to Katrina Maclean, Joshua Taylor, and others, making arrangements via cellular telephone and social media websites. At times, Cedric Lodge allowed Maclean and Taylor to enter the morgue at Harvard Medical School and examine cadavers to choose what to purchase. On some occasions, Taylor transported stolen remains back to Pennsylvania. On other occasions, the Lodges shipped stolen remains to Taylor and others out of state.
Maclean and Taylor sold the stolen remains for profit, including to Jeremy Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Jeremy Pauley also purchased stolen human remains from Candace Chapman Scott, who stole remains from her employer, a Little Rock, Arkansas mortuary and crematorium. Scott stole parts of cadavers she was supposed to have cremated, many of which had been donated to and used for research and educational purposes by an area medical school, as well as the corpses of two stillborn babies who were supposed to be cremated and returned as cremains to their families. Scott sold the stolen remains to Pauley and shipped them to Pauley in the Middle District of Pennsylvania. Pauley sold many of the stolen remains he purchased to other individuals, including Matthew Lampi. Lampi and Pauley bought and sold from each other over an extended period and exchanged over $100,000 in online payments.
“The trafficking of stolen human remains through the US Mail is a disturbing act that victimizes already grieving families while also creating a potentially hazardous situation for Postal employees and customers,” said Christopher Nielsen, the Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the Postal Inspection Service. “I hope our efforts, and these sentencings, bring some amount of closure to those affected by this terrible crime.”
“Today’s sentencing is another step forward in ensuring those who orchestrated and executed this heinous crime are brought to justice” said Wayne A. Jacobs, special agent in charge of FBI’s Philadelphia Field Office. “I want to thank our partners at the Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney's Office for their diligent efforts in this case.”
Several other defendants have previously entered guilty pleas in related cases, including Joshua Taylor, Andrew Ensanian, Matthew Lampi, Katrina Maclean, Cedric and Denise Lodge, and Angelo Pereyra. Lampi was sentenced to 15 months in prison; Pereyra was sentenced to 18 months in prison; Ensanian was sentenced to six months in prison; Denise and Cedric Lodge were sentenced to 12 months and a day and 96 months in prison. Joshua Taylor and Katrina Maclean are awaiting sentencing. Additionally, Candace Chapman-Scott, who stole remains from an Arkansas crematorium where she was employed and sold them to Pauley in Pennsylvania, entered a plea of guilty in Arkansas federal court and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, the East Pennsboro Township Police Department, and the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Alisan Martin is prosecuting the case.
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Texas resident imprisoned for attempting to smuggle weapons into MexicoRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 21-year-old San Antonio man has been sentenced for smuggling a stolen weapon and other firearms out of the country, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.
Ivan Alexys Oseguera Vara pleaded guilty Aug. 19.
U.S. District Judge John A. Kazen has now ordered Vara to serve 30 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by two years of supervised release. He must also pay a $2,100 fine. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that described how Vara had previously purchased seven firearms in his name, and their whereabouts are now unknown. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that smuggling firearms into Mexico is not a victimless crime.
On June 3, Vara drove a gray Honda Civic to the Colombia Solidarity International Bridge. He claimed to not have any firearms, ammunition or large amounts cash and was just traveling from his San Antonio home to Mexico.
During a secondary inspection, law enforcement uncovered multiple bundles wrapped in plastic and hidden within the rear bumper, undercarriage and center console. A K-9 also alerted to the vehicle.
Authorities ultimately discovered 59 rounds of ammunition, eight magazines and six firearms – three rifles and three pistols. The investigation further revealed none of the weapons were registered to Vara, and one of the handguns had been reported stolen.
Vara has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a Federal Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Involuntary Manslaughter in Connection with Fatal CrashRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Kamel Hay, 26, of Houston, Texas, to two years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, for involuntary manslaughter. The sentence is in connection with a fatal car crash on the Baltimore-Washington (BW) Parkway, resulting in the death of a 33-year-old man.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the sentence with Chief Scott Brecht, United States Park Police (USPP).
On February 5, 2022, Hay was driving his vehicle northbound on the BW Parkway at a high rate of speed as he wove through traffic. Eventually, Hay lost control of his car, striking two other vehicles, before his car left the roadway and struck a tree. His front-seat passenger (Victim 1), who was wearing a seatbelt, died after Hay’s car stuck the tree. An autopsy performed by Maryland’s Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined that Victim 1’s cause of death was multiple injuries sustained in the crash.
First responders transported Hay to Capital Region Medical Center, where he told an USPP officer that he was drinking at the Cuba Libre night club in Washington, D.C. After taking Hay’s blood sample, the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner analyzed it and determined it was positive for an alcohol level of 0.12 milligrams; Hay was therefore under the influence of alcohol at the time of the crash, so it was unsafe for him to operate a motor vehicle.
USPP subsequently examined the car’s event data recorder, which revealed that Hay traveled 117 mph in a 55-mph zone shortly before the crash, with almost no use of the vehicle’s brakes.U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the USPP for its work in the investigation. Ms. Hayes thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen Nazmy and Joshua Rosenthal who prosecuted this federal case.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Sioux City Man Sentenced to 17.5 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
Omar Barrientos, 35, from Sioux City, Iowa, was sentenced on December 19, 2025, to over 17 years’ imprisonment. Barrientos pled guilty August 19, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City, to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence in the case showed that on June 20, 2024, law enforcement responded to remove an individual sleeping in a vehicle in the Thompson Electric parking lot in Sioux City. Law enforcement arrived and knocked on the driver’s window eventually waking up Barrientos. Barrientos was the sole occupant of the vehicle and exhibited strange behavior and signs of impairment. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found a bag under the driver’s seat containing just under a pound of methamphetamine. Barrientos admitted that he planned to distribute the methamphetamine to others.
Barrientos had previously been convicted of willful injury and criminal gang participation in 2009, and in 2016 he was again convicted of willful injury along with assault while displaying a dangerous weapon and going armed with intent.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Barrientos was sentenced to 210 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of ten years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Barrientos remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4065. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Seven Farmers and a Tobacco Warehouse Manager Sentenced for Crop Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. — A Cave City, Ky., farmer, Larry Walden, 69, was sentenced to 52 months’ incarceration by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit money laundering, by committing crop insurance fraud.
According to his plea agreement, Walden owned and rented farmland in Barren County, on which he grew burley tobacco, among other crops. He maintained insurance coverage over his tobacco crop from at least 2014 to 2023. For Crop Years 2014 through 2019, Walden used services offered at Farmers Tobacco Warehouse in Boyle County, to obtain false documentation to support false claims of loss on his crop insurance.
As part of the conspiracy, Walden wrote checks to Farmers Tobacco Warehouse, to make it appear as though the tobacco he raised and sold was actually purchased from Farmers Tobacco Warehouse. Conspiring with Thomas Kirkpatrick, manager at Farmers Tobacco Warehouse, Walden also received fake receipts in further attempts to conceal the scheme. Walden presented copies of these cancelled checks along with fake purchase receipts to his insurance adjuster. His insurance adjuster used this paperwork to justify deflating Walden’s production reports, thereby increasing his indemnity payment. With his proceeds, Walden paid off lines of credit and purchased new assets.
Walden also admitted to running the same fraud scheme through Greensburg Tobacco Market and Fair Deal Tobacco, located in Greensburg, Ky., and Littleton, North Carolina, respectively. He further sold tobacco under the names of neighbors and relatives without reporting that production on his insurance claims. In total, Walden’s fraud caused $9,960,817.19 in loss to crop insurers. Upon his release, Walden will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for 3 years. In addition to his prison sentence, Walden was ordered to pay $9,960,817.19 in restitution.
Other farmers have also been sentenced for their role in the same conspiracy to commit crop insurance fraud and have been sentenced as followed.
- Thomas Kirkpatrick, 67, of Stanford, Ky., the former manager of Farmers Tobacco Warehouse, was sentenced to 48 months in prison, two years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $16,156,345 in restitution.
- David Hunt, 63, of Campbellsville, Ky., a farmer who obtained fake documentation from Kirkpatrick in order to support fraudulent claims to indemnity payments under an organic tobacco insurance coverage policy, was sentenced to 42 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and $5,427,365 in restitution.
- Terry Wilson, 67, an Edmonton, Ky, farmer who used Farmer Tobacco Warehouse to facilitate his fraud conspiracy, was sentenced to time served, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $667,679.00 in restitution.
- Christopher Wilson, 50, Terry Wilson’s son, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $669,447 in restitution.
- David Wisdom, 69, a Glasglow, Ky., farmer who used Farmer Tobacco Warehouse to facilitate his fraud conspiracy, was sentenced to 48 months, followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $1,941,007 in restitution.
- Robert D. Birge, Jr., 51, a Summer Shade, Ky., farmer, was sentenced to 6 months in prison, three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $1,114,519 in restitution.
Additionally, earlier this month, Harlan Ray Highfield, 63, of Brooksville, Ky., was sentenced to 42 months’ incarceration, stemming from his crop insurance fraud scheme that involved obtaining crop insurance policies in nominee names, among other offenses. He was sentenced to three years’ supervised release and was ordered to pay $1,060,460 in restitution.
Under federal law, these defendants must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences.
“These defendants fleeced programs intended to protect agricultural producers,” said Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky. “While the vast majority of farmers conduct themselves with great integrity, the sentences imposed in these cases should serve as a warning to any producers or warehouse operators considering similar crop insurance fraud.”
“There is no place in our society for opportunists who choose to defraud public programs at the expense of honest, hard-working American farmers,” stated Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “This case is a prime example of law enforcement partners collaborating over a number of years to ensure the conspirators are identified and penalized appropriately, while simultaneously working to protect one of our nation’s most vital industries.”
“The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) appreciates the collaboration with our law enforcement partners and the prosecutors in this case. USDA OIG is committed to investigating individuals who engage in crop insurance fraud in order to preserve the integrity of USDA programs,” said USDA OIG Special Agent-in-Charge Miles Davis. “We thank the United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency Special Investigations Staff, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, Kentucky Department of Insurance and Department of Justice, Eastern District of Kentucky for their partnership with us on this impactful investigation.”
Paul McCaffrey, First Assistant United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Miles Davis, Acting Special Agent in Charge, United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General; Olivia Olson, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Louisville Field Office; and Karen Wingerd , Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the United States Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, United States Department of Agriculture Risk Management Agency Special Investigations Staff, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation. The United States was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kate Dieruf and Andrea Mattingly Williams.
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Senior Vice President of Atlanta Housing Authority Charged with Housing Assistance Fraud and Pandemic Relief FraudRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Tracy Denise Jones, a Senior Vice President at the Atlanta Housing Authority, has been charged with engaging in a scheme to fraudulently collect Section 8 housing assistance payments for her own rental property and family members. She was also charged with making fraudulent applications to collect pandemic relief funds and committing mortgage fraud when refinancing her rental property.
“A long-time senior executive of one of the largest housing authorities in the nation, Jones was entrusted to deliver vast sums of government assistance to our community’s neediest members,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “But Jones allegedly exploited a variety of assistance programs and chose to line her own pockets using an alternate identity, multiple business entities, a false affidavit, and a cadre of associates willing to lie on her behalf.”
“Tracy Jones’s alleged actions not only showed a blatant disrespect for the law and multiple federal programs, but also jeopardized the availability of HUD-assisted housing for those in our most vulnerable communities who rely on housing assistance programs,” said Special Agent in Charge Jerome Winkle with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Inspector General (OIG). “HUD OIG will continue to work with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners to vigorously pursue those who seek to profit by abusing HUD-funded programs.”
According to U.S. Attorney Hertzberg, the charges, and other information presented in court: Since April 2017, Jones has served as Senior Vice President over the Housing Choice Voucher Program at the Atlanta Housing Authority, overseeing one of the largest Section 8 programs in the country. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds Section 8 programs, including rental assistance payments to landlords on behalf of low-income families and individuals. Section 8 funds are limited, and there is often a long waiting list of low-income families seeking acceptance into the program. Housing authority staff are generally prohibited from receiving Section 8 payments for their own properties, and Section 8 landlords are typically prohibited from leasing to their own family members.
Instead of upholding the integrity of the housing assistance program, Jones allegedly defrauded the program by using a series of falsified forms to have her family members admitted to the Section 8 program and then to receive Section 8 payments for them to live in her own rental house. To conceal her identity, Jones allegedly used a fake name and a shell business entity to execute housing authority documents. As a result, she improperly obtained more than $36,000 of Section 8 funds. Jones then allegedly obstructed subsequent investigations by submitting a false affidavit and convincing friends to lie and present false documents on her behalf.
At the same time, Jones allegedly used her shell business and another business to collect more than $27,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration’s COVID-19 pandemic relief programs, falsely claiming that the businesses were functioning, had multiple employees, and received over $56,000 of gross revenues in 2019. When the SBA denied one of Jones’s applications, she allegedly appealed the denial, pleading for the SBA to approve her request, stating:
- “I am truly a[n] honest business owner[.]”
- “I hear the stories how people abused the PPP loans to establish a lavish lif[e] style. That is not me. My business is small and is growing, but I [am] one of the legitimate and honest business that can use all the help I can.”
- “I also serve a community of low income families in my business, renting one of my three homes to a low income family as well as serve other owners of low income rental properties.”
Jones also allegedly committed mortgage fraud when she refinanced her Section 8 rental property, falsely claiming on her application for a $219,780 loan that the property was her primary residence, that the residence was not a rental property, and that she did not own any other property.
On December 19, 2025, Tracy Denise Jones, 61, of Atlanta, Georgia, was arraigned before United States Magistrate Judge John K. Larkins III on a criminal information containing federal charges of conspiracy to commit theft of government funds, wire fraud, and credit application fraud.
Members of the public are reminded that the criminal information only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges, and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Department of Housing and Urban Development – Office of Inspector General.
Assistant United States Attorney Garrett L. Bradford is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Schuyler Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Methamphetamine OffenseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Anselmo Ramirez-Magana, 37, of Schuyler, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 17, 2025, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, for possessing with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of pure methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Ramirez-Magana to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On November 19, 2024, officers with the Schuyler PD conducted a traffic stop of Tiffany Gallardo and Ramirez-Magana. During the traffic stop, a second officer arrived and deployed a K-9 which indicated to the presence of narcotics in the vehicle. A search resulted in the seizure of 158 grams of pure methamphetamine. When Ramirez-Magana was being arrested, he stated that the drugs were his.
This case was investigated by the Schuyler Police Department.
Racially Motivated Violent Extremist Charged for Possessing an Unregistered Firearm and Child Sexual Abuse OffensesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Lucas Alexander Temple (20, Sarasota) for possessing an unregistered firearm, possession of a firearm with a removed serial number, and receipt of child sexual abuse material. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Temple was previously arrested on a criminal complaint.
According to the indictment and criminal complaint, while executing the search warrant at Temple’s home in Sarasota on November 20, 2025, federal agents recovered a shotgun with sawed-off barrel that was not registered to Temple. Federal law prohibits the possession of shotguns with barrels fewer than 18 inches in length without registration in National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Agents also found evidence that Temple had been plotting a racially motivated act of violence, including pipe bombs, multiple firearms, ammunition, a pressure cooker, literature on how to manufacture explosives, and a written plan as to his intentions:
Temple also possessed a variety of Nazi and mass shooting propaganda materials, including the Journals of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, the perpetrators of the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, and a large flag bearing the Atomwaffen Division symbol:
The Atomwaffen Division (AWD) is a US-based racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist group. The group’s targets have included racial minorities, the Jewish community, the LGBTQ community, the United States Government, journalists, and critical infrastructure. AWD’s ideology largely focused on accelerationism, meaning the goal was to push society into armed conflict in an effort to create a radical social transformation.
As part of its investigation, federal agents learned that Temple had been communicating with other ideologically aligned individuals online about conducting violence against minorities and providing instructions on how to manufacture explosives.
Agents also discovered that, on at least two occasions, Temple received images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Joint Terrorism Task Force with assistance from the Sarasota County’s Sheriff’s Office and the Sarasota Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Stoia and Risha Asokan.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Pueblo Man Sentenced to 248 Months for Drug and Firearms ConvictionsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that David Wayne Watkins, 46, of Pueblo, Colorado, was sentenced to 248 months in prison after being convicted by a federal jury last year on five counts, including possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of an unregistered short-barreled rifle.
According to the facts established at trial, Watkins was stopped by Pueblo Police in December of 2023 for a forged temporary license plate tag. During the stop, Watkins briefly ran from officers before his arrest. During his arrest, police recovered a loaded handgun from his waistband and a bag and wallet together containing $52,000 in cash, 378 fentanyl pills, and 25 grams of pure methamphetamine. When officers searched his car, they found one additional handgun, numerous firearm magazines and ammunition, clear baggies, and a bag with an additional 375 fentanyl pills. A search of his hotel room resulted in the recovery of a short-barreled rifle and additional ammunition.
“We are committed to making Pueblo safer, and putting Mr. Watkins behind bars for the next 20 years advances that goal,” said United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Peter McNeilly. “I am grateful to both our federal and local partners for the excellent work they did to get him and his illegal guns and drugs off the streets.”
“Any community is safer when we can take illegal drugs and guns off the streets,” said Marvin Massey, Acting Special Agent in Charge for FBI Denver. “In this case, the strong FBI partnership with the Pueblo Police Department resulted in a repeat offender heading to prison and the community being in a better situation as a result.”
“I want to commend the hard work and collaboration of our task force officers, special investigations detectives, and federal partners including ATF, DEA, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Chris Noeller, Chief of Police, Pueblo Police Department. “Their commitment to this lengthy investigation shows what can be achieved when law enforcement agencies work together to bring a dangerous offender to justice. We remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to hold offenders accountable and to ensure our community remains a safe place to live, work, and raise a family.”
United States District Judge S. Kato Crews presided over the sentencing. The Pueblo Police Department and the FBI Denver Field Office handled the investigation. The Violent Crime and Immigration Enforcement Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado handled the prosecution.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.Case Number: 1:24-cr-00058-SKC
Previously Deported Aliens Sentenced and Transferred to Immigration Officials for Deportation ProceedingsRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – on December 18, 2025 Julio Cesar Chavez-Rizo, 30, of Mexico, was sentenced in federal court for illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported. This case was prosecuted as 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.
According to court documents, on October 19, 2025, Chavez-Rizo was arrested for disorderly conduct and public intoxication by the Saraland Police Department. The Saraland Police Department requested assistance from the United States Border Patrol (USBP) for immigration records checks. The USBP confirmed Chavez-Rizo had been deported from the United States two times. Chavez-Rizo had been previously convicted of operating a vehicle while intoxicated and endangering a person in violation of Indiana state law in 2021. USBP placed an immigration detainer on Chavez-Rizo. Chavez-Rizo went straight into federal custody upon meeting bond on his state-related charges. Chavez-Rizo was sentenced to time-served in prison since his arrest. Chavez-Rizo had been in custody since his arrest by the Saraland Police Department. Chavez-Rizo was ordered to be transferred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon his release from prison.
Additional defendants were recently prosecuted and charged with illegally reentering the United States after previously having been deported as part of Operation Take Back America’s ongoing collaboration between federal agencies with the assistance of state and local law enforcement and sentenced in federal court.On December 18, 2025, Marvin Alexander Santos-Carballo, 30, of Honduras, was sentenced for illegal reentry. On October 20, 2025, the Creola Police Department had encountered Santos-Carballo during a traffic stop. The Creola Police Department requested assistance from USBP for records checks. USBP determined that Santos-Carballo was a previously deported alien. USBP responded and arrested Santos-Carballo. Santos-Carballo was sentenced to time-served in prison since his USBP arrest and ordered to be transferred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings upon his release.
On September 29, 2025, Ezequiel Vega-Solano, 27, of Mexico, was sentenced for illegal reentry. On August 1, 2025, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO) encountered Vega-Solano during a traffic stop. BCSO reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) for records confirmation. ICE/ERO confirmed that Vega-Solano was a previously removed alien with prior felony convictions for illegal alien transportation in violation of federal law in 2020. ICE/ERO responded and arrested Vega-Solano for his illegal presence in the United States. Vega-Solano remained in federal custody through his sentencing. Vega-Solano was sentenced to time-served and ordered to be transferred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings.
On September 16, 2025, Roberto Ulin-Ajin, 40, of Guatemala, was sentenced for illegal reentry in federal court. According to court documents, Ulin-Ajin was encountered during a worksite enforcement action by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in May 2025. HSI agents determined that Ulin-Ajin had been previously deported and was unlawfully in the United States. Ulin-Ajin had also been previously convicted under an alias name for public intoxication and driving under the influence in violation of Alabama state law. HSI arrested Ulin-Ajin during the worksite enforcement action. Ulin-Ajin remained in federal custody through his sentencing. Ulin-Ajin was sentenced to time-served and ordered to be transferred to immigration officials for deportation proceedings.
These defendants had been in custody since their respective arrests on federal charges. All defendants were ordered to pay $100.00 each in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), investigated the cases with the assistance of state and local law enforcement partners, including the Saraland Police Department, Creola Police Department, and the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin D. Kopf prosecuted the cases on behalf of the United States.
In addition to repelling the invasion of illegal immigration, Operation Take Back America aim includes the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) and protecting our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
Previously Convicted Louisville Man Sentenced to 40 Years and 6 months in Federal Prison for Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced on December 15, 2025, for online coercion and enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a child, and transportation of a minor for sex.
U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office, and Chief Paul L. Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
Nathaniel Covington, 25, was sentenced to 40 years and 6 months in federal prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release, for online coercion and enticement of a minor, sexual exploitation of a child, and transportation of a minor for sex. The Court ordered Covington to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victim.
Covington used an online social media application to meet a fourteen-year-old girl. He arranged to have the girl taken from Tennessee to Louisville, Kentucky for a sexual encounter. Once in Kentucky, Covington used his cellular phone to record himself engaged in sexual acts with the minor. Several days after Covington took the victim from Tennessee, an amber alert was issued for the child and Covington was found in Clarksville, Indiana with her. Covington was previously convicted in 2019 in Ohio for Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a different fourteen-year-old.
“Covington is a dangerous child predator,” said U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner. “A 2019 Ohio conviction for Unlawful Sexual Conduct did not deter disgusting deviant behavior. Because of the important contributions from the Louisville Metro Police Department and the FBI, Covington will not have the opportunity to prey on any more children for at least four decades. Covington’s 40 years and 6 months federal sentence should be a siren to likeminded deviants that if they engage in this reprehensible conduct dire consequences will soon follow.”
“The relentless pursuit of child sex predators is one of the FBI’s top priorities,” stated Special Agent in Charge Olivia Olson of the FBI Louisville Field Office. “While this sentence should send a clear message to offenders who prey upon our community’s innocent children, it does not mean we will let up. We will not stop until every criminal who seeks to exploit or abuse our children is found and held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
LMPD Chief Paul L. Humphrey stated, “Detectives with the Louisville Metro Police Department’s Office of Sexual and Physical Investigations (OSPI) focus on prosecuting the most heinous criminals, and this case shows their impact. Working with our partners in law enforcement ensured that a dangerous predator is now off the streets for decades. OSPI will continue pushing every case forward to protect victims and ensure those who commit these horrific crimes face full accountability.”
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Louisville Metro Police Department with assistance from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jeffersonville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys A. Spencer McKiness and Danielle Yanelli 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. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Pensacola Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Preparing False Tax Returns and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Khristine N. Harper, 42, of Pensacola, was sentenced to two years in federal prison after having previously pleaded guilty to twenty counts of aiding and assisting the preparation of false tax returns and one count of identity theft. The guilty plea was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I applaud the excellent investigative work by our federal law enforcement partners to catch this fraudster and dismantle her scheme to rip off American taxpayers. My office will continue to aggressively prosecute fraudsters and thieves, and will ensure they find themselves in federal prison for their crimes.”
Court documents reflect that between 2018 and 2024, Harper routinely prepared and filed fraudulent income tax returns for her clients by listing false amounts for various deductions, credits, and other items that were never provided to her by those clients. After Harper became aware in July 2023 that the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation was investigating her, she changed the name of her tax preparation business from Kings Tax Service to Echelon Tax. She also obtained a Preparer Tax Identification Number (PTIN) in another person’s name without permission and filed her clients’ 2023 returns using that fraudulently obtained PTIN.
In addition to being sentenced to two years in prison, Harper was ordered to pay $284,490 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service as a condition of a two-year term of supervised release to follow her prison sentence, $132,809.74 in statutorily mandated costs of prosecution, and a $2,100 special monetary assessment.
“Tax return preparers who deliberately file fraudulent returns are committing serious federal crimes with every submission,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Ron Loecker of the Florida Field Office. “IRS-CI will relentlessly pursue dishonest preparers to protect taxpayers and uphold the integrity of the tax system. Those who break the law will be held accountable—period.”
“This case was the result of coordinated efforts between investigators and prosecutors committed to protecting the public,” said FBI Jacksonville Special Agent in Charge Jason Carley. “We will continue to aggressively work to identify, investigate and hold accountable those who commit fraud.”
The sentence was the result of a joint investigation by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alicia H. Forbes.
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.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Distributing Methamphetamine and Possessing FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Alexander Jackson, 54, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 17, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for distribution of methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Jackson to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Jackson’s release from prison, he will begin an eight-year term of supervised release.
In April 2024, an individual cooperating with law enforcement made two controlled buys from Jackson in Omaha. The first was for one ounce of methamphetamine. The second was for one ounce of methamphetamine and a 9mm handgun.
Between 1991 and 2014, Jackson was convicted four times for drug dealing offenses in Douglas County District Court. Because of the 2014 prior conviction, Jackson faced an enhancement mandatory minimum of 10 years’ imprisonment and eight years of supervised release for this federal offense.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
Oahu Woman Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Ken Sorenson announced that Heidi Cafirma, 50, of Waipahu, Hawaii, pleaded guilty today to filing false tax returns and wire fraud related to her fraudulent application for unemployment assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Cafirma’s sentencing is set for April 15, 2026 before United States District Judge Shanlyn A.S. Park.
According to court documents and in-court statements, for tax years 2016 through 2020, Cafirma filed false federal tax returns with the IRS for her and her spouse that underreported their business income and total taxes owed.
In 2020, Cafirma also submitted a fraudulent application requesting Pandemic Unemployment Assistance benefits, which she was not entitled to receive. From approximately June 2020 through September 2021, Cafirma filed weekly unemployment benefit certification forms in support of her application, falsely claiming she was not working or earning any income during the certification period. As a result, Cafirma received approximately $70,500 in fraudulent benefit payments.
Cafirma faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 3 years for filing a false tax return and 20 years for wire fraud. She also faces a term of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties.
IRS-Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Perlmutter and Trial Attorney Sarah A. Kiewlicz are prosecuting the case.
Nigerian Man Convicted on Multiple Charges Including Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, and Aggravated Identity TheftRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Ikponmwosa Erhinmwinrose, 39, of Atlanta, Georgia, was convicted by a federal jury on six counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, one count of wire fraud conspiracy, and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Erhinmwinrose and other conspirators in his fraud ring stole more than $7.6 million in government benefits from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, multiple state unemployment insurance programs including from the state of Colorado, and tax refunds. The economic relief programs were launched by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
To obtain these benefits, Erhinmwinrose and other conspirators in his fraud ring used the stolen identities of more than 1,000 victims. As a result of Erhinmwinrose’s actions, identity-theft victims never received IRS stimulus payments, received letters in the mail stating that they had to start repaying loans that Erhinmwinrose had taken out in their names, and faced backlash on social media because others thought they had taken out large loans that in fact went to Erhinmwinrose and other members of his fraud ring. To facilitate the criminal activity, Erhinmwinrose created dozens of email accounts under false names to impersonate real individuals and businesses, worked with conspirators to submit fraudulent applications for benefits, and then instructed a network of conspirators to launder the proceeds through multiple bank accounts before converting the money to cash or transferring it overseas.
United States District Judge Charlotte N. Sweeney presided over the trial.
The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, FDIC Office of Inspector General, Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General handled the investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Craig Fansler and Sonia Dave handled the prosecution.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form
Case Number: 1-23-cr-00300-CNS
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to 120 Months After Leading Members of the U.S. Marshals Service on a High-Speed Chase and Discharging a FirearmRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on December 18, 2025, Douglas Reynolds, 37, of, Dalton, New Hampshire, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 120 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Reynolds previously pleaded guilty to discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, specifically assaulting federal law enforcement using a deadly weapon.
According to court records, members of the United States Marshals Service attempted to serve an outstanding state arrest warrant on Reynolds near Dalton, New Hampshire. Reynolds spotted law enforcement and fled in his black Jetta sedan. Reynolds led law enforcement north on Interstate 93 to Saint Johnsbury, Vermont, before turning south on Interstate 91. The chase reached speeds of over 100 miles per hour. Eventually, Reynolds exited the interstate near Ryegate, Vermont. His vehicle ran out of gas and began to slow. As his vehicle slowed, Reynolds waived a Ruger Security Six .357 Magnum revolver out of his driver’s side window. Then he fired the gun over his shoulder in the general direction of USMS personnel. USMS personnel returned fire, hitting Reynolds in the head. Members of the pursuing team then ordered Reynolds out of his car and apprehended him. After receiving medical care, Reynolds was arrested. At the time of Reynolds’ possession and discharge of the Ruger, he was both a convicted felon and an unlawful user of controlled substances.
First Assistant United States Attorney Michael P. Drescher commended the investigatory efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Bradford Police Department, and the assistance of the United States Marshals Service.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua L. Banker. Reynolds was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Carmen Brooks.
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.
Montgomery Man Convicted of Multiple Federal Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, Ala. – On December 18, 2025, a federal jury convicted 36-year-old Arsenio Hall, of Montgomery, Alabama, of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, cocaine, a synthetic cannabinoid, and marijuana, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, law enforcement began investigating suspected drug-trafficking activity in Montgomery County in late 2024. As part of that investigation, investigators with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant on December 4, 2024, at a residence in Montgomery.
During the search, law enforcement found more than three kilograms of 99-percent pure methamphetamine, over 200 grams of cocaine, approximately three pounds of marijuana, and 349 grams of a synthetic cannabinoid in a bedroom closet. Investigators collected other evidence linking Hall directly to the drugs, including fingerprints.
Hall was initially arrested on state charges. In July 2025, a federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment against Hall, with a fifth count added in November 2025. Following a three-day trial, the jury found Hall guilty on all five counts.
“This case reflects the strong collaboration between federal and local law enforcement here in the Middle District of Alabama,” said Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “I am grateful to the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration for their hard work and careful investigation, which helped bring this case to a successful conclusion.”
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months. Hall faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and up to life in federal prison. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark E. Andreu and Christopher P. Moore.
Mexican National Sentenced to More than 20 Years for Methamphetamine Conspiracy Mexican National Sentenced to More than 20 Years for Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Antelmo Obeso-Valenzuela, 52, a Mexican citizen living in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 17, 2025, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Obeso-Valenzuela to 250 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Obeso-Valenzuela’s release from prison, he will begin a five-year term of supervised release.
On February 8, 2024, Obeso-Valenzuela sold a pound of methamphetamine to an undercover detective outside an apartment building in Papillion, Nebraska. The undercover detective communicated with a source of supply in Mexico to arrange the purchase. The source of supply directed the detective to the apartment building to meet Obeso-Valenzuela. On February 20, 2024, police arrested Obeso-Valenzuela and searched an Omaha residence and an apartment in the Papillion building. During the searches, agents seized approximately 63 pounds of methamphetamine and more than $14,000 in cash. A search of Obeso-Valenzuela’s cell phone found photographs and videos taken throughout February 2024 indicative of methamphetamine trafficking.
The money seized will be forfeited to the United States as proceeds of drug dealing.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Metro Drug Task Force, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Massachusetts Man Pleads Guilty to Multiple Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
David X. Sullivan, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that NICHOLAS KINGSLEY, 42, of Agawam, Massachusetts, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to firearm possession offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 16, 2024, Enfield Police arrested Kingsley after a traffic stop and he was found in possession of three privately made firearms (“ghost guns”) and 45 rounds of ammunition. On April 18, 2024, while Kingsley was detained in state custody, HSI special agents conducted a search of his vehicle in Agawam and seized 14 fully assembled firearms, several Glock machine gun conversion devices, and more than 2,000 rounds of various caliber ammunition.
Kingsley’s criminal history includes felony convictions for drug, firearm, assault, and larceny offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Kingsley pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of firearms by a felon, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years; unlawful possession of a machine gun, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; and unlawful possession of a weapon in violation of the National Firearms Act, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years.
Kingsley has been detained since his arrest. He is scheduled to be sentenced on March 16, 2026.
This matter has been investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Enfield Police Department, and the Agawam Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Lembo.
Maryland Tech Executive Indicted, in Connection with Conspiracy to Defraud the Federal GovernmentRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment, charging Victor Marquez, 53, a Maryland resident and owner of two information technology (IT) companies, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, four counts of wire fraud, and major fraud, in connection with a scheme to defraud the federal government. The scheme included rigging bids for IT contracts and receiving kickbacks in exchange for influence over IT procurements.
Kelly O. Hayes, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, announced the indictment with Deputy Assistant Attorney General Omeed A. Assefi, Justice Department – Antitrust Division; Special Agent in Charge Christopher Dillard, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) – Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Jimmy Paul, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Baltimore Field Office; and Deputy Inspector General Kevin Gerrity, National Security Agency Office of the Inspector General (NSA-OIG).
As alleged in the superseding indictment, Marquez and his co-conspirators used his access to sensitive procurement information to rig bids for procurements for large U.S. government IT contracts. Marquez and his co-conspirators concealed Marquez’s role in the scheme to ensure his continued access to sensitive procurement information. He received compensation in the form of kickbacks for steering procurements to his co-conspirators, who referred to the payments as the “Vic tax.” Through the scheme, Marquez obtained more than $3.8 million in funds that were built into the government’s purchase price.
James Briar, 47, of Manassas, Virginia, an IT sales representative, and Robert Fay, 59, of Stevensville, Maryland, an IT sales executive, pled guilty in related cases. On August 11, 2025, Briar pled guilty to conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks, and on October 1, Fay pled guilty to conspiracy to pay illegal kickbacks and violate the Anti-Kickback Act.
“These bad actors attempted to enrich themselves by using privileged inside access to defraud the federal government,” Hayes said. “This kind of corruption distorts the competitive process, wastes taxpayer dollars, and undermines public trust in government contracting. This office, along with our law-enforcement partners, will continue to pursue and prosecute corruption while holding those accountable who dare to try to steal from our government.”
“As the superseding indictment shows, defendant Victor Marquez and his co-conspirators broke trust with our military and stole millions of dollars from an agency that defends our homeland,” Assefi said. “Two of the defendant’s co-conspirators have already pled guilty, and the Antitrust Division will not rest until Marquez is imprisoned.”
“The charges announced today should stand as a reminder that those who defraud the Department of Defense will be held accountable for their actions,” Dillard said. “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to protecting the integrity of the DoD procurement process and will pursue all available remedies to root out fraud.”
“The defendants leveraged personal relationships to make corrupt, under the table deals that enriched themselves at the taxpayers' expense,” Paul said. “The FBI and our partners will follow every investigative lead to ensure all those cheating the system are brought to justice.”
“Ensuring the integrity of federal contracting is critical for an efficient and effective government,” Gerrity said. “I commend our team, our law enforcement partners, and the Justice Department for their dedication and collaboration.”
If convicted, Marquez faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for each conspiracy and wire fraud count and 10 years for the major fraud charge.
Briar faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison, for his role, and Fay faces a maximum 10-year sentence. Sentencing dates are forthcoming.
A federal district court judge determines sentencing after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Hayes commended the DCIS, FBI, and NSA-OIG who investigated this case. Ms. Hayes also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean R. Delaney and Darren S. Gardner, and Trial Attorneys Elizabeth French, Anna Wang, and Ron Fiorillo, Department of Justice Antitrust Division – Washington Criminal Section, who are prosecuting this case.
In November 2019, the Justice Department created the Procurement Collusion Strike Force (PCSF), a joint law enforcement effort to combat antitrust crimes and related fraudulent schemes that impact government procurement, grant and program funding at all levels of government—federal, state and local. To learn more about the PCSF, or to report information on bid rigging, price fixing, market allocation and other anticompetitive conduct related to government spending, go to justice.gov/procurement-collusion-strike-force.
Anyone with information in connection with this investigation can contact the PCSF at the link listed above. Whistleblowers who voluntarily report original information about antitrust and related offenses that result in criminal fines or other recoveries of at least $1 million may be eligible to receive a whistleblower reward. For more information on the Antitrust Whistleblower Rewards Program, visit justice.gov/atr/whistleblower-rewards.
For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, visit justice.gov/usao-md and justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Luzerne County Man Sentenced to 84 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Conspiracy OffenseRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Patrick Russin, age 55, of Dallas, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment and four years of supervised release by United States District Judge Robert D. Mariani for one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and 50 grams and more of methamphetamine.
According to United States Attorney Brian D. Miller, Russin previously pled guilty to conspiring with his co-defendants Jamie Smicherko, Ryan Medar, Carlos Laurel, and others to distribute controlled substances in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania between October of 2023 to April of 2024. As part of that plea, Russin also admitted that he was responsible for distributing or possessing with intent to distribute quantities of cocaine and over 50 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Co-defendants Jamie Smicherko pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing; Ryan Medar was sentenced to134 months in prison; and Carlos Laurel was sentenced to 27 months in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Kingston Police Department, the Plains Township Police Depart, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, the Pittston Police Department, the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office, and the Lackawanna County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America (https://www.justice.gov/dag/media/1393746/dl?inline) a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
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Lockport man arrested on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Ma Le Jones, 37, of Lockport, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of life, and $1,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katerina F. Powers, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on the morning of December 13, 2025, Jones presented for inspection at the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge, using a New York State driver’s license for identification. Jones told a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Officer that he made a wrong turn and was attempting to return to the United States. The CBP officer conducted database queries, which revealed Jones was subject to an active order of protection, and was also on probation for a prior firearms offense. As a result, Jones was referred secondary inspection, during which CBP officers seized, among other things, two cell phones, $2,383 in cash, quantities of marijuana, MDMA, cocaine and crack cocaine, and a loaded revolver. Jones is currently on parole after being convicted of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree in 2017 in New York State Court.
Jones was ordered detained following a detention hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Customs and Border Protection, under the direction of Director of Field Operations Rose Brophy, and Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Erin Keegan.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Lincoln Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Distribution and Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Lesley A. Woods announced that Jacob Smith, 34, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on December 18, 2025, in federal court in Lincoln for one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. Smith was previously employed as a family physician at CHI Health. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Smith to a total of 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Smith’s release from prison, he will begin a 7-year term of supervised release.
On January 17, 2025, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)-Omaha received information regarding an ongoing undercover chat on a social media platform in furtherance of a child exploitation investigation. Through the investigation, HSI was able to determine that the user of the social media account was Jacob Smith.
On January 17, 2025, a federal search warrant was executed at Smith’s residence. During the search, eight electronic devices were seized. Search warrants were also executed for Smith’s various social media accounts. A forensic review was completed of the devices and accounts. In total, law enforcement located 8,955 images of child pornography pursuant to the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Lexington County Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. —Jamar Tywone Kimpson, 52, of Swansea, has pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of firearms.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that in 2021, workers at a local FedEx hub found three suspicious packages with a strong odor of marijuana. All three were addressed to the same person at an address in Swansea, South Carolina with return addresses of the recipient’s same name and address. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the parcels, and they were found to contain marijuana and THC edibles. Another search warrant was obtained for the residence, and a controlled delivery was made at the address. Kimpson took possession of the parcels and took them into the residence.
During the search of the residence, three packages that were delivered were found unopened in the living room. Between the three packages, investigators found 28 packages of THC edibles, 65 bags of marijuana (approximately 1 pound each), 28 glass jars of marijuana, and quantities of marijuana in other forms. Investigators also located the receipt for the packages that listed tracking numbers for each. Another receipt indicated that an additional package was sent. It was seized by SLED and turned over to Lexington County Sheriff’s Department and was also found to contain marijuana and THC products.
Multiple guns were found throughout the house and in cars in the yard, including a rifle hidden in the kitchen table’s bench seat. A 9mm pistol was found in Kimpson’s bedroom on a dresser on top of paperwork with Kimpson’s name on it. Two pistols were located on the driver’s side floorboard of a sedan that had paperwork with Kimpson’s name on it. A shotgun and a 9mm pistol were in another vehicle belonging to Kimpson.
Kimpson is prohibited from possessing firearms based upon prior convictions for a weapons violation, an armed robbery, resisting arrest, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of a stolen pistol, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of crack cocaine, and assault and battery of a high and aggravated nature.
Kimpson faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. He also faces a fine of up to $250,000, and three years of supervision to follow the term of imprisonment. United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson, Jr. accepted the guilty plea and will sentence Kimpson after receiving and reviewing a sentencing report prepared by the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Columbia Police Department, and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney William K. Witherspoon is prosecuting the case.
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Last of 8 Defendants Sentenced for Drug Trafficking in Trinidad NeighborhoodRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Levancie Carr, 43, a three-time convicted felon from the District of Columbia, was sentenced today to eight years in prison in connection with his role in a large open-air narcotics market that operated in the Trinidad neighborhood of the city, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Carr, aka “Locs,” pleaded guilty on Sept. 11, 2025, before Chief Judge James E. Boasberg to a two-count Information charging him with distribution of fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the eight-year prison term, Chief Judge Boasberg ordered Carr to serve five years of supervised release.
Carr is the last of eight defendants to be sentenced in the prosecution of the Trinidad drug market.
According to court documents, in June 2023, federal and local law enforcement agencies launched an investigation into drug sales in the Trinidad neighborhood of Northeast Washington. Surveillance cameras captured images of men on the 1100 block of Raum Street, NE, conducting hand-to-hand transactions of suspected narcotics on an almost daily basis. Members of the group routinely discouraged others from the block by approaching vehicles that came into the area and asking the occupants why they were there.
From June 2023 through March 2024, law enforcement made 42 controlled purchases of narcotics totaling more than 600 grams of fentanyl and 150 grams of crack cocaine.
Carr conducted 18 of the sales which include 15 grams of cocaine base, 28 grams of fentanyl, and 18 grams of fentanyl analogue. On May 27, 2024, agents executed a search warrant at Carr’s apartment, and recovered 375 grams of cocaine, five firearms, and $115,621 in cash.
During the course of the conspiracy, the Trinidad organization sold approximately 468 kilos of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base.
The Trinidad trafficking investigation was a multi-agency effort between the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Washington Division, the Narcotics Enforcement Unit of the Violent Crime Suppression Division of the Metropolitan Police Department, and the FBI Washington Field Office’s Violent Crimes Task Force.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nihar Mohanty and Daniel Seidel of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. 24cr246
NAME
AGE
AKA
CHARGES
Davon Cunningham
36
Tank,
Kevin
Sentenced to 126 months in prison on June 27, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base.Levancie Carr
43
Locs
Sentenced to 96 months on Dec. 22, 2025, for distribution of fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.Roosevelt Richardson
48
Rose
Sentenced to 66 months on June 30, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base.Dandre Goodwine
30
Dreads
Sentenced to 36 months on July 7, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base.Jalonie Hooper
26
JR
Sentenced to 15 months on July 7, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base.Jvares Amaray Wright
49
Jay
Sentenced to 17 months on July 7, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base and for criminal contempt.Edward Frizell Williams,Jr.
53
Pooh
Sentenced to 22 months on July 2, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base.Arnez Mack
22
Sentenced to 12 months and one day on June 27, 2025, for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue, and cocaine base.24cr246
Justice Department announces results of Operation Relentless JusticeRead the Press Release
FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS, Ill. – The Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Relentless Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track, and arrest child sex predators. The nationwide crackdown resulted in over 205 child victims being located and the arrests of over 293 child sexual abuse offenders from Dec. 3-17. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of two weeks by all 56 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and U.S. Attorneys’ offices around the country.
“We will not allow evil criminals who prey on children to evade justice,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Our federal agents have worked tirelessly alongside our state and local partners to track down these vile predators, and now our prosecutors will ensure they receive severe punishments to match their horrific crimes."
“Operation Relentless Justice shows no child will be forgotten and that all predators targeting the most vulnerable amongst us will be held accountable,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “This year, the FBI has led multiple nationwide surges across the U.S. to find and arrest hundreds of child predators. We will not stop until every child can live a life free of exploitation. We will utilize the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state, and local partners to protect communities across the nation from such horrific crimes.”
“Sex offenders disgrace our communities, preying on the innocence of vulnerable children,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft. “Through Operation Relentless Justice, the Southern District of Illinois condemns these heinous acts and stands resolute with our law enforcement partners to eradicate this evil, protect our children, and deliver unwavering justice to those offenders.”
"During this operational time frame, FBI Springfield made multiple arrests in the Southern and Central District of Illinois," said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge, Christopher J.S. Johnson. "These operations are successful due to a combination of local and state partnerships, the relentless work of our investigative bodies, and the commitment we have to keeping our local neighborhoods safe."
The four facing charges in the Southern District of Illinois are:
- Zachary R. Jones, 38, of Johnston City, Illinois, on three counts of distribution of child pornography in Williamson County,
- Nicholas R. Emper, 43, of Sea Isle City, New Jersey, on one count of attempted solicitation of child pornography in Williamson County,
- Matthew A. Nevle, 27, of Allen, Texas, on one count of interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, one count of enticement of a minor and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor in St. Clair County, and
- Robert Jackowski, 31, of Granite City, Illinois, a former Marissa Police Officer, on one count of transportation of child pornography in St. Clair County.
This effort follows two other successful operations, including Operation Restore Justice in May, which resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sex abuse offenders, including four from the Southern District of Illinois, and Operation Enduring Justice in August, which resulted in the rescue of 133 children and the arrests of 234 offenders.
The FBI's Victim Services Division assisted victims during this operation and provided services, to include forensic interviews, referrals for medical and mental health resources, and coordination with partners. VSD's mission is to inform, support, and assist victims in navigating the aftermath of crime and the criminal justice process with dignity and resilience.
These operations underscore the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. attorneys’ offices and 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, visit justice.gov/psc.
The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.
The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI's tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Sues the District of Columbia for the Unconstitutional Ban of Semi-Automatic FirearmsRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department sued the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), alleging that the District government and MPD unconstitutionally ban the AR-15 and many other firearms protected under the Second Amendment. The District’s gun laws require anyone seeking to own a gun to register it with D.C. Metro Police. However, the D.C. Code provides a broad registration ban on numerous firearms — an unconstitutional incursion into the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens seeking to own protected firearms for lawful purposes. MPD’s current pattern and practice of refusing to register protected firearms is forcing residents to sue to protect their rights and to risk facing wrongful arrest for lawfully possessing protected firearms.
“Today’s action from the Department of Justice’s new Second Amendment Section underscores our ironclad commitment to protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “Washington, DC’s ban on some of America’s most popular firearms is an unconstitutional infringement on the Second Amendment — living in our nation’s capital should not preclude law-abiding citizens from exercising their fundamental constitutional right to keep and bear arms.”
“This Civil Rights Division will defend American citizens from unconstitutional restrictions of commonly used firearms, in violation of their Second Amendment rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Civil Rights Division. “The newly established Second Amendment Section filed this lawsuit to ensure that the very rights D.C. resident Mr. Heller secured 17 years ago are enforced today — and that all law-abiding citizens seeking to own protected firearms for lawful purposes may do so.”
In 2003, a D.C. special policeman named Richard Heller sued Washington, D.C. because the laws at the time prevented him from owning a handgun and keeping it in his home for self-defense. In 2008, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its landmark decision Heller, held that the Second Amendment does, in fact, protect the rights of law-abiding citizens to own a semi-automatic weapon in their homes for lawful purposes, such as self-defense. Unfortunately, today, the District still prevents ownership of these very same weapons through a pattern and practice of broadly blocking gun registration. Law-abiding citizens throughout our nation’s capital are facing wrongful arrests due to the enforcement of unconstitutional laws.
The Civil Rights Division enforces the Second Amendment, the Police Pattern or Practice Act (34 U.S.C. § 12601), and Executive Order 14206. If you are a current or prospective gun owner and believe you are being prevented from registering or owning a lawful firearm, please submit a complaint through https://www.justice.gov/crt/second-amendment-section.
Justice Department Sues J.B. Pritzker, Kwame Raoul over the Illinois Bivens ActRead the Press Release
Today, the Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker and Attorney General Kwame Raoul, challenging their unconstitutional attempt to regulate federal law enforcement officers through the so-called “Illinois Bivens Act” and “Court Access, Safety, and Participation Act.”
Not only are the laws illegal attempts to regulate and discriminate against the federal government through novel causes of action, but, as alleged in the complaint, the laws threaten the safety of federal officers who have faced an unprecedented wave of harassment, doxxing, and even violence. Threatening officers with ruinous liability and even punitive damages for executing federal law and for simply protecting their identities and their families also chills the enforcement of federal law and compromises sensitive law enforcement operations. The danger is acute.
“The Department of Justice will steadfastly protect law enforcement from unconstitutional state laws like Illinois’ that threaten massive punitive liability and compromise the safety of our officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett A. Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
“Unfortunately, Illinois politicians prefer to attack law enforcement with lawsuits and punitive damages rather than support ICE’s Criminal Alien Program, which prioritizes the safe removal of dangerous criminal aliens like murderers, child rapists, and other serious offenders,” said U.S. Attorney Steven D. Weinhoeft for the Southern District of Illinois. “Courthouse arrests are only necessary in the first place because Illinois refuses to honor federal detainers at the jails and prisons, instead preferring to release criminals back into our communities.”
On her first day in office, Attorney General Bondi instructed the Department’s Civil Division to identify state and local laws, policies, and practices that facilitate violations of federal laws or impede lawful federal operations. Today’s lawsuit is the latest in a series of lawsuits brought by the Civil Division targeting illegal policies designed to thwart federal law enforcement across the country, including in New York, New Jersey, and Los Angeles, California.
Justice Department Issues Updated Letters and Fact Sheet About Professional License Portability for Servicemembers and their SpousesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has issued updated materials explaining recent changes to the law that governs the portability of professional licenses for servicemembers and their spouses. The materials include a letter for state licensing authorities and another for state offices that license attorneys. The letters explain recent changes to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) section that allows servicemembers and their spouses to use their professional licenses or certificates in new states if they are relocating because of military orders and meet certain other requirements. The Justice Department also issued a fact sheet outlining the updated license portability provision.
“Military families are the backbone of American society,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Servicemembers and their spouses often sacrifice the stability of settling in one place during a critical time in their career. The Department is steadfast in its commitment to ensuring that servicemembers and their spouses do not face unreasonable barriers to continuing their careers while they uproot their lives in service to our country.”
In January 2023, Congress added the license portability provision to the SCRA — a law that provides servicemembers and their families with a wide variety of financial and housing protections — to make it easier for servicemembers and military spouses to have their professional licenses recognized when they relocate to another state due to military orders. Congress amended this provision in December 2024. One significant update removed a restriction on the portability of law licenses, which are now included in the law, along with all other licensed professions.
Since 2011, the Department has obtained over $483 million in monetary relief for over 148,000 servicemembers through its enforcement of the SCRA. For more information about the Department’s enforcement efforts under the SCRA and other laws that protect the rights of servicemembers and their families, please visit www.servicemembers.gov.
Servicemembers and their dependents who believe that their rights under the SCRA have been violated should contact the nearest Armed Forces Legal Assistance Program Office. Office locations may be found at http://legalassistance.law.af.mil. If servicemembers or their spouses are not eligible for military legal assistance services, they may request that the Justice Department review their claim by submitting a complaint through https://civilrights.justice.gov/link/4025A.