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Thursday 13 November 2025
Independence Man Sentenced for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – An Independence, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing a firearm.
Hunter A. Fanara, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Beth Phillips to 96 months in federal prison without parole for being a felon in possession of a firearms.
On July 8, 2025, Fanara pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly being a felon in possession of a firearm on Mar. 19, 2024. On that date, Fanara was driving near the intersection of South Crysler and West Haward Avenue in Independence, Mo. An Independence, Mo., Police Department Officer pulled Fanara over for a stop sign violation. During the traffic stop, Fanara abruptly exited the vehicle and shut and locked the car door. Fanara then walked towards the patrol car with his hands in his pockets. The officer questioned Fanara and learned that Fanara had a revoked license. Fanara reported that the vehicle he was driving belonged to another person and he could not provide consent to search the vehicle, but the officer had not requested to search the vehicle. Due to Fanara having a revoked license and an outstanding warrant, officers arrested Fanara. Officers later learned that the vehicle had been reported as stolen. Officers conducted an inventory search of the vehicle prior to having it towed and they discovered a loaded Taurus, Model G3, 9mm caliber, semi-automatic pistol, in the driver’s door cubby. Officers also found multiple baggies containing methamphetamine, fentanyl, heroin and a couple of pills. Pursuant to the plea agreement, the defendant admitted that he knowingly possessed the recovered firearm and that he knew he had previously been convicted of a felony offense. In the plea agreement, Fanara also admitted that on Mar. 20, 2025, he knowingly possessed another firearm, specifically an Erma/Excam, Model RX22, .22 LR caliber, semi-automatic pistol, that Independence, Mo. Police Officers recovered during an investigation of another traffic violation involving Fanara.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trey Alford. It was investigated by the Independence, Mo. Police Department.
Operation Take Back America
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).
Imprisoned Sex Offender Sentenced to 16 More Months for Threatening Vengance on Minor Victim’s MotherRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Franklin Jovany Torres, 42, a convicted sex offender serving time in federal prison, was sentenced November 5 to an additional 16 months for vowing revenge and mailing death threats to the mother of a teenage boy who he had sexually abused, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Torres pleaded guilty August 27 before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly to one count of mailing threatening communications. The 16-months will be served consecutively to the earlier imposed 21-year prison term. Torres will be deported to El Salvador at the completion of the sentences.
Joining in the announcement was FBI Special Agent in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
According to the plea agreement, on Mar. 11, 2015, following a jury trial, Torres was convicted in the District of producing child pornography, distributing child pornography, possessing child pornography, and first degree sexual abuse of a minor. For those crimes he was sentenced to 252 months in prison.
On July 2, 2015, Torres mailed a handwritten letter from a Federal Corrections Institute in South Carolina to the Northwest Washington D.C. home of the minor victim’s mother.
The letter, written in Spanish, threatened, “I’m going to get out one day, and when that day comes is when you are going to shed tears of blood because that day I’m going to get rid of your whole family – cousins, nephews and nieces, granmother, children – even the dog at your home I’ll get rid of.”
The boy victim’s parents had allowed Torres to stay in their apartment after Torres lost his job and needed a place to stay. After Torres had lived with the family for several months, the victim’s mother discovered a naked photo of a male child with his face obscured on the defendant’s Facebook page. The boy in the photo turned out to be the victim. The photo was taken by Torres during an incident in which Torres had sexually abused the boy.
The mother and her son reported the sexual abuse to the police several months later, after Torres moved out of their apartment.
This case was investigated by FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James B. Nelson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Illegal Alien Convicted for Participation in Scheme to Defraud Elderly Victims of Millions in Cash and GoldRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Atharva Shailesh Sathawane, 22, of India, was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. The verdict was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “This successful prosecution was made possible by the outstanding investigative work of our local and federal law enforcement partners, and this criminal alien will be held accountable for his role in the financial exploitation of several vulnerable, elderly victims. I am incredibly proud of the work by my office to pursue justice on behalf of the defrauded victims in this case, and we will see to it that fraudsters are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.”
Trial testimony and court documents demonstrated that the defendant was a courier in an international fraud scheme that defrauded elderly victims of approximately $8 million. As part of the scheme, elderly victims were convinced to liquidate their retirement accounts to obtain cash and/or gold. While illegally in the United States, the defendant picked up the cash and gold from the elderly victims and then delivered the assets to unknown individuals in parking lots. To coordinate the transfers of cash and gold, the defendant worked with other individuals, some of which were in India, the defendant’s native country. After an elderly victim suspected the fraud, local law enforcement coordinated a ruse to apprehend the courier in Gainesville, Florida. Law enforcement arrested the defendant upon his arrival at the elderly man’s residence to pick up more gold. A subsequent search of the defendant’s cellular phone confirmed his involvement in the extensive elder fraud scheme, including the defendant’s participation in over 30 transactions in numerous states. Numerous American citizens had lost their entire life savings or experienced substantial financial hardship.
Sathawane faces up to 20 years’ imprisonment for each count.
The case involved a joint investigation by the Gainesville Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam Hapner.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 16, 2025, at 10:00 am at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before Chief United States District Judge Allen C. Winsor.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit theU.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
ICYMI: Charges, Pleas, Sentencings and Settlements During the Recent Government ShutdownRead the Press Release
During the lapse in government funding, the U.S. Attorney’s offices in St. Louis and Cape Girardeau were working hard to continue their mission. Here are just some of the things that happened that we weren’t able to discuss at the time:
Wed. Oct. 1
Starr Lumos, 54, admitted committing over $201,000 in fraud by pretending to be disabled and unable to work. Despite those claims, she was working multiple jobs and running multiple businesses, including an event planning company. Lumos is scheduled to be sentenced in January and faces up to 10 years in prison and/or a fine of up to $250,000.
Friday Oct. 3
A former doctor who pleaded guilty in 2020 to a charge of obtaining a controlled substance by fraud or forgery admitted seeking employment using a stolen identity. Angela K. Williams, 40, pleaded guilty to identity theft and admitted seeking employment on the medical staff of the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority in Oklahoma and in other locations by stealing the identity of a St. Louis doctor. Williams submitted forged diplomas with the doctor’s name and a forged State of Missouri medical license with her application. She could face up to five years in prison when sentenced in January.
Monday Oct. 6
Victoria Isgriggs, 45, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and admitted stealing over $164,000 from her employer, a Franklin County nursery and florist, in a variety of ways. Sentencing for Isgriggs, formerly known as Victoria Denise Missey, is set for January.
Tuesday Oct. 7
The United States reached a settlement with Fiserv Inc. and Fiserv Solutions LLC in which the companies agreed to pay $8.99 million to resolve allegations – brought forth by a whistleblower - that Fiserv took improper discounts on postage from the U.S. Postal Service.
Four men were indicted in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau and accused of involvement in an arson that destroyed the Midway restaurant in Puxico, Missouri and damaged two other businesses. Two of the men, Steven D. Phillips and his son Matthew S. Phillips, are co-owners of the restaurant and one, Larry D. Doublin, is the Chief of the Puxico Volunteer Fire Department, the indictment says. All have pleaded not guilty and are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
Patrick Neistat, 24, of Florissant, pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and admitted soliciting and receiving child sexual abuse material from a 12-year-old and a 14-year-old and engaging in sexual contact with a minor male. Neistat faces between five and 20 years in prison at his January 29 sentencing hearing.
Carlan Travis Penney Jr., 46, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of a minor and transportation of a minor across state lines with the intent to engage in illegal sexual activity. He admitted exchanging nude photos with a 15-year-old Missouri teen that he’d met online. Penney then brought the victim from Missouri to his home state of Georgia. He now faces at least 10 years in prison and a maximum prison term of life.
Edgar Love, a felon caught by St. Louis police with ammunition after his girlfriend accused him of assault, was sentenced to 137 months in prison. U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig found that Love obstructed the police investigation by flushing drugs down the toilet and disposing of two guns and ammunition before police could arrest him. Evidence and testimony showed that Love assaulted his girlfriend multiple times and repeatedly threatened her and her relatives with guns. Evidence and testimony also showed that Love possessed a firearm when he was wounded during a gun battle in August of 2022, about 30 days after his release from prison.
Anthony Justin Snelson, 39, of Arnold, was sentenced to 65 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for trying to meet with a 16-year-old to engage in sexual activity.
Wednesday Oct. 8
A superseding indictment was handed down accusing St. Louis Sheriff Alfred Montgomery of retaliating against persons he thought were cooperating with a federal investigation. He has pleaded not guilty and is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
Sharon Dolisi, 79, of St. James, Missouri was arrested after having been indicted and accused of acting as a “money mule” and receiving $2.1 million from lottery and sweepstakes fraud victims across the U.S. She has pleaded not guilty and is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
Darryl Jaspering, 62, of Warrenton, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of interference with federally protected activities and admitted threatening the St. Louis office of the NAACP. Jaspering admitted writing a racist, profane and threatening message on the NAACP’s online contact page, including threats to “blow your… head off” and “bust you… with a… Hatchet.” Jaspering is scheduled to be sentenced on February 5.
Friday Oct. 10
Brian K. Ditch, 45, of Salem, Missouri, pleaded guilty to four counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted neglecting his uncle, a U.S. Army veteran with quadriplegia, for years and then concealing his death so that he could fraudulently obtain his uncle’s $1.8 million in disability benefits.
Bridgette Johnson, 61, of Berkeley, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and admitted fraudulently applying for and receiving $120,000 from the COVID-19 pandemic-era Paycheck Protection Program. She also admitted fraudulently applying for $1 million in Economic Injury Disaster Loans and receiving $9,000 in advances on those applications. She faces up to 20 years in prison when sentenced.
Tuesday Oct. 14
Timothy Kelley, 60, of Sullivan, Missouri, was sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online. He was also ordered to pay $45,000 to victims who have been identified in the CSAM he collected. RWS/Hayes.
Maurice Dowell, 70, of Chesterfield, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography and admitted downloading and sharing child sexual abuse material on a peer-to-peer network.
Stanley E. Alford, 58, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 20 years in prison for the armed robbery of a Fenton, Missouri store on Jan. 24, 2024, and a pawnshop in St. Louis County two days later. He was also ordered to pay $3,172 in restitution.
Wednesday Oct. 15
A jury found Carl Bowman, 37, guilty of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence and testimony at the two-day trial showed that the U.S. Marshals Service arrested Bowman Aug. 8, 2023, on a supervised release violation warrant at his residence in St. Louis County. At the time, Bowman was in possession of an AK-style rifle with a large capacity magazine, a stolen AR-15 rifle with a large capacity magazine and two semi-automatic pistols, both with large capacity magazines. Bowman is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Reginald M. Miller, a registered sex offender who molested a 14-year-old boy and provided cash and marijuana in exchange for child sexual abuse material, was sentenced to 400 months in prison. Miller, 57, lived in Park Hills, Missouri.
Jonniece Wilson, 20, of St. Louis, admitted stealing a Hyundai Accent at gunpoint on March 12, 2024, in St. Louis. She was a passenger in that stolen car when it fled from police minutes later before crashing and injuring a pedestrian. Wilson was arrested with a handgun in her backpack. She now faces up to 15 years in prison for carjacking and a mandatory, consecutive term of seven years for brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Rachel Burns, 35, of Franklin County, Missouri, was sentenced to 35 years in prison for the sexual abuse of a one-year-old. Her husband, William Burns, 41, was sentenced to 40 years in prison in September.
Thursday Oct. 16
After a two-day bench trial, U.S. District Judge Joshua M. Divine found Roosevelt Easley, 40, of St. Louis, guilty of two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence and testimony at trial showed that on March 29, 2022, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped a vehicle driven by Easley. Marijuana and a firearm were in plain view in the vehicle. On Sept. 10, 2022, St. Louis police attempted to make a traffic stop of Easley’s vehicle, but he sped off. Easley eventually crashed the vehicle into a tree before running away. Officers found two firearms in the vehicle. Judge Divine also found that Easley had at least three previous convictions for violent felonies or serious drug offenses. At sentencing, if Judge Divine rules that the enhanced penalty provisions of the Armed Career Criminal Act apply, Easley will face at least 15 years in prison.
Registered sex offender Leland Paster, 42, of St. Louis, was sentenced to 15 years in prison after he admitted possessing child sexual abuse material on a hidden SD card and searching for and viewing CSAM while on supervised release from a prior CSAM conviction in Alaska.
Tuesday Oct. 21
Jeremy S. Crocker, 46, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau and admitted setting a fire on March 2, 2025, in the Mark Twain National Forest in Iron County, Missouri. The fire consumed more than one acre of timber before firefighters were able to put it out. Crocker is scheduled to be sentenced in January.
Wednesday Oct. 22
Steve Allen Hall, 38, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer. He admitted unlawfully trying to buy a handgun in Caruthersville, Missouri in June of 2025 while he was facing pending charges of child molestation. The sale was blocked by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System. Hall is scheduled to be sentenced in January and could face up to five years in prison.
Sean Paul II, 22, of Bonne Terre, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of child pornography. He admitted viewing and possessing child sexual abuse material, including before and after he was interviewed by law enforcement. While on bond, Paul received nude images and images of self-harm from someone purporting to be a 16-year-old girl. At sentencing, he faces up to 20 years in prison.
Errion Lavonte-Stallings, 25, of St. Louis County, and four others were indicted and accused of involvement in a conspiracy that stole checks from the mail and then attempted to deposit more than $250,000 in fraudulent checks into bank accounts. Lavonte-Stallings and two others have been arrested and have pleaded not guilty to the charges. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
Johnika Davis, 37, and Jimmie Moorehead, 47, were indicted on one count of conspiracy and eight counts of making false statements related to health care matters. The indictment accuses them of falsely claiming to have physical disabilities and need Medicaid-funded personal care services in exchange for kickbacks from a co-conspirator. The St. Louis residents have pleaded not guilty to the charges, which are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
Thursday Oct. 23
Connie Bobo, 46, of St. Charles, Missouri, was convicted by a jury of three counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft and two counts of obstruction of an official proceeding after a three-day trial. Evidence and testimony at the trial showed that Bobo, who was executive director of New Heights Community Resource Center at the time, stole $19.7 million from a program meant to feed the most vulnerable children in the state of Missouri. That loss is the largest theft of child nutrition funds in state history, evidence showed. Bobo spent the money on luxury goods, homes for relatives, a new home for herself, a $200,000 Mercedes for a romantic partner and a $2.2 million commercial real estate investment, evidence and testimony showed. Bobo is scheduled to be sentenced on January 29, 2026. The wire fraud and obstruction charges each carry a penalty of up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The aggravated identity theft charge carries a penalty of two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge. Bobo will also be ordered to pay restitution.
Pavel “Supreme” Gil, 35, of New York City, was sentenced to 132 months in prison and ordered to repay $517,900 to victims of a bank fraud conspiracy that he masterminded. Gil obtained the names and account information of the customers of regional banks across the country. Giovanni Resto, 34, of New York City, then manufactured counterfeit ID cards containing the photos of co-conspirators and the victims' names and birthdates. Oladiran Ajayi-Obe, 29, Jersey City, new Jersey, ran a crew of conspirators that traveled from the New York metropolitan area to banks around the country to make withdrawals from the victims' bank accounts. Gil and 15 others have pleaded guilty to charges connected to the case.
Jemek'treon Lebrandon Easton, 28, of Charleston, Missouri pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of possession of a machine gun. Easton admitted that a Charleston Police Department officer caught him on May 17, 2025, with a .45-caliber Glock handgun equipped with a “switch,” or auto sear, that enables it to fire as a fully automatic weapon. Shell casings from the gun match those recovered from a shooting that injured three on April 26, 2025. Easton now faces up to 10 years in prison when sentenced.
Friday Oct. 24
A St. Louis County company, E&A Auto Cores LLC, pleaded guilty to one count of transportation of stolen goods and admitted buying stolen catalytic converters from Missouri, Tennessee, Nevada, Washington and Idaho. The company also agreed to pay a $90,000 fine, a forfeiture money judgement of $50,000 and agreed to forfeit 269 catalytic converters that were seized by the St. Louis County Police Department on Sept. 24, 2020.
Monday Oct. 27
Donald Held, 51, of Warren County, who possessed and shared child sexual abuse material online, was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
Corey M. Felton, 28, pleaded guilty to one count of robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that during a dispute with a woman on Nov. 27, 2024, he took the woman’s gun and then carjacked her. He also admitted robbing a man he met via Grindr on December 2. Felton also stipulated that prosecutors could prove by a preponderance of the evidence that on November 28, he robbed another man he met on Grindr, and on December 10, he exchanged gunfire with others in the 3500 block of South Grand Boulevard in St. Louis, using the stolen gun. Felton is scheduled to be sentenced February 19. The felon in possession charge carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and the robbery charge has a maximum term of 20 years. The brandishing charge carries a penalty of at least seven years in prison, consecutive to any other charge.
Tuesday Oct. 28
Gordon Lee Smith, 52, of Washington County, Missouri, pleaded guilty to one count of the possession of unregistered firearms. He admitted illegally possessing five machine guns and seven silencers. He now faces up to 10 years in prison.
Carlos Romero-Salazar, 40, of St. Charles County, Missouri, and five of his nine co-defendants were arrested after having been indicted and accused of involvement in a “jackpotting” conspiracy that stole cash from ATMs. The indictment says Romero-Salazar, a technician for an ATM maintenance service company, installed malware on ATM hard drives that allowed others to take control and force the ATMs to dispense more than $940,000 in one week. Romero-Salazar has pleaded not guilty, as have the others arrested. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
Wednesday Oct. 29
A jury found Irven l. White, 47, of St. Louis, guilty of six felonies: two counts each of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Evidence and testimony showed that on Nov. 1, 2023, a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officer saw White conducting what appeared to be a hand-to-hand drug transaction in the 4400 block of Farlin Avenue. When other officers approached, White fled, discarding a firearm, and was immediately detained. Officers found fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base. On August 26, 2024, officers were notified that White, who had an outstanding warrant for the November 1 incident, was again conducting a hand-to-hand drug transaction. He fled officers again, leaving behind a bag containing two guns. He was arrested in a nearby home, where officers found fentanyl and cocaine base. White is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms. Among his prior convictions is one for second degree murder.
Dillon Miller, 31, of Farmington, pleaded guilty to one count of receiving child pornography and admitted possessing thousands of images of child sexual abuse material, making images available online and sexually abusing minors when he was a minor.
Alexander Sampson, 39, and Dana Kelly, 47, were each indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and two counts of making a false statement. The indictment accuses them of fraudulently obtaining a $397,210 pandemic relief loan for Reign Restaurant LLC in 2021. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
Thursday Oct. 30
Antony C. Campise, 39, of St. Peters, Missouri, was sentenced to 130 months in prison. Campise pleaded guilty in May to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and admitted possessing multiple firearms. During the sentencing hearing, witness testimony showed that Campise possessed the firearm during a violent domestic assault and did so to exert power and control over the victim.
Anton Bolden, 31, of East St. Louis, Illinois, was sentenced to 138 months in prison for selling fentanyl to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in 2023, as well as Glock handguns equipped with a “switch” or auto sear that convert them into a machine gun and a standalone conversion device. Thirteen firearms, including one machine gun and three conversion devices, were later found at the home of Bolden, a convicted felon.
Deionte Grice, 31, of St. Louis, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted stealing a 2020 Kia Optima at gunpoint from a woman in the 5300 block of Devonshire Avenue in St. Louis on Jan. 5, 2024. Grice also stole the victim’s phone and purse. St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers caught Grice on a bus with two handguns in the stolen purse. He now faces up to 15 years in prison for the carjacking charge and a mandatory, consecutive term of seven years for the brandishing charge.
Corie M. Boyer, 50, of Jefferson County, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and admitted embezzling more than $550,000 from the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church in DeSoto, including by stealing cash from the offertory. Boyer was parish bookkeeper and secretary at the time of her crimes. She faces up to 20 years in prison at her January 30 sentencing.
Monday Nov. 3
Anthony Virdure, a former U.S. Postal Service mail handler who stole checks from the mail and committed pandemic fraud, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to repay his fraudulently-obtained Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan of $20,832. Virdure, 31, pleaded guilty in July to mail theft and wire fraud.
Tuesday Nov. 4
A St. Louis area contractor, Coretta “Cory” Elliott, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and admitted fraudulently obtaining pandemic loans totaling $1.7 million. Elliott obtained a first draw Paycheck Protection Program loan of $875,000 in 2020 and a second draw loan of $833,333 in 2021 by falsely certifying that the loans would be used for business-related purposes and by inflating her company’s monthly payroll. She then received loan forgiveness by falsely claiming that she used the money for payroll and other legitimate business expenses when she really used it for impermissible personal purposes. Elliott faces up to 30 years in prison at her sentencing in February and will be ordered to repay the money.
Elder scammer Jiacheng Chen, 21, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. Chen was the fifth defendant in the case to be sentenced. Yu-chieh Huang, 24, was sentenced to 40 months in prison, Tsz Kan, 43, received 54 months, Liang Jin, 26, received a 48-month sentence, Kaiyu Wen, 27, received 72 months. Huang, Jin and Wen were each ordered to pay $90,000 in restitution and Jin was fined $120,000. Scammers targeted older Americans with tech support fraud, romance fraud, and imposter schemes and tricked their victims into handing over large amounts of cash to money mules.
Dorian Scott, a convicted felon who was caught by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers in 2024 with a handgun and nearly 5,000 pills containing fentanyl, was sentenced to 126 months in prison. Scott pleaded guilty in July possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Wednesday Nov. 5
Alexander Gardiner, 24, pleaded guilty to one count of coercion and enticement of a minor and admitted the sextortion of a Missouri teen. Gardiner, who is a citizen of both the United States and the Turks and Caicos, admitted meeting a 15-year-old Missouri boy via Snapchat. After multiple requests by Gardiner, the teen sent photos of his genitals to Gardiner, believing he would be left alone after doing so. Gardiner instead threatened to send those images to the victim’s family and friends if the victim did not continue to produce child sexual abuse material (CSAM) for Gardiner. Gardiner also admitted directing an unidentified 14-year-old to produce CSAM in 2021. Gardiner posted CSAM on Twitter and a link to a Telegram group that targeted minors in attempts to have them produce CSAM. Gardiner could face 10 years to life prison when sentenced in February.
Talito Amos, 32, of Beverly Hills, Missouri, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for selling drugs as part of the “55 Boyz” south St. Louis drug gang. Amos pleaded guilty in August and admitted sourcing fentanyl and meth for the drug trafficking organization, coordinating drug sales and selling directly to drug users.
A superseding indictment added defendants and charges to an indictment alleging a conspiracy to employ and harbor illegal aliens. Guo Liang Ye, 56, of St. Charles County, De Jin Ye, 56, Feng Ye, 34, and Maria Cruz-Cortes, 30, are accused of employing illegal aliens at the Golden Apple Buffet in St. Charles, housing them and providing them fraudulent Social Security cards and immigration documents. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt.
Thursday Nov. 6
Dameon G. Christian, 42, of Washington Park, Illinois, pleaded guilty and admitted posting public threats on his Facebook page in May of 2025 to kill two people. He also admitted that prosecutors can prove that he fired multiple gunshots at a north St. Louis church and at a home in East St. Louis. Christian pleaded guilty to two counts of sending a threat in interstate commerce and one count of transporting a firearm across state lines with the intent to commit a felony. At his sentencing in February, he could face up to five years in prison for the threat changes and up to 10 years in prison for the gun charge.
Wednesday Nov. 12
Daniel Paulino, the former police chief and city administrator of Velda City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and admitted embezzling at least $158,000 from the city in multiple ways while admitting additional fraud yet to be finally calculated by the Court. Without the knowledge and authority of the city: Paulino caused three checks totaling $1,800 and 20 direct deposits of $30,677 to be issued to himself. Paulino used a city credit card to transfer $37,550 to businesses owned by himself and his spouse. He triggered the payment of direct deposits of city funds totaling $54,693 to his personal bank account, falsely represented as the salary of his spouse for purportedly working in the city’s public works division. Paulino also admitted using city funds to pay for additional personal expenses, including $25,500 to buy a tow truck for his company, $3,956 for a Caribbean vacation and $4,000 that went to an Audi dealer. Paulino, 51, is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 10, 2026. Each wire fraud count is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. The total amount of restitution that Paulino will be ordered to pay has not yet been determined.
Robert Nelson Howell, 60, of Madison County, Kentucky, was sentenced to 90 months in prison after being convicted at trial in August of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Howell was caught with duffel bags containing a gun and $12,000 in cash. Howell was driving a stolen vehicle with fake license plates and a fake vehicle identification number and admitted being Involved in drug trafficking.
Hyena Crips Gang Member Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Racketeering and 2019 Murder of a 15-Year-OldRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Martial H. Amilcar, also known as “Drippy,” a member of Hyena Crips, was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 30 years’ imprisonment for racketeering, predicated on the murder of 15-year-old Samuel Joseph and the attempted gunpoint robbery of a Brooklyn pharmacy.
Joseph Nocella, Jr., United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI) announced the sentence.
“In seeking to exact retribution and promote gang violence, Amilcar ended the life of an innocent child,” stated United States Attorney Nocella. “A lengthy prison sentence cannot undo the loss this family and this community has suffered but it delivers a powerful message that senseless violence carries serious consequences.”
“Martial Amilcar's sentencing is a testament to HSI New York’s relentless commitment to protecting innocent New Yorkers from violent gangs that have brutalized our neighborhoods and exploited fraud schemes to fund their reign of terror,” stated HSI Special Agent in Charge Patel. “The defendant's cold-blooded murder of 15-year-old Samuel Joseph and the violent attempted robbery that endangered families and a child highlight the deadly grip gang violence holds on our communities. Today serves as a powerful reminder that HSI New York, together with our partners, will relentlessly pursue those who devastate our neighborhoods and shatter innocent lives with their savagery.”
Mr. Nocella expressed his appreciation to HSI’s Violent Gang Task Force, the New York City Police Department, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General for their outstanding work in this investigation.
As detailed in court filings, the Hyena Crips set of the Crips street gang follows many of the rules and the hierarchical structure of other Crips sets, earning money through fraud and robberies, and protecting their reputation through violent crimes.
February 22, 2019 Murder of Samuel Joseph
As detailed in court documents, including the government’s sentencing memorandum, Amilcar shot and killed 15-year-old Samuel Joseph on February 22, 2019 in retaliation for an altercation earlier the same day between Amilcar’s brother, also a Hyena Crips gang member, and Joseph’s older brother, a rival gang member. Amilcar’s brother attacked the rival gang member outside a convenience store located on the 1300-block of Flatbush Avenue in Brooklyn, and the rival gang member stabbed Amilcar’s brother in the leg.
Shortly after the altercation, Amilcar changed his clothing and contacted various alleged members of the Hyena Crips, including a co-defendant who then met Amilcar. Amilcar and the co-defendant drove to Samuel Joseph’s apartment building and waited outside. As Joseph walked down a staircase towards the building’s exit, Amilcar walked into the building, pulled out a gun and shot Joseph three times at close range, killing him. The shooting and events leading up to it were captured on security camera footage taken nearby.
June 9, 2020 Attempted Robbery of a Brooklyn Pharmacy
On June 9, 2020, the defendant and two other alleged members of the Hyena Crips attempted to rob a pharmacy on the 3400-block of Avenue H in Brooklyn. Amilcar and the others entered the pharmacy and ordered the customers, employees and a small child to the back of the store. Amilcar placed his hands around a victim’s throat, displayed a firearm and ordered her to the back of the store. He jumped over the cashier’s counter in an attempt to rob the store but ultimately fled the pharmacy. Video surveillance from inside the pharmacy captured the incident.
* * *
Eight defendants were charged in the superseding indictment with racketeering in connection with their membership in the Hyena Crips. Two defendants have pleaded guilty, including Amilcar’s brother Martial C. Amilcar. Yesterday, November 12, 2025, Martial C. Amilcar was sentenced by United States District Judge Ann M. Donnelly to 96 months’ imprisonment for racketeering in connection with conspiring to commit fraud using means of identification to defraud the Small Business Administration and conspiring to murder rival gang members.
Trial is scheduled to begin for the five remaining defendants on January 26, 2026. The racketeering charges at trial include the previously unsolved murders of Leandre Mallinckrodt at the West Indian Day Parade on Labor Day 2012 and Roodson Polynice in September 2020.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Lash, Jessica Weigel and Joshua Dugan are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of paralegal specialists Elizabeth Reed and Erin Payne.
The Defendant:
MARTIAL H. AMILCAR, also known as “Drippy”
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkPreviously Convicted Defendants:
MARTIAL C. AMILCAR, also known as “Hype”
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkMATTHEW HARRIS, also known as “Kappy”
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkDefendants Awaiting Trial:
BRADLEY AUGUSTIN, also known as “Cradley”
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkDAVE AUGUSTIN, also known as “Juice”
Age: 39
Brooklyn, New YorkRICK JASMIN, also known as “Jab”
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkWISNY JOSEPH, also known as “Weezy”
Age: 34
Brooklyn, New YorkRICHLER MORETTE, also known as “Breezy”
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-18 (S1)(AMD)
Hobbs Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Hobbs man was sentenced to 180 months in prison following the discovery of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and weapons during two traffic stops in July 2023.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, during a traffic stop on July 4, 2023, Lea County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Mark Liges, 34, on an outstanding warrant. A police canine alerted deputies to narcotics in the vehicle which was then towed pending a search warrant.
The following day, the LCSO and Lea County Drug Task Force executed the warrant on the vehicle. Inside, officers found 679.4 net grams of fentanyl and 199 net grams of pure methamphetamine. Authorities also found loaded two handguns, along with a digital scale and empty baggies. Further investigation using a search warrant for Liges' cellphone revealed text messages corroborating his drug distribution activities.
Just eight days after his initial arrest on July 12, 2023, Liges was arrested again in Hobbs, NM, this time for driving with a suspended license. During this arrest, Liges informed officers he was carrying another firearm, stating he knew it was illegal but claimed he needed it for protection. Liges has a history of felony offenses, including distribution of marijuana in 2010 and possession of a firearm by a felon in 2013, which legally prohibits him from possessing firearms.
Liges subsequently pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm. Upon his release from prison, Liges will be subject to five years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Omar Arellano, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, made the announcement today.
The DEA’s El Paso Division investigated this case with assistance from the Lea County Sheriff’s Office, 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office, and the Lea County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Williams is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Hillsborough County Man Indicted for Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces the return of an indictment charging Jordan O’Keefe Woods (32, Seffner) with two counts of sex trafficking and two counts of inducement to travel to engage in prostitution. If convicted on all counts, Woods faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, on or about September 22, 2024, and July 22, 2025, Woods knowingly trafficked Victim 1 knowing and in reckless disregard of the fact that means of force, threats of force, fraud and coercion would be used to cause the victim to engage in a commercial sex act. The indictment also alleges that on or about September 20, 2024, and July 20, 2025, Woods knowingly persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced Victim 1 to travel from North Carolina to Florida to engage in prostitution and sexual activity.
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 was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
Heavily Armed Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 91 MonthsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Angelo Mark, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced Oct. 1, 2025, in U.S. District Court to 91 months in federal prison for his role a prolific drug delivery service that he operated with his brother in the metropolitan area, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Mark pleaded guilty June 18, 2025, to conspiracy to distribute a detectable amount of fentanyl, and to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense. In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Mark to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to court documents, between Jan. 10, 2024, and March 13, 2024, undercover agents with the DEA made six controlled purchases of fentanyl, cocaine, heroin, and suspected MDMA from Angelo Mark’s co-conspirator and brother, Jevaughn Mark.
On Mar. 22, 2024, law enforcement executed search warrants at the homes of Angelo Mark and co-defendant Jevaughn Mark who lived across the street from each other on the 2300 block of Chester Street SE. From Angelo Marks residence, law enforcement recovered four handguns, three assault style rifles with their serial numbers removed, and 954 rounds of ammunition.
In addition to the seven firearms recovered in Angelo Mark’s home, law enforcement seized 11.5 grams of cocaine, four digital scales, bulk drug-packaging materials, and $50,663 in cash.
On March 14, 2025, co-defendant Jevaughn Mark pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine, and to unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. As part of his plea agreement, Jevaughn Mark accepted responsibility for causing the drug-related deaths of Brandon Román and Robert Barletta. On June 26, 2025, the Court sentenced Jevaughn Mark to 180 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the DEA’s Washington Division and the Metropolitan Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Iris McCranie and Dan Seidel of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking (VCNT) section.
Law enforcement recovered three assault-style rifles, two pistols, and 954 rounds of ammunition from Angelo Mark’s home on the 2300 block of Chester Street SE, on Mar. 22, 2024.
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Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Guilty Verdicts for Three Members of Violent Robbery Crew That Targeted 12 Pharmacies and Phone StoresRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Three members of a violent multi-state robbery crew were found guilty October 28 by a federal jury in connection with the robberies of 12 pharmacies and cell phone stores in the District, Maryland, Virginia, and New Jersey, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
The jury deliberated for three days following a six-week trial.
Ashley Gause, 32, aka “Cray,” of the District, was found guilty of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (Hobbs Act Robbery), conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances from the pharmacy robberies, and nine counts of Hobbs Act Robbery.
D’Marrell Mitchel, 35, of the District, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, and nine counts of Hobbs Act Robbery.
Terrance Barnham, 35, of the District, was found guilty of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act Robbery, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, one count of Hobbs Act Robbery, and one count of carrying a firearm during a crime of violence.
Judge Amy B. Jackson scheduled sentencing for Feb. 4, 2026 for Gause; Feb. 6, 2026 for Mitchell; and Feb. 3, 2026 for Branham. Each count of Hobbs Act robbery carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; carrying a firearm during a crime of violence carries a statutory maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years. A U.S. District court judge will determine the appropriate sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other factors
Joining in the announcement of the verdicts were FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to court documents, from May 9, 2020, through May 26, 2021, Gause and her co-conspirators targeted pharmacies and cellular retail stores in the mid-Atlantic region, seeking to rob the businesses of prescription drugs and iPhones that they could then resell in the District.
Multiple co-defendants previously pleaded guilty to their roles in a number of robberies.
Co-defendant Floyd Neal, 31, of the District, pleaded guilty to his role in the April 1, 2021, robbery of a pharmacy in Manassas and was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to 157 months in prison.
Ashawntea Henderson, 32, of the District, pleaded guilty to interference of interstate commerce by robbery for his role in the May 9, 2020 robbery of a pharmacy in Neptune, New Jersey, and was sentenced on Feb. 18, 2025, to 57 months in prison.
Glenn Dolford, 32, of the District, pleaded guilty to two counts of interference of interstate commerce by robbery for his roles in the June 8, 2020, robbery of a pharmacy in Nottingham, Maryland, and the June 9, 2020, robbery of a phone store in College Park, Maryland. Dolford, who also is serving a 22-year sentence for murder, was sentenced July 18, 2025, to an additional 42 months for his roles in the robberies.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department, Alexandria Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore County Police Department, Henrico County Police Division, Laurel Police Department, Montgomery County Police Department, Neptune Township N.J. Police Department, and Prince George’s County Police Department.
The matter is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Josh Gold, Cameron Tepfer, Sarah Martin, and Mark Levy with assistance from paralegal specialist Jenna Lee.
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Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Guilty Plea in Case of Woman’s Body Found in Mall DumpsterRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Richard Dyson, 57, of the District of Columbia, pleaded guilty to the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Donnella Bryan, 63, whose body was found in a Hechinger Mall dumpster in Northeast D.C. back in April of 2025, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Dyson pleaded guilty on October 7, 2025, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia to one count of second-degree murder. Pursuant to the plea agreement, Dyson is facing up to 24 years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for December 12, 2025, before the Honorable Michael Ryan.
According to the government’s evidence, on or about April 15, 2025, at the Press House Apartments in Northeast D.C., Dyson murdered the victim by striking her in the head and suffocating her with a sock. Dyson then purchased a large container from Home Depot, and with the help of a now-deceased accomplice, disposed of the victim’s body in that container by sliding it into a dumpster at Hechinger Mall. The decedent’s body was discovered on April 19, 2025, one day before Easter Sunday.
Dyson was arrested on June 11, 2025, and has been in custody ever since.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Cocuzza.
Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Guatemalan National Sentenced to Six Months in Prison for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in New Bedford was sentenced on Oct. 1, 2025 in federal court in Boston for illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Manuel Ruiz Luis, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia Kobick to six months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. In June 2025, Ruiz Luis pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. In May 2025, Ruiz Luis was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Ruiz Luis was first deported from the United States to Guatemala in April 1996 and reentered the United States illegally sometime thereafter. Ruiz Luis was removed from the United States a second time on March 28, 2012. Sometime after his March 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis illegally reentered the United States without permission.
Prior to his 2012 removal, Ruiz Luis had multiple criminal convictions including one charge of operating under the influence and four separate charges of operating a motor vehicle without a license.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty to Forcibly Assaulting Federal Officers During Immigration ArrestRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan man pleaded guilty on Oct. 30, 2025 in federal court in Boston to assaulting multiple officers during an immigration arrest.
Guido Andres Cuellar Batres, 24, pleaded guilty to forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties. U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Jan. 12, 2026. Cuellar was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 17, 2025.
Cuellar had overstayed his non-immigrant visa by more than four years and, as a result, there was an outstanding immigration warrant for his arrest. At approximately 9:45 a.m. on May 4, 2025, four federal officers – three Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers and a Drug Enforcement Administration agent – set up surveillance in a parking lot in Marlborough. There, a vehicle was observed entering the parking lot, with Cuellar in the front passenger seat. The officers – who were wearing outer garments identifying themselves as law enforcement – approached the vehicle and ordered Cuellar, in both English and Spanish, to step out of the car. Cuellar refused. The officers then instructed Cuellar and the driver to unlock the vehicle, but they did not do so. After being instructed to keep his hands visible, Cuellar reached down such that officers lost sight of his hands – raising concern that he might be reaching for a weapon. Given this concern and the refusals to comply with orders, the officers broke the rear passenger side window, enabling them to gain entry to the vehicle and unlock the front passenger door.
Upon being removed from the vehicle, Cuellar resisted officer efforts to bring his arms behind his back for handcuffing. As officers continued to attempt to handcuff Cuellar, he tried to bite one of them in the leg, did bite another officer above his wrist and struck that officer in the head multiple times.
After the officers succeeded in handcuffing Cuellar, he continued to resist. As agents attempted to secure Cuellar in the rear seat of their vehicle, he jumped numerous times to avoid being put in the vehicle. One of the officers entered the opposite side of the vehicle to pull Cuellar into the rear seat. As the officer took hold of Cuellar, he head-butted the officer and spat directly into the officer’s eyes and face.
The charge of forcibly assaulting, resisting, opposing, impeding, intimidating, or interfering with federal officers engaged in the performance of official duties provides for a sentence of up to eight years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; and Jarod A. Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert E. Richardson of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty and is Sentenced for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Chelsea, Mass. pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Oct. 22, 2025 in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Leonardo Hernandez-Blanco, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to time served (approximately 10 months) followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant is now subject to deportation proceedings. Hernandez-Blanco was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2020.
Hernandez-Blanco was deported from the United States to Mexico on July 23, 2010 and on Feb. 11, 2020. Sometime after each of removal, Hernandez-Blanco illegally reentered the United States without permission.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston; and Chelsea Police Chief Keith E. Houghton made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.Guatemalan National Pleads Guilty and Sentenced to Time Served for Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national unlawfully residing in Waltham pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Oct. 1, 2025 in federal court in Boston for unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Kevin Elizar Reyes-Andres, 26, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien and was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin to time served (approximately three months). The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of the imposed sentence. Reyes-Andres was indicted by a federal grand jury in June 2025.
Reyes-Andres was deported from the United States to Guatemala on Feb. 27, 2019. Sometime after his February 2019 removal, Reyes-Andres illegally reentered the United States without permission. On May 19, 2025, he was arrested by immigration authorities in Waltham. On that date, a car stop was initiated. Reyes-Andres fled and was later observed getting into another vehicle, attempting to flee again on foot before being apprehended.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Acting Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit prosecuted the case.
Guatemalan National Charged with Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Guatemalan national residing in Chelsea, Mass. has been charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Esteban Chavez-Gonzalez, 35, is charged with one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. Chavez-Gonzalez was arrested on Oct. 30, 2025 in Gray, Maine and extradited to the District of Massachusetts. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston on Nov. 6, 2025, the defendant was released on a $10,000 unsecured bond and special conditions.
Chavez-Gonzalez was deported from the United States in April of 2013. According to the charging documents, at some point he unlawfully reentered the U.S. and, on Nov. 8, 2020, was arrested for a sexual assault for which he was convicted in 2022. Chavez-Gonzalez is a registered sex offender.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant is subject to deportation upon completion of any sentence imposed. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley, Chief of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gulf Breeze Man Convicted of Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Brock A. Westrom, 36, of Gulf Breeze, Florida, was found guilty in federal court of attempted enticement of a minor. The conviction was announced by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin said: “I am incredibly appreciative of the invaluable investigative work performed by our state and federal law enforcement partners to identify, investigate, and arrest the predators who seek to sexually exploit and victimize children, like this defendant. My office stands ready to aggressively prosecute these sick individuals to the fullest extent, and we will not rest until we can all be assured that the most vulnerable members of our communities are safe from these types of threats to their safety and innocence.”
Evidence at trial demonstrated that in July 2024, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, along with other law enforcement partners, conducted an undercover operation, directed at finding people who were soliciting minors online for sex. On July 19, 2024, the defendant began talking with someone he believed was a fifteen-year-old child. He told the purported child the sexual acts he wanted the child to perform, the price he was willing to pay for those sexual acts, and he arranged a meeting location. When the defendant traveled to meet the purported child at the agreed upon location, he was arrested by law enforcement. Electronic evidence seized pursuant to a search warrant confirmed the defendant had, in fact, talked to the person he believed was a child and traveled to meet them.
This conviction was the result of an investigation by the Bay County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Meredith Steer and Eric W. Welch.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice and led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Divisions Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), it marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Gonzales Man Sentenced to 18 Years in Federal Prison for Multimillion-Dollar Scheme to Defraud the COVID-19-Era Employee Retention Credit ProgramRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Kurt Wall announced that U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles sentenced Damian R. Raby, age 42, of Gonzales, Louisiana, to 216 months in federal prison following his convictions for conspiracy to launder money and obstructing the administration of the internal revenue laws, relating to a multimillion-dollar scheme to defraud a COVID-19 economic relief program. The Court further ordered Raby to serve three years of supervised release after completing his term of imprisonment. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court ordered Raby to pay $2,603,678.04 in restitution to the U.S. Treasury and forfeit an additional $2,045,241.58.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, Raby devised a scheme to defraud the United States, through the Internal Revenue Service, by preparing and filing tax forms fraudulently claiming Employee Retention Credit (ERC) refundable tax credits on behalf of numerous businesses purportedly located in the Baton Rouge area—businesses that either did not exist during the COVID-19 pandemic or that did not have any legitimate business activity prior to the pandemic. The ERC program was a tax credit provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES” Act), intended to encourage businesses to keep employees on their payroll during the COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the scheme, Raby filed documents with the IRS asking the IRS to assign Employer Identification Numbers (EINs) to the fraudulent businesses, he opened bank accounts in the names of the fraudulent businesses, and he filed tax forms in which he falsely represented the businesses’ number of employees and payroll amounts and falsely claimed that the businesses were entitled to large tax credits. In total, Raby filed fraudulent applications on behalf of dozens of businesses and caused the IRS to issue more than 30 checks totaling approximately $4.4 million.
As Raby and his associates received the proceeds of the fraudulent scheme, they would try to conceal and disguise the proceeds by quickly making additional financial transactions and moving the fraudulent proceeds among the various bank accounts Raby controlled. Raby then used the proceeds to make large payments on numerous luxury vehicles, the mortgage of his personal residence, and numerous other large purchases.
Later, after Raby became aware of a pending investigation into his conduct, he obstructed and impeded the investigation, including by making false statements to an IRS agent, sending fictitious documents to the IRS, and encouraging one of the witnesses to provide false information to the IRS.
U.S. Attorney Wall stated, “My office has emphasized that efforts to prosecute COVID-19-related fraud are critical to maintaining the integrity of government relief programs. This sentence is a demonstration of our commitment to protecting public funds from fraudsters using deceptive tactics.”
“Damian Raby is one of many people who defrauded a program designed to help businesses retain employees during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “He then tried to hide his ill-gotten gains through money laundering. IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are skilled financial investigators who can unravel complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes.”
“This sentencing demonstrates the commitment of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA), along with our law enforcement partners, to aggressively investigate those who commit financial crimes that harm the tax administration system and victimize law abiding Americans," stated Special Agent in Charge Joel Weaver. “This case highlights the expertise and dedication of TIGTA special agents, who are determined to protect the financial infrastructure of the United States."
Meanwhile, as part of the investigation, the United States has lawfully seized more than $600,000 from bank accounts controlled by Raby and seized and forfeited a single-family residence in Gonzales, Louisiana that Raby largely acquired with fraudulent proceeds. In addition, and previously in this investigation, the United States convicted Kenyall Williams, age 39, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and make unlawful monetary transactions. As Williams admitted as part of her guilty plea, she became aware that Raby was involved in a criminal scheme and she knowingly became involved in the scheme, by assisting Raby and making financial transactions at his direction in exchange for a small share of the proceeds. The Court sentenced Williams to serve a three-year term of probation, pay $555,069.47 in restitution, and forfeit an additional $41,756.70.
This matter was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, and the United States Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, with valuable assistance from the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Alan A. Stevens, who also serves as Senior Litigation Counsel, and Assistant United States Attorneys Brad Casey and Katherine Green.
Fruitland Man Pleads Guilty in Fatal DUI Crash that Killed a 16-Month-Old ChildRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Fruitland man pleaded guilty to a federal crime after a fatal car crash involving drugs that resulted in the death of a baby.
According to court documents, on April 3, 2024, Dewayne Earl Blackie, 37, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was driving on a two-lane highway near Shiprock, New Mexico, when he collided with two other cars that were pulled over on the right-hand side of the road. A 16-month-old child was ejected from his vehicle. The child died from blunt-force injuries. After the wreck, methamphetamines and marijuana were found in Blackie’s system.
Blackie pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. At sentencing, Blackie is subject to a prison sentence of up to eight years. Upon his release from prison, Blackie will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Justin A. Garris, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Four Dominican Men Extradited to the United States for Allegedly Operating Elder Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Four Dominican nationals have been extradited to the United States for their alleged roles in connection with a transnational “call center” operation in the Dominican Republic that tricked hundreds of elderly victims in the United States into believing that their grandchildren or other close family members were in trouble and needed money. In total, the investigation identified over 400 victims with an average age of 84, including at least 50 in Massachusetts, and more than $5 million in losses.
Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia, 33; Joel Jose Cruz Rodriguez, a/k/a “Paflow,” 33; Edward Jose Puello Garcia, 45; and Joel Francisco Mathilda Leon, 26, were arrested in August 2025 in the Dominican Republic and extradited on Sept. 30, 2025. They appeared in federal court in Boston on Oct. 1, 2025 and were detained pending trial. The defendants were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024 with one count of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud and one count of money laundering conspiracy.
According to the charging documents, the defendants, allegedly led by Castanos Garcia, ran a sophisticated “call center” operation in the Dominican Republic that tricked hundreds of elderly victims in the United States into believing that their grandchildren and other close family members were in trouble and needed money. Once the defendants obtained the money, they allegedly laundered their illicit proceeds back to the Dominican Republic.
Castanos Garcia allegedly oversaw call centers in the Dominican Republic, where he employed co-conspirators who spoke English and carried out what are commonly known as “grandparent scams.” These scams would begin with an “Opener” employee, who would call victims and pretend to be a grandchild who was in an accident. Then, a “Closer” would allegedly follow up with another call, pretending to be the grandchild’s attorney, asking for a sum of money to pay for the grandchild’s attorney’s fees. Castanos Garcia allegedly ran these call center locations with the help of several managers, including Cruz Rodriguez and Puello Garcia, who allegedly supervised, instructed and paid the employees.
As alleged in the indictment, callers for Castanos Garcia’s call centers would instruct elderly victims to provide cash to “runners” in the United States, including Joel Francisco Mathilda Leon. Most often, the callers would instruct victims to give the packages with cash to rideshare drivers who were ordered to the victim’s house by a runner. The runners would then allegedly have the unsuspecting rideshare drivers deliver the packages to the runners at nearby locations. In some cases, the callers would allegedly direct the victims to ship packages of cash to specified addresses via mail or commercial carriers.
Often times, the call center would allegedly call victims again and ask for additional funds for their grandchildren, sometimes two or three additional times. For example, callers would allegedly claim that there had been a “mix up” or that a “pregnant women’s baby was lost in the crash.”
At times, co-conspirators would allegedly order unwitting rideshare drivers to drive the elderly victims to the bank to withdraw additional funds.
It is further alleged that, at the direction of Castanos Garcia’s and others, the runners would engage in financial transactions with the victims’ money, including depositing cash into bank accounts and delivering it to co-conspirators in New York and elsewhere. Operators of the scheme relied on money launderers in the United States and the Dominican Republic to transmit proceeds from victims in the United States to Castanos Garcia and others in the Dominican Republic.
Members of the public who believe they may be victims of this case, or other elder fraud scams, should contact [email protected] or call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324). Suspected fraud can also be reported on the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center.
The charge of conspiracy to commit mail fraud and 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, or twice the loss to the victim. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Kevin Neal, Acting U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs; the Dominican National Police; División Especial de Investigación del Crimen Organizado Internacional (DEICROI); Central de Investigaciones Criminales (DICRIM); and the Ministerio Publico. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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ADDENDUM
Defendant
Alleged Role
Charges
Status
Oscar Manuel Castanos Garcia, 33, of the Dominican RepublicCall Center OperatorConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.In CustodyJoel Jose Cruz Rodriguez, a/k/a “Paflow,” 33, of the Dominican RepublicCall Center ManagerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.In CustodyEdward Jose Puello Garcia, 44, of the Dominican RepublicCall Center ManagerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.In CustodyJoan Manuel Mathilda Leon, 27, of the Dominican Republic and the Bronx, N.Y.Recruited and oversaw “runners”; runnerConspiracy to Commit Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud
Money Laundering Conspiracy.
In CustodyLuis German Santos
Burgos, a/k/a “Mambo Flow,” 32, of the Dominican Republic and Dorchester, Mass.
Call Center AffiliateConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.In CustodyGerardo Heriberto Nuñez Nuñez, 41, of the Dominican RepublicMoney LaundererMoney laundering conspiracy.In CustodyRansel St Arlin Tavarez Jimenez, 26, of the Bronx, N.Y.Recruited and organized “runners”; runnerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.At-LargeJoel Francisco Mathilda Leon, 26, of the Bronx, N.Y.RunnerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.In CustodyAndry Joel Baez Santana, 31, of the Bronx, N.Y.RunnerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.In CustodyJose Osvaldo Polanco Batista, a/k/a “Obbi,” 28, of Winter Park, Fla.RunnerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.At-LargeChaman Samael Silverio Balbuena, a/k/a “Chammy,” 31, of Defiance, Mo.RunnerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.In CustodyManuel Nicolas Rivera Cueto, 25, of Santa Clara, Cal.RunnerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.In CustodyJose Arony Fermin Vasquez, a/k/a “Chiky,” 31, of N.J.RunnerConspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud; and money laundering conspiracy.At-Large
Fort Dodge Man to Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
Daniel Smith, 38, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was sentenced on October 8, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City. On May 20, 2025, Smith pled guilty to one count of illegal possession of firearms. Smith was previously convicted of Unauthorized Possession of Offensive Weapons, in 2017, and Dominion/Control of Firearm/Offensive Weapon by a Felon, in 2022 both in Iowa. These convictions prohibit a person from possessing any firearm.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that in November 2024, in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Smith possessed three firearms (rifles/shotgun) which had been provided to him by another person. On November 16, 2024, law enforcement went to Smith’s residence for a shots fired call and observed evidence of a shotgun being fired. During a follow-up search warrant on November 21, 2024, at Smith’s residence, law enforcement seized 3 firearms, a .22 rifle, a .410 shotgun, and a 16-gauge shotgun. Smith admitted he had received the firearms and had fired two of the firearms to test their functioning.
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.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Smith was sentenced to 39 months’ imprisonment and must serve a term of 3-years of supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Smith remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-3052. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Fort Dodge Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
A Fort Dodge man who sexually exploited several minors and distributed child pornography to children pled guilty November 12, 2025, in federal court in Sioux City.
Pry’Shayn Mosley, 20, from Fort Dodge, Iowa, was convicted of one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of distribution of child pornography.
At the plea hearing, Mosley admitted that between May 2022 and October 2022 he enticed two minors under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct in order to produce visual depictions of such conduct. Mosley further admitted to possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material to other persons, including children. During the investigation into Mosely’s activities, a search warrant was executed at Mosley’s residence. Law enforcement seized several electronic devices along with marijuana, drug distribution paraphernalia, cash, and two loaded firearms. During the search, with police at the scene, Mosley convinced a juvenile at the residence to retrieve a package of drugs from another room and attempt to discard the drugs - cocaine, methamphetamine and fentanyl. Officers observed the juvenile and stopped him before he could destroy the evidence. The child pornography created and distributed to children by Mosely involved material that portrayed sadistic or masochistic conduct.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Mosley remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Mosley faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of 30 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case was investigated by the Fort Dodge Police Department and Webster County Sheriff’s Office and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kraig R. Hamit.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 25-3002. Follow us on X @USAO_NDIA.
Former Virginia Business Owner Sentenced for Employment Tax FraudRead the Press Release
A Virginia man and former business owner was sentenced today to 80 months in prison for not accounting for and paying employment taxes to the IRS.
The following is according to court documents and statements made in court: Richard Moore was the executive vice president and part owner of Nexus Services Inc., a Verona-based company that offered bond securitization and other services to immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. With his control over the company’s business and financial affairs Moore was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes from Nexus’s employees’ wages and paying those funds over to the IRS. The timely payment of these taxes is critical to the functioning of the U.S. government because, for example, they are the primary source of funding for Social Security and Medicare. The federal income taxes that are withheld from employees’ wages also account for a significant portion of all federal income taxes collected each year.
For many quarters between the first quarter of 2015 and first quarter of 2024, Moore withheld the funds but did not pay them over to the IRS and did not file the returns. In total, Moore caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $3.1 million.
While not paying the taxes withheld from employees’ wages to the IRS, Moore spent millions of dollars of the company’s money on himself. For example, he spent more than $500,000 on luxury cars, including three Ferarris, three Maseratis, two BMWs, and a Mercedes Benz. He also spent more than $573,000 on his August 2016 wedding and more than $1.1 million to write, publish, and publicize a book written by his spouse.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Elizabeth K. Dillon for the Western District of Virginia ordered Moore to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $3,023,984 in restitution to the United States.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Former Suffolk County Jail Officer Sentenced to Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man was sentenced on Oct. 8, 2025 in federal court in Boston for falsely claiming to sell repossessed vehicles as a law enforcement officer. Defendant claimed to be a Boston Police Detective, Massachusetts State Police Trooper and County Sheriff.
Recardo S. Beale, 34, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun to 90 days in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Beale was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $199,885.00. In May 2025, Beale pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud.
Beale was an Officer for the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department from approximately April 2021 to November 2021. Between approximately October 2023 and February 2024, Beale claimed to six individuals that as a law enforcement officer, he had access to repossessed vehicles that he could sell at a low price.
At various times, Beale identified himself to these individuals as a Sheriff, a Boston Police Detective and/or a Massachusetts State Police Trooper. Beale did not, in fact, hold any of these positions when he made such representations. In reliance on Beale’s false representations, the individuals gave tens of thousands of dollars to Beale for purported repossessed vehicles. Among the vehicles that Beale falsely promised to sell were a BMW, an Audi and a Mercedes. Beale never delivered any such vehicles as Beale did not have any such repossessed vehicles available for sale. On separate occasions, Beale met with two separate individuals at the Suffolk County House of Correction purportedly to show them repossessed vehicles. During one such meeting on Nov. 17, 2023, Beale met with an individual inside a secure area of the House of Correction. Surveillance video showed Beale wearing a Suffolk County Correction Officer Academy hoodie, blue tactical pants like those worn by jail guards and black boots also similar to those worn by jail guards. Beale did not show any vehicles to the individual on Nov. 17, 2023, claiming that a fictious captain was also involved in the sale, and not available.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Office; and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caroline Merck and John Mulcahy of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Former State Employee Pleads Guilty to Providing K2-Laced Papers to a Federal Prison InmateRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Bridgewater, Mass. woman pleaded guilty on Oct. 7, 2025 to providing a controlled substance in the form of a synthetic cannabinoid, also known as “K2,” to a federal inmate at the federal prison FMC Devens. The inmate was granted clemency on Jan. 17, 2025, reducing his 2022 federal prison sentence for drug distribution.
Tasha Hammock, 43, a former employee with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection, pleaded guilty to providing contraband to a prison inmate. U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman scheduled sentencing for Jan. 16, 2026. In March 2025, Hammock and her co-conspirator Raymond Gaines were charged by criminal complaint. Gaines, a federal inmate at FMC Devens, was indicted by a federal grand jury with possessing contraband by a prison inmate, and his case remains pending.
In February 2022, Gaines was sentenced to more than seven years in prison after pleading guilty in federal court in Boston to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. At the time Gaines committed the alleged offenses charged, he was on federal supervised release after serving a prison sentence resulting from a 2017 conviction for distributing cocaine base within 1,000 feet of a school. In both prior cases Gaines was alleged to be an associate of the Orchard Park Trailblazers, a street gang in Boston.
On Jan. 17, 2025, Gaines received an Executive Grant of Clemency, reducing his current federal sentence to five years in prison.
Hammock admitted that on Aug. 18, 2024, while visiting Gaines in prison, she surreptitiously passed K2-laced papers to Gaines, which he allegedly pocketed. At the time, Hammock was employed with the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection.
As described in court documents, K2 presents a health problem at FMC Devens, where inmates have become sick from smoking paper believed to contain K2, as well as prison staff who have been exposed to the secondary smoke.
The charges of providing a prohibited object to a prison inmate, and receiving a prohibited object by a prison inmate, each carry a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston; and Ryan Geach, Special Agent in Charge of the Northeast Regional Office of DOJ-OIG, made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Special Investigative Services Unit at FMC Devens. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former President and Executive Vice President of Local Teachers Union Plead Guilty to Stealing Union Funds in Leave ScamRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Teresa Brady (70, Jacksonville) and Ruby George (82, Jacksonville) have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and mail fraud, aiding and abetting wire fraud, and aiding and abetting mail fraud. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. Brady also pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Brady and George have also agreed to forfeit the traceable to proceeds of the offense, which cumulatively total at least $2.6 million.
According to the plea agreements, Brady and George were the President and Executive Vice President of Duval Teachers United (DTU), a labor union that represents Duval County Public Schools (DCPS) teachers, paraprofessionals, and office personnel. DTU has approximately 6,500 members and represents approximately 80% of eligible DCPS employees. DTU’s annual revenue is approximately $5 million, which is comprised of funds paid by dues-paying members.
Between 2013 and 2022, Brady and George engaged in a conspiracy to steal more than $1.2 million apiece from the DTU by selling leave time to DTU that they had not accrued or earned back. They hid their scheme by providing false information to a DTU’s auditor and by signing each other’s checks when distributing the unaccrued and unearned leave money, hiding those payments from the DTU Secretary/Treasurer. Brady and George also withheld this unearned compensation from the Florida Public Employee Relations Commission (PERC), responsible for public labor unions in Florida, in required annual financial statement filings, some of which were mailed to PERC. Brady then used the fraud proceeds and engaged in at least one monetary transaction of more than $10,000 to pay personal credit card debt.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kelly S. Milliron.
NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
Former Massachusetts State Police Sergeant Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Years-Long Bribery and Extortion ConspiraciesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Sergeant with the Massachusetts State Police (MSP) was sentenced on Oct. 14, 2025 in federal court in Boston for orchestrating a series of bribery and extortion schemes to give false passing scores to certain Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) applicants, including individuals who had failed or did not take the CDL skills test.
Gary Cederquist, 60, of Stoughton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to six years in prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Cederquist was also ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $30,000, restitution in the amount of $18,300, and a forfeiture money judgment in the amount of $18,300. In May 2025, Cederquist was convicted by a federal jury of two counts of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of extortion, six counts of honest services mail fraud, three counts of conspiracy to falsify records, 19 counts of falsification of records and 17 counts of false statements. Cederquist was acquitted of one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, two counts of extortion, three counts of falsification of records and three counts of false statements.
In January 2024, Cederquist was charged in a 74-count indictment along with three other MSP troopers and two civilians:
- Former Trooper Calvin Butner, 65, of Halifax;
- Former Trooper Perry Mendes, 65, of Wareham;
- Former Trooper Joel Rogers, 56, of Bridgewater;
- Scott Camara, 44, of Rehoboth; and
- Eric Mathison, 48, of Boston.
Cederquist was in charge of MSP’s CDL Unit, of which former Troopers Butner, Mendes and Rogers were members. Class A CDLs are required to drive combination vehicles (e.g., tractor-trailers, oil tankers). Class B CDLs are required to drive heavy single vehicles (e.g., box trucks, school buses). Test requirements for CDLs are established by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which is part of the U.S. Department of Transportation.
Members of MSP’s CDL Unit are responsible for administering CDL skills tests. The CDL skills test is a demanding, in-person test that consists of three segments: Vehicle Inspection; Basic Control Skills; and the Road Test. Test scores reported by members of MSP’s CDL Unit are material to whether applicants meet federal requirements for, and therefore whether the Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is permitted to issue applicants, CDLs. In Massachusetts, the pass rate was 48% in 2019, 44% in 2020, 41% in 2021 and 41% in 2022.
Between in on or about February 2019 and January 2023, Cederquist and his co-conspirators arranged to give passing scores to at least three dozen applicants regardless of whether or not they had actually passed or, in some cases, had even taken the CDL skills test, including in some instances in exchange for bribes.
Cederquist and his co-conspirators used the code word “golden handshake” or “golden” to identify applicants who received special treatment and were to be given passing scores on their skills tests regardless of performance. In text message conversations, Cederquist and his co-conspirators described a number of “golden” applicants as performing poorly on their skills tests. However, all of the applicants received passing scores.
Among the CDL applicants to whom Cederquist gave preferential treatment were six MSP Troopers who Cederquist falsely reported as having passed a Class A skills test. In reality, however, the Troopers did not take a real CDL skills test. For four of the Trooper applicants, Cederquist conspired with his friend Camara, who worked for a truck-driving school in Brockton, to accomplish this offense.
Cederquist also conspired with his friend Mathison, who worked for a water company that employed drivers who needed CDLs, to give passing scores to certain applicants affiliated with the water company. In exchange for the passing scores, Cederquist accepted bribes – for years – of free inventory from the water company, such as cases of bottled Fiji, VOSS and Essentia water, cases of bottled Arizona Iced Tea, coffee and tea products and boxes of Twizzlers and Swedish Fish, all of which Mathison delivered to an office trailer at the CDL test site in Stoughton. Cederquist sent Mathison a text describing one applicant as “an idiot,” who had “no idea what he’s doing,” and “should have failed about 10 times already.” Cederquist then texted Mathison that Mathison’s boss “owes big time.”
In exchange for using his official position to give preferential treatment to certain CDL applicants, Cederquist accepted a variety of bribes including inventory from Mathison’s water company valued at $8,300; a $750 granite post and mailbox; a new driveway valued at over $10,000; and a snowblower valued at nearly $2,000. Cederquist described one such applicant as “horrible,” and “brain dead,” but gave him a passing score anyway in exchange for the snowblower.
All CDL recipients identified as not qualified during the course of this investigation have been reported to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles.
In August 2025, former Trooper Calvin Butner, a co-defendant, was sentenced to three months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release with the first three months in home confinement. In August 2025, former Trooper Perry Mendes, also a co-defendant, was sentenced to one month in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release with the first two months on home confinement. In September 2025, civilian co-defendant Eric Mathison was sentenced to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. In September 2025, Scott Camara was sentenced to one month in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Elise Chawaga, Principal Assistant Inspector General for Investigations, Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine J. Wichers and Adam W. Deitch of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Former Massachusetts Resident Living in California Sentenced for PPP FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Los Angeles man who formerly resided in Randolph, Mass. was sentenced on Oct. 1, 2025 in federal court in Boston for submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.
Rindal Pierre-Canel, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Myong J. Joun to two years’ probation. In June 2025, Pierre-Canel pleaded guilty to three counts of wire fraud. The defendant was arrested and charged in January 2025.
Between March 2021 and May 2021, Pierre-Canel submitted three fraudulent applications seeking and receiving over $50,000 in PPP funds. Two of the applications were submitted in Pierre-Canel’s own name and the third application was submitted using the stolen personal identifying information of a victim. The submissions included false representations about the existence and income of businesses and included false tax documents in support of these false representations. Pierre-Canel used the funds he received from the fraudulent PPP loan applications on personal expenses, including flights to California and purchases of designer clothing.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Cambridge (Mass.) and Hermosa Beach (Calif.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian Sullivan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division's prosecution of fraud schemes that exploit the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Since the inception of the CARES Act, the Fraud Section has prosecuted over 150 defendants in more than 95 criminal cases and has seized over $75 million in cash proceeds derived from fraudulently obtained PPP funds, as well as numerous real estate properties and luxury items purchased with such proceeds. More information can be found at: Justice.gov/OPA/pr/justice-department-takes-action-against-covid-19-fraud.
Former Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Chairman Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Extortion and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Chairman of the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe and former President of the Tribe’s Gaming Authority was sentenced on Nov. 5, 2025 for extortion in connection with the First Light Resort and Casino, which the Tribe’s Gaming Authority is building in Taunton, as well as for failing to report hundreds of thousands of dollars of income on his federal income tax returns – most of which was related to the casino project.
Cedric Cromwell, 60, of Attleboro, Mass., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 42 months in prison to be followed by one year of supervised release. The defendant was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $270,763, and to pay $51,849 in a forfeiture money judgment.In March 2021, a federal grand jury sitting in Boston indicted Cromwell on tax charges and charges that he extorted Robinson Green Beretta Corp. (RGB), an architecture-and-design firm that had a contract to serve as the Gaming Authority’s “owner’s representative” for the casino project. The trial court severed the tax counts from the extortion counts, which went to trial in the spring of 2022.
On May 5, 2022, a federal jury convicted Cromwell of three counts of extortion under color of official right and one count of conspiracy to commit extortion under color of official right, finding that he had extorted RGB into paying him $50,000 in 2014-2015, giving him a $1,700 Bowflex Revolution home gym in 2016 and paying for a weekend stay at an upscale Boston hotel in 2017. The trial court dismissed the jury’s convictions, but the First Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated them on Sept. 27, 2024. Cromwell filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court but the Court declined to hear his appeal.
In July 2025, Cromwell pleaded guilty to four counts of filing a false tax return, admitting that he failed to report more than $177,000 in income on his federal income tax returns for 2014 - 2017. Cromwell’s unreported income included $57,549 that he extorted from RGB, $45,023 that he received from the architect on the casino project and $74,821 that he received from a company that sold forest carbon offsets.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division; and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Wichers and Jared C. Dolan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Former MPD Administrative Clerk Pleads Guilty to Defrauding U.S. Small Business AdministrationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Diamond T. Ransome, 34, of Washington, D.C., pleaded guilty October 21, 2025, in D.C. Superior Court to one felony count of fraud in the first degree for obtaining more than $26,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) in 2020 and 2021. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro.
The Honorable Carmen McLean accepted Ransome’s plea and scheduled sentencing for January 16, 2026.
According to court documents, Ransome admitted that in 2020, she submitted applications to two SBA small-business loan programs while working in a full-time civilian position at the Metropolitan Police Department. Her first application, submitted on July 3, 2020, sought a loan from the SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, which was intended to provide emergency financial relief to small businesses suffering economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In her EIDL application, Ransome falsely claimed that she operated a hair and nail salon, even though she had no registered business at that time and provided only limited beauty services to a few acquaintances. Through her fraudulent application, Ransome secured a $1,000 cash advance and a $6,500 business loan from the SBA. She admitted that she did not intend to repay more than $5,600 still owed on that loan.
Her second application, submitted on July 24, 2020, sought a loan from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), another SBA pandemic relief program administered through private lenders. In that application, Ransome falsely stated that she was a “Lash Extensionist” and attached a falsified tax document listing her gross business income for the previous year as more than $117,000.
Based on those misrepresentations, the SBA issued Ransome a $20,833 PPP loan. In August 2021, she applied for and received forgiveness of that loan, falsely asserting that she used the proceeds for eligible business expenses. As a result, the SBA reimbursed Ransome’s private lender the full PPP loan amount plus interest.
Joining in the announcement was Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was investigated by Metropolitan Police Department’s Internal Affairs Division and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Micah Bluming.
Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Former Local Music Teacher and Filipino Man Charged with Sexually Exploiting and Sex Trafficking ChildrenRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former local school music teacher and a Filipino national living in Baltimore, Md., have been charged with allegedly sexually exploiting and sex trafficking minor children.
Joshua DeWitte, 50, of Cambridge, Mass., was indicted by a federal grand jury on Oct. 29, 2025 on six counts of sexual exploitation of children (and attempt and conspiracy); one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children; one count of distribution of child pornography; and one count of possession of child pornography. Christopher Allan Tisoy, 27, a Filipino national residing in Baltimore, Md., was charged by an Information on Oct. 29, 2025 with one count of sexual exploitation of children (and attempt and conspiracy) and one count of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children.
The defendants were arrested in May 2025 and charged with one count each of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy). They remain detained in federal custody.
According to the charging documents, at the time of the alleged conduct, DeWitte was a music teacher at a local school in Massachusetts. Tisoy, a citizen of the Philippines who lawfully entered the United States in September 2024 on a H-1B Visa, was employed as a medical technologist at the Sinai Hospital of Baltimore.
In December 2024, DeWitte was allegedly identified as the owner of a Snapchat account that uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) depicting the abuse of a boy who appears to be between approximately eight and 10 years old. Snapchat records allegedly showed that, in September 2024, DeWitte requested nude pictures from multiple purported minors; sent pictures of his penis to the purported minors; and discussed previous and potential in-person meetups for sexual relations with minors. Additionally, it is further alleged that DeWitte paid, and offered to pay, another Snapchat user to obtain and produce child pornography and to recruit minor boys for himself.
Based on that information, DeWitte was arrested and charged in Cambridge District Court with six counts of disseminating obscene material to a child, one count of distribution of material depicting a child in a sexual act and one count of possession of child pornography. He was later released on conditions.
According to the charging documents, a Telegram conversation between DeWitte and Tisoy was located on DeWitte’s phone, in which they arranged for the production of videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minor boys in the Philippines. Specifically, it is alleged that in the conversations, DeWitte and Tisoy negotiated the terms of creating sexually explicit videos involving minors, including which minors should be involved; which sex acts the minors should perform; who should film, including whether a third party or one of the minors themselves should film; what angles should be filmed; and how much DeWitte should pay Tisoy for each video. The negotiation allegedly incorporated the sexual preferences of both DeWitte and Tisoy, with both agreeing on what they would each find sexually gratifying. Tisoy then allegedly relayed instructions to the minor victims to create a video.
DeWitte allegedly paid Tisoy for each video Tisoy produced and sent. It is further alleged that, between July 3, 2023 and Dec. 27, 2024, DeWitte sent 87 PayPal payments to Tisoy, in amounts ranging from $27 to $958, to film the sexual exploitation of minors in the Philippines – totaling to approximately $23,752.
Members of the public who have questions, concerns or information regarding this case should call 617-748-3274 or contact [email protected].The charge of sexual exploitation of minors (and attempt and conspiracy) provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and up to 30 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking of children provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of distribution of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cambridge Police Department; HSI-Baltimore; the Maryland Department of State Police; and the Middlesex District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sandra Gonzalez Sanchez and Anne Paruti of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Lawrence Police Captain Charged with Civil Rights Violations and Submitting False ReportsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Lawrence Police Captain was arrested and charged in connection with an alleged assault on a man in Lawrence Police custody.
Michael M. Mangan, 47, of Derry, N.H., was indicted by a federal grand jury with one count of deprivation of rights under color of law and two counts of false reports. The defendant was arrested on Oct. 29, 2025 and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston.
According to the indictment, on March 10, 2023, while on duty as a Captain with the Lawrence Police Department, Mangan assaulted a person who had been arrested, resulting in bodily injury the victim. The indictment further alleges that Mangan submitted two false reports about the incident, including a report in which he falsely stated that during the booking process, the victim “slightly turned and bladed his body towards” Mangan “and simultaneously threw his right arm and outstretched hand at a high rate of speed towards [Mangan’s] face with his fingers in a grabbing motion. It alleged that he also stated that the victim demonstrated “assaultive action,” that there was an “imminent threat of the victim reaching to grab at [Mangan’s] face” and that he “utilized a straight arm take down” with his right arm across the victim’s chest. As alleged in the indictment, Mangan submitted these false reports intending to impede, obstruct or influence an ensuing federal investigation.
The charge of deprivation of rights under color of law provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of false reports provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina E. Barclay and Brian A. Fogerty of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Former D.C. Public Schools Official Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON—Dana Garnett, 61, a former contract specialist for the District of Columbia Public Schools (DCPS), was sentenced November 12 to 24 months of imprisonment for her role in a bribery and wire fraud conspiracy that illegally steered lucrative DCPS business to local vendors, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Earlier this year, on June 23, 2025, Garnett was found guilty by a federal jury of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud charges, arising from her role in a bribery and kickback scheme she perpetrated at DCPS. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Amit P. Mehta ordered Garnett to serve three years of supervised release.
Joining in the announcement were Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General for the District of Columbia.
According to court documents, Garnett and her co-conspirators defrauded DCPS by falsifying purchase orders and authorizing payments for inflated quantities of goods that were never delivered. In return for approving these fraudulent overpayments, Garnett received kickbacks from local vendors.
In September 2025, a federal jury found one of those vendors, Yelake Meseretu, guilty of conspiracy and wire fraud arising out of the same criminal scheme. In addition to Meseretu’s conviction, three of Garnett’s co-conspirators—Patricia Bailey, Donald McWhirter, and Duane King—pleaded guilty earlier this year and face sentencing in February 2026.
According to court documents, over the course of at least five years, Garnett, of Hyattsville, Maryland, accepted illegal payments from several vendors who supplied goods to DCPS. In exchange, Garnett steered business to the vendors. Some of the payments were generated from falsified orders that listed inflated amounts of goods that were never delivered.
Garnett and her co-conspirator Patricia Bailey, a fellow DCPS employee, coordinated with the vendors to deliver fewer goods than were billed. Based on false certifications made by or with the knowledge of Garnett, DCPS paid the full amount of the purchase orders as if they had been fulfilled in full. The vendors paid cash to Garnett and her co-conspirator in various locations in the D.C. and Maryland area, including parking lots of restaurants in strip malls.
This case was investigated by FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher R. Howland and John Borchert of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section.
Garnett and Meseretu: 24cr281
Bailey: 23cr336
King: 23cr319
McWhirter: 24cr280
Former Customs and Border Protection Officer Sentenced for Allowing Drug-Laden Vehicles to Enter the U.S.Read the Press Release
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Diego Bonillo was sentenced in federal court to 15 years in prison for allowing vehicles containing methamphetamine, heroin and fentanyl to enter the U.S.
In his plea agreement, Bonillo acknowledged that he worked for a Mexico-based drug trafficking organization wherein he agreed to accept payment for using his official position as an officer to allow drug-laden vehicles into the U.S. from Mexico without inspection. Bonillo admitted that as part of the conspiracy he allowed at least 75 kilograms of fentanyl, 11.7 kilograms of methamphetamine, and over 1 kilogram of heroin, into the United States.
According to the government’s sentencing documents, during the investigation, agents discovered that Bonillo was using a second phone that was unknown to law enforcement to transmit his lane assignments to members of the drug trafficking organization so they would know which lane and what time to send their smugglers to ensure their entry. Eventually, agents determined that Bonillo’s role in the scheme began no later than October 2023 and continued until April 2024, allowing at least 15 vehicles to enter uninspected. According to the sentencing materials, Bonillo used his proceeds to travel internationally, purchase luxury gifts, buy tickets to the Canelo versus Munguia boxing match, attempt to purchase property in Mexico, and spend time at the Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club in Tijuana, Mexico.
“This sentence holds Bonillo accountable for betraying the public trust,” said U.S. Attorney Adam Gordon. “He weaponized his badge for personal profit, funneling deadly narcotics through a port of entry and putting communities at risk. Corruption like this will be met with the full force of the law — and we will not hesitate to pursue and punish those who trade duty for dollars.”
“Corrupt Customs and Border Protection officers betray their oath and endanger our national security,” said DHS Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D. “This sentence sends a clear message that such betrayal of public trust will not be tolerated.”
“Former CBP Officer Diego Bonillo allowed massive amounts of drugs into the U.S. without regard for the deadly consequences it could have on our communities,” said Mark Dargis, Special Agent in Charge of FBI San Diego Field Office. “He disgraced the badge and violated his oath to protect the American people. This conduct betrays the public’s trust and is contradictory to the values and standards expected of a federal law enforcement officer. FBI San Diego and our partners will not tolerate such dishonorable behavior. This sentence reflects the FBI’s commitment to hold accountable anyone who corrupts their role at the expense of our citizens’ safety.”
The sentencing took place on November 7, 2025. This press release was delayed due to the lapse in appropriations.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Van Demark, Bianca Calderon-Peñaloza, and Shauna Prewitt.
DEFENDANT Case Number 24cr0908-RBM
Diego Bonillo Age: 31 Chula Vista, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances – Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952, 960, and 963
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum
Importation of Controlled Substances - Title 21, United States Code, Sections 952 and 960
Maximum Penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation – Border Corruption Task Force
Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility
U.S. Border Patrol – San Diego Sector Intelligence Unit
Homeland Security Investigations - SDNET
Drug Enforcement Administration
Homeland Security Investigations – Hermosillo Attaché
Former Colombian Army Officer Sentenced in DC in Scheme to Distribute 10 Kilos of Cocaine in the U.S.Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jairo Aldres Alzate Milan, 36, a former intelligence officer in the Colombian National Army, was sentenced October 8, 2025, in U.S. District Court to 65 months in prison in connection with a scheme to export 9.85 kilograms of cocaine from South America to the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Milan, aka "Llorente" and “Andres Millan,” pleaded guilty on May 13 to an Information charging him with unlawful distribution of 500 grams or more of cocaine for importation into the United States. In addition to the 65-month prison sentence, Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly ordered Milan to serve four years of supervised release.
Joining in the sentencing announcement was Special Agent in Charge Christopher C. Goumenis of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division and FBI Assistant Director in Charge Darren B. Cox of the Washington Field Office.
According to plea agreement, on Jan. 29, 2019, Milan met with an individual to build a drug trafficking relationship. Milan discussed specifics with this individual who asked, “You know that cargo is going to the United States. All of it, yes?” Milan answered, “Yes.” The two also confirmed a price that included the added cost with transporting the “cargo” to the United States. The cargo was to be cocaine.
On Feb. 2, 2019, Milan met again with the same individual. Milan and the individual discussed further details about the logistics of and the eventual transportation costs of shipping the cocaine to the United States, including details of cargo planes being used for the transportation. The individual explained that a plane in Santa Marta, Colombia, would be used to transport the cocaine first to Guatemala and then on to the United States. The individual further explained that he would need the details of the weight beforehand to ensure customs manifest forms would match.
On Mar. 5, 2019, Milan met with the same individual in Cali, Colombia. The interaction was recorded on audio and video. Milan told the individual that “had the 10,” referring to 10 kilograms of cocaine. Milan confirmed he understood that “this one is going to New York.”
Milan provided ten bricks of cocaine weighing a total of 9.85 kilos. In exchange, Milan received 45 million Colombian Pesos valued at about $13,000 USD.
The Drug Enforcement Administration Mid-Atlantic Laboratory tested nine of the 10 bricks and confirmed in all nine units the presence of cocaine.
Milan was arrested in Colombia on May 22, 2021. He was extradited to the United States on Sept.12, 2024.
In his plea, Milan admitted that he was responsible for distributing 9.85 kgs of cocaine and intended that amount to be imported into the United States.
This case was investigated by the by the FBI Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Rosenberg and Peter Roman of the Violent Crime and Narcotics Trafficking Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Former CFO convicted at trial of four counts of wire fraudRead the Press Release
Seattle – A Mercer Island, Washington man was convicted November 7, 2025, of four counts of wire fraud for taking and misusing some $35 million from his former employer, announced U.S. Attorney Charles Neil Floyd. Nevin Shetty, 41, was found guilty after a nine-day jury trial. Jurors deliberated about ten hours before reaching the guilty verdict. Judge Tana Lin scheduled sentencing for February 11, 2026.
“This defendant exploited his position of power and trust in an attempt to profit from his crime and then lied to cover it up,” said U.S. Attorney Neil Floyd. “I am proud of the work of our attorneys and support staff, who calmly and carefully helped the jury see through film of lies the defense used to try to justify what was, at its core, theft.”
According to records in the case, Shetty was hired as the CFO of a private software company in March 2021. The company was raising capital for its work in multiple rounds of funding. The company, with Shetty, drafted a policy governing how the money raised should be kept safe while the company worked to grow its business. The company adopted an investment policy statement that called for company cash to be invested only in money market accounts or other conservative investments. The company’s overriding objective was to preserve its capital for use in operating and growing the business, which is why the company’s capital was placed exclusively in FDIC insured treasury and operating bank accounts.
Even though Shetty helped draft the policy and disseminate it to the board of directors for approval, he secretly moved approximately $35 million in company funds to a cryptocurrency platform he controlled as a side business. Shetty created that side business, called HighTower Treasury, in February 2022—it had no other outside customers. In March 2022, he was told he could not continue as CFO at his employer due to concerns about his performance. Shortly after he got this news, Shetty secretly transferred the funds out of the company’s account.
Between April 1 and 12, 2022, Shetty transferred $35,000,100 of his employer’s money to an account for HighTower Treasury. No other executives or board members at the company knew of these transfers. Shetty, through HighTower, then placed the money in a realm of cryptocurrency sometimes referred to as decentralized finance or “DeFi.” Shetty chose high-yield DeFi lending protocols that promised to generate 20% interest. Shetty’s idea was that HighTower would pay Shetty’s company 6% of that interest and keep the remainder of any interest earned from the cryptocurrency investments for HighTower, which could have been substantial. As an owner of HighTower, Shetty stood to keep those profits. In the first month, Shetty’s scheme earned roughly $133,000 of profit for himself and his HighTower business partner.
However, the cryptocurrency investments soon began declining and by May 13, 2022, the value of the $35 million investment was nearly zero. After the money was essentially gone, Shetty told two of his fellow executives what he had done. He was immediately fired.
The company reported the embezzlement to the FBI, who launched an investigation.
In closing arguments Assistant United States Attorney Philip Kopczynski told the jury, “Why did he do this? Greed – to line his own pockets. That is what explains his lying, sneaking around, and telling half-truths.”
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Kopczynski and Grace Zoller.
Former Bank of America Employee Sentenced for Role in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man was sentenced on Oct. 27, 2025 for his involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization.
Rongjian Li, 38, of Staten Island, N.Y., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to three years of probation, with the first year to be served on home confinement. Following home confinement, Li will be required to perform 100 hours of community service. In February 2025, Li pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy.
In May 2023, a federal grand jury in Boston returned a superseding indictment charging 12 individuals from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization. The network was identified in the greater Boston area in 2021 along with the leader of the organization, Jin Hua Zhang, based in Staten Island, New York, and a number of his criminal associates. The investigation revealed that, for a fee, Zhang laundered bulk cash for drug dealers and laundered profits from other illegal businesses. In less than one year, Zhang and his organization laundered at least $25 million.
A large portion of the laundered funds were generated by criminal groups operating overseas who tricked U.S. victims into falling for a variety of internet-based frauds. These frauds included tricking victims into sending money to purchase or extend warranties or soliciting victims to invest in cryptocurrencies and then stealing the invested funds. In order to help these criminal groups launder these funds, Zhang needed U.S. bank accounts.
Rongjian Li was a Bank of America employee in New York who became friendly with Zhang. In 2021-2022, Zhang directed his runners to meet with Li at Li’s Bank of America branch. Li knew some of Zhang’s accounts were opened with runners using fraudulent passports and knew that the accounts were intended for use to launder “scam” money. When the bank’s financial auditing systems flagged or froze accounts for suspicious activity, Li misused the branch customer information system to help Zhang move illicit funds elsewhere. Finally, Li was seated next to Zhang at a lengthy recorded dinner in New York with undercover agents where Zhang discussed the different fee percentages he charged various criminal groups for drug trafficking and scams.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Admissions Director for Emmanuel College Pleads Guilty to Soliciting a College Applicant to Engage in Commercial SexRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former Assistant Admissions Director for Emmanuel College in Boston pleaded guilty on Nov. 12, 2025 to soliciting an underage college applicant to engage in commercial sex with him.
Jacob Tyler Henriques, 27, of Boston, pleaded guilty to one count of attempted sex trafficking of a minor and one count of cyberstalking. U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun scheduled sentencing for March 4, 2026. Henriques was arrested and charged in May 2025.
Henriques used his position as an Assistant Admissions Director to gain access to the personal information of various admitted or prospective students, who he later contacted to solicit to engage in commercial sex with him. Specifically, on April 25, 2025, Henriques met with multiple admitted or prospective students. After meeting with at least three such students, Henriques gained access to their personal information and began contacting them, offering to “pay them for some fun,” offering to provide them with pornography, and, in some instances, sending them pornographic videos or images. Henriques began contacting a fourth victim after she formally committed to attend the college on April 25, 2025. He offered to pay her for “some fun” and began sending pornographic videos to her.
Henriques attempted to traffic a 17-year-old victim, who was a prospective student after he reviewed the victim’s tour registration form, which contained her date of birth, just before giving her a tour of the college on or about April 25, 2025. Henriques asked the victim what grade she was in and the victim told Henriques what local high school she attended. Within hours of finishing the tour, Henriques began texting the victim on her phone number provided on her admissions form. Henriques offered to pay the victim $400 for “some fun” and told her that he had pornographic videos and pictures for her. Henriques continued to contact the minor victim that night, refusing to tell her who he was or how he got her number. He told the victim that “porn” and “$” was ready for her. Henriques then sent the minor victim five pornographic videos depicting men and women engaged in sex acts and asked her whether or not she wanted to participate in a “gangbang” and whether or not she wanted to have sex with him. Despite the victim rejecting Henriques’s offer multiple times, Henrique continued to text her telling her to let him know if she changed her mind and that he would buy her anything she wanted. Between April 25, 2025 and April 28, 2025, Henriques accessed the minor’s profile 47 times. After the victim blocked his phone number, Henriques began soliciting the victim via email.
The charge of attempted sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of no less than 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Ted E. Docks, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Emmanuel College Campus Police and the Boston, Ware, Lunenburg, Agawam, Springfield, Ludlow and Easthampton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig E. Estes of the Human Trafficking & Civil Rights Unit is prosecuting the case.
If you have information or questions about this investigation, or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking or child exploitation, please contact [email protected].
Folsom Man Indicted for Possessing a Firearm in a School Zone and Possessing a Firearm While Subject to a Restraining OrderRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment today against Curt Michael Taras, 53, of Folsom, charging him with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a prohibited person and possessing a firearm within a school zone, U.S. Attorney Eric Grant announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 24, 2025, Taras was found to be in possession of a firearm within 1,000 feet of the Folsom High School campus. Further investigation revealed that he possessed several firearms and ammunition in his vehicle and in his residence. Taras is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he is subject to a court order in Sacramento County Superior Court that restrains him from harassing, stalking, and threatening an intimate partner.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Folsom Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Abendroth and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Ng are prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Taras faces a maximum statutory penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing a firearm within a school zone, and 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for possessing a firearm while subject to a court order retraining him from harassing, stalking, or threatening an intimate partner. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Florida Woman Sentenced for Role in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Florida woman was sentenced on Oct. 15, 2025 in federal court in Boston for her involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering organization that laundered more than $6 million in drug trafficking proceeds from Colombian cartels through the United States, Caribbean and European banking systems. Over the course of the investigation, approximately 1,193 kilograms of cocaine were seized at sea, in addition to 1,555 kilograms of cocaine seized from shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia.
Dawnett McGee, 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 21 months in prison, to be followed by one year of supervised release. On Dec. 12, 2024, McGee pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and three counts of laundering of monetary instruments.
McGee was among 20 individuals from Colombia, Jamaica and Florida who were indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2022 in connection with the money laundering conspiracy.
Over the course of the investigation, $1 million was seized from corporate bank accounts and other investigative activity. Nearly 3,000 kilograms of cocaine – with a street value of over $90 million – was traced back to the money laundering organization. This includes approximately 1,193 kilos of cocaine seized at sea, 60 miles south of Jamaica, in July 2019, as well as 1,555 kilos of cocaine seized in nine scrap metal shipping containers at the Port of Buenaventura, Colombia in March 2019.
In or about October 2016, an investigation began into a sophisticated money laundering organization located primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. During an extensive five-year investigation, the organization laundered over $6 million in drug proceeds through intermediary banks in the United States, including banks in Massachusetts, as well as additional proceeds through banks in the Caribbean and Europe by use of the Colombian Black Market Peso Exchange (BMPE). By using the BMPE, the defendants and their co-conspirators sought to conceal drug trafficking activity and proceeds from law enforcement as well as evade currency exchange requirements in the United States and Colombia through the illegal currency exchange process. As part of the conspiracy, members of the organization held roles and responsibilities relative to the needs and opportunities of the scheme, such as drug suppliers, peso brokers, money couriers and business owners/dollar purchasers.
Through the BMPE, Colombian drug trafficking organizations with drug proceeds generated in the United States use third parties – generally referred to as “peso brokers” that are also based in Colombia – who agree to exchange Colombian pesos they control for the drug supplier’s dollar proceeds. Peso brokers then use money couriers in the United States and elsewhere to physically secure the drug proceeds, often in suitcases or bags on the street, and transfer the proceeds into the United States banking system. To avoid detection, peso brokers deposit the drug proceeds into bank accounts in company or individual names intended to appear as legitimate business activity, or through multiple small deposits into different bank accounts which are then consolidated into larger accounts. As a result, Colombian peso brokers control a pool of drug-derived proceeds in United States bank accounts. These dollar proceeds are then purchased by individuals or companies in Colombia seeking to exchange pesos for United States dollars at a favorable exchange rate and in a manner that avoids currency exchange and income reporting requirements. The dollar drug proceeds are transferred at the direction of the purchaser and often end up in bank accounts of individuals or companies who appear to have no direct involvement in drug trafficking crimes.
Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the BMPE.
Throughout the course of the investigation, members of the money laundering organization would contact the undercover and arrange meetings for the undercover and the undercover’s purported associates to collect bulk cash throughout the world. Individuals, such as McGee performed the role of money courier. McGee delivered bulk cash on two occasions in Florida. That cash was then deposited into the undercover bank account in Massachusetts, and then subsequently wired to accounts and repatriated back to drug traffickers in Colombia. Over the course of the conspiracy, McGee was responsible for the laundering of over $330,000 in drug proceeds.
McGee is the 15th defendant to be sentenced. All 20 defendants have been convicted either at trial or by pleading guilty.
United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; Aura Liliana Trujillo Rojas, Delegate for Criminal Finance for the Colombian Attorney General’s Office; Ricardo Sánchez Silvestre, Brigadier General of the Colombian National Police Anti-Narcotics Directorate; Jervis Moore, Chief of the Narcotics Division for the Jamaica Constabulary Force; and Colonel Geoffrey Noble of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section’s Office of the Judicial Attaché in Bogotá, Colombia provided significant assistance in securing the arrests and extraditions of Cover, Rowe, and other co-defendants from Colombia and Jamaica. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
Florida Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking Thousands of Counterfeit “Scotty Cameron” Golf Putter GripsRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that Glenn Thomas Berger (50, Lehigh Acres) has pleaded guilty to trafficking in counterfeit golf putter grips. Berger faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and up to a $2 million fine. Berger has agreed to forfeit $170,570.45 in proceeds obtained from the offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Berger, who owns and operates a company that manufactures and sells sporting goods, sold thousands of counterfeit “Scotty Cameron” branded golf putter grips utilizing an online selling platform. Berger then shipped the counterfeit products through the U.S. mail. From November 2020 through at least August 2024, Berger sold and shipped more than $170,000 worth of counterfeit goods.
This case was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.
Five-Time Felon Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Joshua Calvin Allen, 35, a five-time felon residing the District of Columbia, was sentenced in U.S. District Court on October 15 to 36 months in prison for illegally carrying a loaded Glock pistol with an extended magazine, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Allen pleaded guilty on June 30, 2025, to unlawful possession of a firearm. In addition to the prison term, Judge Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Allen to serve three years of supervised release.
Allen, who is also awaiting trial in a 2021 homicide, has been jailed at the Central Detention Facility since Nov. 2021 for violating the terms of a previous supervised release for prisoner escape and assault with intent to commit robbery while armed.
On Nov. 9, 2021, a D.C. Superior Court Judge signed a warrant for Allen’s arrest in the June 2021 slaying of 28-year-old Delonte Johnson.
On Nov. 10, 2021, members of the U.S. Marshal’s Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force located Allen using information obtained from his GPS ankle monitor, which he was wearing as a condition of his supervised release resulting from a previous conviction of illegal possession of a firearm.
The Task Force apprehended Allen as he was sitting in the driver’s seat of a white Ford Explorer near a Southeast apartment complex. During a pat down, a Task Force officer discovered a Glock 23 pistol with an extended magazine that Allen had secreted between two pairs of compression shorts.
This case is Allen’s sixth felony conviction and his second conviction for possessing a firearm in the District of Columbia. His previous convictions in the District of Columbia also include assault to commit robbery while armed, carrying a pistol without a license, and inmate in possession of a weapon. He was also convicted in Maryland for armed carjacking.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshal’s Capitol Area Regional Fugitive Task Force, the FBI Washington Field Office, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah C. Santiago.
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Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Five-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL –A resident of Robertsdale, Alabama, was sentenced to 28 months’ imprisonment on October 31, 2025, for his second federal conviction for felon in possession of a firearm. Albert Emil Tillman, 46, pleaded guilty to his two new federal charges, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Felon in Possession of Ammunition in July of 2025. According to court documents, Tillman had been previously convicted in state court for Robbery First Degree in 2000 and Unlawful Possession of a Controlled Substance in 2009. Most recently, he was convicted for Conspiracy to Manufacture Methamphetamine and Felon in Possession of a Firearm in federal court in 2013.
Court documents show that Tillman was on supervised release from his prior federal convictions when his probation officer received information that Tillman was distributing methamphetamine in the Atmore, Alabama, area. Officers obtained a search warrant for Tillman’s motel room in Atmore and incriminating evidence was discovered in the room, including digital scales and smoking devices used to consume methamphetamine. The officers also discovered a shotgun and shotgun ammunition in the room. Tillman was arrested outside the room in his truck, where numerous additional rounds of shotgun and rifle ammunition were seized. Tillman was indicted for the two new counts, Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Felon in Possession of Ammunition, as a result of this investigation.
United States District Court Judge Kristi Dubose imposed a 28-month sentence in Tillman’s cases and ordered that the sentences run concurrently. The judge further ordered that Tillman serve three years of supervised release following his imprisonment. As conditions of Tillman’s supervision, he will also undergo testing and treatment for drug and/or alcohol abuse and will be subject to a search of his person and premises upon reasonable suspicion. No fine was imposed but the Judge ordered that Tillman pay $200 in special assessments. Judge Dubose also ordered the forfeiture of the firearm and ammunition that Tillman illegally possessed.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Escambia County (Alabama) Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Gloria Bedwell prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Five Albuquerque Men Plead Guilty to Federal Firearms and Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – Five Albuquerque men have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to a firearms and drug trafficking conspiracy that involved selling machine gun conversion devices and cocaine.
According to court records, between February 2024 and July 2024, Micah Maestas, 20, Dominic Ramirez, 22, Daniel Garcia, 19, Oscar Ruiz Salmeron, 20, and his brother, Jesus Ruiz Salmeron, 20, sold firearms equipped with machine gun conversion devices, commonly known as "Glock switches," along with cocaine. During the investigation, the defendants sold modified firearms and distributed controlled substances to an undercover law enforcement officer in multiple transactions.
Law enforcement linked firearms sold by the defendants to multiple shooting incidents in the Albuquerque area through ballistics evidence. Jesus Ruiz Salmeron was captured on video firing a fully automatic weapon near Albuquerque High School.
Maestas pleaded guilty to distributing cocaine, using firearms in drug trafficking crimes, trafficking firearms, dealing firearms without a license and using firearms in drug trafficking crimes and possession and transfer of a machinegun. Ramirez and Garcia pleaded guilty to dealing firearms without a license, distribution of cocaine and using a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. Oscar Ruiz Salmeron pleaded guilty to trafficking firearms. Jesus Ruiz Salmeron pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun.
Under the terms of their plea agreements, Maestas, Ramirez, and Garcia each face a mandatory minimum penalty of five years and up to 20 years. Oscar Ruiz Salmeron and Jesus Ruiz Salmeron faces up to 10 years imprisonment. Maestas is scheduled to be sentenced November 6, 2025. Sentencing hearings for the remaining defendants have not been scheduled.
Acting U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison and Shawn Stallo, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Jack E. Burkhead is prosecuting the case.
This press release was posted November 13, after the end of the federal government shutdown.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Federal Pandemic Fraud Unemployment Benefits SchemeRead the Press Release
Editor's Note: This matter occurred on the date indicated but was not published at that time due to a lapse in federal appropriations. Press releases are posted and made available following the return to normal operations
ABINGDON, Va. – The final defendant charged in a 17-member conspiracy who defrauded the United States, committed program fraud and mail fraud in connection with a scheme involving the filing of fraudulent claims for pandemic unemployment benefits was sentenced October 14 in U.S. District Court in Abingdon.
On October 9, 2025, Jason Dale Worley, 47, of Meadowview, Virginia, was sentenced to serve 12 months and 1 day in prison for filing a fraudulent claim for pandemic unemployment benefits. Worley was also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission in the amount of $9,698, which represents the total pandemic unemployment benefits for which he filed fraudulent claims or recertifications.
Earlier this year, Crystal Shaw was sentenced to 60 months in federal prison for her role in the conspiracy. Shaw, one of the lead organizers of this conspiracy, was sentenced to the statutory maximum term of imprisonment. She was also ordered to pay $287,459 in restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for her role in this conspiracy.
Previously sentenced as part of the conspiracy were 15 other co-defendants: Joseph Hass, 27 months; Brian Addair, 24 months; Russell Stiltner, 24 months; Daniel Horton, 21 months; Christopher Webb, 20 months; Cara Camille Bailey, 19 months; Jessica Lester, 19 months; Justin Meadows, 18 months; Terrence Vilacha, 18 months; and Clinton Michael Altizer, Stephanie Amber Barton, Jeramy Blake Farmer, and Hayleigh McKenzie Wolfe were each sentenced to 12 months and 1 day. Jonathan Webb, the individual charged with recruiting others to file fraudulent claims, mostly inmates at local jails, was sentenced to 48 months in prison and was ordered to pay $150,218 in restitution. Josef Brown, another incarcerated individual who recruited others to file fraudulent claims, was sentenced to 35 months in prison and was ordered to pay $119,660 in restitution.
In total, the defendants stole $341,205 in pandemic relief funds to which they were not entitled.
All defendants were also ordered to pay restitution to the Virginia Employment Commission for the fraudulent claims and fraudulent recertifications.
According to court documents, between March 2020 and September 2021, Josef Brown, Jonathan Webb, and Crystal Shaw developed a scheme to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment befits via the Virginia Employment Commission website. The scheme involved the collection of personal identification information (PII) of inmates housed at SWVRJA-Haysi and Abingdon, as well as personal friends and acquaintances of Brown, Webb, and Shaw. The conspirators used that information to file fraudulent claims and recertifications for pandemic unemployment benefits for incarcerated individuals and others who were ineligible for the benefits.
As part of the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee (PRAC) Task Force, this investigation was conducted by the Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General were charged with identifying major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending. According to the United States Department of Labor, Virginia paid approximately $1.1 billion in fraudulent unemployment claims between April 1, 2020, and March 31, 2021.
Acting United States Attorney Robert N. Tracci, Ian Kaufman, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Division, Syreeta Scott, Special Agent in Charge, Mid-Atlantic Region, U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG), and Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares announced the sentences.
Agencies that assisted with this investigation included the Dickenson County Sheriff’s Office, the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail Authority, the FBI, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, and the Virginia Employment Commission.
Special Assistant United States Attorney M. Suzanne Kerney-Quillen, a Senior Assistant Attorney General and Deputy Section Chief of the Virginia Attorney General’s Major Crimes and Emerging Threats Section, and Assistant United States Attorney Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Felon Sentenced to Prison for 41 Months for Possessing a Firearm During a Domestic IncidentRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced in late October 2025 to serve 41 months in prison for possessing a firearm after a felony conviction.
According to court documents, Marcus Leon Sanders Jr., has five prior felony convictions which prohibits him from possessing a firearm. On October 6, 2024, Mobile Police Department (MPD) responded to a domestic incident. Witnesses reporting hearing a loud dispute. Upon officers’ arrival, Sanders was slashing the tires of a truck belonging to an intimate partner. When he was taken into custody, a loaded pistol was found in his pocket.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms along with Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tandice H. Blackwood prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).
Felon Sentenced to 33 Months for Possession of Pistol While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON– Cedric Carr, 34, a previous convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced to 33 months, on October 7, 2025, for his unlawful possession of a semiautomatic pistol while drinking in public and on supervised release for another felony firearms offense, announced U.S Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On Feb. 20, 2025, Carr pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 33-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Contreras ordered Carr to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on Oct. 27, 2024, about 8:30 a.m., Carr was drinking from an open bottle of red wine outside of the entrance to the Gallery Place-Chinatown Metro station. Two Metropolitan Police officers saw the wine bottle, approached Carr, and asked for identification. Officers took the bottle. Carr handed them a bank card, then turned his back to the officers. As Carr reached for his waistband, one of the officers grabbed Carr’s right hand, felt a hard object, and saw the handgrip of a pistol tucked in Carr’s waistband.
Officers cuffed Carr and recovered a loaded Smith and Wesson M&P 40, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol. The gun had been reported stolen by the Atlanta Police Department.
At the time of this offense, Carr was on supervised release for a 2018 conviction for using a firearm during a crime of violence. Carr was sentenced to 84 months in that case.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S Attorney Michael L. Barclay.
Carr’s Smith and Wesson M&P 40, .40 caliber semiautomatic pistol.
Police Body-Worn-Camera photo of Cedric Carr holding a wine bottle at the entrance to the Gallery Place - Chinatown Metro station on Oct. 27, 2024.
In a body-worn-camera photo, Cedric Carr turns away from a police officer and reaches for a Smith & Wesson pistol tucked in his waistband on Oct. 27, 2024, at the Gallery Place-Chinatown.
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Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Felon Sentenced to 24 Months for Unlawful Possession of Pistol and Ammo Found in an Abandoned Crashed CarRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Demontra Harris , 31, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced October 24, 2025, to 24 months in prison in connection with his unlawful possession of a .40 caliber pistol and 17 rounds of ammunition that police discovered after he had abandoned a vehicle following a car crash, announced by U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
On April 15, 2024, Harris pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 24-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Harris to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2024, at 10 p.m., officers were responding to an unrelated case when they saw a black Toyota RAV-4 run a red light. A nearby detective in another car witnessed the RAV-4 lose control and crash on the 1800 block of Alabama Avenue, SE. Harris, who was the sole occupant, abandoned the disabled vehicle.
At the scene of the crash, officers immediately spotted a Glock 22, .40 caliber pistol with an extended magazine that had been left on the driver’s seat and a nearly empty open bottle of tequila. During a search of the vehicle officers found one shoe on the driver side. Officers also found a D.C. Driver’s License, a D.C. identification card, and a rental agreement that all had the name “Demontra Harris” on them.
Soon after the accident, an officer saw a man nearby wearing one shoe. The shoe matched the other half of the pair found in the crashed vehicle.
Police placed Harris under arrest and learned Harris had prior felony convictions for weapons counts. As a previously convicted felon, Harris is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The matter was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shehzad Akhtar with valuable assistance from Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alex Schneider and Rachel Craft.
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Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Felon Sentenced to 15-Months Incarceration for Illegal Possession of a Loaded Glock 9mm PistolRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Trevon Timothy Vines, 33, a previously convicted felon residing in the District of Columbia, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 15 months in federal prison for illegally possessing a pistol and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro.
Vines pleaded guilty June 6, 2025, before Judge Amy Berman Jackson to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. In addition to the 15-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Vines to serve three years of supervised release.
This prosecution comes as part of the "Make D.C. Safe and Beautiful" initiative, which is surging resources to reduce violent crime in the District of Columbia. This initiative was created to address gun violence in the District, prioritize federal firearms violations, pursue tougher penalties for offenders, and seek detention for federal firearms violators.
According to court documents, on March 15, 2025, about 12:45 a.m., Metropolitan Police Department officers were on the 1800 block of 7th Street NW when they observed a white Chevrolet make a U-turn over double yellow lines. Moments later, officers stopped the vehicle.
As officers approached the driver, they spotted an open bottle of tequila inside the car and noted the scent of alcohol. Officers ordered all the occupants out of the car include Vines, who was sitting in the front passenger’s seat holding a clear plastic cup containing yellow liquid.
While attempting to place Vines in handcuffs, an officer recovered a loaded Glock 43 9mm pistol from Vine’s front left pocket. Officers ran the serial number of the firearm and learned it had been reported stolen from a gun dealer in White Plains, Maryland.
Vines was previously convicted in 2016 of attempted robbery in DC Superior Court. He was convicted again in 2017 of armed robbery in Superior Court for which he was sentenced to 72 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole.
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Editor's Note:
This matter occurred on date indicated but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.Federal Jury finds Millington Man Guilty of Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – On October 30, 2025, after a four-day trial, a federal jury found Michael Fruitticher, 37, of Millington, guilty of production and attempted production of child pornography and possession of child pornography. United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant announced the verdict today.
According to information presented in court, between at least July 2011 and continuing through May 2014, Fruitticher video-recorded a child nude in the shower, photographed the child nude and in lingerie in sexually lascivious poses, and photographed himself raping the child. DNA results revealed Fruitticher’s and the child’s DNA on an item of lingerie worn by the child in one series of photographs. In May 2019, federal and state law enforcement officers investigating the case found devices containing the child sexual abuse material in Fruitticher's possession.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant said, “Violent crimes against children, including the production of materials depicting child rape and sexual abuse, are heinous violations of the rule of law. We are committed to removing child sex offenders from our community and to protecting our children from those who would do them harm.”
Sentencing is set for Wednesday, February 4, 2026, before United States District Judge Mark S. Norris. Fruitticher is facing a sentence of 15 to 40 years of imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative that marshals federal, state, and local resources to apprehend individuals who exploit children and to identify and rescue victims.
The case was investigated by the Millington Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force.
United States Attorney D. Michael Dunavant thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Delery and P. Neal Oldham, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact the media relations team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Federal Jury Finds Tampa Man Guilty of Selling MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Gregory W. Kehoe announces that a federal jury has found Shane Valmont (45, Tampa) guilty of distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine. Valmont faces a minimum prison term of 10 years, up to life. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 18, 2025.
According to evidence presented at trial, on December 27, 2022, Valmont sold approximately 112 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant working with the Clearwater Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Maria Guzman and Muriel Moore.
NOTE: This matter occurred on a previous date but not published at that time due to government shutdown. Press release posted and made available following the return to normal operations.